Tag Archives: Volunteers

How’s your vision?

Posted on September 24, 2009 by nedgable

A couple of weeks ago Rick Warren posted a tweet that went something like this,

“You don’t have a giving problem, you have a vision problem. People don’t give to need they give to vision.”

I’m not sure you could say that any better and with the situation many churches are facing in the current economy, his advice is even more relevant. As I was thinking about this tweet it occurred to me, the same thing is true with volunteers.

“You don’t have a volunteer problem you have a vision problem.” Continue reading →

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How not to recruit

Posted on September 21, 2009 by nedgable

So, what are we doing to recruit volunteers? I’m glad you asked… but let me start with what we haven’t done.

We haven’t publicized our need. We haven’t asked for help from the pulpit or in the bulletin. We haven’t held any enlistment campaigns. We haven’t sent letters of flyers home to parents (we did do this once a couple of years ago but we probably won’t again). We haven’t made “cold calls” to people not serving. We haven’t required people to serve… ok, enough of that. I think you get the picture. Continue reading →

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Need more volunteers?

Posted on September 15, 2009 by nedgable

Everyone who serves in children’s ministry has one thing in common. We need more volunteers. I’ve heard of the elusive “waiting list” to serve in children’s ministry, and I’m sure it exists somewhere, but I’ve never seen it. What I’ve seen more often is that as soon as we enlist more volunteers, God sends more kids. In truth, this is where I want to be, first because it means the kingdom is growing and second because it keeps us looking to God to provide for us. Continue reading →

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Out of the “Church” Box

Posted on April 8, 2009 by nedgable

One of the volunteers in our children’s ministry is the CEO of a large company. I had the opportunity to meet with him yesterday to talk about the children’s ministry at our church. I thought I was meeting with him to help him understand what we’re trying to do in children’s ministry…

That’s not exactly how it went down. Continue reading →

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Lead the Leader – Pt 1

Posted on April 6, 2009 by nedgable

Last week I introduced a series of posts based on lessons I learned in a workshop I attended years ago. (apparently it was MANY years ago if you listen to some of those who commented on the post ☺) The workshop was called “Growing the Children’s Ministry You’ve Always Wanted” and it was presented by Gordon and Becky West. The principles I learned there have had a huge impact on my ministry and I wanted to pass them on in hopes that you will find them equally valuable Continue reading →

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More Than “Just” A Volunteer

Posted on March 20, 2009 by nedgable

I just got back form the hospital. I was there to visit Sarah. Sarah is a beautiful little three-year-old girl who has cancer. I’m not sure there’s much on the planet that makes less sense to me than that. Never … Continue reading →

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The Reinvention of VBS

Posted on March 9, 2009 by nedgable

I was blessed to grow up with VBS and it was always a highlight of my summers. So, about 15 years ago when I began children’s ministry it was a natural part of my ministry plan. Over the years I’ve been a part of some incredible VBS programs. Kids loved coming, they brought their friends and we had a great opportunity to share Jesus with kids in a creative way. But several years ago I began to see a shift. Even though the quality of our VBS program was getting better and better, and kids and parents loved what we were doing, attendance began to drop off. Continue reading →

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Help, I need somebody…

Posted on February 25, 2009 by nedgable

Do your kids have somebody? A while back, God really brought something to my attention. I started looking at our children’s ministry and realized that it was possible and sometimes probable that a kid could come to our church, check-in, go to small group, go to large group, check-out and leave and nobody ever got to know that kid. Continue reading →

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