by Chase | Kid Min, Leadership, Student Min
The Volunteer Project: Stop Recruiting. Start Retaining.
is a must read for church leaders who are responsible for volunteer management. Trust me, I do not receive a kick-back for endorsing this book — it is simply an essential resource for leaders.
Back in April a book caught my eye as I was walking by the bookstore at the Orange Conference.
The book, The Volunteer Project: Stop Recruiting, Start Retaining, looked too good to be true.
I mean, who can make that kind of claim? For the past 11 years I have worked in para-church organizations that have relied heavily on volunteers to run (and sustain) the ministries. Because volunteer management is a passion of mine, I bought the book without a second glance.
Over the past week, I finally picked The Volunteer Project up and read it. I know, I know, I didn’t read the book for 7 months… don’t judge me! In all seriousness, I wish I had this book available to me a decade ago.
The Volunteer Project: Stop Recruiting. Start Retaining. discusses a 4-part volunteer strategy aimed to retain and develop the volunteers you have. It is filled with ministry specific insight for training, recruiting, and retain volunteers to further your ministry’s mission and vision.
Darren Kizer (@darrenkizer), Christine Kreisher (@christinekreish) and Steph Whitacre (@StephWhitacre) did an amazing job creating a solid resource for ministry leaders.
As I read, I used the hashtag #volproject to live-tweet the book. You can head to the hashtag or visit the book’s website for more info.
Top Quotes From The Volunteer Project:
by Chase | Kid Min, Student Min
Adult volunteers must sit with the group.
I get it, students are intimidating.
Their culture and vocabulary shift every couple of weeks.
Kids aren’t that much easier either. Kids can’t seem to sit still long enough to notice that you are there.
Shoot, most adults are horrible at engaging in conversation with a person outside their friend group!
Unfortunately, there are hundreds of adult volunteers who attend midweek worship services, small groups, and kids worship and fail to connect with their groups.
Like I said, I completely understand. Most days it is easier to stand in the back of the room while the kids or student ministry service is happening. Leaders need to connect with other adults to see how their week has been, follow up with a prayer request, or just chat a bit around the coffee pot. Besides, the family pastor has it all under control.
Can I be frank for a moment? (Seeing as how I am the one writing, I will take your silence as permission to proceed.)
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Why would you attend a student worship service if you didn’t want to disciple students?
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Why would you serve in the kids ministry if you didn’t want to get in the floor and play with kids?
I’m not questioning your desire to connect with young people each week – we simply lose focus and create bad habits that separate us from the group.
So here is my encouragement for this week’s service:
Leader, sit with the group.
As an adult volunteer, you have just as much influence on a young person’s life as the family pastor has. You have been specifically gifted by God to build the kingdom of God.
The truth is that if you are not with your students, you will never lead them.
The best way to engage is to pull up a chair and sit beside a student.
5 Reasons You Should Sit With The Group Each Week:
(These reasons are interchangeable for both kid and student ministries.)
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They Come Back Week to Week
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When they know a leader, they feel cool and accepted.
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It Limits Distractions
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When you are sitting with them, they will not feel the liberty to act up and be loud.
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They Worship More Authentically When They See Adults Worship
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Many of our young people do not have parents who are in church. Seeing adults raise their hands and worship Jesus with all they have leaves a lasting impact.
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They Will Participate More
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If we are leading a game and the adult leaders are laughing, having a great time, and are engaged, young people will loosen up and participate more.
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They Will Bring Their Friends
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When they feel noticed, they will bring others into the mix.
What are some other ways that you engage with young people during programming?
by Chase | Leadership
We have all experienced it before – the stress associated with leading organizational change. Change is the most taboo topic in established churches.
There is a nervous tension when you walk into a room because you are trying to read the minds of a few critics. You start avoiding phones calls. And every conversation is spoken as if you are walking on eggshells — carefully examining every word that you say for fear that it might come back to you as a weapon.
Regardless of your context, leading change is one of the most difficult aspects of ministry. Whether you are starting a building fund, restructuring a program, or starting a new initiative, you must get the support of the congregation to bring about the change you believe God has laid on your heart.
As a young church pastor, many older (and much wiser) leaders tell me that the only way to change a church is to leave and build one from the ground up.
Yes, church planting must happen, but I for one have not given up on established churches. As I read scripture, I am reminded that God never gave up on the covenant with His people.
In Exodus 3, God revealed His plans for redeeming His chosen people. God told Moses, “I have seen,” “I have heard,” “I am concerned,” and “So I have come down” to rescue His people from the suffering in Egypt. The person selected to carry the message to the people was Moses.
I love this account because of how it parallels to hope we have in Jesus.
God saw our sin. He heard our cry for a savior. He is filled with compassion. He sent Jesus down to the earth to rescue us from death. And now, He has called all believers to carry the Good News of Jesus to all regions and people. Too often, we sideline God’s call because we think up some reason that He is wrong about sending us.
Have you voiced any of these excuses as you are leading change?
5 Excuses Moses Gave God When He Was Called To Lead Change
1. I’m not a big deal!
- “Who am I that I should go?” (Exodus 3:11-12)
- Moses was afraid that others would not follow his leadership.
2. I’m not prepared!
- Moses gave the excuse that he wasn’t prepared to answer the questions that people may have when he went into Egypt. (Exodus 3:13-22)
3. I don’t have proof!
- Moses claimed that he needed a sign to prove that his calling was in fact, from God. (Exodus 4:1-9)
4. I lack ability!
- Moses wasn’t the best public speaker. (Exodus 4:10-12)
- This is probably the best reason he had. I mean, who can blame him for bringing up the fact the he has a speech impediment? But God knew Moses’ weaknesses and had assembled a plan to show His glory.
5. Please, won’t you just send anyone else?
- When everything else failed, he pleaded with God to send anyone other than himself. (Exodus 4:13-17)
God has everything under control. Every potential problem that we voice, God has already come up with a solution. The truth is, if God has called, God will provide.
So take a deep breath, pray for the people, and have some faith in God’s plan.
What are your go-to excuses when God is calling you to step out in faith?
by Chase | Leadership, Student Min
Many student pastors need to rename their student ministries.
There, I said it.
Can we just admit that there are tons of confusing and weird student ministry names around the country?
For far too long churches have been using confusing names for their buildings, rooms, and programs. I’m ready to usher in some simpler wording for the sake of clarity … even if that goes against what we as student pastors have been doing for a long time.
Let me tell you a story.
When I arrived at my church, the room where the youth group meets was called the Alley.
Many of my students love that name. Some were around when the church started using it, and they are attached to it. It seems harmless, right?
Now imagine the look on a visiting dad’s face when a greeter called me over one morning and told him, “This is our family pastor, your daughter can just follow him to the Alley.”
And try to put yourself in the car with me a few months back when I saw a giant billboard for a brand new bar/club that has opened in our town.
What did they decide to name the new nightclub?
The Alley.
To kick off the grand opening of the bar, the Alley hosted a heavily advertised Halloween bash featuring Dennis Rodman and half-priced longnecks.
Needless to say, we’ve gotten rid of our “Alley” branding and have since started calling the building the Student Center. It wasn’t a popular decision, but we had to try to re-align the name of our student facilities with our core value as the church — to use every opportunity to lead people to Christ and not distract from the Gospel.
A lot is in a name. And for too many churches, the names of their programs, ministries, and buildings are confusing for those outside of their church.
2 Reasons That You Should Change Your Student Ministry’s Name
Weird Names Are Inwardwardly Focused
Let’s be honest, no one outside of your church knows what you are talking about. We live in a biblically illiterate culture and overusing Christian talk while naming our ministries creates a divide with outsiders. If students and parents can’t find their way around, they will not come back. Make it easy. Naming things Student Center, Worship Center, and Gym is not evil. You are allowed to call things what they are! It brings clarity to outsiders. After all, your ministry exist to bring people in. How will they come in if they don’t know where to go?
Weird Names Are Confusing
If you have to explain your name to every new person that you meet, your name can stand between someone visiting your group. Giving ownership to your students doesn’t mean you sacrifice clarity for the congregation and community. When areas or bible studies groups are named with trendy, flashy names, much can be lost in translation. Clarity does not limit creativity. It simplifies things for anyone who is new to the group.
You can give your students ownership without sacrificing clarity.
Schools do not rename every room, building, and class. No principal is thinking of renaming the second-grade wing “Blossom.” They simply call it what it is and use other means to bring about ownership and foster creativity. Awesome decor, updated bulletin boards, and giving students and teachers a say in that process give a school the ownership they want without sacrificing clarity.
Now What?
What are some confusing ministry names you have seen in churches?
by Chase | Leadership
Can I go ahead and establish that basketball is the greatest sport ever?
Since I was a kid, my passion in life has been playing ball. I played so much basketball, I would keep an extra pair of clothes in the trunk of my car just in case someone, somewhere wanted to play basketball!
I was blessed to have played basketball in high school and was an All-American in college. (Christian college league in case you were wondering!) While I didn’t make it to the pros, I had a ton of fun and developed many life-skills from the sport.
Few things in life have developed my character like basketball. I learned how to handle difficult situations, was taught the value of hard work, and was forced to rally around whatever team I was placed on. Now that I am a pastors, most of the leadership lessons I learned from dribbling a ball around a court have directly impacted my ministry.
Here are 11 ministry lessons I learned from playing college basketball.
1. Rest when you are hurt.
Teams suffer when players play injured. When you need a break, take one. The church will go down with you when you try to lead injured (ask Mark Driscoll).
2. Utilize the team you HAVE and develop them to be the team you NEED.
Life isn’t a video game – you don’t get fantasy draft your ideal ministry team. I never had a say as to which players were on my college team. I was charged with being successful with the coach and teammates that were placed around me. Leaders develop the teams that they are dealt and add people strategically as they go. You won’t be able to fire your entire staff and start from scratch. How can you develop the team that you have?
3. Focus on the fundamentals daily.
Seriously. The greatest basketball players practice the same drills day after day. Church leaders should never stop reading, praying, and practicing spiritual disciplines.
4. People only see the games.
The average person never sees the hours of work that you put into ministry. On the other side of the coin, it is tempting to take shortcuts because of the lack of accountability. You may be able to float by on natural talent, but eventually, people will notice if you are a person of integrity.
5. Follow the leadership of your coach or switch teams.
You can always transfer to another team.If you don’t align with your senior leadership’s philosophy, it will be a long and tiring season.
6. Be a student of the game.
ALWAYS learn, study, analyze, and critique so that you can improve. Never stop questioning, creating, and improving the church and your leadership ability.
7. Don’t be afraid to take the shot.
Challenges never hold off until you are thoroughly prepared (this is a reason we practice the fundamentals daily). Step up and take your best shot. Remember: “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” – Wayne Gretzky
8. When you are on the bench, take the opportunity to encourage those on the front lines.
Great leaders encourage others to be better, to give more, and to internalize the vision. You won’t be on the front lines in every ministry. As the church grows, you will be encouraging others work in the ministry as you work on the ministry.
9. Be able to operate outside of the called play.
When opportunities arise, make the most of them. Robots are cold and can only think about the assigned task. Don’t walk through life as one! Create opportunities for success. Sure you will fail every now and again, but don’t lose heart, you will get the ball back on your side of the court soon enough.
10. Your biggest cheerleaders are often your loudest critics.
‘Nuff said.
11. Surround yourself with those greater than yourself.
Never settle for being the smartest person in the room. Surround yourself with people who will push you to use your spiritual gifts in a God-honoring way.
Maybe you didn’t play sports, but the truths are universal to our ministries, lives, families, and careers.
Do you have any lessons you have learned from sports that you would add to the list?
