Let’s be honest – you didn’t go into children’s ministry to be a recruiter. You went into Children’s Ministry, well, obviously, because you wanted to minister to children. Isn’t that why it’s called “children’s ministry?” I know far too many former children’s ministry leaders who are “former” precisely because the “job” of being in children’s ministry seemed like a “bait and switch.” They went into it wanting to teach kids about Jesus, plan and pull off fun events, pray with children to accept Jesus as their Savior, see their smiles as they played games, worshiped, and did crafts and activities that deepened their walk with God.

But suddenly, their time seemed to be consumed by the daunting task of recruiting. And yet, that is a major part of what we are Called to do. The Apostle Paul tells us this is our primary job:

"And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers (and children’s ministry leaders), to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ." Ephesians 4:12

So, if that is our role, and we do need help with all those lessons, games, crafts, activities, worship, and events – the question I get the most often is, “How do I get more volunteers?”

I won’t pretend it’s easy – but it’s not impossible. And while there is no “secret formula”, there are practical techniques that haven’t changed. The hard truth is, you don’t build your volunteer team by luck or chance or by haphazard effort. You have to be intentional and consistent. You need to make a plan and work the plan. Before you even start, you need to plan, prepare, and then execute. You need to be ready to answer questions before they are even asked. You need to be organized to keep track of people and where they are in your process.

As you hopefully know, I have an entire series on Kidology called the Ministry Management Series. I know it doesn’t sound very exciting. You hear a lot about Ministry Leadership, and that’s super important, but to have a successful and growing ministry, the hard reality is, you not only have to LEAD, you also have to manage. Leadership without effective management will result in lots of vision without any traction.

If you are struggling to build your Volunteer Team, let me invite you to check out my third Ministry Management Video, Managing Volunteers. In it I go over my A-B-C’s of bringing on new volunteers. (Hint: It goes well past the letter C!) I think you’ll find it extremely helpful as it has been for hundreds before you. Soon, you’ll see your team growing, and if you have any questions, let me know in our Facebook Group!