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5 Sep 2022

It’s Your Job to Train Volunteers for Youth Ministry

By Ronald|2022-09-02T16:36:31-07:00September 5th, 2022|Leadership, Volunteers|12 Comments

I actually am shocked when I hear that student pastors don’t provide training for their people. I personally think that as the leader, it is our responsibility to make sure our leaders know what a “win” is for your ministry and how they can achieve that “win”. I’m shocked how many leaders just throw their new leaders into the deep end to learn how to swim in this thing called student ministry.

I think it is irresponsible.

So for those who do not do any training, let me share with you why this is so crucial for your ministry:

Your leaders will thank you – “My leaders would never come for a few hours for this.” Lies. Believe it or not, your leaders want to know how they can be more effective. If they have signed up to serve in student ministry, they are already nuts, they want to be good at it. Every single time leaders walk away thanking us because they learned something new to make them better. They will know what a “win” is and how to achieve it.

Your ministry will literally be better – If your leaders are better your ministry will be better. What ever you decide to train them in, they will walk away better leaders. So if that’s small groups, follow-up, getting on campus, whatever, you will see your ministry grow in some way because your leaders will know what they should be doing and they will execute the type of culture you want to see.

There are so many great tools to make it easy – We did a huge one day fall training, but we also provide all year training in our ministry. There are so many great tools. One of the best that we use is Youth Ministry University. One of the best investments we made all year. As we on board new leaders, it’s required to complete Course 101 of YMU. We want all leaders to know what we expect as leaders during service. All of our leaders are required to finish all 4 courses by a date that we set for them. Along with YMU, there are so many other blogs and resources that make training easier and effective.

It makes you look good to your higher-ups – It really does though. When you do a training, invite your bosses. Shoot, maybe even have them do a session. When you train, it shows all that you are taking this serious, you care deeply to make sure your ministry is successful in every way, and it doesn’t hurt you with your higher-ups. Our supervisor came and sat in. He was blown away and we walked away earning some points.

It shows you care for your leaders success in your ministry – If your leaders are wondering at any point during their time in your ministry “What should I be doing right now?”… “Was I making a difference today?” … “”Did I do what I was supposed to do today at service?” then you are missing something as the leader of the ministry. Training will help focus and assure your leaders what success looks like in your ministry. It shows you care for your leaders, not only as people, but as leaders who want to do well.

It’s your responsibility – Pretty self-explanatory. It is.

If you are leading a ministry, train your people. Make the time. Put it in the prep work. I promise you it will be worth it and your ministry will be better.

Justin Knowles

Feeling daunted by the task of training your volunteers? Let DYM help!

Train all your volunteers for one low price this month!

18 Jul 2022

Recruiting Youth Ministry Volunteers

By Ronald|2022-07-18T13:26:16-07:00July 18th, 2022|Volunteers, Youth Ministry Hacks, Youth Ministry Ideas|3 Comments

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard someone say, “I can’t get any volunteers. I put it in the bulletin. I put it in the newsletter. We’ve asked from the pulpit. No one cares about working with our youth.”

The truth is that many people just don’t feel equipped to work with youth. I’ve always found this perplexing since I’ve always loved working with teenagers, but the average churchgoer feels either intimidated or not cool enough or young enough to work with middle or high school students.

The good news is I feel that some simple but effective tactics can yield really amazing volunteers for your ministry. Here are some simple but proven effective tips for volunteer recruitment:

Ask your current volunteers to recruit.

I’ve even gone so far as to ask everyone at a volunteer meeting to come back the next month with at least one person they are willing to personally recruit for youth ministry. A personal ask is always better than a broad plea, and people love to serve with their friends. Plus, your current volunteers will love to have some influence on who they’ll be working with!

Ask your senior pastor or minister to adults for names.

It is my humble opinion that the pastors who are ministering to adults should be the best people to identify adults in your congregation who may be willing to serve in your ministry. This can also help to coordinate with other ministries and make sure that you’re not asking the same 10% of adults to do 100% of the volunteer work in your church.

Ask parents.

Not everyone agrees that parents should be volunteers, but honestly, research tells us that students who see their parents practice their faith are more likely to become faithful adults. My guess is your ministry has loads of jobs you could use help with, from administrative to logistics to more student-facing roles. The parents of your ministry have incredible gifts and you should be using them.

Ask early.

In my experience, people are more likely to say yes in the winter and spring for the following school year. The summer is almost impossible to communicate with folks, and fall is too late! This also allows you to snag commitments before another ministry poaches all your prospects. Mostly, it gives the potential volunteer time to pray and discern whether youth ministry is the right fit!

Offer training!

The National Day of Volunteer Training is Sept 24, 2022 and is a super affordable way to train all your volunteers in one day. Your church can host or sign up to attend at another church. Your local denomination probably offers something annually or can offer you a list of local experts who will come to your church to offer training. Sometimes local seminaries will offer a training series. Create your own training program with some of your veteran volunteers. Your volunteers will feel empowered and will be more excited to serve with you when they feel confident and prepared.

Ansley has served in youth ministry for two decades and holds a certificate of Youth and Theology from Princeton Theological Seminary. She loves the relational aspect of youth ministry as well as helping equip adults and students to lead. Ansley lives on her family’s beef cattle farm in Virginia with her husband and two young sons (and, sadly, no llamas).

See more from this DYM author here.

13 May 2022

Mental Health Series: Practical Ways to Care for Teenagers With…. Suicidal Thoughts

By travisprouty|2022-05-13T11:06:40-07:00May 13th, 2022|Mental Health, Training, Volunteers, Youth Ministry Resources|22 Comments

Concluding our week, we wanted to talk specifically about a serious topic.

Suicide is the second leading cause of death among individuals between the ages of 10 and 34. Suicide is a heavy subject. Many fear that bringing up the topic, or even the word, will cause someone to think about it. However, this is not the case. Talking openly and honestly about suicide makes students feel safe and more supported. Some students will be more upfront about thoughts of suicide, while others may hide their plans. As youth workers, students trust you. If they are bringing this topic up to you, you cannot promise to keep it a secret.

A brief note on self-harm:

Self-harm can result because of a few factors. For some, it serves as a distraction from intense emotional pain. For others, it can be because they have a feeling of numbness and self-harm brings the result of feeling something. It can also become a way of communicating to others that they are hurting and desperate for help. However, it’s not always a form of communication. Some will be very secretive about self-harm and are solely focused on bringing some sort of temporary relief. Because it brings temporary relief, it can be reinforcing, and students can continue to come back to the behavior to deal with painful or overwhelming feelings. One of the most common triggers for self-harm is the feeling of rejection. Self-harm does not always mean suicide; however, the behavior is a sign for deep pain that could lead to suicidal tendencies and attempt.

5 Tips for Walking with Students Who May Be Suicidal

1.Talk about it

If you think a student is suicidal, talk about it. You won’t give them ideas or put the thought in their head. Students need a calm voice that is more interested in understanding their feelings rather than a fearful, anxious, or critical voice.
Things to ask:
- “Are you feeling suicidal”
- “Do you have a plan?”
- How detailed is the plan, do they know how they would do it, what’s the time frame, do they have access to things like firearms, meds, etc.?
Determine the severity of their current state. Do they need to go to the ER?

2. Show Love

Students need to feel, hear, and see that they are loved.
Repeatedly, tell them how much you care about them and love them.

3. Be Empathetic

Remember to validate the students’ feelings.
Make statements and comments that express empathy instead of telling them how they should feel.

4. Stay in Touch

Keep in contact with the student.
This can be through texting, calling, over social media, meeting up for coffee, going on a walk.
When a student misses a small or youth group, reach out and let them know they were missed, and you hope they can make it the next time. Avoid making them feel guilty for missing.

5. Partner with Parents

The parent must be involved in the conversation.
Many students are afraid to tell their parents or talk with them about what they are feeling. You get to be a safe person the student can bring along to talk with the parent.
You cannot keep this a secret. Offer to talk to parents WITH the student, agree to a date that they will talk to their parents by, if they don’t by that date let them know you will share with their parents for them.

ADDITIONAL MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES

Crisis Text Line: Text “START” to 741741 in USA
National Eating Disorder Association: Call 1-800-931-2237
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: Call 1-800-273-TALK (8255)
For LGBTQ Youth Trevor Lifeline at 866-488-7386, Trevor Text -Text START to 678-678
Mental Health First Aid
Become certified as a Mental Health First Aider (like CPR)
National Alliance on Mental Illness

Want to start conversations about Mental Health in your youth group? Check out a brand new Mental Health series at Download Youth Ministry:

My Friend is Struggling With

This 4-week series addresses mental health from a physical, mental, and spiritual perspective. Mental illnesses are real and daunting, but even in the middle of it, there can be hope. The first week gives a mental health overview, the second week addresses depression, the third week addresses anxiety, and the fourth week addresses suicide.

For the month of May, 100% of the proceeds for this resource will go to a scholarship fund to help youth workers with a mental health challenge see a counselor. If you are interested in this scholarship, you can fill out the application here.

Michelle lives in Idaho with her husband where they love to spend time outdoors, go on new adventures, and find the best chicken wings and coffee places. She also possess the ability to kill any plant that comes into their home. She also is the Co-Host of the Middle School Ministry Podcast. Listen here!

12 May 2022

Mental Health Series: Practical Ways to Care for Teenagers With…. Feeding and Eating Disorders

By travisprouty|2022-05-12T09:22:00-07:00May 12th, 2022|Mental Health, Training, Volunteers, Youth Ministry Resources|4 Comments

Feeding and Eating disorders are often characterized by an unhealthy relationship with food, whether that is through excessive eating or refusal to eat enough to maintain a healthy weight, and a distorted body image. Although more often diagnosed in girls, boys are also diagnosed but can be missed because it is harder to spot. Not everyone with an eating disorder appears underweight, eating disorders appear all over the spectrum.

The most common feeding and eating disorders we see in students include anorexia, bulimia, and purge eating. Anorexia can be characterized by a refusal to eat, excessive weight loss, and distorted body image. A person with anorexia believes they are too fat, while everyone else sees them as far too thin. Bulimia can be characterized by frequent binge eating, followed by purging and/or strenuous dieting. Unlike anorexia, bulimia is often recognized by a normal weight or somewhat overweight. Binge eating is often accompanied by a feeling of having lost control, and often done in secret accompanied by shame and guilt. Similar to bulimia, weight is normal or overweight, however binge eating disorder is not accompanied by trying to get rid of the food by purging.

4 Practical Ways to Support a Student with an Eating Disorder:

1.Have Healthy Snacks Available

Keep healthy snacks in your office, the youth room, kitchen, etc.
Fruits, Veggies, Granola Bars, Popcorn, Nuts, Pretzels, etc.

2. Offer Support

Be there to support them along their recovery journey.
Show compassion and understanding.
Be aware of how you talk about body image in your group.

3. Be Extra Aware at Camps and Retreats

Be aware of how much the student is eating, watch if they have skipped meals.
Have volunteers keep eyes their peeled for any students who have missed multiple meals, etc.
Require all students and leaders to attend meals.
If doing high energy activities, make a deal on how much or what they need to eat in order to do the activity.
Have them bring food you know they will eat.

4. Partner with Parents

If you notice a student not eating consistently, or recognize other signs of an eating disorder, talk with the parent.
If they are already aware, find out what their plan is and how you can support the student.

Resources:

National Eating Disorder Association

When Your Teen Has an eating disorder: Practical Strategies to Help Your Teen Recover from Anorexia, Bulimia, and Binge Eating

Want to start conversations about Mental Health in your youth group? Check out a brand new Mental Health series at Download Youth Ministry:

My Friend is Struggling With

This 4-week series addresses mental health from a physical, mental, and spiritual perspective. Mental illnesses are real and daunting, but even in the middle of it, there can be hope. The first week gives a mental health overview, the second week addresses depression, the third week addresses anxiety, and the fourth week addresses suicide.

For the month of May, 100% of the proceeds for this resource will go to a scholarship fund to help youth workers with a mental health challenge see a counselor. If you are interested in this scholarship, you can fill out the application here.

Michelle lives in Idaho with her husband where they love to spend time outdoors, go on new adventures, and find the best chicken wings and coffee places. She also possess the ability to kill any plant that comes into their home. She also is the Co-Host of the Middle School Ministry Podcast. Listen here!

11 May 2022

Mental Health Series: Practical Ways to Care for Teenagers With…. ADD/ADHD

By travisprouty|2022-05-11T09:57:05-07:00May 11th, 2022|Mental Health, Training, Volunteers, Youth Ministry Resources|8 Comments

Continuing in our series, today we are looking at students who struggle with ADD/ADHD.

ADHD makes it difficult for kids to focus on their schoolwork and every day tasks, to pay attention, and sit still. It’s often harder for them to control themselves than other kids their age. ADHD can take form in two kinds of behaviors; inattentive and impulsive.

Impulsive behaviors can include fidgeting, struggling to sit still, constantly talking or interrupting, and being impatient. Inattentive behaviors might look like making careless mistakes, being easily distracted, having a hard time following instruction, and forgetting or losing things often.

Practical Ways to Help Teenagers with ADD/ADHD:

1. Provide Fidget Toys

Have a box with a mixture of fidget toys available somewhere in your space that students know about.
Being able to hold/play with a fidget toy can help students focus.

2. Encourage Peer Relationships

It’s often times harder for students with ADD/ADHD to make and/or keep friends.
These students can also be more subject to bullying or bully others.
Encourage extracurricular activities, participation in games, events.

3. Self-Regulation Ideas

Give time frames for when things are going to begin/end
- Ex: When playing video games before service, give adequate time to let them know it’s going to be time to stop playing.
Cool-Off Space
- Have a place in your building or facility where a student can go if they need to calm down or take a breath.
Allow the student to stand or walk in the back of the room during the lesson.

4. Check in with and resource your volunteers

These students often require some extra grace, see how you can help your volunteers navigate that.
If the student is a talker, give them the job of reading the small group questions, coming up with an ice breaker question for the group, etc.

Resources:

Fidget Toy Pack on Amazon

CHADD – Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Want to start conversations about Mental Health in your youth group? Check out a brand new Mental Health series at Download Youth Ministry:

My Friend is Struggling With

This 4-week series addresses mental health from a physical, mental, and spiritual perspective. Mental illnesses are real and daunting, but even in the middle of it, there can be hope. The first week gives a mental health overview, the second week addresses depression, the third week addresses anxiety, and the fourth week addresses suicide.

For the month of May, 100% of the proceeds for this resource will go to a scholarship fund to help youth workers with a mental health challenge see a counselor. If you are interested in this scholarship, you can fill out the application here.

Michelle lives in Idaho with her husband where they love to spend time outdoors, go on new adventures, and find the best chicken wings and coffee places. She also possess the ability to kill any plant that comes into their home. She also is the Co-Host of the Middle School Ministry Podcast. Listen here!

10 May 2022

Mental Health Series: Practical Ways to Care for Teenagers Who Are Struggling With…. Depression

By travisprouty|2022-05-11T09:39:13-07:00May 10th, 2022|Mental Health, Training, Volunteers, Youth Ministry Resources|10 Comments

Our series continues as we tackle how to support students who might be struggling with depression.

Alongside of anxiety, depression is also one of the most diagnosed disorders in the United States. Depression involves severe symptoms that affect how a person feels, thinks, and handles daily activities like eating, sleeping, and/or working or school. In 2020, it was estimated that 4.1 million adolescents between 12-17 had at least one major depressive episode (NIMH, Major Depression, 2022). So I think it’s fair to say that there are students in our ministries who are experiencing symptoms of depression.

How can we show up for them? Here are a few ways…

6 Practical Ways to Care for Students Who are Struggling With Depression

1.Encourage Professional Help

You don’t have to have all the answers, but having a trusted list of professionals to refer students and parents to is key!
Counseling, Medical Professional, and/or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy are all things a student could benefit from.

2. Be Supportive

Validate their emotions, not unhealthy behavior.

3. Be Compassionately Curious

Ask questions gently and patiently
Don’t try to solve the problem, simply be present

4. Notice the Positive Things

Make sure to notice the small things, encourage them in that.

5. Partner with Parents

If the student hasn’t talked to their family, this is a MUST. You cannot keep depression a secret.
Offer to talk to parents WITH the student, agree to a date that they will talk to their parents by, if they don’t by that date let them know you will share with their parents for them.
If the parent is already aware, check in with them about their student, but also check in on the parent.

6. Check in with the student

If they haven’t been showing up for a while, text them, call them, DM them on social media.
Don’t make them feel bad for missing youth group, just acknowledge you are thinking about them.
Offer to take them out somewhere, 1-on-1
- Ask for parent permission.
- Don’t be offended if they say no, the ask goes a long way.

Resources:

Anxiety and Depression Association of America

Seen: Healing Despair And Anxiety In Kids And Teens Through The Power Of Connection

To Write Love on Her Arms

Want to start conversations about Mental Health in your youth group? Check out a brand new Mental Health series at Download Youth Ministry:

My Friend is Struggling With

This 4-week series addresses mental health from a physical, mental, and spiritual perspective. Mental illnesses are real and daunting, but even in the middle of it, there can be hope. The first week gives a mental health overview, the second week addresses depression, the third week addresses anxiety, and the fourth week addresses suicide.

For the month of May, 100% of the proceeds for this resource will go to a scholarship fund to help youth workers with a mental health challenge see a counselor. If you are interested in this scholarship, you can fill out the application here.

Michelle lives in Idaho with her husband where they love to spend time outdoors, go on new adventures, and find the best chicken wings and coffee places. She also possess the ability to kill any plant that comes into their home. She also is the Co-Host of the Middle School Ministry Podcast. Listen here!

9 May 2022

Mental Health Series: Practical Ways to Care for Teenagers Who Are Struggling With…. Anxiety

By travisprouty|2022-05-09T22:19:08-07:00May 9th, 2022|Mental Health, Training, Volunteers, Youth Ministry Resources|2 Comments

In 2021, the CDC officially declared a National Emergency in Child and Adolescent Mental Health. The rates of childhood mental health concerns have grown steadily since 2010, and by 2017 suicide was the second leading cause of death among youth and young adults aged 10-34. The Coronavirus pandemic has only increased and intensified the situation around mental health. Even more so than adults, adolescents and young adults are fighting for their lives behind hidden doors, unsure of where to go, or who to talk to. As the church, we get to be a safe space for students, and young adults, to feel accepted for where they are at, loved for who they are, and provide hope for the future.

Janet Haag (2019) brings painful statistics to the frontline that, “1 in 5 Americans have a diagnosable mental health condition. 50% of these conditions show up by age 14; 75% by age 24, so it should come as no surprise that 1 in 5 youth ages 13-18 lives with significant mental health challenges, depression and anxiety topping this list.”

So, what does this mean for your ministry?

Well, the reality is, that you have students in your ministry right now, who are dealing with mental health issues. If you don’t, you will. There are things that you can be doing right now to help your students feel that the church is a safe and belonging place for them. Below are the most common mental health disorders that adolescents are dealing with. Before we get to that though, there is something incredibly important we must understand.

Our job is not to diagnose someone (or yourself). Our job is to observe changes in behavior, be a listening ear, and help students and families take next steps as needed.

So, what does this look like in a ministry context? Throughout this week, we are going to be talking about the most common mental health disorders in students, and share some super practical things that you can do to care for hurting students right away. This list is not exhaustive or definitive, it’s simply made up of a few suggestions of things we can do to support our students.

Let’s start with the most common mental illness diagnosed in the United States. If you have a student that deals with anxiety, here are a few things you can do to make your student feel more comfortable, and help them find ways to cope during youth group, an event, camp, or any ministry setting.

5 Practical Ways to Care for Students Who are Struggling With Anxiety

1.Help the student slow their breathing

- Slow, deep breaths are key.
- Practice breathing WITH them.
- Check out apps like Calm or Headspace.

2. Walk and Talk

- Sometimes students just need to step away from everything and take a break.
- Go on a walk around the building with them, to a park, etc.

3. Talk openly about anxiety

- The goal isn’t to get rid of their anxiety, but manage it.
- Find other people who are further along on their anxiety journey that can be an encouragement to the student.

4. Talk with the student’s family/parents

- The role of the church should be to partner with families.
- If the student hasn’t talked to their family, this is a MUST. You cannot keep mental health challenges a secret.
  TIP: Offer to talk to parents WITH the student, agree to a date that they will talk to their parents by, if they don’t by that date let them know you will share with their parents for them.

5. Partner with professionals

- Have a list of trusted professionals on hand that you can refer out to (get this referral list approved by your church leadership).
- This list can include, but is not limited to: counselors, outpatient clinics, health care facilities, etc.

Additional Resources:

Check out this brand new Mental Health series at Download Youth Ministry:

My Friend is Struggling With

This 4-week series addresses mental health from a physical, mental, and spiritual perspective. Mental illnesses are real and daunting, but even in the middle of it, there can be hope. The first week gives a mental health overview, the second week addresses depression, the third week addresses anxiety, and the fourth week addresses suicide.

For the month of May, 100% of the proceeds for this resource will go to a scholarship fund to help youth workers with a mental health challenge see a counselor. If you are interested in this scholarship, you can fill out the application here.

Michelle lives in Idaho with her husband where they love to spend time outdoors, go on new adventures, and find the best chicken wings and coffee places. She also possess the ability to kill any plant that comes into their home. She also is the Co-Host of the Middle School Ministry Podcast. Listen here!

25 Oct 2021

7 Part Strategy To Recruit the Leaders You Need

By Justin Knowles|2021-10-25T09:03:57-07:00October 25th, 2021|Leadership, Volunteers|4 Comments

I don’t think I have ever heard of any leader say, “You know what, I think I have enough volunteers in my ministry.” If you have ever said that, you should write a blog instead of me. Ministry is only as effective as the leaders you have and we are in a season of needing to being intentional about recruiting them. This is something I have shared with our teams in practical things to think through in recruiting volunteers for ministry.

Pray – Sounds simple but it’s so important. Lot’s of times it’s when we are are desperate is when we go to prayer. The truth is God cares more about your ministry than you do and we need to go to Him to provide the people He wants to move the ministry forward. I have found when we need people without prayer we get warm bodies instead of called bodies.
Build a pipeline – How deep is your bench? In our ministry we have 4 volunteer positions. 1) Ministry lead 2) Coaches 3) Service Lead and 4) Team Member. Our teams should have each one based on how many spots they need to make ministry happen. We need to make sure we have it written out and filled up and start building a bench of leaders to call on and to call up.
How can we make it easy to join? – We need to try and make it as easy as possible for people to jump on the team. How can you remove any obstacle people might have to jump on the team. How are you making it easy for people to jump into your team on the weekend? How is your ministry noticeable? How do they know that there is a need? How is your on-boarding process? Not really answers but questions you need to work through yourself.
Cast compelling vision – We are inviting them into something bigger than just serving. Give them the bigger picture. We should have a few back pocket stories that are ready to share of life change in your ministry that you can share instantly. People love stories. People want to hear about how they can make a difference and hear stories of others doing so.
Don’t say “no” for them – How many people are not serving in your ministry because they never physically told you “no” but because you said “no” for them assuming they could not.Just ask, even if you assume they will say no, still ask because they could say “yes”.
Leaders recruiting leaders – One of the the best ways is to challenge existing leaders to recruit leaders. When I come, people duck out of the way because they know what I am going to ask them. But when leaders are excited about what they are doing, challenge each one to recruit one by a date you set.
What are you inviting them into? – What’s your strategy? What are you doing? How are your doing it? How are you planning to recruit? Nothing great just happens. There needs to be a strategy in order to carry it out. What would it look like if you spent some time working through this next few months?

This list is not exhaustive but they are some things I have seen over time work on the intentional work in recruiting leaders. Hope it’s helpful.

@justinknowles3

16 Sep 2021

Are You Proactive Or Reactive With Parents?

By Justin Knowles|2021-09-15T20:11:04-07:00September 16th, 2021|Leadership, Parents, Small Groups, Volunteers, Youth Ministry Hacks|5 Comments

It really is interesting how many parents drop off their students and never meet the people they are dropping off their student to be with for two hours a week. It’s also really interesting for how many leaders have not reached out to know parents of their students.

We have an incredible opportunity to not only minister to our students, but their families as well.

We all have heard stories of students who first started coming to church, got saved and then their families started to attend as well. When we are intentional with our students families, we can really partner with parents/guardians because they are with their students the other 166 hours during the week compared to our 2-3 hours.

This is why in this season we have been really challenging those who lead small groups to be intentional about reaching out to, not just the student, but their families as well. We should be making the first move. We want to be proactive in making the first connection.

Here is the ask of our leaders: Make one connection per week with one family.

If you go on Yelp and look at reviews, most of the time you will see the negative ones. Why? Because when things are good, people don’t really write reviews because they don’t think about it. No one talks to the manager at a store when things are going well. People only tend to write reviews when they have a bad experience. People only ask to speak to a manger when something is wrong.

Same with parents. It could be all good and no one will say anything but far too often we are reactive with parents. When something happens, thats when we make the first connection with them. We are already starting in the negative.

When we are proactive, we can start to build relational equity, build up the positive and IF something goes down, we already know the parents/guardians. It will not only set your ministry up better but your volunteers to win with the families as well.

What could this look like?

For some families, they might come to church, so just physically meeting them and knowing their name and getting their cell phone number would be a win.
For some, just letting their parents know how awesome their kid is after group or through email throughout the week. Parents love to hear how awesome their kids are.
For some, you might be close to their family and be invited to dinners. Do it. Any time you can be with the family, it’s a good thing.
Take 30 seconds and send them a text asking how they are and how you can pray for them specifically. You will be amazed how simple and powerful that is.
Shoot an email updating them on what conversations and group has been like (obviously keeping the confidence of your students) but parents love to be in the know.
Connect with the parents/guardians via social media. Most of GenZ parents have it. It could be an easy way to share a story or make a connection with them.

As we have been pushing this with our small group leaders it’s been awesome to see the proactive relationships blossoming.

@justinknowles3

16 Jan 2020

But First: Volunteers

By Josh Griffin|2020-01-16T11:22:52-08:00January 16th, 2020|Leadership, Volunteers|0 Comments

Getting volunteers for youth ministry can be one of the most difficult things about the job. Even harder is getting good, committed leaders! We see those high-profile church workers who have WHOLE TEAMS of really cool volunteers and we get discouraged. What do us normal folk and smaller churches do to create a great atmosphere for our students?

First, the old ways of recruiting volunteers must be abandoned. We can no longer expect an announcement in the bulletin to reap committed volunteers. The requests have to be thoughtful, personal, and prayerful.

Second, we need a comprehensive strategy. I have seen so many Facebook posts about this issue, and I try to share my thoughts, but it really is a long-haul issue that requires more than a tweet or clever idea.

Here are some long-term strategies I’ve used to get great volunteers:

Change your language: You don’t have a need, you have an opportunity. Celebrate having openings to serve in your ministry. Leaders will be blessed by saying yes! I hate the language “We need your help.” Who is we and why do we need help? Your church hired you to help them serve and lead youth. By hiring you, they are saying, we want youth! Help us! Take out all the guilt-tripping and desperation language. Here are some examples of better recruitment language:

We have some opportunities to serve coming up and we know you’ll want to get in on the fun.

Great news: Our youth ministry is growing and we have openings for you to be a part of it!

Your youth want to serve, learn and grow together and they want you to join their mission!

Do not wait for summer: Start now recruiting for fall. Summer is too late, and if you haven’t noticed, spring is also too busy for people to even think about the next school year. The longer you wait, the more likely they will have committed to something else. Recruiting now gives your candidates some opportunities to come to youth group times or leader meetings to check things out. It also gives them the opportunity to chaperone a summer event and start fall knowing names and hearts in your group.

Identify Leaders: I have four ways I like to identify potential leaders for my ministry.

1. Sit down with your lead pastor or pastor to adults and identify some people together. It is that pastor’s job to know the gifting of the adults in your congregation. Get together and brainstorm some names. Once you’ve determined a list, have that pastor reach out the them individually and discuss the opportunity. Make sure if that person is committed elsewhere, you discuss what duties your pastor is comfortable asking them to replace with youth work. NOTE: I think it is also important to make sure whatever timing on the calendar your church does “nominating” (or whatever they call putting people on committees) that they do so with youth workers in mind. You need to find a way to sync up with that process so they aren’t poaching your leaders for other jobs, and so they perhaps consider who can work with youth when they are thinking of all the other needs of the church.

1. Ask everyone on your current team to identify one person to ask. Have them all come to the next leader’s meeting with 1-2 people they think would be a great fit. People like to serve with their friends, and no one knows what leading looks like better than your current team. Discuss it as a team and then decide who should do the asking.
2. Identify parents who will be a good fit. Maybe you noticed that one parent who stays up late playing cards with students when chaperoning a retreat. That parents who hangs around and helps you clean up after service. The parents who knows lots of student’s names and gives lots of rides to help other parents. These are people who should be doing more than driving and signing up for snacks. Tell them you’ve noticed their heart and need more people like them on your team!
3. Ask your students who they would like for you to ask. Whenever I ask students, they always have ideas of who they want to lead them. It is so great to be able to go up to a potential leader and say: “Our youth have personally asked for you as a potential leader.”

Ask Personally: Once you identify leaders, ask them personally to join you. I like to start with an email that spells out exactly what the job will entail, ask them to pray, and follow up in person. You might find a phone call is better (okay, Boomers). This is the time to reassure them there will be training and support. This is also when you share your vision for youth ministry and get them excited to serve. Make sure you mention that others (pastor, leaders, youth) identified them as someone they want to see leading youth. People want to feel like you believe in them and they will be important to the ministry, not guilted into helping.

Offer Training: I find people are more likely to serve when they know they will be equipped for the job. Training can be tricky because that is even MORE time they will have to dedicate to serving. That’s why I love DYM University. You can even just start with the training videos included in your DYM membership! I do think offering more than one opportunity can help people fit training into their schedule. Here is a list of possibilities to for training for your team:

1. DYMU: DYM University allows leaders to train at home on their own time. The best part is that you get to monitor progress know who is getting the training. This is a fantastic way to allow busy leaders to serve.

1. NDYWT: Sign up to host or sign up to attend a National Day of Youth Ministry Training event. This event brings a national-level training directly into your church. Get conference-live training in just one morning. You can make the event really fun and network with other churches who have the same goal of reaching youth in your community. Last year was incredible and most hosts and participants received overwhelmingly positive response from their teams.

1. NYWC: Set a goal of brining a team…or even one volunteer with you to the National Youth Worker’s Convention in November. Then you can split up and cover more sessions and bring twice the information back to your team. My brother-in-law sent a small team of volunteers this year to NYWC instead of going himself, and that team he sent is leading all his leader meetings this spring with what they learned at the convention. What a great idea to equip leaders to train each other!

1. Church Training Day: Many churches have a day when all their new positions (greeters, finance officers, etc.), are trained for the year. Get in on this! Some folks might even come to your session out of curiosity. Use a video training or prepare a more customized presentation for your church. It is easier for adults to prioritize attending one church-wide training day than a bunch of different days. There may even be childcare and food provided that doesn’t come out of your budget.

1. Local Denom Training: In my denomination, they offer training for youth ministry several times a year in my local conference. Usually this is free or for a very small fee. Also, in my denom, conference staff (for instance our Director of Next Gen Ministries for our state) will come to your church free of charge to speak or lead training. I have taken advantage of this many times!

1. Local Seminaries: Many times, your local seminaries will offer “Seminary for a Day” type training events. Our local seminary is not a huge institution, but it offers this for free through a grant, and gets top names! This can be an easy way to get top-notch training for your team.

Your strategy will certainly look different for your own ministry, but I hope these examples have inspired you to create a strategy that will work in your context. And don’t leave out prayer! Pray over each of these steps, and get ready to be blessed by God’s faithfulness your students!

Ansley Higginbotham is a great youth worker (our words, not hers) and we’re totally fans. Hoping for more posts from her in the future!