When Christian Education ministries of the church are in full swing (i.e., Sunday School, small groups, children and youth ministries, and so much more), there’s a lot of work to be done and people must be recruited to do it.
Let me encourage you to think outside of the box when recruiting people to serve in Christian education.
(Check out the Christian Education Bundle for help with other areas of this important church ministry.)
Factors to Consider in Recruiting People to Christian Education Ministries
Spiritual Gifts:
- Recruit people who are gifted to do the job. Don’t just seek to fill positions.
- Utilize a variety of spiritual gifts. Don’t just look for people with the gifts of teaching and administration. There is more to do in Christian education than teach and direct programs.
- Specialize the way you utilize people according to their gifting. Don’t expect them to do that for which they are not gifted, at least not on a regular basis or as their primary ministry.
When you do this, you will discover that everybody can have a part regardless of gifting. Rather than overworking the faithful few, making them do anything and everything, you can get a variety of people involved in ways that suit them, freeing up your teachers and administrators to do what they are gifted to do.
Heart Passions:
- Recruit people who have a heart for Christian nurture or discipleship. Don’t minimize the importance of people being motivated by more than a love for God.
- Find a place for people who are impassioned for this kind of ministry or the various people groups regardless of their gifting. Don’t turn people away or neglect to look at certain people because they lack typical gifting used in this kind of ministry.
When you do this, you will tend to have people serving who want to be there. These are the people who will tend to give it their all, no matter how big or small of a task they do.
Commitments:
- Make sure people know what you are asking them to do and what is expected of them. Don’t deceive them into thinking they are capable if they are not or that it will take less time or energy than it will.
- Limit their time commitments to what they agree to do. Don’t make them feel guilty for failing to do that for which they were not recruited.
When you do this, you will be demonstrating a respect for people. They will then be more likely to stick with their commitment and maybe even volunteer to go the extra mile.
Resources:
- Provide training, feedback, and encouragement. Don’t abandon people once they start serving.
- Provide materials and finances needed to do the job. Don’t expect them to invest what they don’t have or weren’t expecting to put out.
When you do this, you will be letting people know that just as you asked them for a commitment, so you are committed to them. You will also be letting them know that you see them and what they are doing as important enough to invest into. They too will begin to view their contribution as important and needed, no matter how big or small of a responsibility it may be.
Recruiting people to serve in the Christian Education Ministries of the church can be a challenge. If you sow the above factors into your recruiting process, you will reap the reward of a more effective ministry. It will have been worth the time and effort.
I really enjoyed reading this material on Christian Education. I will be setting up a department and I was kind of stuck on how to start. I did it for 2 years at another church and as you know everyone church is different. So thanks for the good ideas. Be Blessed.
Yes, you are so right. Every church is different. It is when we try to do things the same as in another church without assessing whether it is the right direction that we can get ourselves into trouble, possibly rendering the ministry less effective because it is not the best fit. I praise God for your wisdom in this and will stop to pray that God guides you each step of the way.
I have just finish reading some more of your material. I am so happy it just answered my questions. I am excited and ready to get started. You are so right if you allow people to work in the ministry and encourage them they will put their heart into it. We are launching out our theme which will be coming from 2 Timothy 2:15 “Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman needeth not to be shame to rightly divide the word of truth”. Keep us in prayer. They need to be nurtured and discipline and I want more compassion and patience. Need prayer. Thanks be blessed
Praise God for the excitement He is building within you. God will continue to equip and guide you as you trust in Him (Prov. 3:5-6). Prayer certainly is a big part of that. Patience and perseverance will also be needed as results are not always immediately obvious. Nurturing others is a process that takes time and persistence. My prayer for you as you proceed is that you will remember the Apostle Paul’s words in Galatians 6:9 — “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” Our part in the process is to line up with Him and then trust Him and wait on Him to bring the results.
This article is a blessing to me as I am planning to have a teenage outreach programme (summer camp) next year. I realize that the greatest assest I can have in the team is a diverse group of committed people who love mentoring young people and will be committed to them. This was just a thought in my mind and I was wondering how it will work out. This article helped to clarify the balance between making people serve with gladness and not of neccesity or compulsion. Thank you.
Finding gifted people who truly love young people will make such a difference. When we do that for which we are gifted and impassioned, we tend to put ourselves more wholeheartedly into it. These will be the people who will be committed to the young people. I praise God that the article helped bring clarification.
I do appreciate your wise and knowledgeable teaching. It helps me to push forward with great expectation that who-so-ever I attempt to reach, I will stop and think about what is best for the occasion. As being a teacher I found out that I must study twice as hard as my students to be able to answer their question correctly. Please keep me in your prayers that I will not miss-instruct any one about the Word of God. I know that I’m accountable for what-so-ever I teach others so pray very hard that I will follow the right path. May God Richly bless you’ll!
Thank you, Min Dan. It sounds like you take seriously two very important verses for teachers:
I pray God will continue to help you apply these verses and use you to His glory as you stay true to Him and His Word.