More Children’s Ministry Training Tips
8. NIMBY (Not In My Backyard) Day
Next, give your Sunday school teachers a day off to visit another church. Then have them report what they saw. Because most teachers have families that they’d bring with them, include the stories of children in those reports. Print the reports in your monthly kidmin newsletter or weekly teaching tip sheet. Or simply have your “scouts” tell their stories to your other volunteers at a coffee meeting or planning committee.
9. Task Force
Do the above assignment but with a twist. Assign volunteers different ministry aspects to research. Then have them share what they learn. Empower people to make the difference!
10. Prayer
Organize prayer groups with no more than six people. As volunteers pray together, they’ll also encourage one another and share helpful training insights.
11. Testimony Night
A night to honor kids turns into kids giving testimonies about specific volunteers who’ve changed their lives. Take photos to put in your newsletter, and add specifics that’ll help volunteers see the big picture. It’s important for volunteers to see the results of their labor in the hearts of changed lives.
12. Online Tutor
Send an email with great websites that have ideas your volunteers can use. A simple search for volunteer training online yields lots of great choices.
13. Email Training Tips
Send out a weekly teacher tip sheet via email. Let teachers know you’re praying for them. List prayer requests, birthdays, anniversaries, and helpful hints. A good way to do this and solicit discussion is offering a “problem of the week” where people can email a solution. Then post answers in your next newsletter.
14. Book Club
Many volunteers love to learn on their own. Their best approach to instruction is self-discovery. So give the same book to three different volunteers. Then have them each share the top three things they found in it with each other during a coffee discussion. You can also do a book review. Read through a book with your volunteers and share how it touches each of you.
15. Train and Retrain
Finally, get instant children’s ministry training that volunteers desperately need. A year’s worth of reproducible training handouts helps volunteers be their best. You can also share a ministry podcast to empower teachers and kidmin workers as they drive to church!
This article about children’s ministry training originally appeared here.
