Keeping Your Adult Volunteers Forever (Or At Least A Long Time)
I don’t know what you all do in your ministry, but we have our adult volunteers sign a covenant. It asks them to commit to the ministry for a year. We communicate that if “life happens” we understand, and they can take a season off and return when they are ready. So, it’s not ironclad. But it communicates how important their role is.
We didn’t always do a covenant. The reason? I was afraid to ask people if they would want to return for another year. I know it sounds crazy, but I had my doubts.
I didn’t know if people were serving out of guilt, or some obligation to their child.
And rejection stinks! No one wants to invest himself or herself in someone only to be pushed away. So, I didn’t ask if they were staying or going. I just assumed (and I don’t have to tell you all what assumption does). The covenant has helped me at least know I have people for a year. In that way, it’s helpful.
But there are some much more substantial things you can do to keep adult volunteers around. Here are a few tips to ensure that your adult volunteers stay around forever . . . or at least a long time:
Start By Investing In A Few
In my first year of student ministry, I tried to meet one-on-one with everyone on my team, which was about 16 people. This doesn’t seem like a huge number, but to empower, equip, and move them with a high level of attention was unrealistic. Right now I pour into 5 people because I know that’s my limit. That’s the largest group of people I can truly give all of my attention. By investing in a few you will have the ability to invest in many, because those you invest in will want to pass it on.
Build Community And Camaraderie
I use to hold monthly meetings where I would just go over the agenda of an upcoming series, answered questions, and talked about my needs and wants. It was unproductive and it drained everyone. You go the distance with the people you know best, the people you love, the people you grow and share life with. As youth ministers, we need to spend the majority of our time getting to know the people who serve alongside us. When you gather your team make it about going deeper relationally.
Feed Them Vision Constantly
How long would you ride in a parked car? A youth ministry without vision is a ministry going nowhere. If your ministry lacks vision, your volunteers will have a difficult time pulling through when serving gets hard. In many cases, vision is the incentive to why adult volunteers stick around. They want to be a part of something big, something that has purpose and something that will bring them closer to God.
If all you need are chaperones or one-time volunteers all you need to do is ask. But to have the people who are going to carry you when ministry gets hard, to have the people who are going to invest in the students, the ministry, and the church, you need to think long term.
Contracts and covenants are great way of showing others how serious you are about ministry, but they do not guarantee that the person signing them has the persistence and perseverance needed to walk with teens through their adolescence. So invest in your adult volunteers, make them a part of the team, and show them where you are going.
How do you build longevity in your ministry teams?
Chris Wesley is the Director of Student Ministry at Church of the Nativity in Timonium, MD. With over 6 years of youth ministry experience you can read more about his journey on his blog Marathon Youth Ministry.
Good post! After serving in student ministry for over 10 years the biggest lesson I’ve learned was to invest in your leaders. I try to invest more into my leaders than I do with the students in a sense that my leaders can spread and reach far more than me (one person) can. I have my whole leadership team or staff, and then I have what I called lead team. These are the people who have shown true love for the ministry. These are my counterparts. I love on them, teach them, they teach me, and we do ministry as a whole. The other leaders automatically fall in place.
Thanks for posting.
James,
Having that mindset is spot on. While we don’t want to neglect our students we will reach more if we can duplicate our efforts. Thanks for sharing.
Hey Chris, great post. was wondering exactly how do you pour into the 5? on a weekly monthly basis over lunch with all or one on one? how do you choose the 5? you know easy questions
keep up the good work.
Dave
Dave,
Great questions. It is different with each person because each is in a different season of life. Here are a few of the things I do.
1. For some of them I give them a set time and day when my phone line, email and office is open for them to contact me with questions, concerns or thoughts. I schedule it into my calendar like a weekly meeting, but how I connect is different.
2. I try to sit down with some of them over coffee or lunch on a bimonthly basis to do nothing but share life. No agendas, just share life.
3. Others I communicate on FB or Twitter. They are easy to connect to via social media.
In regards to picking my five it comes from figuring out who compliments me the most. For example do they have strengths where I have weaknesses? It’s a growing process where it’s taken time to discover who I best work with and who is in this for the vision and God and not for themselves. You may discover them right away and some it’ll take some time.
Great Post. Invest more in your volunteer leaders than your students: for they will most likely last longer that way and empowering leaders will lead to great relationships with the students across the board. Jesus only had 12 disciples, take the ones you have and encourage, equip and exhort them to multiply.
Matt,
Well said. And another thing to note is that even out of Jesus’ 12 He spent more time with Peter, James and John.
Do you have a copy of your covenant that we can see? I’d be interested in reading that and using it to help shape my current one before I have my leaders sign it again this year.
Also, when you say year, do you mean calendar year or school year?
Matt,
I sent you a copy, feel free to adapt it. Again it’s simple, but just states that they are going to do their best to stick it out for one calendar year. So from the date they sign it, to the following year. Most people sign in the summer so it’s almost equivalent to a school year.
Again the document signifies a commitment…hope it helps
Great thoughts! Really enjoyed your insight. In fact, we signed team covenants as well!
What do you do when the person you chose to pour into decides to turn ship in different direction?
Thanks!
Jeremy,
It’s never easy when someone shifts in a different direction. If you honestly and authentically invest in them, chances are you won’t be surprised when they decide to leave the ministry or head in a different direction. What’s key is that you pray with them and consistently check in with how they are doing. Remind them that if they feel overwhelmed or pulled that they can always talk to you.
Our ym team has 10 adult volunteers. The newest team member has been with us 3 years and the member who has been with us the longest has been on the team 8 years. We have a low turnover rate.
We don’t meet often. We have a 15 minute pre youth group gathering meeting where we go over the night and then pray together. A few times a year we get together just to have fun, eat together, hang out together, sit around a fire pit and watch guinea hens chase each other.
Once a year we have a team retreat. At the retreat their is an even balance of training and fun.
The folks on our team are my best friends in our church. I can even tell you how most of them like their coffee. I love our YM Team members and they love students.
Andy,
That’s an awesome culture you have developing, the one challenge I would throw at you is to think about what the team will look like as the ministry grows. Otherwise I think you are spot on and any more wisdom you could shed would be awesome.
First let me say, Great post! Very timely as we enter into the ministry calendar year. Anyway, one thing i wanted to hit on was the casting vision. The last few years I too have seen how crucial this is as a leader. Acting as the cheerleader so to speak for each youth worker and continually pointing them to the big picture. Not when they get off task to shame them, but especially when their actions match perfectly with what we are aiming for. One thing I’d add to this is not only verbalizing and casting vision, but creating vision WITH them. Not telling them your vision, but growing together towards the vision God has for US. Sitting down and asking God together what, where, and how he wants you to move as a team. My favorite professor in College used to say, “If your wanting people to build a boat, don’t begin by giving them tools, wood, etc… Help them long for the immensity of the sea.” I believe when our leaders long to be in the ocean of discipleship, they will do whatever it takes. So my question is how do you invite your leaders to be a part of the vision casting and how to help them long for the ocean of discipleship? Any tips? thanks!!!
Josh,
Thanks for the response, sorry for the delay in mine. I agree you want to teach them how to cast and create vision, but when it comes to the overall ministry you as a leader champion that. Your ministry leaders should create vision for the areas in which they serve so the questions I ask them to answer are:
What do you want a teen to look like after they’ve experienced your ministry?
What impact do you want your area of ministry to have on the local and universal church?
Then it’s all about conversations and talking with them about their vision. Next it’s about making it memorable and engaging. I hope that helps.