Take a moment and think about the way you go about recruiting volunteers and coaching. How do you do it? Do you simply make the need known? Do you use guilt tactics (be honest!)? Do you minimize the opportunity saying things like–“It will only take a couple of hours a week…The season will be over in a couple of months…Anyone can do it…etc.
If you answered yes to any of the above questions, ask yourself, how effective is this? Even if you always meet your need in regards to numbers of volunteers and coaches–is that really effective? If you recruit a coach by saying, “Anyone can do it, it only takes a couple of hours a week…,”–how well does that coach usually do? Does he or she really buy into your ministry’s mission? To they take the ministry seriously? Do they really invest in people?
I mention all of this because I think within the church, and especially within the sports ministry world, we don’t recruit well.
I came across this blog entry from Jon Ferguson about asking leaders to commit in ministry. Read the excerpts below:
How many times have you heard or maybe even delivered a desperate call for more people to work in the toddler room? It usually sounds something like this: “We have a huge need for more workers in the toddler room during our 8:00 a.m. celebration service. It only requires one hour a week and little or no preparation. Just show up and keep them from hurting themselves.”
Be honest. Are you inspired by that opportunity? It sounds pretty desperate, doesn’t it? Now ask yourself, “How often do I present a need without a missional vision?” That same need could be communicated with a little bit of vision, and it would sound completely different: “We have a great opportunity for you to serve the families of our toddlers during our 8:00 a.m. service. We know that the safety and security of a child is important, especially to newcomers who may be taking their first steps on their way back to God. Not only that, you have no idea who you may be holding in your arms in the toddler room—future leaders, difference makers, men and women who will go on to make a huge impact for God’s kingdom.”
He goes to create the below equation:
Need + Vision = Inspiration
Need – Vision = Desperation
I hope this challenges you to cast vision when recruiting volunteers and I pray that your sports ministry will inspire people.
