While curriculum is not a “silver bullet” solution to solve all your volunteer woes, you should consider these critical aspects of curriculum.
By Jeremy Carroll
When talking with kids ministry leaders, one of the things that seems nearly universal among them is the weight they carry trying to recruit and retain volunteers for their ministry. Ministry leaders say this through statements like:
- “I don’t know where to look for additional volunteers.”
- “I have way more ministry spots to fill than I have people to serve.”
- “Several volunteers are unreliable and uncommitted to our ministry; they either don’t show up or stop serving altogether without notice.”
No doubt, many ministry leaders can relate to the sentiment of this frustration. It may go without saying that the challenge of recruiting and retaining volunteers is both complex and contextual. The church must address this issue on a variety of levels and from a variety of angles.
As ministry leaders evaluate their own situations, one question to ask is “Have I set my volunteers up for success?” Answering this question honestly requires some self-evaluation, which is challenging in-and-of-itself. But this question can help us evaluate everything in our ministries from processes to relational connection to curriculum.
For now, let’s address curriculum. While the choice of curriculum is not a “silver bullet” solution to solve all your volunteer woes, you should consider some critical aspects of curriculum when evaluating current curriculum or looking for something new. Considering these questions when choosing a curriculum will help determine if the curriculum is going to help set ministry volunteers up for success.
Here are five questions to consider when evaluating curriculum. It’s five questions we considered when developing Lifeway’s new next-gen curriculum Hyfi.
1. How clearly does the curriculum define volunteer roles? And how do these roles line up with your ministry?
Generally speaking, most, if not all, curriculum is written with a specific approach to ministry and ministry roles. Having clarity on roles allows volunteers to feel confident in what they are doing each week and helps them know how important their role is to accomplish the goals of the ministry. For ministry volunteers to be successful, they need to know what their role is and how someone in their role should use the curriculum.
“Having clarity on roles allows volunteers to feel confident in what they are doing each week and helps them know how important their role is to accomplish the goals of the ministry.” — @jermpc Share on XFor example, each Hyfi preschool and kids session strategically uses two clear roles—team time leader (small group) and host (large group). Within each session, each leader will know what role they have and how they should interact with the children in the room based on that role. This works well for churches already using a small-group/large-group format for their ministries.
It’s also helpful to consider whether the curriculum and your ministry strategy align. If they do, does the curriculum clearly help your volunteers know what they are responsible for? If they don’t align well, this could create frustration for both you and your volunteers.
2. How clearly does the curriculum speak a language that volunteers understand?
It’s important for curriculum to speak a language that most volunteers can understand and mentally digest. The contents of each session must be accessible to volunteers if they are going to successfully study and plan for a session then turn that planning into engaging experiences for kids. Using a large vocabulary or assuming prior understanding of concepts can create barriers for volunteers as they prepare.
You want curriculum that explains important theological concepts in simple terms that are accessible to both volunteers and kids. That’s why Hyfi makes no assumptions that leaders will have a prior understanding of session concepts. The goal is to use simple language leaders can understand and use with children in their groups.
3. Does the curriculum give clear and concise instructions for volunteer expectations, like preparation ahead of time and simple, age-appropriate language?
When a ministry director is onboarding volunteers, many volunteers want to know: How much time do you expect of me outside the classroom? Sometimes the ministry leader sets this expectation, but often curriculum, depending on its complexity, will also embed expectations and requirements for volunteer preparation.
Ministry directors hope volunteers are spending time throughout the week preparing for their ministry responsibilities. And volunteers do well to not leave preparation as an afterthought. But the stark reality for many ministry volunteers includes busy family lives, busy work lives, and busy schedules, making it hard for even the most committed volunteer to adequately spend time preparing throughout the week.
The need for simple session instructions and scripted language directly inside each leader guide influenced our development of Hyfi. Rather than simply giving volunteers the content to teach, the goal should be to make engagement with the Bible passage for that week attainable. Leader guides that provide an exact script can work even in a “worst-case scenario” when a volunteer doesn’t see a leader guide until right before a session starts.
4. How easy is it for volunteers to access the curriculum?
A volunteer’s success is directly connected to how easily they can access curriculum. If a volunteer has a difficult time accessing resources, she won’t be able to adequately prepare to lead sessions. On the other hand, resources that are easily accessible allow ministry volunteers to prepare throughout the week when it’s most convenient for them.
This is one of the benefits of digital resources. Ministry directors can easily share leader materials with volunteers through email or text. Then volunteers have full access to their materials around the clock from any device.
5. Does the curriculum provide resources for onboarding and training volunteers?
Since each curriculum is created around a unique approach to ministry and the Bible, ministry volunteers may need some help learning how to use the resources available. When a curriculum includes training components, ministry volunteers will be better set up for success in implementing it into the classroom or group.
“When a curriculum includes training components, ministry volunteers will be better set up for success in implementing it into the classroom or group.” — @jermpc Share on XYou want leaders to feel confident they have the training resources they need and volunteers to feel equipped and ready to fulfill their ministry roles each week. This is why Hyfi provides fully planned training event resources so ministry directors can make onboarding and training volunteers as seamless as possible.
As ministry leaders, setting up ministry volunteers for success gives them the tools and the confidence they need to minister to kids. When volunteers are confident in the tools they’ve received, they will thrive in their ministry roles and are more likely to stay “plugged in” to ministry.
With everything they need to lead and the ability to access and understand the curriculum, both ministry leaders and volunteers will band together with a resource that elevates relationships and belonging among your team of volunteers.
For permission to republish this article, contact Marissa Postell Sullivan.
