Volunteer Training . . . Make Your Volunteer Training Something Special!

Last week I talked about the things to cover in your volunteer training times. Today I want to look at the "atmosphere" of your training. In my many years of providing training for churches (when I worked for Kregel Bookstores I provided free volunteer training for churches who ordered their curriculum through the bookstore and when I worked for Group and Gospel Light I provided training for churches using their curriculum) I saw churches where they had great volunteer participation and others where only one or two people showed up for the training. What was the difference? Consider the following suggestions -

• Make your training a highlight of your volunteer's week - something nobody wants to miss!
• Provide a meal - if your training is in the morning, provide breakfast; if it is in the afternoon provide lunch or supper. Consider providing two meals - breakfast and lunch - and make it a day-long event
• Decorate - create atmosphere
• Send actual invitations - even if attendance is required . . . which it should be. Invitations "set the stage" and communicate value
• Provide a gift basket - fresh fruit, a book, a nice pen, a note pad, stress ball, candy bar . . . use your imagination, but provide a "surprise" for each volunteer
• Have a drawing for a few special "gifts" - books, music, gift cards, restaurant certificates - use your imagination . . . sometimes area businesses/restaurants will donate these if you ask - so ask! :^)
• Provide child care

Whatever you do, use your imagination! Make your training events fun, encouraging . . . something nobody would ever want to miss! What do you do to make your training opportunities something special?