Youth workers, especially volunteers, are a vital component in the faith formation of youth. Many give countless hours (if not years) of heartfelt service to ministry, and their service impacts lives. We want to honour those volunteer youth workers through your stories. HERE’S OUR CHALLENGE: TELL US A STORY OF HOW A VOLUNTEER YOUTH WORKER IN YOUR CHURCH HAS MADE AN IMPACT WITH YOUTH. Be as specific with your
The ministry year is less than 2 months from finishing; youth ministries are making the final stretch and are starting to wrap things up. One key opportunity we urge you to take is to thank your volunteers. Here are some suggestions. It’s Not One-Size-Fits-All In a previous blog post, we noted that different people receive appreciation differently. That being the case, now’s a great time to find ways to
How do you care for your volunteers? They give their time, energy and other resources to minister to this next generation alongside you. How do you show your appreciation? Many times, volunteers do not feel valued because they aren’t receiving appreciation in ways that makes sense to them. One way is to understand their love language. While love languages are usually discussed in the context of marriage, its principles can
Continuing education is vital for people in all walks of life, and this includes those involved in youth ministry. While paid staff are more intentionally encouraged to pursue professional development, it's also important to recognize the need for volunteers who give their time and energy for this call to also have opportunities for professional growth. Professional growth and development comes in various forms, such as conferences, workshops, podcasts, books, and
Most of our church ministries operate with volunteers. Without them, many of our ministries would shut down. Many youth leaders have a problem recruiting volunteers. However, that's only one part of the puzzle. It's not just how to bring volunteers in service, it's also how you care for them. I've heard from some volunteers who feel they are essentially cheap (i.e. free) labour. Some don't feel appreciated or cared for.
