High Impact Recruiting
by Sue Miller
posted 7/03/2006
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Every children's ministry is different. Yet we all share common ground when it comes to volunteers: we never have enough and recruiting is a challenge.
Prior to teaching a workshop on volunteer recruiting and writing a book chapter on the same topic, I contacted several dozen churches and asked them to share their most successful strategies for 1) asking new volunteers to start and 2) challenging existing volunteers to expand their involvement. One approach, applicable to both scenarios, outnumbered all others by a ridiculous margin. What is this approach? A deliberate, personal conversation. Sure, this might sound too simple. Consider, though, how many people in the Bible responded to a one-to-one challenge. And while broad programs have an important role in ministry, people today still respond best to an individual they already know.
Dan is one of those people. But he didn't just show up on his own in Promiseland (the children's ministry of Willow Creek Community Church), he had help getting there. A ministry leader watched Dan begin as a special event volunteer, then return as an adult helper. During a conversation this leader said, "I can see some potential in you, Dan. Are you enjoying this?" He went on to challenge Dan to consider a weekly role leading a small group. An important factor in the story is that this recruiting occurred as part of an existing relationship. It wasn't a cold hit in the middle of a hallway or in phone call from someone Dan didn't know.
Our senior pastor, Bill Hybels, says that personal relationships are a key to success in volunteer recruiting—just as in evangelism. "You have a much higher likelihood of inviting someone into service if they know you and trust you," he explains.
Bill goes on to suggest meeting over a cup of coffee and sharing a well-thought, personal ministry vision and invitation. He offers this example:
"Fred, the 60 minutes I spend with kids in Promiseland each Sunday is the best 60 minutes of my week. I might get to teach a kid from a non-churched family how to pray. I might tell a kid from a broken home that God loves him. Or maybe I can take a kid who's scared and put my arms around him and tell him he doesn't need to be afraid because God is his friend. Fred, would you be willing to come one time—with me—to see what God is doing in Promiseland?"
Some people serve every week from the outset; others graduate to this frequency from special event or monthly adult helper status. Whatever the path, it's a significant time investment. To gain insight on a volunteer's journey toward committing to every-week service, I talked to Dan about his experience. He said, "It was a big deal for me to say 'yes' to being an every-week volunteer. On one side, I was weighing what my family life was like on the weekends. We had a boat, and that created good family time. My kids were involved in soccer leagues and played all the time. And I'm a salesperson who needs to make some sales calls during the weekend."
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