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Where Are The Workers?

October 9th, 2008 · 2 Comments · 105 views

Our student ministry is growing. I mean…really growing.

Last night we had close to 50 students, by far the largest night we’ve had at Pinecrest.

We had 3 volunteers. 3. THREE.

Granted, we were missing two because of Canadian Thanksgiving. (All this time I thought of Canada as our 51st state. Now that I have a Canadian on the team, I’m learning they are a sovereign country and have their own holidays in which families actually get together. It’s a shock. But I digress.)

Last night a well-meaning individual suggested to just “stand up in front of the church and ask for volunteers.” After all, we need workers, right? How much do you compromise just because you need the warm body?

Last night was crazy but it worked. Get the wrong person on the team and all of a sudden crazy turns into disaster. Crazy - we can deal with. Disaster - not so much.

We’ll take inexperienced people who are teachable. I have some great workers that can mentor/train for a season before throwing them to the deep end. But I can’t have people who already know all there is to know about student ministry and walk around like the Gestapo.

Or can I? Is that part of leadership? The vets shaping and discipling the Gestapo youth worker into something more, something deeper than what is there at the present? Do you take the chance of conflict for the possible reward of a great volunteer? Have I critiqued my own answer with these questions?

Tags: leadership · youth ministry

2 responses so far ↓

  • 1 MikeS // Oct 10, 2008 at 8:57 am

    Maybe it is part of leadership. . .if we look at it in such a way that you someone who may really have a passion for youth, but somewhere along the way, through some sort of circumstances - previous leadership/training or lack of it, previous models, expectations, etc. - their passion has become misdirected.

    As leaders, maybe it would behoove us to RE-direct that passion in a positive direction.

    That’s got to be tough though. Then again, the rewards could be incredible.

    Great thought for all leaders.

    Thanks.

  • 2 jlo // Oct 12, 2008 at 4:11 pm

    Do you have people in mind that aren’t a part of the youth leadership? I volunteer that you ask them to join you, especially if they aren’t already involved in something else.

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