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Archive for October, 2010
The Saga of Recruiting Volunteers
Wednesday, October 20th, 2010
What church isn’t faced with the challenge of getting volunteers to usher, greet, prepare dinners, gather papers, put pencils in pews and the hundred other things that need to be done. Let’s not forget the never ending search for volunteers for the children’s ministry from nursery to fourth grade and that is followed by Junior High and Senior High. How do we do it? Are there creative new ways available?
I can only speak for Children’s ministry from Kindergarten to 4th grade as that is my experience. I have tried many approaches; calling and leaving messages, emailing repeating my message I left on their phone. Many people do step forward and do a wonderful job, but how many more are out there who haven’t responded?
I have a couple of suggestions. When calling parents, keep breaking down and quietly say, “Excuse me, I am a little sore from last Sunday, the kids got a hold of the masking tape and I was the only person in the room with them and several kids held me down while the other ones wrapped me in masking tape. I will say, to their credit, they taped my bible to me. Just before parents arrived, they cut the tape and stood me up against the wall and warned me, “You say anything and you’ll never get a volunteer down here!”
Another idea, when parents drop their kids off, just have a couple of tattooed (use fake tattoos) teenagers greet them saying to the kids, “Welcome Dude, do you want to see my piercings? Anyone can pierce themselves.” and then they pull out a needle and a book of matches. Be sure to have volunteer forms readily available on table.
One more approach; when parents bring their kids, and there are no volunteers in the room, walk by the room, pop your head in and lightly say, “Hi, welcome, if you could just wait until our volunteers get here, you have a 50 – 50 chance of having one show up and if no one shows up, don’t worry, we have a team lead who will lock the doors, and periodically check on the kids. We will leave them a twister game, (have you ever watched your kids play twister with no adult around?) Don’t worry, they have other things to occupy them like Jenga, those are hard little blocks that are like bullets if you throw them hard enough, but you are supposed to stack them. And there are the ever popular legos and you can just use your imagination. Yes, we have Bibles in the classrooms, but when no one is around, they use them as bats to hit the Jenga blocks.
So. Wait for the volunteer or the team leader to lock them in. God Bless.
Okay, so now you have gotten some volunteers and now comes the moment of truth, when you have to ask them, “Which service will you serve, which classroom, and how often?” I have received wonderful responses.
I would like to serve every week wherever you need me. (Number one favorite answer)
I would like to serve two weekends, a month, in my child’s classroom and they tell you the service. (#2 favorite answer)
I can serve once a month in my child’s classroom at whatever service you need. (Good answer)
I can serve every 6th week, if it isn’t when my family is coming in and if no one gets sick. I want my child’s classroom, but I don’t want to come early, that makes the serving time longer, and do I have to wait until all the kids are gone? There is a clipboard they can put their own labels on. Let’s get other parents involved. (Love it)
Do you have anything I can do that doesn’t involve you counting on me? I could maybe show up on any weekend and just peek in every room and make sure a lot of parents see me (they will think I am important) and then run back to service, leave a few minutes early in time to make an appearance as parents pick up kids. I could pat a few heads and once again look good to parents?
How about if I volunteer for whatever, you put me on the schedule, I never show up, but in Fellowship One I will be a volunteer? That could help me on my resume.
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For God SO Loved the World
Thursday, October 14th, 2010My wife and I watched this video after we got our court dates and I lost it. Tears of emotions overflowed. It speaks for itself, but if you watch closely, watch this guy when he sees his parents come the second time to take him home. He had been waiting for 3 weeks for their return. It pierced my heart with the longing that we all have to be deeply loved and taken care of not only by our family, but by our Heavenly Father. Grab your tissues and watch!
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Human Sexuality
Wednesday, October 13th, 2010
I’m feeling the need to apologize for not mentioning that I’m working on a Human Sexuality Class this week (for my Masters) …so very little blogging going on! See you all this weekend!
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ARE YOU GOING ? ? ?
Saturday, October 9th, 2010
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