Subscribe to the NetworkGetting a Good Start as a Volunteer
Thought Dennis over at Volunteer Youth Ministry had a good post today about helping volunteers get off to a quick start in youth ministry. This is probably a big factor in helping them stick. Here’s a clip, head there for the rest:
b. Participate in a trip
It’s common for new volunteers to confide in me their discomfort and feelings of inadequacy when they first join our volunteer team. My pat response to them is to not only be patient, but to go on the next student retreat. This is the fastest way to break out of the cloud of unfamiliarity associated with newbie volunteers.
During a long bus ride, daily cabin times and many meals together, youth leaders will naturally develop deep connections with students. My first 3 months as a volunteer at Saddleback Church’s High School Ministry were a desert of awkwardness. Serving for a week in Mexico with our students was the first time I felt traction as a leader in the ministry. Ten years later, even though I’m still on the volunteer staff, I am the go-to youth pastor to the students under my care.
JG
