Facebook Live- Retaining and Appreciating your Volunteers

Recruiting Volunteers Part 2

In the last blog post I gave some ideas on how to create an environment in your ministry to attract volunteers. You can read about that here.

In this post, I will give some practical ideas on how and where to find volunteers.

1. Pray- As with everything else, start here. God knows your ministry needs, and is planting seeds in your future volunteers hearts. Ultimately, you want volunteers who are called to serve, not those who serve out of guilt.
Tip: Pray that the Lord will guide you to and create opportunities to connect with those He has already called to serve in your ministry.

2. Make a kick off announcement on Sunday morning- At the beginning of your club year, or whenever you start your ministry, ask your pastor for a few minutes to make an announcement that Awana is starting, where and how to register and that you'll need volunteers.
Tip: Either play one of Awana’s “You Belong” volunteer testimonies (here), or have a volunteer from your ministry provide this testimony of how they feel God using them to reach kids. After the service, set up a table in the foyer or lobby of the church for clubber registrations as well as volunteer signups.

3. Host a volunteer ministry fair- All ministries in the church require volunteers. By hosting a ministry fair, you can provide a venue for these ministries to attract volunteers. After a Sunday service, in your fellowship hall, set up tables and displays provided by each ministry in the church, then ask the leaders of these ministries to “man these tables”.  
Tip: Provide snacks and coffee so that potential volunteers can mingle with the leaders of these ministries. Have a signup sheet for each ministry to capture information about potential volunteers.

4. Preschool parents- Preschool parents are much more likely to serve in your Awana club as these parents may be a little more apprehensive to leave their little ones alone and these Cubbie clubbers may want their parents to stay with them as well.

Tip: Once you recruit these Cubbie parents, make sure to train them and serve them well; they may "catch the bug" and be with you as their children progress through Sparks, T&T, Trek and Journey.

5. Dads for gametime- Dad's love playing games. Getting them to lead games may be a great way to get them involved in your ministry.

Tip: Once they have served for awhile during games, you can ask them occasionally to give a large group message or fill in as a small group leader.

6. Student Leaders- Don’t overlook teenagers to serve in your club. In many clubs between half and two thirds of their leadership are teenagers. Teens can be a valuable asset for your club.

Tip: Give these teens real ministry, not just helping with coloring. Train them correctly, then ask them to lead small groups, lead a large group time and be game leaders.

7. Senior Saints- The senior saints in your church could be a great asset to your club. They have time and have a heart for children.

Tip: Many times senior saints are afraid to commit to the entire club year as they want to be free to travel to visit grandkids, vacation, etc. Asking them to lead a small group "part time" when they are available could be a good way to approach them.

8. On call volunteers- Some volunteers cannot commit to the entire club year because of work schedules, etc, But, may be available to help on a limited basis or for specific tasks, ie Awana Grand Prix workers, Bible Quiz, etc.

Tip: Develop a list of on call volunteers who you can call on to fill in when your regular leaders are sick, or have work/ family conflicts.

9. Empower others to recruit- You are not the only one who can recruit. Most likely, everyone in your ministry travels in a different social circle than you do. Asking them to tap into those contacts to fill roles in your club could be a great strategy.

Tip: Ask each one of your club directors to recruit for their clubs.

Recruiting is not a problem to be solved, but a tension that needs to be managed. Recruiting volunteers is an ongoing process; never stop recruiting. Use these ideas as well as develop your own to fill roles in your club. Many of us feel as though we are always on the edge of having enough volunteers. I believe this is the Lord's way of having us relying on Him. Develop the strategies necessary to fill the roles in your club, but always remember this is God's ministry; He will bring those needed to reach His children in your community.

Creating an environment to attract volunteers

As I travel around visiting Awana clubs, one of the most common things I'm asked by Awana Ministry Directors or Club Directors is “How do I get more volunteers?” Usually, these AMD’s are looking for the one silver bullet that will solve their volunteer recruiting problems, ie if they do XYZ, or if they have the perfect recruiting pitch, all will be good. My experience has shown something different. The Awana clubs that are successful with their recruiting strategy take a much more holistic approach to recruiting, training and developing volunteers. Potential volunteers usually are not interested in “helping out”, but are very interested in being part of a winning team. Here are some foundational things to think about related to developing the right kind of culture to attract volunteers to your ministry.

1. Is your club well disciplined? Are you successfully using the 5 count, 3 count and positive points to maintain order and discipline? Do potential volunteers view your ministry opportunity as something where they would have to wrangle unruly and troubled children, or would they view your ministry as something where they would be allowed to disciple and build lasting faith with these children. You, as AMD or club director are responsible for maintaining this discipline so that volunteers can thrive in your ministry.
2. Are you communicating your ministry successes to your church body, your parents and potential volunteers?  You'll be much more likely to recruit new volunteers if they are made aware of how God is using your ministry to reach kids for Christ. A facebook group or club newsletter sent home to parents, and/ or maybe inserted into your church bulletin (with your pastors permission), would be great ways to communicate how God is working in your ministry. An “Awana Sunday”,  It would be wise to not only use these communication tools to announce upcoming events and announcements, but also to share testimonies of new salvation decisions, disciple making events, missions opportunities
3. Are you clearly communicating what you want you’d want potential  volunteers to do?  If your volunteers don’t know what’s expected, they are less likely to raise their hand and step up. Having a written “job description” of what you’d like your volunteers to do is a great first step to this communication. Here are some resources Awana has prepared to help you communicate with potential volunteers. https://www.awana.org/you-belong-recruitment-tools
4. Are your leaders equipped to have a successful ministry?  Do you have a plan for how you will train and equip your new volunteers as well as ongoing training for your existing volunteers,  or is your training strategy simply “On the job”? Awana provides many training opportunities that you can use to equip your volunteers. Basic Training, annual Awana Ministry Conferences, leader training meetings, LEAD leadership development trainings are all opportunities provided by your local Awana Missionary. If you prefer to do the training yourself, Awana provides online Getting Started Training,  leader role books and a Getting Started Resource binder.

Bottom line, a successful recruiting strategy STARTS with creating an environment where your volunteers can survive and thrive. Serving God is not a burden, it is a discipleship opportunity for your volunteers. Are your volunteers moving closer to God or further away by serving in your ministry?

In my next blog post, I will give some very practical tips on where to look for volunteers for your ministry.