| A reluctant volunteer, pushed beyond his or her available
resources, will never be as helpful to you as a willing volunteer.
Comments on this Article?
Click Here |
|
By the time summer ends, many
catechetical leaders and youth ministers feel the urgency to recruit catechists and other
volunteers. The closer we get to th opening dates for our programs, the more anxious we
feel about openings. At one point in the summer, I remember actually losing more
volunteers than I gained! I confess to filling many vacancies via responses to the
bulletin or pulpit announcements, often with the first person who came forward. As a
result, I recruited a number of catechists who never should have been catechists. Remembering the headaches and heartaches of having the wrong people in place, I
offer five pieces of advice for those recruiting new catechists and youth ministry
volunteers.
1. Let Go of the Deadline.
Would you ever take off on a long road trip without gas in
your fuel tank, or money to fill it? Without fuel, you would eventually end up stranded
somewhere. In the same way, don't let time pressure you into placing a "warm
body" in a class or volunteer position. Warm bodies cool all too quickly. If you have
done all that you can to fill positions by the time your program starts, allow yourself to
open without the empty spaces filled. Amazingly enough, the world doesn't come to and end
when some sessions begin later!
2. Set Reasonable (and High) Expectations.
When recruiting, don't mislead your recruits about the
obligations and commitment involved. Describe clearly, perhaps in writing, your
expectations for teaching time, preparation and training. Catechetical volunteers are an
inspirational group of people, deeply committed to faith and willing to find new ways to
grow. In our fear to overburden them, we sometimes sell them short by asking too little.
Setting expectations high can help them feel respected and valued.
3. Interview Everyone.
Take time to meet individually with every prospective
catechist or youth ministry volunteer. Don't promise a position to anyone sight unseen.
Use an initial meeting with the candidate to share mutual expectations, to outline program
policies and procedures, to answer their questions, and to assess their suitability for
ministry. Get in touch with the candidate's personal journey of faith. It is generally a
good idea to pass names of possible volunteers by the pastor. He may have knowledge of a
reason why you should not ask the person to serve.
4. "No" is an Acceptable Answer.
We often hear how "good old-fashioned Catholic
guilt" drew an individual into ministry. While we need to find creative and
innovative ways to recruit people, we must not pressure them. They are mature enough to
figure out what works for their schedule. A reluctant volunteer, push beyond his or her
available resources, will never be as helpful as a willing volunteer. "No" is
also a suitable response on your part. Through your interview with a
potential volunteer, you may discern that they would better utilize their gifts in another
area of ministry.
5. Take the time to Train.
Don't let anyone start as a volunteer without some
fundamental training. This means that a person coming on board one week after classes
begin should not start the next week! Starting your volunteers without adequate
preparation is an invitation to failure. Almost every time that I did this, I "paid
for it" later. Your region and Diocese offer many programs for volunteer training
throughout the year. There is also an increasing amount of alternative resources
available, like the NCCL's Echoes of Faith video-assisted program.
Obviously, there are no magic shortcuts to an effective catechetical
program. Selecting and forming volunteers requires a great deal of time and effort. I
believe this hard work pays off with a growing corps of people dedicated and turned on to
their faith.
NEXT WEEK: Top Ten Tips for Volunteer
Recruitment
©1999 by the Catholic
Education Ministries Center of Central Maryland |