Recruiting volunteers isn't seasonal; it's constant! Or, at least, it should be. Let me share with you three tips that our ministry uses to successfully recruit our volunteers.

Recruiting and developing ministry volunteers is an essential part of leading in youth ministry. As youth workers, we often spend so much time and effort trying to get people to say "yes" to serving that we don't spend the time required to make sure they understand how to be successful in their serving role. This is especially true when it comes to our small group leaders or Sunday School teachers. So, what are the top three things your volunteer leaders need to understand? As you think about it, let me share mine with you.

Youth ministry leaders, hear me out. Recruiting, training, developing, equipping, and retaining volunteer leaders is critical to the success of your ministry. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that your level of success or failure in the areas of building and developing your volunteer leaders will be directly proportional to the success or failure of your ministry's growth and impact. Yes, volunteer leaders matter that much! You may think that you are Superman or that you can be a one-man band, but a reality check says you are not, and you can’t. No matter how great and charismatic of a leader you are, without great, bought-in, equipped, passionate volunteer leaders, you and your ministry are going to struggle and wither in effectiveness. But if you can surround yourself with a team of great volunteer leaders, the sky is the limit because those leaders have the potential to have an even greater impact on how your ministry runs and the effectiveness that it has in ministering to students. With that in mind, here are 12 tips on developing your volunteer leader team.

So, you’ve got a volunteer team- that’s awesome! Have you ever considered structuring that team to provide clarity, fruitfulness, and fulfillment for those who serve with you? The idea of structure can feel intimidating or unnecessary, but a few key considerations could unlock the potential in the team of motivated volunteers you’ve already got. In this single-session Masterclass, we will look at what you can do to structure your volunteer team to ensure that they thrive in their key serving roles.

No matter how good your youth ministry is, people will be more prone to come on board, stay, serve selflessly, and recruit others to join when they feel like they belong to a group of people; rather than feeling like just someone who is accomplishing some random mission and vision. So how do you build clear expectations, space, relationships, and community when it comes to recruiting and maintaining volunteers? Join me in this one-session Masterclass on-demand to find out.

The 7 Best Practices for Teaching Teenagers the Bible is a resource for youth workers that teaches seven meaningful practices they can use to help teach the Bible in a transformative and dynamic way.

Disciple: The Ordinary Person’s Guide To Discipling Teenagers, written by one of the leading voices in youth ministry, Dr. Allen Jackson, is a practical, down-to-earth guide for leading teenagers to pursue Christ.

Protect: A Youth Worker's Guide to Navigating Risk (Revised & Updated Edition) is an indispensable resource for churches, para-church organizations, and anyone serving in youth ministry. Whether you are a full-time, part-time, volunteer, bi-vocational, rookie, or veteran youth worker, this revised and updated edition ensures you’ll be equipped to navigate the contemporary challenges, unique opportunities, and inherent risks in youth ministry today.

Protecting Your Children from Internet Pornography exposes the many ways that pornography is menacing people, relationships, society, and—especially—our children. You will be disturbed, shocked, motivated, and empowered to make a difference after reading this book.

BAGS helps parents become aware of the specific bags kids tend to pack as they grow up, how these bags tend to get packed, and the long-lasting negative impacts they can have.

Small-Group Leader's Quick Guide to (Almost) Everything is a practical resource for small-group leaders who want to make a big difference in the lives of teenagers and point them to Jesus.

99 Thoughts for Small Group Leaders delivers insights, tips, and veteran advice for anyone leading a small group. Youth leaders will be better equipped and more confident with these bite-sized pieces of wisdom.

Teaching for Change guides teachers to unravel the mystery of how students absorb and process information. This insight leads to better prepared lessons that will engage the hearts and minds of students. 

Teaching Teenagers in a Post-Christian World: Cultivating Exploration and Ownership will help youth workers shift from being content dispensers to conversation cultivators. Instead of treating teenagers like consumers—even when we really believe in what we're selling—let's create learning environments that lead to faith exploration and ownership.

Your First Two Years in Youth Ministry is a must-have tool for new youth workers, volunteers, seminary professors and students—even veteran youth workers. Author Doug Fields offers practical advice, all in the hope that new youth workers can achieve real longevity in an often tumultuous church culture.

Speaking To Teenagers: How to Think About, Create, and Deliver Effective Messages equips youth workers, small group leaders, and pastors to be more effective communicators of the gospel in the context of youth ministry.

Inside the pages of Jesus Centered Youth Ministry, you'll discover the foundation for a ministry that is Jesus-centered along with the bricks for building it. You'll discover that not only is it possible to create this kind of ministry, it's also essential that you pursue this path.

99 Thoughts for Volunteers: Making an Impact Right Where You Are will encourage volunteers whose commitment, hard work, and dedication are essential to a healthy youth ministry. Volunteers are never "just a volunteer" — they're much more than that.

When you think about the state of youth ministry today, are you an optimist or a pessimist? Do you cheer or fear? Is the glass half full or half empty? Mark Oestreicher offers a fresh take on what’s right in youth ministry—and discovers that perhaps things aren’t as broken as some of us might have thought.

Lissy Rienow shares the teenage point of view about the toughest issues families face today. Her heart for families shines through as she encourages and equips parents to fight for a stronger connection with their teen.