Do you have a vision statement for your children’s ministry? It’s important to have one.
Here are some tips for creating a great one.
A vision statement represents “why” you do what you do. It takes volunteers into a deeper dive about why they are serving.
A vision statement keeps volunteers motivated. I often say this…
People won’t line up to change a diaper. But they will line up to change a life.
Yes. Having a job description for every role is important (you can get 26 job descriptions at this link). But a job description alone won’t motivate volunteers. “What” they do is not sufficient to keep them motivated. But the “why” will keep them excited about serving and making a difference.
Your vision statement should be the main reason people start serving with you. Invite them into your vision. People want to be part of something that’s bigger than themselves. And if you want to attract high capacity volunteers, you must have a big vision.
Keep it short and simple. Volunteers are not going to remember a vision statement that is a paragraph long. For the best results, keep your it to one short sentence or even just a few words.
I would encourage you to take your overall church vision statement and translate it into kids’ ministry. Here’s an example.
If your church vision statement was “Sharing the love and message of Jesus Christ with the world,” you could make yours “Sharing the love and message of Jesus Christ with kids and families.”
Remember that vision leaks. It’s not a one and done. You must constantly keep your vision statement in front of your volunteers. Include it in the tag line of your emails. Go over it each time you meet with your volunteers. Put it on the wall so everyone can see it.
Here’s how to find out if your volunteers know what the vision statement is. It’s simple. Just ask them. See how many people can recall it. If you are casting vision effectively, they will be able to say it.
If you don’t have a vision statement, then now’s great time to introduce one. Do this and you will see a noticeable difference in your volunteer’s enthusiasm and buy in. And if you do already have a one, make sure everyone on your team knows it and is helping fulfill it.
This article originally appeared here and is used by permission.
