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9 Dec 2024

Are You Frustrated with Volunteers?

By |2024-12-09T06:36:56-08:00December 9th, 2024|Volunteers|1 Comment

If you’ve been in youth ministry for a while, you’ve likely faced some common frustrations. I recently polled youth pastors in the DYM Facebook group to find out what challenges they face most often, and four key themes kept popping up:

  • Parental involvement
  • Lack of attendance
  • Fundraising issues
  • Volunteers

Let’s focus on the big one: volunteers.

Here are three of the most common frustrations youth pastors experience when it comes to volunteers—and one tip to address each:

  1. Lack of Volunteers
    It’s hard to find people willing to step into ministry, but sometimes, we make it harder than it needs to be. One tip: stop asking for “volunteers” and start asking for specific help. Instead of saying, “We need more volunteers,” try something like, “We’re looking for two adults who can connect with students in small groups twice a month.” People are more likely to step up when they know exactly what’s expected of them.
  2. Commitment Issues
    Many volunteers burn out or drop out because they feel overcommitted or underprepared. One tip: create a clear timeline for service. Instead of asking for an open-ended commitment, ask people to serve for a semester or six months. This allows them to evaluate their availability without feeling trapped, and you can use these intervals to check in, train, and encourage them to continue.
  3. Maturity Concerns
    Sometimes, well-meaning adults jump in but aren’t ready to handle the challenges of youth ministry. One tip: provide consistent training and mentorship. Don’t just throw volunteers into the deep end. Offer regular opportunities for them to learn skills like leading discussions, dealing with conflict, and understanding student culture. Investing in their growth will help them feel confident and capable in their roles.

These strategies can help you build a strong, committed team to support your ministry.

What would you add to this list? I’d love to hear your thoughts and learn what’s worked for you when it comes to recruiting, training, and retaining volunteers. Let’s help each other create ministry environments where volunteers thrive!

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25 Nov 2024

Show Some Love to Your Volunteers!

By |2024-11-25T11:55:35-08:00November 25th, 2024|Volunteers|0 Comments

Volunteers are the backbone of every youth ministry. They invest their time, energy, and hearts into making a difference in the lives of students, and we often couldn’t do it without them. But how often do we let them know just how much we appreciate their efforts?

Showing gratitude doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive; small gestures go a long way in making your volunteers feel valued and supported. Let’s dive into three actionable ways to show your team some love today:

1. Write a Handwritten Thank-You Note

In a world of quick texts and emails, a handwritten note feels like a warm hug. Take a few moments to write a heartfelt thank-you to one of your volunteers. Be specific about something they’ve done that made an impact—whether it was their leadership during a small group or simply their welcoming smile on a Sunday morning.

Why It Matters:
Personalized recognition reminds your volunteers that you see them and value their unique contributions. Plus, they’ll hold onto that note as a reminder of why they serve.

2. Publicly Celebrate Their Efforts

Whether it’s a shout-out during your youth service, a post on your ministry’s social media, or a highlight in your parent newsletter, take time to publicly recognize your volunteers. Share a quick story or fun moment that showcases their impact.

Why It Matters:
Celebrating them in front of others not only encourages the recognized volunteer but also inspires the rest of your team. It sets the tone for a culture of appreciation within your ministry.

3. Ask for Their Feedback

Sometimes the best way to show you value someone is to listen. Ask your volunteers how they’re feeling about their roles, what they need, and how you can better support them. A simple coffee meeting or a quick feedback form can open up meaningful conversations.

Why It Matters:
When volunteers feel heard, they feel empowered. Creating space for their input strengthens your ministry relationships and shows that you value them as partners, not just helpers.

Why Gratitude Matters

Expressing appreciation not only boosts your volunteers’ morale but also transforms your ministry culture. It fosters trust, deepens relationships, and makes your team feel like family. As you intentionally show love to your volunteers, you’ll see the ripple effects in their enthusiasm and commitment to serving.

So, who’s your first thank-you note going to today?

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24 Jun 2024

Help! The Parents Won’t Let Go!

By |2024-06-17T13:25:14-07:00June 24th, 2024|Leadership|11 Comments

Are you struggling with parents who won’t let their students attend youth group? Are you dealing with parents who insist on attending EVERY event and program meeting with their students? How can you minister to this family better? Here are some tips!

Meet with the parents

The very first thing I like to do is meet with new parents! You can always offer to take them out to Coffey or have them come to your office to chat for a little bit.

Parents who know more about your reason for ministry and your program and procedures are more likely to trust you. It might still be tough for them to let their baby attend, but meeting with them helps them get to know you better. The more they know you in the ministry, the more likely they will allow their student to participate.

Give them two weeks

I know that parents are the reason we have any children in the ministry in the first place. I always told parents they had two free weeks of observing and checking out the ministry without needing to do anything else. They are their kids, after all! Sometimes, giving them two weeks to observe lets them see everything they need to know about the ministry to let their son or daughter take part.

Remind them of the volunteer process

If a parent wants to continue hanging around after two weeks, I remind them of the volunteer process. Again, helping parents remember that we don’t allow anyone to hang out is a safety issue.

Having a formal volunteer interview process reminds parents that you formally vet every volunteer who comes into the ministry. This could include a background check, an interview with you, two references outside of the church, and an interview with their own teenagers.

I remember one volunteer who passed on everything I asked them to do until I met with their kids. They told me under no circumstances should their parent via youth ministry volunteer! I was floored, But it was one of my hard and fast rules.

You don’t have to let a parent know which part they pass on, but they should know that you are the ministry’s leader and can determine who hangs around students.

Challenge their beliefs

Why do they feel the need to be around their students 24/7? Youth group, at best, is two hours long. Letting their students have a little bit of independence and freedom might be good for them! I might help them grow and their faith on their own. It’s not taking away any personal discipleship, Student. You’re just asking for two hours a week. 

Maybe the parents feel they need to be in constant control, make sure their students make the right kind of friends, and ensure their students are safe all the time.

These things can come from a good place, but they can also be unhealthy.

Challenge parents’ beliefs!

Let them make the call

We can’t change how parents disciple their kids. If they decide that youth ministry is not the best for their student, then that’s the parent’s decision!

As pastors, we have a unique role of coming alongside parents and helping them disciple their students. We’re not supposed to be the primary disciples, which means the final to the parent. The parent doesn’t have to dictate how your ministry works, but they can decide if their student will participate.

Did I miss anything? Could you add anything? I’d love to hear it!

 

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23 Apr 2024

Encourage Your Volunteers!

By |2024-04-23T10:36:35-07:00April 23rd, 2024|Leadership, Volunteers|7 Comments

Springtime might be tough for a Youth Pastor, but it can also be difficult for a Youth Ministry volunteer! These are the people we rely on to help make ministry happen. We can’t do this thing by ourselves! So, how can you show volunteers appreciation and ensure they feel valued as a part of your team? I’ve got three quick ideas!

  1. Send them a text

Sending a quick text message to a volunteer is a great way to show them you appreciate them! Normally, we text volunteers when we need supplies for a game or for them to put out a fire in the youth room. But if you spent the next 10 minutes texting your volunteer team, you could show them that you were thinking about them, appreciate their support, and give them a small encouragement that might carry them through the week! Something like:

“Hey Susan! Thanks so much for being on the team. I saw you having a great conversation with Samantha last night. I’m glad you’re doing Youth Ministry!”

“Hey Scott! It’s always great to see you throwing football and chatting it up with the dudes. Glad you’re on the Youth Ministry team!”

  1. Grab Them a Snack

Ask your volunteers what their favorite snack is. And then next time you meet, have it ready for them. We do this with students all the time. Why shouldn’t we do this for our volunteers? It’s a great way to show them that we know them, we love them, and we were thinking about them. It doesn’t even have to be in the Youth Ministry budget for you to show this type of appreciation! Once you know their favorite snack, you can get it for them again! Think right before the retreat happens or at the end of the school year. You can show your volunteers appreciation just by running to the store real quick.

  1. Sing Their Praises

Maybe not literally singing, but think of it this way: every time you get a microphone, it’s a chance for you to talk about how great your volunteers are. Maybe it’s when you’re making an announcement at church in service or before you break up for small groups. Make sure you tell your volunteers you appreciate them in front of people! It’s definitely not the only way to show people that you appreciate them, but it’s a great way to remind them that you are on their team and you are thankful for them! The next time somebody hands you a microphone, take 30 seconds to talk about how great your Youth Ministry volunteers are!

Did I miss anything? Is there anything you would add to the list? I’d love to hear about it!

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18 Jul 2022

Recruiting Youth Ministry Volunteers

By |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.

 

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6 Jun 2017

3 Challenges For Your Team This Summer

By |2017-06-05T19:22:45-07:00June 6th, 2017|Volunteers|0 Comments

In between all the camps and vacations, most of us take the summer to evaluate, change and improve the ministries we lead. While looking at content and reconfiguring your systems are key, it’s also important to take things up a notch with your volunteers.

That’s right, summer is a great time to challenge your team to step up to a new level. It’s an opportunity to expand your capacity as a leader and hit new goals. So, how do you challenge your team? Here are three you can give to your team this summer: (more…)

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7 Mar 2017

Gray Hair, Yellow Shirts

By |2017-03-07T09:09:52-08:00March 7th, 2017|Volunteers|0 Comments

I was at a DNOW retreat this weekend in Georgia – and was BLOWN AWAY by something I experienced.

Now this was a big event, huge really. 24 churches combined, who have been doing it for like 24 years – this event had momentum and critical mass to spare. Just about every seat was filled in the massive hosting megachurch. But what impressed me from the minute I got there was a throng of yellow shirts and gray hair.

They were everywhere! I bet there was more than 50 older volunteers, most of them 60+ yrs old – all serving and loving students. It was incredible.

  • Parking lot hosts with little yellow lightsabers
  • Warm smiles greeting me at the door
  • Lots of laughter and fun with students in the foyer
  • Eager help at the info booth
  • Hugging students
  • Helping man each merch table
  • Backstage refilling drinks and snacks
  • The warmest security I’ve ever seen (they could have been easily outrun by any junior higher I might add)
  • Handing out food at lunch
  • Handling injuries
  • Talking to students
  • Helping lost students
  • Asking great questions to students
  • Sitting in the pews with students

It was a GREAT weekend – but the biggest thing I walked away with was a church that empowered the gray hair to serve students. Man, it was awesome! They got youth ministry! Incredible.

Gray hair, yellow shirts, HUGE hearts. Jesus would be proud.

JG

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28 Nov 2016

GUEST SURVEY: Youth Ministry Staffing & Volunteer Ratios

By |2016-11-28T19:41:11-08:00November 28th, 2016|Volunteers|0 Comments

Do you have enough staff support for your youth ministry? Do you have enough volunteers to serve students well? Our friend Nick Blevins is doing a survey with a BIG prize we wanted you to know about:
There are exceptions, but I usually feel like we never have enough staff or volunteers in our ministry. I know I’m not alone, because it’s a topic that usually comes up when I talk with other ministry leaders. I enjoy talking with other ministry leaders about this topic so I can get a sense for their experience and compare it with my own. There aren’t a lot of guides and benchmarks out there when it comes to healthy staff and volunteer ratios, but the book Sustainable Youth Ministry is one of them.
To go along with that, I’m hosting a survey where ministry leaders can share their staffing and volunteer ratios. Would you mind sharing yours? When the survey is wrapped up you’ll be able to see the full results and use it as a guide for your ministry. In addition, we’re giving away a number of prizes as a way of saying thank you for your input. One of the prizes is a one-year Gold Membership to DYM!
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14 Nov 2016

GUEST POST: The Rewards of The Summer of Crazy

By |2016-11-14T19:55:46-08:00November 14th, 2016|Volunteers|0 Comments

coverGUEST POST: Dennis Beckner, Youth Ministry Volunteer 20+ years and DYM Author!

Knowing my small group boys would be graduating this year, I chose to do The Summer of Crazy last year. This summer, I’m reaping the youth ministry rewards of putting in the extra effort. Next school year will be much better because of it.

Here’s the story: For the longest time, I wish I could have known my small group students when they were younger. It would help me know first hand what was in their pasts, which would help me understand their present. Last summer I decided to do something about it.

I double-dipped into both our High School Ministry (my primary area of service) and our Junior High Ministry (a place I swore I’d never serve – which I turned out to love). I did two weeks of high school camp, a week of junior high camp, junior high guy’s trip, and a bunch of other events, etc. That’s why I call it The Summer of Crazy. I even got a nice trophy of a bruise from the Junior High Ice Skating Night. So fun.

It was a struggle to not make my current students feel neglected or like I had moved on. That was especially tough because I’m a social-media junkie; everything I do that’s fun gets posted online. With so much going on, I don’t blame them for feeling that way.

However, I also used that tension with my current students to cast vision. I told them why I was working with my upcoming students. By doing this, I was able to help them see the importance of taking a long view of life, rather than just letting it happen.

Here’s where the benefits came in this year: Out of all of the students I met last summer, a few of them have begun to seek me out to ask if they can be in my camp cabin as Freshmen this summer, and in my small group next year. We’re way ahead of the game from where we would have been.

I’ve even been able to do some counseling with them and some fun activities. If I waited for them to come up to 9th grade before I met them, getting started would have taken much longer and I wouldn’t know as much about them first hand. The Summer of Crazy turned out to be a great success.

Something I’ve learned over time is that I need to have a strategic long view of youth ministry. To do that well, I need to be strategic about how and where I serve. This was the best, and most physically draining, decision I’ve probably ever made in youth ministry.

This, and many other youth ministry strategic ideas, are in my brand new book Volunteer Youth Ministry, A Roadmap For Strategic Leadership. I hope you’ll check it out. It was very fun to write and I know all youth workers (paid and volunteer) will enjoy it.

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