Recruiting the Best
A church that will have a quality educational ministry in the twenty-first century must have a strong commitment to developing and supporting people who will carry out its teaching ministry. No one else will equip the leaders and teachers a church needs. While special events such as Sunday school conventions can be very helpful for motivation and disseminating ideas, the real work of helping people become skilled must be done on an ongoing basis within the life of the church where people serve.
Clarify Objectives and Responsibilities
Clear, simple written statements (for every ministry position) ensure that everyone involved knows both the purpose and the procedures of a particular position. The ideal time to review a position is when a new person is being considered for that position. Clarify and update the stated goals of the job and the specific actions that must be done in order to accomplish those goals. If church leaders are vague about what a particular job entails, the person being asked to do the job will also be unclear about what to do. This vagueness results in dissatisfaction with how the job is done because the job performance will not meet anyone’s expectations. Often, it is helpful to review a job description with the person who has been doing the job. Invite this person’s evaluation by asking questions such as:
- Which of the functions listed took the most time to do? The least time?
- If you were going to continue in this ministry for another year, what statements would you change?
- Which actions produced the most satisfaction for you! The most frustration?
- Which actions were most important in helping to reach the goals of this position? The least important?
When defining what is being asked of a volunteer, list specific statements indicating what the church will provide to support the person in fulfilling his/her responsibilities. Include items such as:
Training opportunities (when and how often);
Resources and supplies (what materials are available);
Team support (who will work alongside and who can be contacted for help),
Identify People with Potential
"Our church is so small, we don’t have enough qualified people to cover the jobs that need to be done."
"Our church is so big, no one knows how to find those who would work."
"The people who know the kinds of people we need are so involved with the people we have, they don’t know the people we don’t have."
"Our leaders have been doing this ministry so long, they’ve run out of people they haven’t already approached half a dozen times."
"Our leaders are so new, they don’t know the people who might be interested in serving."
Whatever the size or situation of your church, you are bound to find that one of the most difficult aspects of recruiting is deciding whom to ask. No one wants to spend an evening making phone calls to people who have no interest or inclination to get involved. Every church needs a well-thought-out plan for identifying people who have the potential to be effective in ministry. Following are three key components of such a plan.
Preliminary Screening. Whether done by a ministry coordinator or by program leaders, great value exists in making periodic, low-threat contacts with people to discover those with abilities, background, and concerns related to educational ministries. This can be done through a variety of means in which the purpose is not to fill slots, but to discover information.
Written Survey. Asking people to fill out a form identifying their abilities, backgrounds, and concerns has had mixed value over the years. If given to the entire congregation at one time, many churches find that by the time they sift through all the paperwork and start trying to use the information, a good deal of it is already out of date. People in the congregation tend to feel slighted if they mark something, hope to be contacted, and nothing comes of it. However, there are many advantages to a thoughtfully designed survey that does not try to cover every possible ministry the church might ever conceive of doing.
Classes. Most churches periodically offer classes that help people indicate their abilities and their openness to chosen areas of service. Even adult Sunday School classes are useful for gaining information about people and their potential for ministry involvement.
Interviews. Personal conversations with people, either by phone or in person, are also valuable ways of discovering relevant information about people’s involvement. Information gathered about people is then made available to those seeking people for specific ministry positions.
Referrals. The people who are already involved in a ministry are often excellent sources of information about people who could be effective in that ministry area. Simply ask from time to time, "Who do you know in the congregation who could do- a good job at what you are doing?" Do not ask, "Who do you know who is interested?" Typically, the people who have expressed an interest are already involved. Besides, it’s best not to eliminate consideration of people with potential without giving them the chance to consider an opportunity for ministry
Approval
Once someone has been suggested as a possible volunteer, a specified individual or group must decide whether to invite that person to get involved.
If several people have been identified as potentials to contact for a particular position, a decision must be made about whom to contact first.
If numerous positions need to be filled, numerous people need approval.
"Official" approval of potential candidates protects the church, saves time, and gives additional authority to the person making the contact. It is far stronger to say to a prospect, "Our Christian Education Board voted for me to approach you," than to merely say, "I thought it would be a good idea to ask."
General Notices. General announcements and information about a ministry are important parts of any approach to a potential worker. This information colors a person’s attitude about that ministry,
If the first thing a person hears about a ministry is a request to get involved, a positive response is unlikely.
If the first good thing a person hears about a ministry is a request to get involved, a positive response is really unlikely.
An ongoing program of communicating the goals and accomplishments of the educational ministries is a vital part of the recruiting process. While few people are likely to volunteer because of a notice in the bulletin or an announcement from the pulpit, those messages contribute significantly to a person’s receptivity at the time a personal contact is made.
At this point, you have three options: (1)Ask the person to choose a convenient time to meet so you can explain the ministry opportunity. (2) Invite the person to observe a session of the group you want him/her to consider. Meet after the session to discuss the person’s involvement. Observation of a ministry group in action is generally most effective when a person has been briefed ahead of time on what to look for.* (3) Ask if this is a convenient time for you to explain the ministry opportunity If not, schedule a time to call again. When time is of the essence or when dealing with a congregation whose people are spread over a wide distance, it is most efficient to do as much as possible over the phone. Explain the ministry and the specific position you want this person to consider. In doing so, focus on these seven things:
- The objectives of the ministry (why this position is important);
- The specific ministry position and its major responsibilities (what the candidate is being asked to do);
- The length of the term of service (when and for how long the candidate will do it);
- The reasons this person was selected to be asked (why we believe the candidate can succeed in this position);
- The others on the ministry team (whom the candidate will work with);
- The resources available (what the candidate will be given);
- The process (how to make the right decision).
If talking to someone about a position involving children or youth, also explain the church’s child and youth safety policies. If in a face-to-face meeting, show the main curriculum resources now being used.
Emphasize that your objective is to find someone who not only can do the job, but who will benefit and grow through it as well. Ask the person not to decide one way or another until he or she has had a chance to observe the group in action and has prayed about it for at least several days. In most cases, it is best for everyone involved if a person does not make a quick decision but takes time to consider fully what is involved.
See Observation Guidelines under Administrators
© 2003 Gospel Publishing House, Springfield, MO. Permission to duplicate for local church use only.
