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Keeping the Volunteers You Have
Every year youth ministry plays a little game. We’ve burned out the adult leaders we managed to convince to stay for that year, and go on a quest to lure in enough leaders to cover the next season. The high turnover isn’t ideal for effectively ministering to students, and the pressure of finding a new team every year is impossibly challenging. There’s got to be a better way!
What if we focused our energy, not on recruitment (although that still won’t totally go away) and focused on keeping the volunteers we already have on our team. What if we celebrated, loved, encouraged and trained the leaders we already have in such a way that they stayed longer than a year. What if we worked hard to create “lifers” that outlast us and at the same time intuitively mentor the new leaders that are attracted to serving in your ministry.
Who’s already on your team who you could connect with this week? Who do you see as a long-term player in your youth ministry inner circle that might not see that above themselves? What are you doing in your ministry to keep the keepers? I want to be a part of a place that pours into volunteers, caring for them in such a way that they stay on the team for years, not months. I know that still not all make it and we will still have to recruit this Fall, but at least we’re not playing the game anymore.
JG
View More: leadership, longevity, volunteers
Josh,
Love your heart that comes through in this entry! Amen!