Monthly youth leaders column

I have been struck in recent months, through several conversations, how isolated youth and children’s workers often feel.

It’s a bit like being condemned to play football for Berwick Rangers or Torquay. People end up there and nothing much more is heard of them (no insult intended to those two excellent football clubs). It is quite common to find churches where volunteers are appointed to a youth group and it is assumed they will just keep going until the return of the Lord or their death, whichever is the sooner.

What do your volunteer youth leaders need to keep them going well in their ministry? Training is clearly a high priority. If they don’t know what they’re doing or feel out of their depth they will quickly sink in the slough of discouragement.

I wonder if the short average life span of the volunteer youth work is that their role is not clearly defined and nobody cares about them as long as they turn up most weeks. The Good Book Company run excellent courses called ‘The Big Issue’ and Keswick Ministries run training courses tailored to your own local needs.

But there needs to be more than training run by itinerant ‘experts’. Someone needs to be there for those engaged in front line youth ministry — the volunteer needs to know where to go for encouragement and support. Here are some practical suggestions.

Appoint people

The way volunteers start is very important. People like to know what they are supposed to do and need to feel welcome and needed. Once you’ve done all the legal stuff, people need to be appointed with a letter from the youth co-ordinator and a leader in the church. It needs to say who their leader is, how long before their ministry will be reviewed with them and what the values and expectations of the group are.

Initially it may be good for new workers to work alongside an experienced member of your team. And most of all it needs to state the expectations that you have agreed with them. How many meetings they are supposed to attend, who they report to, etc. Make sure their work is recognised and valued by the adults in your congregation.

Talk regularly

If you’re more of a ‘hands-on’ leader, who does your own thing, you need to learn to step back and let others do some of the work. If you have semi-structured leaders’ meetings, they need to be a mixture of fellowship, planning, and prayer, and your meetings need to both inform and encourage your team. They need to go home thinking it had been worth going to. I have sat in meetings with no agenda and little purpose. (Next month, we will take a look at the ‘youth leaders’ meeting and how it can function.) If you have the time, it’s good to give each of your volunteers a review meeting (one-to-one) as often as you can. They like to know what’s happening.

Reward them

I was once told off by a church member for encouraging the congregation to give a leader a round of applause to show their appreciation when they were leaving the church. I was severely ticked off because, I was told, their reward was in heaven. Full marks for correct theology but not many for pastoral concern. Of course our reward is ultimately in heaven, but it does no harm to thank someone for their work and to give everyone the freedom to express their thanks as well.

But, how about sending all your leaders a card on their birthday and/or a Christmas card with a message of thanks for their work with the young people. These things are not rocket science but they do keep a team together. Why not have a party and/or meal together as a thank you for their work.

We need to stem the outward flow of people working with children and young people. The solution may be simpler than we thought.

Support networks

Appoint people

Talk regularly

Reward them

Dave Fenton

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