A few months ago, my husband and I received a gift subscription to Netflix—an online movie rental site. The unlimited, one-at-a-time subscription meant we could have as many movies a month as we like, but only one in our possession at a time.

We had only vague familiarity with this company and site, and weren't very excited about the seemingly troublesome process it likely offered. But we decided to give it a try; after all, it was free.

We navigated our way around the site. And being a diligent skeptic of online offers, I dug deep. I read through the endless fine print of the gift subscription. I discovered we had to enter our credit card information to activate it. I don't like this sort of thing. Then I saw the way out summarized by two little words. If things didn't go well we could "cancel anytime." Thus re-assured, even if still a bit reluctant, my husband and I signed on.

After a couple weeks, watching a movie every few nights became a habit. Though we hadn't been big "movie people," we were hooked. In fact, we eagerly watched the mailbox for our next movie to arrive. I think I watched more movies the first month of our subscription than I had in my whole life.

I would never have considered myself an online video rental person. Certainly I would not have signed-up without the trial period which the gift subscription provided. Now I can't get enough.

The gift subscription was the key.

Do you have a gift subscription program in your children's ministry? A simple, non-threatening trial period? A welcoming way for volunteers to check you out, sure in the knowledge they have the freedom to "cancel anytime"?

Recruiting leaders for children's ministry is one of the hardest tasks we face. There's always a growing need. Always a shortage of people.

When someone new steps forward (or gets cornered!), I want to immediately sign him or her up for long-term duty. And I want to sign him up right now. Urgent need eliminates any desire to get to know him—unless there's potential for a spouse to make this a double win. Familiar feelings, right?

All sorts of desperate measures take place as we strive to capture volunteers for the long haul. Maybe we insist they work every single week. Maybe we throw them into a room full of kids on their first day with little to no real clue as to their talents and proclivities—with little or no orientation. Based on fear they may actually tell us the truth, maybe we fail to follow-up by asking how they're doing, or if they like their position.

Children's ministry volunteers need a "gift subscription". It can be packaged in a lot of different ways—each with the simple goal of providing a taste of volunteering without awkward conversations or the need to make long-term commitments. Here are four ideas:

-One-time sign-ups
Develop opportunities that allow people in your congregation to serve once. Examples include a summer program that gives your regular volunteers a rest or a special one-time event.

-Stick-around programs
Schedule a Parent Day designed for no other reason than to give your ministry awareness. Invite parents to stay in the classroom with their child and experience children's ministry for the day. This will peak parents' interests, many of whom will have had no previous knowledge of the opportunities your ministry affords.

-Friend Day
Ask your current volunteers to bring one friend with them to experience one day in the life of a volunteer in your ministry.

-Frequency options
Offer multiple levels of volunteer-frequency, e.g., serving once a month, twice a month, or every week.

However you attract new volunteers, be sure to have a well-organized and disciplined program for valuing and encouraging them, no matter how often they serve. Periodically sit down with your volunteers. Ask them how they're doing, if they're enjoying their current position, or if there's something else they'd like to try.

When a volunteer isn't in their sweet spot in one particular position in your ministry, you may be able to find another place that suits him or her better. This will only be possible through communication and understanding of what your volunteers are experiencing. The unfortunate alternative of little or no communication is ministry burnout, and volunteers who leave their current roles and your ministry.

I am now a walking advertisement for the online video service. I signed up for the gift subscription knowing I had a way out. But once I loved the product, the exit option became immaterial.

You, too, can turn "gift subscription" volunteers into lifetime subscribers! To recruit and retain volunteers, I make sure we create easy to sign up, easy to manage, and easy to continue volunteering opportunities. Greater retention will also come as a result of placing volunteers in positions where their talents will blossom the first time they serve. Finally, it's key to create a culture of open communication that allows everyone to give and receive feedback.

When a children's ministry team becomes easy to join—without the fear of pressure, contracts, and lifetime commitments—volunteers will try it out. Then, as they see God using them in his desire to change young lives, they'll stay for the long term.

Copyright © 2006 Promiseland.

Read more from 'Volunteers'

Words Kids Need to Hear To Help Them Be Who God Made Them to Be by David Staal If you could choose just seven statements to share with children, what would they be? Each chapter in this compelling book focuses on a single statement elementary-age kids need to hear from parents, children's workers, and other close adults. These seven statements are simple to share, yet guaranteed to profoundly impact children. They are: I believe in you. You can count on me. I treasure you. I'm sorry, please forgive me. Because. No. I love you. will educate, equip, and motivate parents and children's ministry teams to carefully choose words that building up kids' hearts, to say them frequently, and to do so in creative ways. What children hear from trusted adults significantly influences their self-image, their current relationships, and future relationships—including that all-important relationship with God.