Face it, whether you are a youth minister or a coordinator of youth ministry, regardless of the title, the work of youth ministry is difficult and, while many of us may think that we can do it by ourselves, the fact is that a little help is always needed and should always be appreciated.
Indispensible Volunteers
That is where volunteers come in. Hopefully, we all have them—the generous men and women who offer to help coordinate your parish’s youth ministry program. I am fortunate to have a couple of these people who give their time and talent to help me. Truth be told, the appreciation I feel for everything that these folks do to help our youth ministry program cannot be adequately expressed through the mere words in this article.
I do, however, want to take the opportunity to offer some advice on the selection, training, and rewarding of the volunteers.
Volunteer Selection
Be selective but not exclusionary. It is important for youth ministers and coordinators to realize that not everyone who wants to help is actually suited to help. Youth ministry is difficult and challenging work. You must make sure that those who are helping with your programs understand these challenges. Youth ministers must get to know those who want to volunteer and need to ensure that those who want to help have the best interests of the young people in mind. We live in a world with some very dangerous people. Youth ministers and coordinators must make every effort to protect their programs and the youth who participate in them. Above all, ensure that you ar ein compliance with any guidelines issued by the parish and/or diocese.
Know Where to Draw the Line
Unfortunately, there are some volunteers that either do not know how to draw the line between adult matters and youth matters or they do not feel the need to do so. This is very dangerous if it is not addressed immediately. Your adult volunteers must understand and accept that, while it is important to be there for the youth, they themselves are not youth. They are adults and need to conduct themselves as such. Adult volunteers should exercise caution when communicating with youth or becoming part of a youth’s e-mail distribution list. Also, adult volunteers should not permit young people access to their personal websites (i.e.: My Space, Facebook, etc.). One of my volunteers has a smart policy—if you are not eighteen, you do not get access to her My Space page. No discussion. No negotiation. It is not that she has anything to hide or anything inappropriate on her page, but it is that she realizes the potential issues that could arise if she did not have this policy in place. Adult volunteers must take necessary steps to protect themselves and the youth under their care.
Volunteer Training
Youth ministry volunteers should have firm morals, uncompromising integrity, and a strong faith life. We all need some refreshers from time to time. Most dioceses offer courses, retreats, seminars, etc. for people who work with youth ministry programs. Encourage, or require, your volunteers to attend these sessions occasionally.
Volunteer Appreciation
Sometimes, a simple ‘thank you’ will do the trick. But you should go further if you can. Take your volunteers out to dinner, buy them movie tickets, take them bowling. Do something to show your appreciation! The folks that help me in our program do not do it for any recognition or to get themselves mentioned in newsletter articles. They help because they are generous servants of our Lord and the church. But a little recognition or appreciation from me does not hurt! And it will not hurt you either!
Print this page