But by the twenty-third year of King Joash the priests still had not repaired the temple. Therefore King Joash summoned Jehoiada the priest and the other priests and asked them, “Why aren’t you repairing the damage done to the temple? Take no more money from your treasurers, but hand it over for repairing the temple.” The priests agreed that they would not collect any more money from the people and that they would not repair the temple themselves. – 2 Kings 12:6-8 (NIV)

If your volunteers are miserable in ministry it’s probably because you have them in places God never intended for them to be, doing tasks He never gifted them to do.

Joash made this mistake. He made the priests repair the temple. On paper it makes sense. The temple was in shambles. They’re the priests. They should build it back up, right?

In practice it was a whole different story. The priests weren’t craftsmen. They didn’t know HOW to fix the temple. That’s not the role God had for them. God wanted them to minister to the people by teaching His laws and offering sacrifices. And that’s what they did. And the temple went in disrepair for over two decades!

I think we make this mistake a lot in ministry.

In Joash’s case he had a temple that needed fixing. He had people willing to help (the priests). The problem was they weren’t very good at it. Not even a little bit. We do the same thing.

We have a small group that needs a leader or a lesson that needs to be taught and we grab the nearest warm body who is willing to help. And six months later they quit and we’re right back where we started.

So how do we break this cycle? Here are six steps to make sure your volunteers aren’t miserable:

1. Streamline your orientation process.
Don’t put people through the rigmarole. The more complicated your process, the less likely people are to do it. Make each step easy, obvious, and strategic. I gave away a ton of resources here to help.

2. Place volunteers according to their gifts and fit, not your need.
Don’t make anyone serve in places God hasn’t wired them to fit in. Ministry becomes a chore when this happens. Jobs were made for people, not people for jobs.

3. Connect them to a volunteer coach.
Having volunteers care for other volunteers is one of the best decisions I have ever made. I care for our staff. Our staff cares for volunteer coaches. Coaches care for volunteers. Volunteers care for kids and parents. This will revolutionize your ministry! Click here or email me for more details on how we make this happen.

4. Give them a say in how they do what they do.
People want to be heard. People leave people who don’t listen to them. Before you make a major change to what your volunteers are doing, ask them what they think about it. You don’t always have to follow what they say, but it shows you value their opinion. This will make all the difference.

5. Provide ongoing training.
In the fall I’m going to re-launch a monthly 2 – 5min podcast for our volunteers. It’ll be designed to give them a bite-sized bit of training on the go that will help them do what they do better. You don’t have to create a podcast. You can forward posts, articles, or read a chapter a month from a book together. Whatever you do, make it short a relevant to their needs.

6. Make meetings meaningful.
Everybody hates meetings, but it doesn’t need to be that way. When you gather all of your volunteers together (I recommend just a few times a year) make it fun. Eat together, play games, provided a little training, and leave space for people to share praises and prayer requests.

Being a volunteer in your ministry should be a pleasure, not a pain. When you streamline your process, place people based on their SHAPE, connect them to a coach, give them a say, and provide ongoing training and a loving community they’ll be more likely to stay with you for the long haul.

Over the past few months we’ve be retooling how we bring volunteers onto our Children’s Ministry Team. Everything from our application, orientation manual, interview questions, and more has been up for grabs. Nothing was off-limits.

I’m really excited about how everything has come out, so I decided to put what we’ve done into this kit for you. I hope it’s something that will be helpful to you and your ministry. Here’s what’s included:

Volunteer Application – A simple three-page application with a cover letter. Before our application was 6+ pages. As a result many people didn’t even bother with it. Our new form is much more streamlined. TIP: Give people an application with a clipboard and pen to fill out on the spot. This will up the odds they’ll actually do it and will get them serving quicker. Most people will forget to bring back a pen, but not a clipboard.

Junior Leader Application – For kids who want to serve other kids (grades 1 – 6). Must serve with a parent/guardian.

Orientation Handbook – Covers our steps for becoming a volunteer, our vision, programs, serving opportunities, emergency procedures, policies, and more. It’s short, but covers the crux of what volunteers need to know in a way that is simple and effective.

Orientation Schedule – A quick overview of how we teach our monthly orientation class.

Orientation Promo Timeline – How we promote our orientation opportunities to our congregation on a monthly basis. We can’t over-communicate this enough.

Interview Questions – How we conduct potential volunteer interviews. Also includes tips and next steps for redirecting someone who would not be a good fit in our ministry.

Reference Check Questions – What we ask an applicant’s references.

Enlistment Checklist – Behind the scenes tasks we do in the office such as background checks, who’s following up with each potential volunteer, reference notes, etc. Very helpful in keeping all of us on the same page.

Click on the links above to download each resource.

How do orientations work at your church? Post your ideas (along with any feedback on the materials above) in the comment section below.

Last week I gave you the first five steps toward getting a Kids’ Ministry job (you may want to read Part 1 for context to Part 2). Here are the last five:

6. Present yourself well
You can’t be someone you’re not. You shouldn’t even try. People can smell a fake a mile away (especially kids). Here’s some good advice: “To connect with people, be yourself, at your best. That’s something anyone can learn to do.” – Charlie Wetzel

7. Attend and Observe
Once the interview process begins make time to check out where your next job might be in person. Attend a weekend adult worship service. Ask to observe their children’s ministry weekend and mid-week programs. Get a feel for what you may be asked to do and/or change. Be honest with yourself and answer the following questions:

a) Would I go here if I wasn’t being paid?
b) Can I listen to this pastor preach every week?
c) Will my family and I be fed here?
d) Does this church seem like people we want to do life with?
e) Can I picture myself working here in five years?
f) Can I have a vision for the next five years of ministry here?
g) Can I do what they’re asking me to do?
h) How does my spouse feel about this?
i) What do my close friends and mentors think?

8. Talk to insiders
While attending and observing find some people to talk to. Ask for the names of some of the ministry’s key families. Get insights into the church and ministry from a few parents. See if kids are having a good time and are engaged in what’s going on. Ask volunteers what they REALLY think. Talk to other church staffers and ask what they wish was different about the Children’s Ministry. Ask church attenders who aren’t a part of the ministry what their perception of the Children’s Ministry is.

9. Ask questions during the interview
Once they’re done asking questions it’s your turn. Click here for a list of amazing questions to ask before taking any ministry position.

10. Know what you need to live on
At some point in all of the interviewing a church will make you an offer. Never accept right away. Go home and pray about it. Talk to your wife. Figure out if what they offered is what you can live on. If it is, great! You’re in. If not you will need to…

a) Ask for more money (enough to get where you need to be).
b) Downsize your lifestyle for a season.
c) Take a second job to make up the difference.
d) Pass on the offer and keep looking.

None of these options is bad. They key is to be honest with yourself. Know what you need and don’t be afraid to ask for it. If an opportunity doesn’t work out that’s OK. Thank them and quickly move on. Better that than taking a job you’ll only grow to resent latter.

Whether you’re looking for your first job or your next one hang in there. God’s got something great ahead of you. I know the wait is hard; trust me I’ve been there. Don’t settle for the first opportunity that comes your way. Use these ten steps to make sure it’s the best fit for you. You’ll be glad you did.

What other tips do you recommend for someone looking for a job in Kids’ Ministry?

Finding the right job can feel like chasing a rainbow: it’s out there, but you can’t ever seem to actually reach it.

Getting my first Children’s Ministry job was easy. It was at my home church. Getting my second one was tougher because it was on the other side of the country. Getting my current one was hard because the wait felt like forever. It always does though, I guess. I’m so glad I didn’t quit because I can honestly say I’ve got the best job I’ve ever had.

Here are ten vital steps to get a Kids’ Ministry job you’ll love:

1. Pray for God’s direction
This is a “no duh” in church world. I know. But sometimes we overlook it. Sometimes we take for granted God knows everything. He doesn’t really need us to tell Him what’s on our mind. But He wants us to. And He wants to tell us what’s on His mind. Ask for wisdom beyond your years, insight beyond your experiences and senses, and a quiet mind/heart to listen to Him.

2. Know your philosophy of ministry
There are lots of different ways to do Children’s Ministry. What’s yours? Here are seven questions to think about:

a) What do I believe about the purpose and goals of Children’s Ministry?
b) What do I believe about what should be taught in Children’s Ministry?
c) What do I believe about God’s role in Children’s Ministry
d) What do I believe about who should teach in Children’s Ministry?
e) What do I believe about children in Children’s Ministry?
f) What do I believe about how we should teach in Children’s Ministry?
g) What do I believe about the context of programs and events in Children’s Ministry?

Write down your answers to these questions. Make time each year to go over this document and make changes as you grow and change. It will keep you grounded and away from jobs that conflict with how God has gifted and called you.

3. Talk with ministry friends and look online
Honestly, there’s no better way than word of mouth or a recommendation from a friend. It certainly isn’t all about who you know, but having some friends looking out for you or putting in a good word really gives you an advantage.

In addition I also recommend looking online. There are many great ministries just waiting for someone like you. Here are three websites get you started:

ChurchStaffing.com
KidminJobs.com
YouthSpecialties.com

4. Do your homework
Check out the church and ministry’s website, Twitter, and Facebook page. Check out what they’ve posted on YouTube. Has your potential boss and/or senior pastor written a book? Read it. Does he have a blog? Subscribe to it. Google them. Do your homework on them because they’ll do their homework on you (be careful what you post).

5. Tweak your resume for each church
Your resume should be unique to each church you apply to. Every church is looking for someone different. Use your resume to highlight your abilities, experiences, and accomplishments that the church will actually care about.

Chances are the position you’re applying for has more than just you as an applicant. Make your resume remarkable. Stand out from the rest. Click here, here, here, and here for examples of what I mean.

I’ve got five more steps to the Children’s Ministry job search I’ll post next week.

In the meantime, what tips do you have for someone looking for a job in Children’s Ministry?