Avoiding Volunteer Recruitment Panic

One of the biggest challenges and sources of dread for me when I was in educational ministry in a congregation was finding the people to fill all the volunteer slots for CE programs. I would start out with the best intentions of quiet discernment rather than frantic cajoling of anyone with a pulse who seemed nice. But, as other demands started to pile up and time got short, those intentions sometimes went out the window.

Even if you are just offering Sunday school, in most denominations for insurance and faithful duty of care purposes, the number of leaders needed has increased for the same number of classes and groups. The two leader rule is a wise one, but it can also make us pull out our hair. And when attendance can fluctuate from none to ten or more without warning, volunteers can be tough to convince that this is worth their time.

So, how do you manage to fill those open spots with willing volunteers? Choose a combination from the suggestions below that will work for you where you are:

1. Begin thinking about this as early as possible. Once Easter rush is over is not too soon. Take a Sunday (or week-night when CE programs are going on) and take careful note of what is happening. What are the dynamics of the groups? Which learners are particularly challenging? Which leaders are clicking and flourishing despite last-minute changes and unruly behaviour? Which leaders are starting to look worn out and have done this a long time? Which leaders are likely to be moving away for post-secondary education in the fall? Anticipate your needs well in advance.

2. Make coffee hour your friend (and your newsletter, bulletin, announcements time, etc). Talk about the highs and wonder you experience in your ministry programs and some of the needs and challenges. Allow people in the congregation to hear and live the story with you. When a need is voiced, often someone will think of a solution or person with that skill set. The more specific you are in sharing needs, the better. The sooner you share what is happening, the more time you have to connect with people who could help. They may even be able to come and see a program in action before its season ends and have the summer to get a handle on their new role. Imagine that!

3. Don’t panic. If you’re well past the chance to do 1 or 2 (although there are still some coffee hours left), don’t start racing around and begging or bribing. It demeans you and your church’s ministries. Instead, be honest about the situation with those whose job is to advise and support you, and request prayer. Set aside time to pray on your own and seek God’s wisdom. Look over the congregation on a Sunday and ask God for inspiration as to who may be the person being called to a specific role. We forget that God already has all this planned out – we just have to catch onto the vision already there for us.

4. A little clarity can go a long way. As you approach people, don’t sugarcoat the challenges but also don’t forget about the joys of the specific roles needing to be filled. Be clear about the expectations in terms of time and responsibility, and also about the support, resources and vision offered. Hopefully you have a volunteer ministry description that outlines this, as well as some specific training to help orient people to their roles and feel part of the team. When things are clearly laid out, people can make a better decision as to whether this is where God is calling them to serve. Be flexible and creative – someone in a support role who can reassure a more cautious leader is better than no leader at all.

5. Don’t be afraid to say no. If you do your due diligence and discern that for some reason a potential volunteer is not an appropriate choice, the best gift you may give is to steer them to something better fitting their skills or to a support to help them deal with whatever challenge they are facing. Taking someone on who could do damage to the participants, other leaders and the ministry’s integrity is not worth it. Speaking truth with love is always the better way to go. Perhaps in time, the situation will change and everyone will benefit from this person’s gifts.

So what happens if you still don’t have enough volunteers?

a) The world will not end.

b) Remember that it is not solely your responsibility – the congregation needs to step up to the plate. You do the best that you can, but in the end they need to meet the challenge.

c) Perhaps God is communicating that this is a season to be less frenzied, to focus on programs where whole families are involved and possibly fewer leaders are needed, or to just cut back to the basics, even if that means kids in the sanctuary for worship with quiet activities provided and no Sunday school.

Rather than seeing a lack of volunteers as a failure, look at it as a reflection of where you are and an opportunity to try a new direction and to dig deeper. Ultimately, it won’t matter whether Sunday school and fabulous mid-week programs were offered all the time at your church. What will matter is whether the congregation modeled and grew in the faith so that your kids and youth saw Jesus and decided to follow.

Happy volunteer hunting! May you be blessed with clarity as to who God is calling to serve alongside you!