Getting Ready for the Fall: Recruiting Volunteers
In August, those of you in the parish are invariably confronted, often by well-meaning clergy, with the question, “Have you filled all your slots yet?” Try not to lose your temper.
As educators, we know volunteer teachers are agents for the transformational learning that should happen every time the doors open. They are not tokens to be put into some organizational chart. The men and women who respond to a call to the ministry of formation become, for our youngest learners, the loving hands of God.
The first thing that has to happen is to re-orient our own thinking. As we offer to God our need for volunteers, remember that we are calling people into ministry, not filling slots. Make a list of the assets a good teacher needs. Probably, it is not a PhD in theology or child psychology; it’s a loving heart and willingness to learn with others. Definitely, it is not someone who wants to work alone or thinks he or she has all the answers already. Pray about everyone in your parish, picturing them in your mind. Don’t limit yourself to the parents of children in the program. Invite your Formation Committee to pray about it with you; enlist the help of the Daughters of the King or other intercessory prayer group. The more involvement there is from the parish as a whole, the more support there will be for those teachers.
Approach those who have been discerned in person. Ask the rector or senior warden to write to them. This lets the person know that the parish leadership thinks he or she has the gifts to be a good teacher. Follow up with a call to set up a meeting. If possible, have another volunteer make the contact or at least go with you. Volunteers, who could easily say no the formation director, often have a harder time saying no to someone who is already giving time to the program. Ever thought about asking a high school student to go with you as you ask someone to work with that group? Who could say no? Develop a role profile (again, better terminology than “job description”). Let the individuals know who they will be working with, how long the commitment will be, and what tools you and the parish will provide to be sure they are comfortable doing what is asked. Have samples of the curriculum to share. Often, it’s best not to ask for an answer right away, but that they join you in praying about it for three days. But don’t let it drag on; it is better to get a firm no than a reluctant yes. Procrastination, in this case, means someone is looking for good excuses.
Once your team is complete, celebrate! Be sure there is a commissioning service the first week of Sunday school, one that involves the entire parish. Don’t allow anyone to remain seated when you promise God to support the teachers and learners in your parish. You can make prayer cards with the prayer for education (BCP, 261) on one side and the names of volunteers on the other. Laminate them and have the children hand them out after services, asking everyone to pray for them and their teachers. There are lots of ways to affirm teachers all year round; some are hokey, some downright expensive. Just Google teacher appreciation for a myriad of ideas. Find something that fits your style and budget. Remembering birthdays with a card and certificate for a cup of coffee works; volunteers like to know that you know them and think about them all year, not just at Christmas. Stay in touch with regular phone calls; just asking how the crayons are holding out means you care. There are lots of creative ways to keep the ministry of education on the minds and in the hearts of your parish. Try one – or several – each year.
Above all, say thank you. There is simply no way to thank our volunteers enough. It is they who are the hands and hearts and feet of God.
Chris Lynn is the Coordinator of Adult Conferences at Kanuga Conference Center in Hendersonville, NC. Previously, she served as the Director of Christian Formation at the Episcopal Church of the Advent for twenty years. Chris also serves as a consultant for LeaderResources. She is a member of Children’s Ministries of America and Forma.