from 30K feet

Training vs Connection

We always are striving to better equip those people that give their lives away each Sunday in Fellowship Kids. So we decided to plan several quick "trainings" throughout the year on a Sunday morning.

As we planned for the "training" last Sunday we began to realize we weren't training them at all.

After dropping the kids off in the Garage, the mentors came back to a room and enjoyed some coffee and homemade treats. (They were homemade because our volunteers are worth it.) We showed them an inspiring 2 minute video about their potential impact on the kids. 

I reminded them of our focus of helping the kids know God more through their love and influence.  We shared with them three practical ways they can introduce kids to God.

• Be friendly
• Be interested in them
• Be interesting to them

Then we did something so simple, but it turned out to be the greatest thing. We gave the volunteers time to talk and share what they are learning and where they see God at work. One of our staff facilitated the start of the discussion and then we all just got out of the way.

What was suppose to be a training felt more like connection and it was powerful!

Refining the Vision on Volunteers

Our team has been talking a lot about volunteers as we look to staff through the summer and for the next Fall. Our conversations spurs ideas and values that will shape how we see and use volunteers. Here are a couple of those thoughts.

• Recruit people to ministry not a position - When you have big needs in certain areas it is easy to begin recruiting for a position. Example: we need a teacher in the 2 year old class during the 10:00 service. People are more likely to rule themselves out on this and it screams that something is wrong in this area. Instead we want to recruit people to reach into the lives of kids and then place them where we need them.

• Fill roles based on people's gifts AND your greatest need -I know we want to match people up with where they feel "called" and where they are gifted but it can create a self-serving volunteer base that never fills your greatest needs. If you are recruiting with the first point in mind then you will have people focused on where they can be used more than where they want to plug in.

• Recruit people who think ministry first / self second - This means you may have to pass on the person who says they can only serve the 4th Sunday of the month and only during the 10:00 service. The truth is people whose heart cries out, "use me where and whenever you need me" are much more valuable. This is the attitude we need to foster and encourage.