5 Ways To Instantly Recruit Volunteers

It’s that time of the year again.

Every program in the church is gearing up for a major fall kick-off. In children’s ministry, this is one of the biggest times of the year. We will see families return after summer vacation and from the environment to the curriculum, we make sure everything is ready.

The only problem? We hope we have enough volunteers to welcome families – let alone run Sunday morning.

I will admit it, volunteer recruitment can be the most challenging part of ministry, yet also the most rewarding. No matter how well recruitment is accomplished, it always seems as if we could use one more volunteer.

If you feel as if you have exhausted all your avenues for new volunteers and are still running up short, below is a list of ways I have had success opening up new pipelines for people to start serving in the children’s ministry. While not exhaustive, use this list as a springboard for your own endeavors in recruitment this fall.

1. Youth Ministry – This might be a no brainer, but have you really considered involving teens in a serving role? If your church has a youth pastor, connect and talk about how to get more teens connected into the ministry. This might involve you speaking on a Wednesday night about serving or having the youth pastor hand pick a few key teens to start serving in some capacity.

2. Colleges – No matter where your church is located, you probably know of a few colleges or universities in the area. If they are Christian, great! Call the church connections department and see if they have a church fair you could attend. If it is a secular university, find out if they have any Christian clubs you could speak at. Don’t disregard eager students because the university is a ways away. If asked, college students wants to serve, especially if you provide breakfast or lunch before or after they serve.

3. Small Groups – If you belong to a Bible study or small group, see if anyone connected will serve. If you lead the group, make serving in the church a priority. Not that the group needs to serve in the children’s ministry, but to create a healthy culture of service. See if you can drop by any other small groups and take up a short amount of time casting vision and making the ask for more volunteers.

4. Social Media – Personal asks always go beyond general asks. However, if your church has a media platform, why not do a week long children’s ministry blitz? Show pictures of adults and teens serving in your ministry while providing clear steps in how to get plugged in.

5. Your Current Volunteers – Think about it. If each one of your current volunteers was able to find one more volunteer (a friend, spouse, small group member, etc.) each year, you would never run out of people serving in your ministry. The people currently serving in your ministry are your best resources to recruit more volunteers. Ask or challenge your current volunteers to connect with one person this year and bring them onboard the team.

I hope this list gives you some ideas to grab a few last minute volunteers as we dive into this school year. Next week will continue the discussion on volunteers as we explore how to develop a healthy team culture.

What is your best practice when it comes to volunteer recruitment? Share your strategies below!