When chatting with other Youth Pastors, one of the biggest frustrations I hear is that they do not have enough volunteers to accomplish the things they want to do. So here are some ideas for recruiting your future youth ministry staff:
1. You Gotta Have a Big Fat ASK! I mean this two ways. #1 ASK GOD! If you don’t ask, you don’t have to worry about ever receiving volunteers. #2 Ask people in your Church. I know it seems obvious, but if your struggling with finding volunteers your probably not persistently asking. So figure out what areas you need leaders in and specifically target those areas. In other words get passionate about why you need a leader in that area. What kind of leader you need in that area. What you would like to see happen in that area of leadership. Then do what so few Youth Pastors/Directors do and begin revealing your needs, wants, and desires (about your amazing, new, innovative, volunteer position that has just become open). You have to ask! Ask GOD, then ask people… DO IT!!!
2. Make Your Mark. I don’t mean that you need to urinate on the pews. I mean, get permission to announce your volunteer needs from the pulpit. Make some creative brochures that explains what the student ministry does, and how I might plug in. Find out if adult classes would let you share about the student ministry and then express your needs there. Better yet, get some teary eyed students to go and beg adults classes to help. (only if you’re comfortable doing that) Tie fishing string to a $20 and lure “potential” leaders to your youth activities. Basically be the “Purple Cow” in the Church (if that doesn’t make sense, check out Seth Godin’s “Purple Cow” – great marketing book) and make your needs known.
3. Be Picky… but not too Picky. I’ve known plenty of Youth Leaders that lead lonely because they don’t trust other people. Honestly, I’d never be where I am if some great men and women hadn’t given me a shot. When I say be picky this is what I mean. Set your standards. Some of mine are I want a breathing human, I want them to form some sort of a sentence when they speak, and having an interest in teenagers and their relationship to God is a perk!. I’m kind of joking. Here is what I really do require. 1. Obviously they must be committed Christ followers. 2. I want them to pray about volunteering and for them to have an authentic belief that God is leading them to be involved in/a part of our student ministry. 3. We absolutely do a background check on every adult leader (YOU SHOULD ALSO). 4. An understanding and commitment to some basic rules, but important rules. With these four things in check… they’re in. Here’s the deal if God is leading them to be a part of student ministry, who am I to stand in the way. The other part of this is that as the Student Pastor, if they are not following the rules they’ve committed to, then I’m committed to picking them to no longer be a leader in our ministry.
4. Be Passionate – Youth Ministry rocks. I mean where else can you work on Sunday morning and Wednesday night, babysit some kids and get paid for it. Ummm. What I meant to say is Youth Ministry rocks!!! If you don’t think so, neither will anyone else. People will join the fun if there is any to be found. Think about it.
5. Recruit Volunteers – What I mean is recruit the volunteers you already have to help them recruit new volunteers. They most likely have some strong ties to other amazing leaders in your Church and already have that pull, that relationship that you sometimes need to get people to get on board. Most of our best leaders join in the fun, not because I talked them into it… I mean encouraged them to pray about being a volunteer, but because their buddy, one of our current rock star volunteers invited them to pray about and to come chat with me about the “opportunity” of leading teens in the Church. If you have a small army, use that army to recruit and build a larger, stronger army of leaders.
6. Kill the isms – There’s no room for sexism’s, ageism’s, or any of the negative isms when recruiting your leaders. One of my most memorable and favorite volunteer leaders was a guy named Popper (not his real name, but what we had to call him). Popper was a wild and wacky senior, and by that I mean 70+ years of age. Popper knew every student and every student knew him. He loved God, he invested in teens, and God used Popper to reach many students for His Kingdom. So don’t base who you recruit on negative isms. God can use whoever He chooses to make great youth ministry leaders… and I mean anybody, for example go take a look in the mirror. Yep, I just said that.
7. Brag – Why shouldn’t you??? I’m not talking on yourself. Brag on your current volunteers. Honor them with certificates, get on the bullhorn and cheer your leaders on, saying things like, “Bill is amazing because he let 5 middle school guys beat him in basketball.” I don’t care where or how you brag on your volunteer leaders, but do it. Here’s what will happen… Some Joe Shmo will be walking by and hear how Bill lost at basketball to some middle school guys and think to himself/herself, “Hey, I could lose to some middle school student in basketball too!” You’ll be surprised at how encouraging your current leaders will lead to new volunteers joining your youth ministry team. Not only that, but your volunteers most likely deserve to be bragged on a little. Brag away and be proud!
