Once you've recruited volunteers and trained them for each of their positions, your challenge is to form and maintain a strong bond in a group of very diverse people. How? Simple—communicate!

Good communication is an essential component of an effective team. Communicating clearly with the volunteers in your ministry will help things flow smoothly from weekend to weekend and limit the chances for confusion and frustration among team members. Here are some tips to help promote communication in your ministry:

1. Hold a huddle meeting for your volunteers each week. This huddle serves as a way to build community with your team of volunteers.

• Make this a fifteen-minute huddle just before or after each service.
  
  
• Provide childcare for the volunteers' children during the meeting.
  
  
• Make it fun! Take turns bringing in snacks, give prizes occasionally, etc.
  
  
• Go over any information pertinent to the day's lesson. Provide any tips or special instructions for facilitating any part of the lesson. Share any news pertaining to the kids that will be helpful for volunteers to know (for example, Susie's grandmother died yesterday).
  
  

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