It has long been understood by culture watchers that the people who tell the best stories control the future.
Too many folks, when they are recruiting, simply tell lousy stories. Consider some of the worst we have heard (maybe you have heard them too):
“We all know that high school kids just don’t show up on Sunday mornings, but for the kids with no social life, we figured we’d need to have Sunday school. Would you be willing to teach?”
“Youth group has never worked in our church, but our elders are demanding that we have a program ‘for kids not to come to.’ We’re looking for someone to lead this group.”
“With all the trouble we’ve had in the church recently, none of the volunteers we’ve had working with our youth in the last ten years are around anymore. Some have moved to other churches; most have stopped going to church altogether.”
“We’ve never had anyone who could handle our youth group for more than six months. Would you be willing to give it a try?”
Whether it’s with our volunteer teams or in any other area of your ministry, we’ve got to tell better stories. The stories we tell (and the ways we tell them) set the trajectory for the future of our ministries. In place of the lousy stories above, how about starting with these?
“We’ve got a really committed, really unique group, just a few kids, who come on Sunday mornings. They are all so different, but they love to be together and they love being here. Would you consider joining the team working with them this next year?”
“This is a rebuilding year for our youth ministry. Our church, particularly our elders, are behind it like I’ve never seen before. There are going to be a lot of bumps in the road and plenty of mess as we rebuild. But I can’t think of anyone I’d rather have on the renovation team than you.”
“It’s no secret that it’s been a tough year for our church. One of the unexpected casualties of all that’s been going on, though, has been our kids. We’ve got to turn our attention toward what they need now. I’m pulling together a team who will help bring healing to the most vulnerable group in our church. And I would love for you to be a part of it.”
“Our youth are desperately in need of consistency. They are a bit like foster children who have been passed from leader to leader for the past five years. I’m pulling together a team of three couples whose number-one job will be to be there for our kids for the next few years.”
Each time we ask a volunteer to serve, we are telling a story that foreshadows for the potential leader either success or failure. As you ask, remember that “winning” always comes to those who tell the best stories.
Today’s Mission
Complete the items you’ve assigned yourself to accomplish on this day. If you haven’t scheduled specific items on this day, return to day twenty-three and complete step one.
Continue your recruiting and follow-up work:
With your master recruiting documents (your needs list and your ranked pool list) in front of you, check your email to see if anyone has responded to your invitation and reply to those emails immediately.
For those who have said yes, make sure their names are written in black ink on your master list.
For those who have said maybe, send an email suggesting a meeting time and place for you to talk further about what you’re looking for.
Hold any scheduled meetings with potential volunteers.
For those who have said no,
Move their names to the bottom of the pool list, under the section called “No.”
Beside each name, write what role each person has said no to.
Remove their names from the needs list.
Place new names in the blanks left by those who have said no.
Send your standard invitation email to the people you have added to your master recruiting list.
Send a follow-up message to any potential volunteer who hasn’t responded to your last message in three days or more.
Put the finishing touches on your key leader documents now that you’ve collected drafts from anyone who has agreed to help you with them.
youth leader directory
major event calendar
youth directory
child protection and screening forms and policies
job descriptions
Take a look at the structure document from day nineteen. Using the ranked list of your current volunteers, determine if anyone is in the “wrong seat on the bus.” Make one step today toward moving someone on your current team into a role that will be more life-giving for the volunteer and more impactful for your ministry.
Day 28