Volunteers Make or Break a Ministry

This week marked one month that I have been on the new job as Children’s Ministry Director. It has been a fast and furious month with most of my time spent trying to get my feet under me. My church is the second site of a multisite church with about 45 kids a weekend in attendance. And although it is small, it is stocked with some awesome volunteers. Volunteers make or break a ministry and are a wealth of knowledge. I spent a good bit of time this month leaning into this wealth of knowledge. As a new director in a church any size one of the best things you can do is listen and hear what the volunteers, parents and kids are saying. Understanding where the church has been, the culture of the church, and the hopes of these key people will help you make right choices moving forward. You will discover a ton about the kids in the rooms, curriculum, ministry traditions, families, and goofy things. Here are some key questions I have been asking.
1. Tell me how you started in Kidsland?
2. How do things work in your room?
3. How was the curriculum chosen and are you happy with it?
4. Tell me about the kids in your room (steer the conversation to understand discipline challenges, kids with family challenges, are the kids engaged in the room)
5. What are the needs of your classroom (this can be from activity station games needed, new crayons, a helper, please fix the sound, etc…)
6. What are some changes you would like to see happen in Kidsland?

Meeting with key volunteers, provided a platform for them to share their knowledge and for me to hear their challenges. It also allowed me a great opportunity to respond to the easy-to-meet needs of the kids and the volunteer and created an atmosphere of feeling valued. It is amazing how much can be communicated in a new bin of scissors, some table games, or a new CD.