Workshop Leader: Dan Cutchen

Charging Your Leader's Batteries

I. Charging your Volunteers Batteries:

Just as Jesus' investment in the 12 disciples resulted in future generations of disciples, your investment in your volunteers will ensure that life-changing ministry continues to occur with children. The following ideas are suggestions for challenging your volunteers to grow spiritually.

A. Determine Volunteer's Faith Ahead of Time: Make sure you know what people believe BEFORE they start working with children.

B. Disciple Leaders: Train your volunteers to teach as Jesus taught. Help them to see that they are walking in Jesus' footsteps when they teach children. Jesus asked questions, used real life objects to teach, encouraged his disciples to work together and much more. As teachers are encouraged to imitate Jesus, they will become more like Him.

C. Be a Role Model: Where are you spiritually? Do you have a authentic relationship with Christ? Is prayer an afterthought or an important element in you life? Do you pray with your volunteers? Do you share with them spiritually enriching moments you've had? Your life is probably your greatest message.

D. Pray With Your Volunteers: Start training/planning sessions with prayer and end with prayer. Call your volunteers and ask how to pray for them. Pray for them over the phone. Ask everyone to arrive 15 minutes earlier for group prayer.

E. Show Your Volunteers How to Have a Quiet Time: Share your experience with them as a group and individually. Encourage them in their personal walk. Give helps such as "Daily Bread", "My Utmost For His Highest", etc.

F. Affirm Spiritual Growth: Look for ways God works through volunteers . When you hear about a child's positive response or reaction to a volunteers input, tell the volunteer! Preface the report with something like "God used you in Ricky's life last week." A good report is always welcome.

G. Value Spiritual Maturity: If you affirm how nice they dress, their car, etc., then that will become their priority. If you affirm godly attributes, then that will become the priority. You can affirm their commitment to Christ in the face of personal trials, faith in a "problem" child or humility when confronted by an angry parent. This places value on the important things.

H. Hold Volunteers Accountable: Assume nothing. Let your volunteers know that you care about their spiritual welfare and that you're a fellow traveler on this journey of faith. Ask them about their spiritual lives and encourage them to do the same. Ask about all areas of their lives. Establish partners. Partners can call each other regularly to share concerns, pray and encourage each other from the Scriptures.

I. Touch of Hope: Mark 1:40-42. Jesus was moved with pity and touched the leper who wanted to be healed. The word, "touch" in the verse means "to fasten to" or " to lay hold of." It's more than a handshake. It's an embrace. Amazing that Jesus didn't just "speak" to the disease. In the next chapter, Jesus spoke to a paralyzed man and told him to get up and walk. Is Leperosy harder for the Lord than paralysis? No. The touch was significant It was a symbol of hope to the man at the moment. Who in your ministry needs a hug, a high-five or a touch on the shoulder today? Go give someone hope in the moment.

J. Plan an "R and R: Recharge and Renewal Retreat": Take your volunteers on a retreat (at the church's expense) and have fun, plan, pray, eat and worship. Great results at all levels from this experience can be expected.

II. Make your Meetings Impossible to Resist.

A. Go First Class: Do not cut corners when it comes to training or planning meetings. Show leaders they are worth the investment by providing first-rate refreshments, a comfortable setting and an event that provides some take-home items and surprises.

B. Deliver the Goods: Volunteers will return if you provide quality content. Before you hold a training event, make sure you have something worth hearing.

Worth My Time Meetings--Three suggestions: 1. Include Meetings in Job Descriptions. Don't let training or planning events be a surprise. Tell them up front. Quarterly or monthly? -- 2. Distribute Agendas Before the Meeting. Decide what you want to accomplish. Ask, "What problem will this training meeting help my volunteers solve?" Focus your meeting and stick to the agenda. Volunteers will know you are prepared and serious. -- 3. Watch the Fundamentals. Begin and end on time. Provide dependable child-care. Serve good refreshments. Schedule meetings at a convenient time or offer two alternatives (a weekday evening and Saturday afternoon, for instance). Don't "guilt" volunteers into attending. Talk up benefits of attendance and what attendees will get for their investment of time.

D. Other Ideas: 1. Schedule shorter meetings-30 minutes or less. -- 2. Meet before work. Offer a continental breakfast at a convenient time for everyone. -- 3. "Do Lunch". But take your meeting to a conference room at someone's workplace: bring in food or make it a brown bag affair. Restaurant's that are central to everyone is good too. -- 4. Talk over the phone. Telephone conferencing? No one has to leave home! -- 5. Chat Online. High tech? Sure! After the kids go to bed, use a chat room to hash out any plans (everybody has to have the some on-line computer service). --6. Meet at a park. While the kids have fun, the parents plan. -- 7. Go for a walk. Set a time that your traveling meeting will go through a neighborhood. Planning and exercise.

III. Biblical Understanding:

In recruiting leaders, we can't assume that every volunteer is a Christian and ready to teach. To teach is a serious responsibility. James 3:1 says, "Not many of you should become teachers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly." Where are your leaders Biblically?

A. Have you asked your leaders where they stand on key issues? Are you certain that each leader has expressed faith in Christ? Some key areas are:

1. Eternal Life. How certain are you that you will go to heaven? Why do you think you will get to heaven? -- 2. Sin Nature. Are people "fallen"? Why is sin and death in the world? -- 3. Jesus What is the meaning of Jesus' death on the cross? -- 4. Scripture. Is God's Word altogether true? Are there things in the Bible that are hard for you to accept?

B. Ideas to help our leaders understand the Bible: 1. Membership Classes. Membership classes provide an opportunity to teach people about your church's doctrinal statement. No membership class? Consider an Orientation Class for prospective teachers. -- 2. Worship Services. Don't allow any of your volunteers to serve the entire morning. Encourage consistent attendance in worship. Offer tapes of the service for children's church workers. -- 3. Adult Education. Encourage active attendance when they are not teaching. When they are teaching, suggest that they become involved in a weekly Bible study. Give teachers a quarter off to focus on spiritual growth. -- 4. Teacher's Resource Center. Include within your library, bookstore or resource room Bible commentaries, doctrinal books, videos, cassettes and magazines that teach volunteers about the Bible.

IV. Recharging Leader's Batteries (ENCOURAGEMENTS)

A. Apples for Leaders: Sunday Reception for leaders- Use apple motif (Appreciated Person Providing Leadership by Example) for Leader Appreciation Day. Have reception after church. Have congregation (and/or church staff) write notes of encouragement and place in bags decorated with apples. Gift certificates to area Christian bookstores, pens, bookmarks, etc. would be good. Decorate a bulletin board in busy area with a paper tree and branches. Have children write notes to one or more of their leaders on pre-cut paper apples. Staple these to the tree. Leave it up for several weeks.

B. Helping Hands: Photocopy your volunteers hands and have volunteers draw pictures of themselves (or take Polaroid photo of them). Put both hands on bulletin board. Under one hand, put their picture or photo. Under the other, put their name and a positive note (like "He always has a smile and a friendly pat on the back!"). People will enjoy guessing who is who and opening them up.

C. Surprise Encouragements: 1. Car Wash.While leaders are ministering to children, have parents and/or the youth wash the leader's cars in the parking lot. Tie a big bow to each car's antenna or windshield wiper. -- 2. Designate special parking spots for your leaders on an appreciation Sunday. Have parking attendants park volunteers cars for them. -- 3. Kidnap Lunch. Arrange to kidnap a volunteer's family and take them to lunch after church. Set it up with the non-teaching spouse. -- 4. SNACK! Before class, set a granola bar and glass of juice in each classroom. Add a thank you note and post a responsible child to guard the goodies until the teacher arrives!

D. Academy Rewards Show: Appreciate your volunteers as important fActors in sharing the gospel by holding a big time event!

Academy Rewards Show is a takeoff on the Oscars. Church members and/or parents nominate volunteers (important fActors) ahead of time--utilizing a take home sheet, during a worship service, bulletin insert--for awards such as fActor of the Year, Best Supporting fActor, Best fActor in Comedy Situations, Special Effects (snacks or crafts), Best Stunt Man/Women (games), etc. Award one teacher a Lifetime Achievement award for going above and beyond to share Christ's love. Make sure everybody wins an award.

On the night of the event, the volunteers and their dates arrive at the church. Valet-park their cars, then roll out the red carpet for the guests of honor. Treat guests to a fabulous meal, background piano praise music, a keynote speaker, and their awards.

E. Fun Favors For Fun, Friendly Folks: Say thank you to your volunteers with these silly ideas. Pick out 4 or 5 and put them together as a present. Put a jar of pimentos in there and tell them you wanted them to have a "pimento" of your appreciation: * Small box of "Cheer" laundry soap - "When things are going rough, you always seemed to Cheer us up!" -- -- * Cut out pair of construction paper hands -"Gotta HAND it to ya'! We're so glad we're reaching out and touching lives together" -- -- * Toothpick - "We're glad God picked you for this ministry!" -- -- * Cotton balls - "You are a gentle and nurturing teacher." -- -- * Toy Army Tanks - "This is our way of saying "Tanks" for your dedication and hard work." -- -- * Can of Ham - "We figured you deserved this because you're such a ham!" -- -- * Can of Hot Shot bug spray - "You deserve this for being such a hotshot volunteer." -- -- * Bottle of Joy detergent - "It's been a real "Joy" to work with you!" -- -- * Energizer bunny - "Your commitment and good attitude is such an encouragement-you just keep going and going and going..... -- -- * Bunch of Bananas - "You are the top banana in our book. We're glad you hang around with this bunch!" -- --

* SWEET STORY - Pick which sentences you want to use (need candy for this one): Dear Children's Worker SweeTARTS: You've been a Lifesaver in this ministry. You are always there in a Crunch. You always gave it an Extra punch of enthusiasm. Your ministry has made this a Care Free Symphony. You've filled our hearts with Almond Joy. You certainly weren't a Zero at your position! BarNone, you are our Hero. There's no one in the whole Milky Way galaxy who could have done any better. You have worked like 3 Musketeers and we know that your Payday in heaven is going to be Good and Plenty! You deserve all the hugs and Kisses you receive!! We hope reading this gives you the Snickers because we think you're Hot Tamales! -- -- (some of the ideas in #2 were generated by an article by Ralph Dewey in Laughmakers Magazine, Vol. 16, No. 3-Spring 1999)

F. Affirmation Photo Wall: Do the parents/church members know who your volunteers are? Make a fun bulletin board to celebrate your volunteers. Take a picture of each volunteer with his or her hands extended out as though holding hands with people on both sides.

Cut out the people from the photos and glue them side by side on your bulletin board. Volunteers should look like they're holding hands with each other. Write volunteer's names and the classes they work with under their photos.

Write at the top of the bulletin board, "Working Hand in Hand" and at the bottom of the bulletin board, "To Serve God's Children."

G. Encouragement Animals: One C.E. Director keeps small, stuffed animals in her office that are ready to give to any of her workers who needs encouragement. She personalizes each animal according to the need. If it's an injury, she wraps gauze around what's hurting. If it's a hurting heart, she puts a Band-Aid on the animal's heart. She adds a note of encouragement and a reminder that the person is in her prayers.

H. Plan Ahead Affirmations:

November: Give each volunteer a card that has three cords braided together. Attach a card that states, "(Write out Ecclesiastes 4:12.) You make our team strong. Thank you!" -- -- December: Have children handpaint Christmas cards that you send to each volunteer. Inside each card, have a calligrapher write a verse such as this: "The light of the baby Savior, shone brighter than the sun And it continues to shine brightly through your love for each little one. Thank you!" -- -- February: On Valentine's Day, give each volunteer a red cup of cookies with a card attached. Write on the card the words from II Thess. 2:16-17 -- -- March: Give each volunteer a flower to plant in their yard. Buy a flat of flowers and re-pot each one in a plastic-foam cup. Attach a bright bow and a note to each cup. Write on the note, "I planted the seed, Apollos watered, but God made it grow--I Cor. 3:6. Thank you for all your planting and watering of God's seeds in our children. We appreciate you!"

I. Supportive Ways: 1. Put a cup of drinking water (or small bottled water) in each volunteer's classroom. They get thirsty. -- -- 2. Give each volunteer a whistle or other fun noisemaker. Teachers can blow the whistles to get their student's attention. -- -- 3. Post teacher's photos in front of classrooms and the church office. This will give volunteers visibility in the church and help parent's recognize their child's teacher. Promotes prayer support! -- -- 4. Open all classrooms as early as you can. Teachers can go there to prepare their lessons or set up the rooms in a creative way. -- -- 5. Give teachers small gifts to give to their children. -- -- 6. Set up a leaders support box outside your C.E. office, Resource room or other central point. Teachers can anonymously drop a note any time to express their feelings and needs. Congregation members can also send thank you notes to volunteers. -- -- 7. Establish a teacher's fund. A small fund for extra supplies for each teacher is a practical show of support. -- -- 8. Feedback. Give out and collect simple teacher reports each week. Follow up on any concerns noted.

Many (actually...most) of these ideas have been borrowed or born from articles in Children's Ministry Magazine, P.O. Box 485, Loveland, CO 80539 (800) 447-1070.