Check out this post from Rick Warren. Below are some excerpts:
Many churches have set the bar so high striving for ministry excellence that they can’t find volunteers to step up. Some churches have fostered this myth by making “excellence” an idol, which makes people of average talent hesitant to get involved. Many Christians never serve because they fear they aren’t good enough to do so. They believe the lie that serving God is only for superstars.
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Some churches hold up such a standard of excellence that they basically say to volunteers, “If you’re not a professional, you don’t need to apply, because we only want the very best.” That creates a congregation of passive spectators.
I’ve been mulling over this blog for awhile now. I think I agree with it.
I remember having a conversation with a sports minister once and I asked him what their standards were for coaches and volunteers. His response:
If they can read, they can lead.
I didn’t particularly like that answer. It really seemed to minimize the role of a leader. So, I think with Rick Warren’s strategy above, you could very easily swing the other way and allow literally anyone to coach. And, lets be honest, not everyone can be a coach.
I guess the best advice I can give for a sports ministry is this: come up with what an ideal coach would look like. What would the knowledge, skill, and character of your ideal coach be? Then, I would come up with some non-negotiables. In other words, what are some hills to die on?
For example: Do they need to be a believer? Do they need to be a member of your church? Do they need to have previous experience working with children? Etc.
Aim for your coaches and volunteers meeting the minimum requirements and then whatever they are lacking, look for contexts and materials to equip them in their deficiencies.
