Archives For volunteers

4 Questions I Always Ask Our Volunteers

January 29, 2013 — 2 Comments

Small groups are the back bone to any ministry. I truly believe that real life change happens in small groups. The weekends are sexy, small groups are messy. Real life, real faith, real change gets taked about in small groups. At HSM, each staff member is a coach of volunteers who are small group leaders. I have a coaching group of 13 different leaders. The job of a coach is to be a resource, a pastor, friend to your group of leaders who are leading the students in your group.

We proudly, and freely, give away the name “pastor”. Our small group leaders are the pastors to their students. They are the ones on the front lines with them on a weekly, and daily basis. As their coach, I want to make sure that they are doing okay, in teaching their group and on a personal level. I try take make sure I meet with each leader for coffee once every 6 weeks, just to get some face time with them and hang out with them a little bit. We talk about life and ministry. It is a great time.

There are a few questions I will ask my coaching group every single time we meet to get a feel of how everything is going for them. Doing this, I feel gives them a sense of what they are doing is great by pouring into the lives of these teens, makes them feel like the staff in which they serve under cares for them and supports them, and develops our relationship as people who are on the front lines of ministry together.

Here are some questions I always ask:

How are you doing?- I always start personal. I want to know how they are doing with life and volunteer ministry. Sometimes this question is the only one I get to because there is something going on that they want to talk about. And I am okay with that. I would rather talk personal stuff and make sure they are okay before anything else.

How is your group going?- It’s a simple question, but with a variety of answers. It is just an opportunity for them to be honest with how their group is going. What they are feeling about it, going about it, and how they think their students are responding to it. Sometimes it is just a great way for them to debrief whatever is going on because they have been thinking it for so long, it feels good to actually talk about it.

Are you doing anything in your group that is working that you would want other groups to know and try?- Not all of them have “something” but there have been a few times in which they would share something that is so simple or so fun, or so different, that I want to let other groups know and try to see maybe if it would work for them. I love when I get ideas from other leaders to try. And, it gives them a sense of ownership and encouragement because what they are doing can help other groups. I recommend this question.

Is there anything I can do to help make your group better?- This question can come with a whole bunch of different answers as well. Sometimes the answer is a critique on you because you were not doing something or it can be an honest answer of how you can be a better coach to make the small group of your team member and their students the best experience for their small groups. I am always wanting to know how I can support my team of leaders who minister to our students.

I know there are more questions I ask, but these are the ones I always want to try and get in to get a feel of how they are doing. What would you ask?

In Communication, high school ministry, Ministry Idea, Small Groups, student ministry, Youth Ministry , , ,
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Guest Post: Selecting New Volunteers Pt. 2

October 25, 2012 — 6 Comments

In part one of this series, I shared a few random thoughts to remember as you are on your search for new volunteers for your ministry. But that is the easiest part. The real work comes once you have a few potential volunteers that you feel may be a good for fit for your ministry. Once you have a few, the temptation will be to plug them in right away, but don’t get ahead of yourself. There are a few crucial steps that I would encourage you to take before you officially add these new volunteers to your team. Here are three things we do with our potential volunteers that may be good for you to do as well.

  • Application. We have a lengthy application we ask all potential leaders to fill out. It’s lengthy for a reason. We want people who are committed and are willing to take the necessary steps to joining our team. Also, it’s a great way for us to get to know important information about them before we put them on our team. We ask them to write out their testimony, ask them why they want to work with students, see if they are a member of our church, and other important information. If you don’t have an application you give to your potential volunteers I would encourage you to put one together. Once you have one made, keep it on file so you can send it to any potential volunteers that may be joining your team.
  • Background Check. This is huge don’t overlook this! I am always surprised at how many churches don’t require background checks of their potential volunteers. I have been guilty of this, but know always make sure every potential leader has one done. We must protect the students we work with and one way we do that is screening our potential volunteers. It’s an important step that we must never overlook. Before anyone can join our team, we do a background check on them. If you are not doing this I encourage you to start doing it now!
  • One on One Interview. Once a potential volunteers as filled out an application and passed a background check, I sit down with them one on one and do a casual interview with them. This gives me a chance to hear their story as well as hear their heart behind why they want to work with students. I will review their application beforehand and highlight any areas I want to discuss with them. This is a great way to put the paper work aside and hear the heart of a potential volunteer. During this interview, make sure to ask the right questions, but also share the vision and purpose of your ministry. Explain the commitment they will make as part of joining your team and make sure they know exactly what they are signing up for. Pray with them and tell them you will get back to them in a few days.

If you have done these three steps and feel like they are a good fit, add them to your team! Find out where they best fit and unleash them to serve the students in your ministry! You may have a few other steps, but I believe these are three important steps you must take when your selecting new volunteers.

*Austin McCann is the student ministries director at Christ Community Chapel-Stow Campus in Northeast Ohio. He enjoys reading, writing, spending time with his wife, and pointing students towards Jesus. You can check out more of his thoughts at www.austinmccann.com.

In God, Guest Post, high school ministry, Leadership, Ministry Idea, Small Groups, student ministry, Uncategorized, Youth Ministry , , , , , , , ,
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Guest Post: Selecting New Volunteers Pt. 1

October 23, 2012 — Leave a comment

Volunteers are the key to having an effective student ministry. A student ministry will not last long with a single student pastor; it needs a committed group of volunteers as well. Currently I am in search of some new volunteers in our ministry. We have growing small groups, which means we need more volunteer leaders! Many student pastors are in the same boat I am, on the hunt for more volunteers. I want to share a view thoughts on selecting new volunteers that I hope will help you as you look for new people to add to your team

  • Don’t post an ad. The last thing you want to do is post a “volunteers needed” in your churches bulletin or website. If you do this, you will get a ton of responses from people that may not be close to what you are looking for. You’re opening up yourself to too big of an audience. However, if you do open it up so people can “apply” to be volunteers, make sure they know it’s not something you offer to everyone that signs up. For example, we just did a serve push for our whole congregation. We encouraged everyone to find a place to serve in our church and put together a webpage for them to fill out areas they are interested in serving. I had multiple people express interest in working with students, but that doesn’t mean they will get that opportunity. We want to get the right people for the job when we think about volunteers in student ministry.
  • Intentionally search. Instead of posting an ad, I encourage you to intentionally seek out new volunteers within your congregation. Through relationships and community, look for potential volunteers that would be a good fit for your team. As I meet new people in our church I am always thinking in the back of my head if they would be a good fit for our student ministry. It wouldn’t hurt to always have that in the back of your head as well as you meet new people.
  • Be open to recommendations from your current volunteers. Some of the best people to recommend new volunteers are your current volunteers. Many times they will know people that have an interest in serving students in your ministry. Usually they know a current volunteer and have seen what they have been doing which gives them an idea if it is something they would like to do. Encourage your current volunteers to always be on the lookout for new volunteers.

These are just a few random thoughts on selecting new volunteers. Finding the right people for your team is important so take your time and get the right people. Don’t forget who is really in control when it comes to finding new volunteers. God will direct your path and will bring you the right people at the right time. Trust Him and do your best to follow His guidance as you look for new volunteers.

*Austin McCann is the student ministries director at Christ Community Chapel-Stow Campus in Northeast Ohio. He enjoys reading, writing, spending time with his wife, and pointing students towards Jesus. You can check out more of his thoughts at www.austinmccann.com.

In God, Guest Post, high school ministry, Leadership, Ministry Idea, personal growth, Small Groups, student ministry, Uncategorized, Youth Ministry , , , , , , , ,
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Budget vs Volunteers: What would you rather have more of and why?

August 9, 2012 — 1 Comment

I think when it comes to this topic, I think in an ideal world of perfect ministry we would have a huge budget AND have as many of the best volunteers to have running anything you want who are so passionate about youth ministry as you are. I think it is safe to say, that never is the case. I have had the opportunity to have had worked in both situations: a ministry where we have had more volunteers than we knew what to do with and in a position where the budget is generous. Both are amazing, both are valuable, both would be ideal for having in ministry.

Why budget?

Because you can get any resource you need. You can pull off any event that you can think of and do it well. You can put in anything that will help students experience Jesus through these elements you buy and use. Where I work, I look at everything we put into it is to direct the student to a closer relationship with Jesus. Whether it was through an event we put on, a video we make, a funny and entertaining game, or a sermon illustration, we will program it into our service to help enhance the atmosphere for the student to experience Jesus in a way they ever thought of before. I cannot tell you what a fun aspect of ministry to think of doing something and then having the budget to pull it off.

Why Volunteers?

Let’s be honest, they run the show! There is nothing like a solid volunteer who is sold out for the ministry. Volunteers are the ones who are in the real trenches. They are there at your services, without being paid but just for the love of loving on students. They are out hanging and talking with students, running sound, lights, leading small groups, doing anything that you cant. They are un-replaceable.

What would I choose?

One of the cool parts about my job is that I get to meet, hang out, and talk with a ton of visiting pastors. One of the most asked questions I have gotten when it comes to running the services is, “If you were to strip everything you have down, what would be the top things to running a successful service?”

After having a gracious budget and after having so many gracious volunteers, my answer is always: quality volunteer leaders.

Great leaders make great programs. Real, fruitful, authentic, intentional ministry comes from the relationships in which forms between you and your volunteers and the volunteers and the students. You build a solid, quality team of leaders you will have a solid, and quality atmosphere around your service that no amount of budget will ever be able to buy. I work with an amazing team of sold out volunteers but we are constantly wanting more because we realize the value they bring to the table when it comes to the relationships they are building with our students.

“Man, Im definitely coming back to this church because of how much money they can spend on events!” said no student ever. 99% of the time, students really come back because of the relationship that is formed with a volunteer leader at the event.

Budgets have a limit, volunteers are priceless.

In creativity, God, high school ministry, Leadership, organization, service programing, Uncategorized, Youth Ministry , , , , ,
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