A Dozen Do-Nots for Volunteer Recruitment

By: Chuck Peters

GUILT TRIP: When leaders say things like, “If you really loved Jesus, you’d serve in Kids’ Ministry,” or “We have so many kids without teachers-don’t you care about them?” They may get short-term commitments, but at a high cost. Guilt-driven volunteers often serve out of obligation rather than joy, leading to burnout, frustration, and a lack of enthusiasm in their role.

ASSUME: A common mistake in ministry is assuming that just because someone has served in the past, they will automatically continue to do so. Leaders may hesitate to check in with long- time volunteers out of fear that they will step down, but avoiding these conversations can lead to disengagement and burnout. Instead of assuming, have open and honest discussions with your team. Ask volunteers how they’re feeling about their role, if they need a break, or if there’s another area where they feel called to serve.

PUT IT OFF: It’s easy to procrastinate when recruitment feels overwhelming, but delaying it only creates more stress. If you’re waiting until the last minute to recruit for fall, you’re already behind. Just like meal planning helps avoid last-minute unhealthy choices, proactive recruitment prevents desperate decisions.

BEG: Who wants to be on a team that no one wants to be on? If you have to beg someone, it makes the offer seem less appealing. Rather than beg, make the offer seem attractive to the person you’re asking. Anyway, you wouldn’t want someone on your team who doesn’t want to be there!

MANIPULATE: Ministry thrives when people serve out of genuine passion and conviction, not because they feel trapped. Manipulation may fill immediate needs, but it leads to disengaged volunteers, high turnover, and a lack of long-term investment. Instead of using tactics that guilt or pressure people, focus on casting a vision for the impact of kids’ ministry.

DO NOT BE PASSIVE: Ministry leadership is a lot like marriage. If you secretly want Italian food but only say, “I’m fine with anything,” you might end up with Chinese instead. If you need to fill a volunteer role, you need to ask directly.

EVER STOP: Recruitment isn’t a one-time event; it’s an ongoing process. If you only recruit in
emergency situations, you’ll always find yourself back in crisis mode, using the same ineffective tactics. Keep an active recruitment mindset, always looking for and developing new volunteers.

BRIBE: Whether you’re asking someone to come to training or to serve, bribing isn’t the way to go. No one will really volunteer for the rewards. Imagine you’re teaching a child self-discipline, if you must bribe them to do something then they won’t know the real reason to do something. It leads to the wrong motive and often won’t work anyway.

PRESSURE: Recruiting volunteers should never be about desperation or coercion. When leaders pressure others into serving, it often comes across as weakness or aggression, neither of which fosters a healthy ministry culture. Volunteers should feel called and equipped to serve, not guilted into it. If we rely on pressure tactics, we may fill a short-term need but ultimately create a disengaged and reluctant team. We must trust God to provide the right people and invite them into ministry in a way that respects their gifts and calling.

HINT: When leaders only hint at needs instead of directly asking, it creates a bystander effect; everyone assumes someone else will step up, and in the end, no one does. It can be tempting to say things like, “We could always use extra help” or “If you’re interested, let me know” without making a clear, direct ask. But vague statements often lead to no response.

COMPROMISE: It might be tempting to fill a volunteer role with just any willing person, but compromising on who serves ultimately impacts the kids, the teaching, and even safety. If you pull someone from the hallway just to fill a gap, you don’t know if they align with the ministry’s vision, curriculum, or values. Hold a high standard for who serves in your ministry.

TAKE IT PERSONALLY: Rejection is part of recruitment. When people say no, it’s easy to feel discouraged or even take it as a personal slight-but it’s not about you. Everyone is in different seasons, and not everyone is called to kids’ ministry.

Chuck Peters is Director of Lifeway NextGen, overseeing Lifeway Kids and Lifeway Student publishing. He is the co-author of Flip The Script: Disrupting Tradition for the Sake of the Next Generation, and host of the ETCH NextGen Ministry Podcast. A graduate of Columbia Bible College, Chuck and his wife Cris have served in Preschool, Kids, Student, and Groups Ministry for many years in New Jersey, California, Florida, and Tennessee. Before joining Lifeway, Chuck had a prolific career in television and video production. He is a 3-time Emmy Award Winning producer, director, writer, and on-screen host. Chuck is driven by a passion to equip and inspire ministry leaders.