If you had more people you could do more, right? Finding enough people to run our programs, and grow our ministry seems like an unending problem, it seems so complicated.
BUT, it doesn’t have to be. In fact finding volunteers, recruiting them and getting them on board can be quite simple.
If you boil it down there are really only two approaches to effectively recruit volunteers:
The personal invitation is your most effective approach because it’s personal. When you ask someone instead of shooting them an email or posting a flyer you are telling them:
“You are worth the time and energy to ask in person.”
While they can still turn you down you’ve planted a seed that could pay off later. You’ve given them the opportunity to see their value in youth ministry. Next time you ask them they might say, “Yes.”
To make the personal invitation effective on a larger scale you need to build a recruiting culture amongst your current team. Make sure they know that they:
It’s also important that you tell them to think about THE NEXT PERSON UP. Basically, if someone in the ministry moves away, gets sick or walks away they need to know who is going to take their place.
Invest in a recruiting culture and your ministry will grow at a steady rate.
While you want to create a recruiting culture there are times when you need large numbers of volunteers in a short amount of time. While it might have higher turnover creating an event is going to help you reach your goal quickly.
But, it’s not as simple as picking a date, making a few announcements and telling people to sign up. To make your event a success you need to make sure:
If you want people to come to your meetings you have to recognize there is a lot that might stand in their way just to attend. To make sure they attend you need to be crystal clear on:
When they know what to do they’ll won’t worry about looking out of place or feeling like a fool. They’ll be more confident in their decision to attend which will increase your chances of getting enough people to serve.
When someone attends your experience they are sacrificing a lot to be there. You need to make sure you reward their sacrifice. You can do this by:
Avoid just spewing information in their direction. Give them a big picture and show them what they can be a part of something big. People will say, “Yes” to your invitation because they get to be a part of something different from what the world offers.
Your main goal is to get people to sign up and serve; however, there are other ways an event like this can benefit your ministry. Make sure you share the different steps someone can take to invest in the next generation. It might be:
Some of the attendees might not feel equipped to serve; however, taking on one of these other steps is a little more manageable. In the end, you’ve planted seeds and created a buzz that will benefit your ministry down the line.
Is one approach better than the other? It all depends on your goals. Don’t wait around for people to show up. Go out and invite them into an experience and opportunity where they will not only see the next generation grow but themselves.
[reminder] What approaches have you taken to recruit volunteers and build up your teams? [/reminder]