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Beyond a Thank You: Showing Leaders That You Care

Beyond a Thank You: Showing Leaders That You Care

When I started in student ministry, we had about six volunteers in our group. They had served faithfully for a couple of years under the previous student pastor. As I stepped into my role and started to spend time with these volunteers, I realized that they were very tired. Within a couple of weeks, most of those volunteers stepped down. This was in February of 2020 – and then the pandemic hit. Once we started regathering, my wife was the only other volunteer in the ministry. Every week, we would gather with 20-30 students and feel very overwhelmed with our group size.

Over the next couple of months, my wife and I began to pray that God would send more people who would have a desire to love and lead the next generation of middle school and high school students. Several years later, we can look back and say that God answered those prayers. We have many leaders in our student ministry who are incredibly vital to what we do every week.

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I’m very thankful for our volunteers, and while God brought those volunteers, I quickly began to realize that it was my responsibility to care for those volunteers. Whether you have two volunteers or twenty, here are a few things I’ve learned about caring for volunteers in student ministry:

Person Over Position

They don’t care what you know until they know that you care” – these words from a mentor of mine have only become more accurate with more ministry experience. When it comes to volunteers, they need to know you care for their souls first and not just what they can do for you. As pastors, it can be easy for us to view people as just a means to an end. Remember to always care for their soul first; the rest will fall in place. Without a foundation of care, it is much harder to lead through a relationship. A simple thing I do anytime I see a volunteer is ask, “How are you and how is your family?” before I talk with them about their volunteer role. Remember, they won’t always be a volunteer under your leadership, but you can always be their pastor. 

Clarity Is Kind

This one is simple. Volunteers should know why they are in your ministry, what they are being asked to do, and what you expect from them. There are few things more frustrating than trying to complete a task with little to no direction. Whether it’s a Wednesday night student service, a mission trip, or summer camp, leaders deserve clarity in what we ask them. Consider writing out “ministry expectations” for every volunteer role in your student ministry. This provides a level playing field when talking with volunteers about their role in the ministry.

Pray For Them

I know, I know – this one seems obvious, but how often do you pray for your volunteers? Seriously, once a week? Once a month?

As a pastor, you should have a regular rhythm of praying for the people you lead. Acts 6:4 tells us, But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” As the early church gained steam, prayer was the top priority for the first disciples. How much more should we make it a priority?

Pray for your volunteers, pray for their families, pray for their relationship with God. When you see them, ask them about the things you are praying for. Ask them how you can pray for them often. 

Give Them A Break

If we’re honest, ministry can feel exhausting at times. That doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a bad thing, but it is a reality we can’t avoid. If we feel this way as pastors, our ministry volunteers can feel this way as well. Part of caring for your leaders is recognizing when they need a break and giving them the freedom to do so without guilt. Naturally, our volunteers may feel bad for taking time to rest, but our job is to remind them that we are called to rest. This is a hard thing to do as a ministry leader, especially if you rely heavily on a certain volunteer. Remember that as a leader, you want the best version of that volunteer, and sometimes that means they need to take a week or a month off from serving.

Encourage Them

Volunteers need to be reminded of what God is doing in and through them. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve encouraged a volunteer, and they weren’t even aware of the thing I was encouraging them in. We are often our worst enemies and tend to focus on those challenging parts of ministry. Our small group leaders tend to get frustrated with the lack of deep conversation or a distracted student, only to miss that the same small group has grown exponentially over the last year. Remind volunteers of the way God is using them. Tell them what they are doing right and encourage them to keep doing it.

Caring for your volunteers is one of the most important responsibilities you have. These individuals play a vital role in reaching the next generation, and without them, much of what we do would be much more difficult, if not impossible. By prioritizing them, offering clarity, praying for them, encouraging them, and recognizing them, we can reflect the heart of Christ in how we lead. Volunteers are entrusted to your care. So, step up to the challenge of being a leader who cares for volunteers well and thank God daily for the gift they are.

Share your thoughts with others in our YM360 community:

  1. Which of these tips did you find most helpful? Why?
  2. What other tips would you add that help you care for volunteers?

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