Inviting new people into youth ministry is probably the most difficult part of this job. One year I made around 200 phone calls and asked almost 100 people if they might be interested in joining our ministry. After all that work I had 3 new volunteers. I loved those three people, and they were fantastic youth ministers, but it’s easy to get discouraged after hearing dozens of excuses from people you know would be great youth ministers.
I’m not going to pretend that I’m great at finding new volunteers . . . in fact, I stink at it, but in this post and future posts I want to share what we’re tried and why I feel they were successful.
My all-time favorite way to bring a new volunteer into the ministry is by taking baby-steps with them. Ask them to do something small for the ministry—a one-time event such as being a chaperon for a social, or handing out pizza is great. Then just chat with them about the ministry (be positive – too many youth ministers spend too much time complaining about their ministry). Casually ask them questions about their expectations and desires, and really listen to what they say. Develop a good relationship with them.
At some point let them know about the needs of the ministry – maybe you bring them up at that event, or maybe you wait for a later event. Make sure you draw a connection between what the parents want and what the ministry’s needs are. And remember, all we are really doing is asking people to serve Christ. Never be embarrassed about doing that.
One of our best volunteers came out of a social we planned at the beginning of the year (see my article “Community Life #1). I called a mom to chat about youth ministry, and then she invited us to her house for a social. During the event I hung out with the teens and made an effort to chat with the parents. I found out that her and her husband used to volunteer in their parish’s youth ministry when they were in college, so she had all kinds of experience. She stepped up, got her husband involved, and has become the most active volunteer in our High School program; she plans great events, finds other volunteers, and organized a student-led Praise and Worship band.
This technique is my favorite way of bringing new volunteers into the ministry. All you are doing is just getting to know someone and finding out if they might have the gifts necessary to be a youth minister. You’re also setting the example by connecting with one person, who connects with another, and that is how the Body of Christ grows. This takes time, but those people are always the best volunteers. When you get discouraged, remember we’re on God’s time and we have to be as patient with him as he is with us.
