Volunteers

May 20, 2020

3 Ways to Connect with Kids Ministry Leaders

No doubt these last several weeks in ministry have been challenging. We’re discovering new ways to minister and lead while not meeting in person. As you’re creating and discovering new ways to minister. I encourage you to connect with your leaders. They may need your encouragement and ministry more now than ever before. Consider the following ways to connect with your kids ministry leaders during this time.

Communicate with Them: Your leaders need to hear from you. Be careful not to overload them with information, but to communicate important church information. Keep the information concise. Don’t assume they’ll “hear” it from social media, other emails, or another way.

Encourage Them: We all need encouragement. With the feelings of anxiousness, uncertainty, and fear, we need to be reminded God is in control and we can trust Him. The leaders need to know you care for them and you’re praying for them. Send a text, an email, a video message, a note in the mail or use video conferencing. Share a Bible verse and include a word of encouragement. Use this time to become closer to one another.

Equip Them: Even if you’re unable to meet in person, you can still equip your kids ministry leaders. Equip them spiritually. Offer suggestions for digital Bible studies, devotionals, and links to worship music. Equip them as teachers. Suggest articles and podcasts on kidsministry101.com. This free website shares practical helps for kids ministry leaders. Share with them ideas of ways they can connect with the kids in their classes. See this article for ideas on connecting with families. Additionally, share ways teachers can use digital platforms to connect with kids and their families. In doing this, it’s imperative your teachers have access to their students’ contact information, such as child’s name, parents’ name, phone number, email, and mailing address.

During this time, find ways to intentionally connect with your leaders. We’ve been given an opportunity to minister to our leaders as well as to the kids and families in our churches. Communicate, encourage and equip your leaders. In what other ways do you plan to connect with your team?

Leadership, Volunteers

May 11, 2020

Lessons Learned Through Enlisting Volunteers

By Delanee Williams

It seems no matter the size of the church, the greatest challenge for kids ministry leaders is enlisting volunteers. Many times, it’s easy to be overwhelmed by “filling a slot” rather than recruiting individuals to serve the Lord through teaching. In my years of enlisting teachers in kids ministry, I learned the following valuable lessons.

1. Pray and Listen. Prayer is imperative before, during, and after the enlistment process. Pray, believing God will give you the names of people to ask. Pray in confidence. Pray you would see people the way God sees them. Look to see their potential. Be open for what He wants to teach you through this process.

2. Know the Vision. Before we can ask others to pray about teaching in kids ministry, we must know and understand our vision. Why do you believe kids ministry is important? How does it make a difference in the church? Why would someone want to join our teaching team? What is our desired goal for our leaders, the kids, and ministry? Spend time developing or reviewing your vision for ministry. We have to know and understand our vision before we can communicate it effectively.

3. Communicate and Ask. People need to know the why (the vision) before they can understand and say yes to the what (teaching in kids ministry). As God brings individuals to mind, reach out to them to schedule a time to visit in person. Ask individually rather than continuous churchwide blanket announcements. The constant announcements for teachers implies no one wants to serve in kids ministry. Share stories of how God is using teachers to minister to families. Share the joy and excitement for teaching. Make sure to communicate the expectations for teachers. Ask the potential teacher to pray about a specific teaching opportunity in a particular class.

4. Accept Their Answer. After the prospective teacher has prayed about teaching, follow up with her. It’s unrealistic to believe God will call every person you ask to teach in kids ministry. When someone says, “no” to serving, don’t take it personally. You may consider asking if she would be a substitute teacher or interested in another role in kids ministry. If the answer is “yes,” make sure to equip them with knowledge, training, and resources as they begin teaching. Also, follow your church’s policies and procedures for volunteers in kids ministry.

The enlistment of teachers is continual. When I implemented the above strategies, I found recruiting teachers less of a chore and more of an opportunity to see God develop His call in others’ lives. Trust the Lord. He knows what we need and He is faithful to provide who we need.

Family, Fun, Kids Ministry, Volunteers

April 24, 2020

Free Download: Drink Tags

By Kids Ministry 101

Looking to connect with volunteers or families in your ministry in a way that feels a little more personal than an online meet-up? Here’s a fun way to let them know you’re thinking about them. Pick up drinks from your favorite spot, attach these tags with a note, and deliver them to doorsteps. You’re sure to bring a little extra cheer to their day.

Step 1: Print out the PDF with the correct lid size for the drinks you’re purchasing. (Tip: For a Sonic Route 44, you would choose the PDF for 44 oz. drinks. For a Starbucks Venti, you would choose the PDF for 24 oz. drinks.)

Step 2: Cut along the dotted line of each circle. Don’t forget to cut out the hole in the center as well. (Tip: Use a hole punch to make this easier!)

Step 3: Write a personal note on the blank space of the tag.

Step 4: Purchase your drinks & tape the gift tags to the lid. (Tip: Sonic drinks are currently half-price any time if you order through their app.)

Step 5: Deliver your drinks to volunteers or families! Call or text ahead of time to let them know you’ll be dropping off a treat. Please remember to adhere to all social-distancing guidelines.

Family, Kids Ministry, Volunteers

April 3, 2020

Free Download – Note Cards

By Kids Ministry 101

Kids ministry looks a lot different than it did a few weeks ago. It seems now, more than ever, it’s crucial that we stay connected with kids, families, and volunteers. We’re here to help you do that with free digital curriculum resources, helpful blog posts and podcasts, and today we have an easy, fun way to keep in touch.

Download and print these free cards to mail to kids, families, or volunteers in your ministry. It’s an easy way to let them know you care.

Download Free Note Cards Here.

Volunteers

March 27, 2020

Free Download – Virtual Coffee Date with Volunteers

By Kids Ministry 101

Are you missing spending time with your team? At LifeWay Kids, we definitely are. Here is a fun idea to help remedy that—invite your volunteer team to a virtual coffee date!

Download this free, customizable invitation and email it to your team along with a link for a virtual meet up on Zoom, Google Hangouts or whatever works best for you.

Instructions for customizing the invitation:

Download and install Adobe Acrobat Reader DC here if you don’t already have it on your computer. (It’s free!)
Open the invite PDF in Adobe Acrobat Reader DC and enable the “Fill & Sign” feature in the panel on the right.
When prompted “What do you want to do?”, select “Fill and sign”.
Hover your cursor over the “Click to add your own date here” text on the invite.
Click the text to make it editable, then delete the placeholder text. Add your own info in the box.

Repeat steps 4 and 5 for the “Time” section of the invite. You can hit “close” in the top right to exit the “Fill & Sign” feature when you’re done editing the text. Make sure to save your changes before attaching the PDF to your email.

We hope this resource is helpful as we seek to connect in these uncertain times. Enjoy your virtual coffee!

Kids Ministry, Leadership, Volunteers

March 11, 2020

6 Ways to Set Expectations for Volunteers

By Chuck Peters

We bring our expectations with us into every situation. The primary factor in feeling successful and satisfied is how well our expectations and our situations match up.

When our expectations are met or exceeded, we’re happy and satisfied. The best way to set ourselves, and everyone around us, up for success is to clarify and communicate what is expected.

When expectations are not identified or articulated, stress and struggles ensue.

When it comes to recruiting and leading our volunteers we need to take the initiative in setting clear expectations right out of the gate, and in reinforcing them often.

Whether you’re recruiting short-term helpers for camp or VBS or investing in long-term teachers who lead recurring groups and classes, here are six expectations that are worth considering for the kids ministry volunteers you lead.

1. ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT

Every volunteer is expected to actively engage with children.

Some may think that their mere presence in the room is enough and that it’s okay to passively pass out papers and make sure the kids don’t hurt one another.

Others may be inclined to scroll through their phones while their teaching partner carries the bulk of the load.

We need to clarify that all helpers are expected to actively engage with kids during ministry times. Our spaces are No Phone Zones, and our leaders are present for the purpose of participation.

2. ENTHUSIASTIC PARTICIPATION

Speaking of participation, another expectation is that everyone on our team participates with a proper attitude of enthusiasm.

Kids are drawn to enthusiastic leaders, and enthusiasm is contagious. When our leaders refuse to play the games, learn the verses, sing the songs or do the hand motions, kids won’t want to do them either.

Attitude is everything. Set the expectation that your leaders not only participate, but that they do so with energy and enthusiasm.

3. RELATIONAL CONNECTION

Teaching can be done via video or from a stage or a printed page, but discipleship can only happen in the context of a relationship.

Set the expectation that your leaders invest in learning kids’ names, knowing their family situations and listening to their prayer concerns.

There’s more to kids ministry than facilitating a lesson; we need our leaders to build relationships with the kids in their groups and take an active interest in their lives.

Years from now, kids may not remember much of what we taught, but they’ll absolutely remember those who cared about them.

4. CATALYTIC CONVERSATION

Catalytic conversations are intentional interactions that happen apart from a lesson. This may mean answering questions that kids ask or listening to their concerns.

Kids often ask profound and thoughtful questions seemingly out of nowhere.

We need our leaders to always be ready to engage in these kinds of discussions with kids. They don’t have to be able to answer every theological puzzler that a kid might throw at them.

But we can always seek out answers to tough questions and get back to them later, but we do need our leaders to look for these opportunities to engage in one-on-one conversation.

5. SUPPORTIVE SUPERVISION

Clarify the expectation that all of your adult leaders and volunteers need to be authority figures during ministry times.

As the main leader, you cannot police every child and monitor every situation on your own. Your adult leaders need to be supporters and co-enforcers of the rules you have instituted for kids in regard to behavior and participation.

That means not undermining your authority but encouraging kids to respect whatever guidelines you’ve put into place.

6. PRAYERFUL PREPARATION

People care for what there’s prayer for. Though that sentence is not grammatically correct, it is absolutely accurate.

Encourage your leaders to pray for their ministry times before they arrive, committing their lessons and sessions to God and asking Him to speak to guide thoughts, words and attitudes for His glory.

Ask your leaders to pray with, for and over the kids in their groups every week. Part of our ministry needs to be lifting our kids before The Lord.

Another part should be modeling prayer for children to see. Prayer-filled people are care-filled people. Set an expectation of prayerful preparation for your leaders.

Expectations that are not identified, clarified, and articulated cannot be met. Lead your volunteers well by setting and communicating clear expectations for them to pursue.

CHUCK PETERS is director of operations for LifeWay Kids. He is a graduate of Columbia Bible College. A creative person by nature, Chuck’s unique combination of leadership experience in media production, business, and ministry has caused him to become an unexpected fan of leadership, strategy, data, and analysis in ministry. He lives outside Nashville with his wife and four kids.

Kids Ministry, Volunteers

March 6, 2020

Volunteer Appreciation: Spring Tea Party

By Kids Ministry 101

Show your thanks to volunteers with a Spring Tea Party. It’s a great way to give a warm welcome to first-time leaders while also showing your appreciation to veteran volunteers.

Click here to download the invitation and instructions.

Kids Ministry, Volunteers

February 24, 2020

4 Things You Can Give Your Volunteers to Help Them Grow

By Logan Meek

Face it. We can’t accomplish everything we want to on our own. To maximize our ministry impact, we have to grow the capacity of our teams. That’s why it’s critical for us to do everything we can to develop volunteers into leaders. In today’s post I’ll share four things you can give your volunteers, to help them grow as leaders.

1. Quality Training

How are you investing in your volunteers to help train them to grow in ministry? An intentional training plan can help your volunteers grow in their leadership. When we grow in our knowledge about teaching kids in different life stages, we start to see practical ways to apply what we have learned. Consider hosting a training session for your volunteers, and show them how they can grow as ministry leaders.

2. Quality Time

Serving as a volunteer takes time, meaning that you may have the most prominent ministry voice in the lives of your volunteers. When you slow down to spend quality time with the people you’re serving with, you may inspire them in a way that helps them grow as a leader. People need real relationships, so don’t underestimate how even a small encouragement can positively impact someone.

3. Quality Tasks

Do you allow your volunteers to play a significant role in your ministry, or are you more likely to assign roles that have less responsibility? To help volunteers grow as leaders, we have to be willing to let them serve in leading roles. It can be difficult to hand over responsibility for large pieces of your ministry, but when you do it allows you to become a coach, helping others grow into leadership roles too.

4. Quality Thanks

There are a lot of things that need to get done. If you serve in a ministry role, you get it. But watch out for the pitfall where volunteers can become merely a means to get things done. Stop and say thanks. Appreciate them for who they are, and for what they contribute. Build a culture of encouragement and gratitude. When you do this, everyone will grow more and lead better.

When volunteers grow to be leaders, our capacity gows and we can accomplish more. If we believe that our mission has eternal importance, then we can’t afford to not help our volunteers grow as leaders.

Logan Meek serves on the CentriKid Camps team. Logan began serving with Student Life and LifeWay after spending two years as a Sixth Grade teacher with Teach For America. He believes in the importance of strong kids ministry to help kids build strong spiritual foundations.

Encouragement, Kids Ministry, Teacher Appreciation, Volunteers

February 12, 2020