Comments on: GUEST POST: Building a Team Starts with One http://www.morethandodgeball.com/youth-ministry/guest-post-building-a-team-starts-with-one.html A blog about youth ministry and youth pastor life from Josh Griffin, the High School Youth Pastor at Saddleback Church. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 21:14:30 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Andy Lawrenson http://www.morethandodgeball.com/youth-ministry/guest-post-building-a-team-starts-with-one.html#comment-23417 Andy Lawrenson Wed, 29 Oct 2008 16:36:01 +0000 http://www.morethandodgeball.com/?p=4415#comment-23417 Good points Rich. I now give people time to give the YM a test drive to see if it is a fit for them. If not they have the option to leave the team without any guilt. I also have the opportunity to ask them to leave if they are not a fit and that is also done without guilt. But I do try to help them find their fit if that's the case. Good points Rich.
I now give people time to give the YM a test drive to see if it is a fit for them. If not they have the option to leave the team without any guilt. I also have the opportunity to ask them to leave if they are not a fit and that is also done without guilt. But I do try to help them find their fit if that’s the case.

]]> By: Rich Landosky http://www.morethandodgeball.com/youth-ministry/guest-post-building-a-team-starts-with-one.html#comment-23418 Rich Landosky Wed, 29 Oct 2008 14:27:08 +0000 http://www.morethandodgeball.com/?p=4415#comment-23418 Great article. Some additional thoughts based on what Andy says here: Start with One Start with one and then approach them and invite them personally. Pleas from the podium rarely have results. - We never make public pleas, from the pulpit or in the bulletin or on the prayer lists, etc. I think are students are more important than just the "we'll take anyone" approach. Besides, we need to protect out kids and public pleas can open the door to all kinds wanting to work with our young people. It’s harder for them to say “no” to your face. - This is true, but let's make sure that we leave them plenty of room to say "no." We ask our potential volunteers to spend 2-4 weeks obseerving before committing. The after committing, we talk regularly all the time and sit and evaluate how things are going about 3 months in and again about 6 months in to make sure tit is a good fit. Training I've also started doing a monthly newsletter for my volunteers that is a simple reminder of all that is going on that month and has different artcles from youth ministry magazines or blogs or websites in it. Its a simple way of getting some training to them without having to go somewhere or even ask them to get together for another meeting. Lives are so busy. Reward The more fun the team has together, the more they want to be together and the better the team functions together. We've had the strangest mix of people on our high school team in the past but we all just wanted to be together we had so much fun. Its about building community and out of that love for each other and love for students that real ministry takes off. One note of caution - the closer the team gets this way the more we need to be careful that the team doesn't enjoy being together so much during youth meetings and trips that we forget about being with students. Lone Ranger youth ministry doesn't work because none of us can relate deeply to everyone. We can all be nice, fun, and love everyone - but we can't connect with everyone. We need all types of adults to connect with all types of students. Great article. Some additional thoughts based on what Andy says here:

Start with One
Start with one and then approach them and invite them personally. Pleas from the podium rarely have results. – We never make public pleas, from the pulpit or in the bulletin or on the prayer lists, etc. I think are students are more important than just the “we’ll take anyone” approach. Besides, we need to protect out kids and public pleas can open the door to all kinds wanting to work with our young people.

It’s harder for them to say “no” to your face. – This is true, but let’s make sure that we leave them plenty of room to say “no.” We ask our potential volunteers to spend 2-4 weeks obseerving before committing. The after committing, we talk regularly all the time and sit and evaluate how things are going about 3 months in and again about 6 months in to make sure tit is a good fit.

Training
I’ve also started doing a monthly newsletter for my volunteers that is a simple reminder of all that is going on that month and has different artcles from youth ministry magazines or blogs or websites in it. Its a simple way of getting some training to them without having to go somewhere or even ask them to get together for another meeting. Lives are so busy.

Reward
The more fun the team has together, the more they want to be together and the better the team functions together. We’ve had the strangest mix of people on our high school team in the past but we all just wanted to be together we had so much fun. Its about building community and out of that love for each other and love for students that real ministry takes off. One note of caution – the closer the team gets this way the more we need to be careful that the team doesn’t enjoy being together so much during youth meetings and trips that we forget about being with students.

Lone Ranger youth ministry doesn’t work because none of us can relate deeply to everyone. We can all be nice, fun, and love everyone – but we can’t connect with everyone. We need all types of adults to connect with all types of students.

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