Matt Brunton Associate Leader Life Church Lancashire
In youth ministries, churches, and any organisation needing volunteers, recruitment is a constant challenge.
There never seems to be enough people for the job at hand. Jesus said “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few” (Matthew 9:37 TNIV).
We can be the answer to Jesus’ prayer (v38) by not only going… but recruiting others to get involved in God’s mission.
Here are some tips to kick-start your thinking…
Have a strategy
Recruitment doesn’t happen by magic. Prayer is effective, but don’t pray for magic to happen; that’s wilderness thinking. A ‘Promised Land’ mentality understands the principle of sowing and reaping and the value of work. Pray, instead, that your recruitment strategy is fruitful. Devise a written plan, using these tips, of how you will engage people in the cause.
Recruit them to you
People follow people and often buy into the leader long before they connect with the vision. Build relationships and show people you are a credible person who is exciting to work with. Let others see your personal sacrifice for the vision – integrity will enhance your reputation.
Inspire with big dreams
Please can you serve on Tuck Shop ‘cos there’s no one else to do it and we want to make £2 profit a week selling sweeties to children? Er… no! History shows the lengths that people will go to in following inspirational leaders who paint a picture of a glorious future. Steve Jobs recruited Pepsi President John Sculley to a small electronics company with the line “Do you want to spend the rest of your life selling sugared water to children or do you want a chance to change the world?” and now Apple is one of the most successful brands in the world. Are you inviting people to build a wall… or a cathedral?
Appeal to them
Why should people give up their free time to serve? Show them how volunteering will meet their felt needs: for dignity, achievement and an outlet for their initiative. Place a high value on encouragement throughout the team and celebrate individual’s skills. Once they get involved you will have them hooked as they learn that “it is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35 TNIV).
Clear vision and expectations
Too often your pitch is as clear as mud. Make it simple. Make it understandable. THIS is the vision; why we do it and where we want to be. Then let them know their part in it. Have a short set of written expectations that clearly define both the task and the personal commitment necessary.
Measure effectiveness
How many people spend a lot of time and money on a website, and then leave it there to rot without ever measuring how effective it is in fulfilling its purpose? Madness! Any form of marketing (and that’s what recruitment is) must be measured as exhaustively as possible so you can work out where to invest your resources. If you spent £1000 and 60 man-hours on a recruitment event and you’ve gathered only one volunteer for a 2 month project, was it worth it? Try many avenues and test them all with a cost/benefit analysis. Then re-direct resources to those that produce the highest output.
Matt Brunton is the Associate Leader of Life Church Lancashire (www.lifechurchlancashire.com) and writes at www.matthewbrunton.co.uk.
