teachinglikejesus

Help! We need more volunteers! How can we encourage people to help in the Nursery, Children's Church and Teen Ministries?

People hesitate to volunteer primarily because they feel they don't know what to do. They ask themselves, "What if I'm asked to teach a lesson...and I don't know how to teach?" Since everyone wants to be successful in doing the work of the ministry, your task as a leader is to equip volunteers to be successful. You're guaranteed to increase your volunteer staff when you train teachers! It's an investment that will yield dividends for years. We're here to help you!

How can I convince my pastor to invest in children's ministry? Our teachers want to use your curriculum...

How can we encourage teens to take the Word of God seriously so that they're more concerned about the things of God than they are about the things of the world?

Developmentally, teenagers have many issues that challenge them as they are entering adulthood. If their home situation isn't stable, this makes the adjustment even more difficult. Ministering to teens in small groups of 12 or less after the main lesson is very effective. You'll need a trained volunteer who asks questions that relate to the lessons. This is no time to encourage teens to talk about their life. Avoid lectures or sermons. The caution here is to keep confidences. Nothing will ruin your youth group more than gossip! For more information, schedule La Nej Garrison, M.A. as a speaker for your teens or as a consultant to help you design the best teen ministry ever!

Our kids can't afford the expense of going to camp, but we realize the need to get them out of the city. What should we do?

You are so correct! It's a must for children in the inner city to experience the great outdoors and life-changing experience of going to camp. Expense is a factor that can equate negatively in your decision. Why not invite the entire congregation to be a part of this "mission"? Allow the children themselves to participate in encouraging adults in the church to contribute towards their camp by giving them letters explaining the need. Invite donors to send their gift directly to you or to the department responsible for collecting the funds rather than giving the money to the kids themselves. Begin at least 6 months prior to camp to allow enough time for sponsors. And be sure to have an ample amount of trained volunteers who have been live-scanned, background-checked, and interviewed. There should be a minimum of two counselors per dorm. And it's best to find a camp with boys on one end of the campus and girls on another. Marilyn Brownlee or La Nej Garrison would be great speakers for your event.