Start Recruiting in the Summer
Summer is wild! You may be reading this from your summer camp bunk or on a mission trip in another country. You may even read this after finishing up a wild week and needing a pick-me-up.
So, why am I encouraging you to start recruiting fall leaders right now? Don’t you have enough to do already?
The reality is that people will commit to things in the fall long before you start your first small group meeting. They may even be committed to things before school starts for their kids! Locking down volunteers right now will ensure that you’ve got the leaders you need to make ministry great this next season!
And you can start recruiting by asking just three questions:
Who has been hanging around?
Whenever you have an event or start your summer programming, who are the adults that seem to be hanging around? Sometimes, you can identify a potential leader just because they hang out with students without being asked to! This doesn’t mean parents who throw their students out of the car while the wheels are still spinning make great volunteers, but parents who stick around and chat should definitely be on your radar!
Who do the students gravitate to?
In the same vein, who do your students normally move towards? This might be a parent hanging out or a college leader stopping by the student ministry to check out what’s going on. If your students are already gravitating towards this potential leader, why wouldn’t you keep track of them and put them through your volunteer process?
Who do your leaders speak highly of?
Leaders recruit leaders! People know that you are supposed to be gathering a team of ministry volunteers, but what about your leaders, who are around all the time? Who do they know in your church that might be a good fit for student ministry? Ask around and see who your leaders would recommend. You might be surprised at who they already have in mind!
Get ready to train them!
These aren’t the end-all or an automatic pass for volunteers! You’ll still need to meet with them, vet them, and train them to make sure they help the student ministry grow! Speaking of training, have you heard of DYM’s amazing training?
This Fall, kick off your ministry year with a customizable video-driven, fun, and helpful event, with practical youth ministry training for your volunteer youth workers. It’s packed with energy, discussion time, and fun-filled “we get you” memorable moments, and over the last 5 years we’ve trained 70,000+ volunteers!
