| Face-to-face
interviews with potential volunteers are a great way to not only discern their
readiness for ministry, but to help them find just the right "niche" in your
program. Whether you prefer the more formal interview or an informal chat over a cup of
coffee, the following tips will help you to not intimidate your volunteers, but reassure
them of the importance of their role, and your dedication to their growth and enrichment. 1. Get Ready...
Draw up a list of questions or things that you would like to know about the
volunteer. Have a sense of the areas you need to cover. You may even give the potential
volunteer reflection questions ahead of time. Do all you can to ensure the best use of
every moment.
2. Get Set...
Depending on your format, the interview should run anywhere from 30
minutes to an hour. Tell your potential volunteer how long the visit will be, and then
stick to that time frame. Starting and ending punctually sends a message of respect for
the candidate and the value of his/her time.
3. Get Acquainted!
Phone visits are okay, but face-to-face contact is preferable. Even if you format
is formal, the tone need not be threatening or stiff. Feel free to diverge from your
prepared agenda if the conversation seems important. Since catechesis is about connecting
faith and life, it is important that you have a sense about what is going on in your
volunteer's life. You can learn a lot about what kind of catechist or youth ministry
volunteer they will be through their comments about work, fatherhood or motherhood, or
their daily routine.
4. Find the Faith Connection
Sharing a little bit of your own faith journey can go far to open a dialogue
about the role of faith sharing in the ministry of the catechist. At least one of your
questions for the individual should address the place of God in the candidate's life.
5. Listen!
Resist the temptation to do all the talking. Share information about your
programs, but save the intricate details for a later orientation session, should the
candidate be accepted.
6. Tell the Whole Truth!
I know I have given this advice in previous articles of this series, but it is
worth repeating. Don't mislead the candidate about the time commitment and energy involved
with this ministry. It will only gain you a half-committed volunteer. Offer them a sample
"job description" that clearly outlines the expectations of catechists and youth
ministers, including session times, preparation time, and require certification. This
description should also include ways that the parish will support the volunteer in
ministry.
7. Try the Indirect Question
Develop questions that will work as conversation starters. Your interviewee may
be put off by the direct question "Why do you want to be a catechist?". Instead
you might try "Have you worked as a volunteer before? What jobs have you liked the
best? the least?". The person you are interviewing may not know if they want to be a
catechist. But they may very well have a sense of the rewards and challenges of being a
volunteer. You may learn a lot more about the person through this indirect question. Once
you have broken the ice with an indirect question, you often can follow up with more
specific and direct questions.
[More examples of the Indirect Question as discussion
starter...]
8. Don't Rush to "Close the Deal"
If you want your volunteers to take their ministry seriously, give them time to
consider the commitment involved. You yourself may also need some time to further reflect
on their readiness for ministry, or to check their references. It is much more difficult
to "un-recruit" someone than to recruit them! Carefully and prayerfully consider
the best way for the volunteer to use his or her gifts.
In the final part of the series, I will offer a fictional scenario illustrating some of
the ideas offered in this article.
NEXT WEEK: Encounter at St. Abigail's:
A Sample Interview
©1999 by the Catholic
Education Ministries Center of Central Maryland
MORE EXAMPLES
OF THE INDIRECT QUESTION |