Equipping Volunteers for Excellence
By Bryant Johnson (he/him/his) on Jul 17, 2023 in Building Faith
Johnson highlights four key ingredients to equipping excellent volunteers:
The article concludes with a downloadable Equipping for Excellence Volunteer Training Planning Worksheet.
In On Purpose: Finding God’s Voice in Your Passion, authors Magrey deVega, Sam McGlothlin, Jevon Caldwell-Gross, and Susan Robb help us see God's purpose for our lives, how to open ourselves to God's voice, and how to take the first or next step to follow God's call. Reading this book and exploring life choices alongside others, individuals will learn how to channel their passions, hear God’s voice, and live the life they were meant to live.
To support reading in a group, resources include a full leader’s guide and DVD with four teaching sessions.
Watch this promo to learn more about this study. Additional components include:
Safer Sanctuaries: Nurturing Trust within Faith Communities continues the tradition of Safe Sanctuaries ministry by building on the trusted policies and procedures that have guided churches over the past twenty-five years. This resource contains theological grounding for the work of abuse prevention, psychological insights about abuse and abuse prevention, basic guidelines for risk reduction, age-level specific guidance, and step-by-step instructions on how to develop, revise, update, and implement an abuse prevention plan in your church or organization.
Also available is the Safer Sanctuaries Online Guide, an interactive companion for your team as they work through the process of developing and implementing a Safe Sanctuaries policy.
Save 20% by purchasing the Safer Sanctuaries Print Book and Online Guide bundle. You will receive one print copy of Safer Sanctuaries: Nurturing Trust within Faith Communities as well as one enrollment in the Safer Sanctuaries Online Guide.
Springtide Research Institute is a wealth of research-based information for boundaries and best practices for youth and young adult ministries. The New Normal: 8 Ways to Care for Gen Z in a Post-Pandemic World is but one example.
Rev. Diane Shallue created Twelve Devotions for Ministry Teams & Committees as part of the Christian Education Network of the ELCA series, “Learning Strategies for the Life of Faith Initiative.” They were developed "to equip congregational leaders to find ways to love and serve the world in all that they do", are ecumenical in scope, and free to share with teams and leadership groups.
Recruiting & Empowering Your Church Volunteers a free ebook from SparkHouse
Moving from Mistakes to Success in Recruiting Volunteers
Successful volunteer recruitment practices in your church and ministry will never be a passive activity. Additionally, volunteer systems like recruiting and equipping volunteers are never complete. There is always something to do throughout the year that will help sustain the volunteers in your ministry and encourage other potential volunteers to join the team as well. Read more...
It's Go Time: 10 Tips for Youth Group Chaperones
A list of recommendations for adult chaperones that may be useful in a pre-trip training session
Springtide Research Institute is a wealth of knowledge for teachers, mentors, volunteers, etc. Here's their compelling reason to partner young people with a caring adult mentor early-on, and keep that mentor consistent throughout the young person's time with you.
Find free curriculum, resources, and blog posts ranging from Setting up Kids Ministry Volunteers to Curriculum Adaptations [for] Kids with Special Needs to 5 Reasons Preschool Programming Is Not Childcare.
Fr. Richard Rohr and others explore prayer as A Quality of Relationship.
Short On Volunteers? You’re Not Alone
By Sarah Bentley Allred (she/her/hers) on Feb 14, 2022
I want you to know that if you are struggling with volunteer recruitment, management, retention, or engagement… you are not alone.
Take a fresh look at how you can partner with caregiving adults to ignite a lifelong love of Jesus in your students.
Scientists in Solidarity is passionate about increasing and retaining diversity in the life sciences. Their mission is to create a supportive community of BIPOC students and professionals. Through career development opportunities, mentorship, and outreach, we seek to create a space to learn and thrive in our field.
A partnership to bring faith formation tools and resources from CAMP to your CONGREGATION
Check out this (admittedly academic) mentor map to encourage mentors and help yourself know your team.
Building and Training Your Team with Jen Bradbury
Finding enough leaders can be one of the biggest challenges in ministry. When you do find them, what then? Join Jen Bradbury of Fuller Youth Institute for key insights on recruitment and volunteer training.
