How to Host Successful Volunteer Meetings: Practical Tips for Ministry Leaders
SHARE THIS POST WITH OTHERS
If you want a successful, effective children’s ministry, you need to regularly train your volunteers. Well-prepared volunteers can truly make a kingdom impact, and volunteer training, though not always easy, is a crucial step in that process. Whether you’re new to ministry or a seasoned leader, here are two big tips that will make your volunteer meetings a success.
Tip #1: Plan with Intentionality
To have a successful volunteer meeting, you must start with intentional planning. This likely seems pretty obvious, but you have to plan! Effective planning ensures your meeting is concise, purposeful, and engaging.
- What are you covering in the meeting?
- How long will the meeting last?
- Are you using your time adequately?
- What is your big meeting objective?
Create a purposeful meeting agenda so you don’t waste anyone’s time. No one wants a meeting for the sake of a meeting. There is important information that needs to be covered, but keep in mind that your volunteers’ time is valuable—they’ll appreciate brevity and clarity.
Super Practical Tip:
Think about how long you have for your meeting. If you don’t have enough content for an hour, don’t fill it with fluff or time-wasters. Your team would much prefer shorter, purposeful meetings to wasted time.
Tip #2: Promotion is a Priority
Do your leaders know, in advance, that this meeting is happening? Do they know it is important and useful? If you fail to promote well, your attendance will show it.
- Get the training information out in multiple channels multiple times.
- Make sure you communicate what is being covered.
- Remind, remind, remind!
Super Practical Tip:
Even with good promotion, you’re likely not to see full attendance. Have a plan in place to ensure those who miss the meeting receive the content.
Don’t Neglect Volunteer Meetings
What your volunteers do week in and week out is important. Your job as the ministry leader is to set both your ministry and your volunteers up for success. Train your volunteers. With a little intentionality, your meetings can have a big impact.
Need some more help when it comes to volunteer training? Check out these resources:
The Author
Amber Pike is an author, speaker, children and family ministry leader, and momma whose passion is to see kids loving the Word of God and walking with Him! She currently serves as the Church and Family Ministry Coordinator at RenewaNation. Amber is the author of Exploring the Bible Through History, The Family Cookbook Devotional, Top 50 Ordinary People in God’s Extraordinary Plan, and Intentional Children’s Ministry. Her most important (and favorite) role in life, however, is taking care of the wonderful family God has blessed her with.
Related Posts
Janine McNally
Why Kids Need to Understand Justification As a kid, I worried about whether I was really saved. I knew the gospel. I knew Jesus died for my sins. But I didn't feel saved. And I still sinned… a lot. So, I thought… If becoming a Christian meant I had received eternal life, why didn't [...]
Matt Adams
We live in a culture saturated with illusions. From carefully curated social media feeds to digital trickery and shifting cultural narratives, preteens today are bombarded with messages about what is real, what is true, and what matters. By the time kids reach the preteen years—ages 9 through 12—they are naturally transitioning from concrete thinking [...]
Cole Sandlin
As backpacks fill, calendars fill up, and families settle into new routines, another school year begins. August is a season of fresh starts, a time to establish new rhythms, set new goals, and prepare for the year ahead. We want to be intentional about using this school year to help our children and grandchildren [...]
