Avoiding Recruiting Problems in the Nursery (and other Children

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Avoiding Recruiting Problems in the Nursery
(and other Childrens Ministry Departments)

• Prepared by Teachable Heart Ministries

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The Most Common Problem

• Not enough volunteers
• This one problem will quickly multiply into a
  multitude of troubles
• The single most serious problem in childrens
  ministry today is lack of volunteers

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Have you unknowingly been communicating a just
leave it to the experts philosophy in your
church?
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Some tattle tale signs

• Experts Only Need Apply-
• No staff meetings or training meetings
  scheduled and/or promoted, theyre just not
  talked about
• Parents Not Welcome-
  Staff only beyond this point
  signs
• Drop off Zone-
  parents are not registering
  their children but rather dropping them off at
  the door, drop them off and leave the spiritual
  training to the experts

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More signs

• Sign your Kid up and Dont ask any Questions-
  
  no parents hand book or material prepared
  explaining programs and volunteer opportunities,
  or its prepared but outdated and/or not being
  handed out
• No one would put these signs up on purpose, and
  no one would want these to be the impression left
  on the parents
• The signs may not physically be up- but signs are
  signs!

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The first step in the right direction..Decide
today to honor the Word of God
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Get in line with the Five Fold Gift Ministry

• Communicate clearly to the congregation how
  important it is for them to become involved
• Ephesians 412,13 says that the purpose of the
  pastors, prophets, evangelists, and teachers are
  not to do all the ministry but rather to "prepare
  God's people for works of service so that the
  body of Christ may be built up until we all reach
  unity in the faith and in knowledge of the Son of
  God and become mature."

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Offer Purposeful Ministry

• Communicate your ministry plan, vision, and
  philosophy
• Insure you have prayed and sought Gods will for
  your childrens programming
• In other words, you should be able to easily list
  what youre doing and why, and in what area or
  purpose does this meet how you minister to those
  God directs in your path
• What needs does your flock have and how are you
  addressing them?
• What are you doing on purpose?

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The Because and Effect of Un-purposeful Ministry

• BECAUSE I dont have time right now to find
  some-one to do that- its just easier if I do it
  myself.
• EFFECT- Un-purposefully building skelton crews
• PROBLEM- doing to much
• SOLVE IT- take a good look at your schedule and
  see what you can cut from it, plan ahead so you
  avoid rushed moments, delegate, delegate,
  delegate!

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• BECAUSE- I can handle it on my own, Ill just
  step in and wing it.
• EFFECT- Again your building a skeleton crew
  instead of team planning
• PROBLEM- underestimating the problem
• SOLVE IT- Choose the single person who has
  brought the most concerns to you for the program
  you are most concerned about. Prepare a meeting
  with that person and present all the resources
  you currently have for that department.
  Brainstorm problem solving and if lead by God
  communicate the responsibilities and role for
  that department head, youve either tackled a
  months worth of work or interviewed your newest
  leader!

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• BECAUSE- We are committed to offering quality
  programming
• EFFECT- Intimidation. New people will be
  intimidated and not want to be involved.
  Eventually your team will not be able to keep up
  with need.
• PROBLEM- disabling the body
• SOLVE IT- Plan more family fun events where
  responsibilities are more fun based than Bible
  teaching based, recruit training mentors
  (experienced workers working with new workers for
  hands on training), communicate how your church
  trains ministry workers

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We want Kids Church to be the best hour of their
week!This kind of statement is meant to
encourage childrens ministry workers to value
the hour we spend with kids, its not the kind of
statement that should be made to parents!
13

• BECAUSE We want Kids Church to be the best hour
  of their week
• EFFECT- Parents getting less and less involved,
  they will leave the spiritual training up to the
  experts. What happens the rest of the week? If
  parents arent getting the training in the
  church where are they getting the training to
  raise their children up spiritually?
• PROBLEM- Accountability and responsibility
• SOLVE IT- Family friendly churches, Family
  Worship services, Family Nights at the church,
  intergenerational classes, parent seminars,
  parent hand books

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More Problems to Follow

• Safety Concerns- not enough chaperones
• Litigation- Law suits
• Current trend warning- recruiting teens as
  helpers- teenagers cannot replace adults when it
  comes to being legally safe they are not
  considered to have the same level of experience
  and abilities to deal with emergency situations.
  Take into consideration the danger to career and
  finances facing the church and staff for possible
  neglect
• before assuming your volunteer problem is
  over!
• Accountability- to God for not instructing the
  parents in their responsibility

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Ephesians 412 in Action

• It should be presented first as a ministry
  opportunity, second as a scriptural
  responsibility to the body, and last as a
  responsibility because he/she is the parent of
  the child
• If you do up a parents hand book all this can be
  explained and you can explain mandatory
  volunteering

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Making mandatory volunteering in the nursery work

• develop a proper application form and use
  training mentors
• one parent out of the family of each preschooler
  working one service each rotation.
• Take into consideration single parents and their
  need to take a break from child care, they should
  be scheduled half as often, they dont have a
  spouse to alternate with
• Implement the policy that the nursery is there
  for them to personally use (to change diapers,
  nurse, etc.), but they cannot drop the child off
  for child care if they are not willing to work
  one service per rotation and fulfill their
  scriptural commitment to their child and the body
  of Christ.

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Last but not least

• Childrens ministry is family ministry
• Being involved in childrens ministry equips you
  to discuss spiritual matters with your children.
• Families should pray, serve, and worship
  together. Family friendly churches give them
  opportunity to do that
• You are accountable to God to instruct, equip and
  edify the body, and you have to be purposeful in
  order to do it.