I wish I'd known...how to work with volunteers

From Mary:
"One thing I wished I knew before starting children’s work was how hard it is to work with Volunteers – not only finding them but just how to use them too."

There are a few of us who work in isolation, as a one-man’s band – which has pressures of its own. But whether you’re a full-timer, or a volunteer yourself, most of us work alongside at least one volunteer. Of course, if everyone who helped with a children’s or youth group was lovely, enthusiastic, hard-working, cheerful, reliable, prayerful and a delight to be with… our groups wouldn’t reflect the church at all!

Your church and mine are full of forgiven sinners – being changed by God’s Spirit to be more like Jesus, but still far from perfect. So how do we work together? Here are a few ideas that might help:

Say thank you. I’m astonished at how many leaders and helpers are never thanked for what they do. So even if you’re “just” a fellow helper, try finding something to thank someone for or encourage them about something they’ve done. It’s a little thing that can make a huge difference.

Be clear about expectations. Most of us get frustrated if we feel the goalposts have been shifted or that we’re being treated unfairly. Much of that frustration can be eased by making it clear what each volunteer is expected to do - what time to arrive by, if they’re expected to stay afterwards to help clear up, coming to training sessions, preparing well in advance… It also helps if they know what their long-term commitment is, eg: they may have committed to be part of the team for a term or a year, but know they are then free to stand down at that point if needed - this helps avoid the problem of volunteers feeling they are trapped in the role for ever.

Be a good team player yourself. I used to teach 5-8s in a room that got used as a dumping ground during the week. So the first ten minutes of prep time were used up carrying chairs and tables back to where they belonged. Almost always no one else arrived early enough to help, they just swanned in once I’d done it all! It’s hard not to get resentful about that kind of thing, and maybe even end up leaving the team as a result. So if you can see any of your team being left to do something on their own, see if you can offer a helping hand.

A very wise older children’s worker once told me that the most important part of good team relationships is: Always see someone else’s actions in the best possible light. I’ve found her right again and again. So, the next time you get no reply to your email from one of the volunteers, instead of thinking: “She’s so lazy - can’t even be bothered to type a couple of lines - it’s obvious she doesn’t care about the group/me at all”, try thinking: “I know she’s very busy at the moment, so maybe it just slipped her mind, I’ll drop her a friendly note to remind her, and also ask if there’s a problem I can help with”. Wise advice that I try to put in practice whenever I feel the bitterness welling up.

Offer encouragement and training. If you’re already quite experienced yourself, you may be able to take particular interest in one or more of the volunteers to help them grow in confidence and develop the skills God has given them. How about involving them in your preparation, so that they understand the thinking behind a group session, and how they are an important part of that? You could maybe work through some training material together (see blog four), or give each other feedback on your role within the group - not just commenting on whether they led a game well, but also spotting the time when they sat and listened to an upset child, or got on with tidying the room while the leader was talking with the parents.

And if we do these things, not only will we be able to love and support one another, but that will then have an impact on the children in our groups, their parents and anyone else who sees us together:

“A new command I give you: love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13 v 34-35.