How To Train Your Volunteers Remotely

It felt like our parents had just busted us. Standing at the door of our youth space was a teenager staring at us, confused. Most weeks, this wouldn’t be an issue, but we didn’t have a program, we were taking the night off to train our volunteers. This teen didn’t get the message and had walked in during dinner, a little embarrassed she turned around, flagged down her dad’s car and drove off before we could react. We all had a good laugh, and someone jokingly exclaimed, “Someone’s small group leader didn’t get the message out there.”

I love spending time with my volunteers, either sharing life or equipping them to be better leaders. Unfortunately, the amount of in-person training is going to be reduced this year due to the pandemic; however, it doesn’t mean we’re going to stop forming our volunteers. If anything, this is the time to double down and make a more significant investment.

How can you help your team grow this year? Here are a few ideas:

CREATE A VIDEO TRAINING DASHBOARD

It sounds more complicated, but it’s relatively simple. Most of us have devices with cameras that can record. Commit to weekly or monthly record a training video that is short and to the point. Don’t worry about any fancy editing or graphics, just make it you and cover topics like:

• Resources that have caught your attention
• Best practices for personal spiritual growth
• Tips for connecting with parents or teens
• Expectations that you have for their leadership

Invite some of your other volunteers to record their videos and have them share it with you. While you can email them to your group, consider creating a dashboard using platforms like Vimeo and Youtube.

How to create a Vimeo Channel (and make it private

How to create a Youtube Channel (and make it private)

You can also use Facebook and create a private group; however, not everyone uses it, and the accessibility is limited to those without an account. No matter what you use, enable comments, and encourage your team to ask questions and leave thoughts. Your video dashboard could be a place to crowdsource topics to talk about at a later point.

INVITE THEM TO A VIRTUAL BOOK CLUB

At my last parish, we used to read books together as a staff and dedicate meetings to discussing the content. It was not only a great way to grasp the materials but perfect with creating camaraderie. We didn’t limit it to ministry books; in fact, we broaden to other leadership and business approaches.

When creating a book club, especially with volunteers, make sure you:

• Start with something simple and not too long
• Give them a reading schedule
• Allow them to get the audio version 
• Create a group chat to encourage ongoing conversation and questions
• Allow for breaks between books and make the club seasonal
• Make your meetings (whether virtual or in-person) 45 minutes to an hour

A book club will allow your volunteers to jump into content that could help them grow as leaders. It will create alignment and strengthen the culture of your team. A few books I recommend starting with are:

7 Practices of Effective Ministry by Andy Stanley, Lane Jones and Reggie Joiner

The Ideal Team Play by Patrick Lencioni

Purpose Driven Youth Ministry by Doug Fields

And of course, feel free to use my books Rebuilding Youth Ministry and Rebuilding Confirmation. If you need help setting up a reading plan, simply contact us HERE

SET UP ZOOM HAPPY HOURS/COFFEE TALKS

One of my favorite things to do is to meet a volunteer for coffee and talk about life and ministry. Honestly, I don’t do it enough, but when it happens, the commitment from the team grows. When you take the time to chat with your team, you invest in their lives and allowing them to invest in yours.

While meeting in-person is limited; you can still create a social gathering with your team. Simply pick a time when you can meet-up online to sip your favorite beverage and check-in. It doesn’t have to have any specific plan; however, a series of Would You Rather questions or recapping highs and lows are great at getting the conversation flowing.

No matter what you are planning for your young people this year, make sure you remember your volunteer’s formation. You need your team to help you design and execute your ministry. And while some of them have hidden talents, you need to help your team cultivate their gifts. Invest in your leaders, and your leaders will continue to invest in your mission to grow disciples and proclaim the Gospel.

What training ideas have you used or plan on using with your team?