I hear a lot of questions from youth ministry leaders I meet across the country. A few questions seem to pop up regularly in these conversations. These questions stem from common problems and tensions that all youth workers face. I hear them from large churches, small churches, and all sizes between. Youth ministry leaders across all denominations ask them. I even hear them from youth workers in both urban and rural contexts. They’re great questions, and I want to share what I’ve found about one in particular. “How do I find great volunteers?”
Now, to be fair, this is a big question that no one has all the answers to. I don’t claim to have all the answers either. However, today I want to focus on a more specific question: What makes a high capacity volunteer? If we know what makes a high capacity volunteer, it becomes easier to recruit them. So today I want to share five things I’ve found in every high capacity volunteer I’ve worked with. These are markers to look for that will guide you to the right people to lead your ministry to the next level!
5 THINGS TO LOOK FOR WHEN RECRUITING HIGH CAPACITY VOLUNTEERS
#1: DOERS OVER THINKERS
When recruiting high capacity volunteers, look for doers. Strategic thinkers and highly intelligent people are great to have on your team. They have a lot to offer. They make you better. Here’s the deal though, by itself thinking is not enough. Analysis without action is useless. Ideas without implementation are a waste of time. You need action from your team. You need people who will roll up their sleeves and DO the work. So look for action oriented people.
#2: OWNERS OVER RENTERS
High capacity volunteers are owners, not renters. Owners care deeply because they have more at stake. Owners don’t just attend your church, they make an investment in it! The best volunteers I’ve served with have all been owners. They go the extra mile and do whatever needs to be done because they feel like it’s their ministry.
Renters are different. We all probably have some renters serving in our ministries. A renter will do what’s easy, but never go the extra mile. They will do what they’re told, but won’t take the initiative to do much else.
When recruiting volunteers for your youth ministry, look for owners. Look for people who stop to pick up trash in hall instead of walking by. Look for people who show up early and stay late. When you recruit owners into your ministry, you instantly get better. So recruit people who will make you and everyone around them better!
“WHEN YOU RECRUIT OWNERS INTO YOUR MINISTRY YOU INSTANTLY GET BETTER.”
#3: TEAM PLAYERS OVER SUPER STARS
The best volunteers are the ones who care more about the team’s vision than their personal vision. They are volunteers who seek after the team win before a personal win. Why? The reason is simple. These volunteers know that everyone gets better when the team gets better. They know they will only be their best when the team is at its best. They’re team players.
Not all volunteers are team players though. Some are what I’ll call “Superstars.” Beware of superstars. Superstars are not about making the team better, they’re about making themselves better. They don’t work to advance the team, they work to advance their own agenda. Superstars tear great teams apart! Please don’t get me wrong, you want talented people on your team. Just make sure they’re team players and not superstars.
#4: CONTRIBUTORS OVER QUESTIONERS
This one is a small distinction that has incredibly powerful results. When recruiting for your team, look for contributors over questioners. You want people on your team who will ask questions. Questions and the people who ask them make us better. However, the distinction between a contributor and questioner is one of attitude and heart. A contributor will ask tough questions to make the team better. They ask questions because they see what could be and want to help the team get there. Questioners ask questions to point out what’s wrong. Their questions aren’t to make things better, but to point out what’s wrong and complain about it. Simply put, contributors bring solutions when questioners bring complaints.
“CONTRIBUTORS BRING SOLUTIONS WHEN QUESTIONERS BRING COMPLAINTS.”
Recruiting high capacity volunteers is often about recruiting contributors over questioners. Look for people who care enough to ask good questions and take time to offer possible solutions. Steer clear of talented people who ask needling questions just to complain. Contributors bring solutions, questioners bring frustration. A contributor will make you grow when a questioner makes you groan. Recruiting contributors is a great way to recruit high capacity volunteers.
“A CONTRIBUTOR WILL MAKE YOU GROW WHEN A QUESTIONER WILL MAKE YOU GROAN.”
#5: LOVERS OVER FIGHTERS
Have you ever heard the phrase “I’m a lover, not a fighter?” The truth is all lovers are fighters, but not all fighters are lovers. When recruiting for your team, look for lovers and not fighters. The difference is huge here. Lovers are volunteers who fight for people. Fighters are volunteers who fight against people. Lovers fight tooth and nail to do what’s best for the people they serve. They will fight for changes they don’t like if it means reaching students far from Christ. Fighters, on the other hand, just like conflict. They fight for what they want, not what’s best for others. They don’t fight for people, they fight to win. You want strong people on your team who are willing to fight. Just make sure they’re fighting for people and not against them.
“YOU WANT STRONG PEOPLE ON YOUR TEAM WHO ARE WILLING TO FIGHT. JUST MAKE SURE THEY’RE FIGHTING FOR PEOPLE AND NOT AGAINST THEM.”
When you recruit volunteers, look for people who fit this profile. If you do, you will build an incredible team! Is there anything we missed? If so, let us know in the comments section below. Also, don’t forget to subscribe below for regular updates and a first look at fresh content!
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