Take Time to Think . . . End the Volunteer Revolving Door

For the past five days I've been focusing upon taking time to make time to spend in God's Word. While this seems like a "no-brainer" when it comes to a "must-do" for us to be effective in our ministries, it is all too easy for us to let taking this time slide as we get caught up in all the "important" things we need to do. Failing to make time to take time to spend in God's Word will insure we will not be effective and will experience difficulties in our ministries as well.

So, after focusing upon keeping the priority of spending time each day in God's Word, we must think about what we do with our volunteers. Recruiting tends to be one of the biggest challenges - and frustrations - for most people serving in Children's Ministry, as finding, and keeping, volunteers takes a great amount of time. 

I have often said - and do believe - recruiting is fun; yes fun! It is like going on a "treasure" hunt to find the people God has placed in my church to serve in the Children's Ministry. No one cares more than God does if we are able to serve the children and families. He has gifted the people in each and every church and placed people with those gifts in the church to serve. Some are already serving; others are not, so finding them is like going on a treasure hunt to find these gifts from God!

I'll focus later this week on recruiting new volunteers, but when we need volunteers, I do believe the first thing we need to do is to look at what we are doing to keep the volunteers we have. If our Children's Ministry is a "revolving door", when it comes to finding and keeping volunteers, then clearly we are doing something wrong. We should be keeping our volunteers. If they quit for any reason other than family needs, illness, or God physically moving them elsewhere, we are not doing what we need to do to support and encourage them.

So, while I could write a lot about this, I think it may be more helpful for you to consider the following questions in light of your ministry and your volunteers . . . 

• Do you have a difficult time keeping the volunteers you have?
• Do the volunteers you have truly enjoy - and experience joy - serving in your Children's Ministry?
• Do your volunteers look forward to serving?
• Do your volunteers serve consistently - every week for the school year?
• Do your volunteers know - truly know - you love and appreciate them?
• Do your volunteers know if they have a prayer request they can share it with you, because you truly care about them?

These are just a few questions, but if you have a difficult time keeping the volunteers you have, if your volunteers do not enjoy and experience joy in serving, if they do not look forward to serving, if you have to schedule a different volunteer each week of the month, if they do not truly know you love and appreciate them and they do not share prayer requests with you, then you have a problem with you . . . not with your volunteers. Yes, I said the problem is with you.

It is your "job", and more importantly your great privilege, to serve and love your volunteers. They are gifts from God's hand to you and again, more importantly to the children and families in your church. You must support them. You must encourage them. You must be certain they know how very much you appreciate and love them - not just because they are volunteering - but because they are the people who God has put in your care.

Next week I'll focus on ways to show your love, appreciation and to really care for your volunteers, but today take time to think . . . does your Children's Ministry have a "revolving door" when it comes to volunteers? Do you focus upon loving, truly loving and caring for your volunteers?