RELEVANT CHILDREN'S MINISTRY: thank you

Showing posts with label thank you. Show all posts

5 Things You Should Give Your Volunteers Every Week

8:34 AM Dale Hudson

Volunteers make Children's Ministry happen. Without them, our ministries are just an empty shell.

They deserve our very best and should be a top priority. Each week we should equip, encourage, and empower them. Here's 5 things you should be giving your volunteers each week.

Communication
It's important to communicate with volunteers each week. Email updates, text messages, and phone calls help them stay updated and prepared to serve when they arrive.

A Hug

If you want to keep volunteers, they must know you care about them. They should feel like a treasure that is highly valued instead of just someone you want to fill a spot.

Thank You

65% of volunteers say they never hear those words. Say "thank you" every single week. And when you thank them...don't thank them for what they do...instead thank them for who they are. Example - instead of saying "Thank you for teaching the 3rd grade class today" say "Thank you for your heart to see the next generation follow Jesus." See the difference.

Food

Providing snacks for your volunteers shows them you are thinking of their needs. Many volunteers come straight from work or skip meal time to serve. Have the coffee ready and snacks, sandwiches, etc. available for them.

Prayer
Pray for your volunteers during the week. Gather your volunteers together before they start serving on Sunday and ask for their prayer needs. Take time each week to pray for the needs they share.

What are some other things we should give volunteers each week? Share your thoughts with us in the comment section below.

10 Ways to Know You're on a Terrible Children's Ministry Team

8:05 AM Dale Hudson

Want to know if you're on a terrible Children's Ministry Team? Here's 10 signs things aren't healthy.

10. Children's Ministry is seen as "childcare."

9. When conflict arises, instead of being addressed in a Biblical manner, it's pushed under the rug and simmers.

8. Kids are constantly asking, "When is the service going to be over?"

7. You often hear, "Can you please stay over and serve another service? We really need you for another hour."

6. Your feedback is not received or listened to.

5. You haven't heard the words "Thank you" in a long time.

4. Change is resisted...especially where it's needed the most.

3. The church calendar is so full that you find yourself at church more than you are home.

2. You are kept in the dark due to lack of communication.

1. Instead of being placed in your area of giftedness, you were asked to serve where there was a "need."

Your turn. What are some other signs you're on an unhealthy Children's Ministry team? Share your thoughts with us in the comment section below.

P.S. Do you find yourself on a terrible team? Here's some help.

10 Keys to Keeping Volunteers

8:33 AM Unknown

It’s normal to have some occasional volunteer turnover. Life happens…people move, work hours change, family situations shift, or sickness comes. But if you are seeing a large turnover rate each year, it will be difficult to build and maintain a solid team that is effective for the long haul. Here are some keys to better volunteer retention.

Place volunteers in their sweet spot. Don’t place them where you “need” them. Place them where their gifting and passion is. When volunteers are serving in their sweet spot, they will go home energized. When they are not, they will go home drained.

Create a “we are family” culture where friendships are fostered. Relationships are an anchor for volunteers.

Make sure they are attending “big” church. Attending the adult service should be a requirement for serving. Corporate worship and teaching fills their spiritual tank so they can serve from the overflow.

Stay away from, “Can you stay over and help for an extra service today?” When you ask a volunteer to do this at the last minute, they may say “yes,” but it will take a toil on them.

Don’t let them overload on serving. I’ve seen it. A zealous volunteer commits to serving in too many areas or ministries. Before long the “S” falls off their shirt and they burnout. Encourage volunteers to focus on one area of service.

Give them time off. Volunteers should have opportunities to take a break. Perhaps it’s on holiday weekends or during the summer. Our Small Group Leaders serve every week during the school year. We purposely don’t have Small Groups during the summer so they can have the opportunity to take some time off.

Show you care more about them than about what they do. When volunteers feel loved, valued, and cared for, their hearts will be endeared to yours. Recently I called one of our volunteers whose mother was in the hospital. His first response was to apologize for not being able to serve that weekend. I was immediately convicted. I wish his first thought had been, “Dale is calling to check on my mother and pray with me.” I want our volunteers to know that first and foremost we care about them as a person.

Honor them by honoring ratios. When you shove a volunteer in a room with 35 three-year-olds, you are not setting them up for success. Keeping your child-to-adult ratios in check is one of the best things you can do to retain volunteers.

Say thank you on a regular basis. Everyone wants to know they are appreciated. Everyone wants to know they are making a difference. Personally thank volunteers as they are serving. Thank them with notes, emails, texts, Facebook, etc.

When a volunteer leaves, find out why. Ask them to do an exit interview. Listen humbly and with an open heart. Learn from any mistakes that were made.

You may not be able to completely close the back door, but you can make it smaller by intentionally taking these steps. A great volunteer team is made up of rookies…and veterans.