Jill spoils our visitors. Mike organizes the sound system. Gayl practices with the praise band. Sandy teaches a small group. Nick sets up our activities. Jack runs the games. Lori seeks out the timid. On and on the list goes. This is my team; my volunteers; my staff. My team makes me look good. My team makes our youth program successful. The team enables us to grow. They facilitate learning. They touch more students and change more lives than I ever could do on my own.

I have utilized my adult leaders in this capacity whether the youth group was 12 or 80, big church or small, city or rural. The team reproduces my influence to touch those I cannot reach and to help those to whom I cannot relate. These team members are my closest friends, my most loyal supporters and my biggest fans.

To use a sports analogy, attention to your coaching staff is as much a part of your success as is attention to your players. I believe the same is true for a successful student ministry. In fact, in ministry this can be the difference between a fired-up youth program and a burned-out pastor. In order to achieve this success and to build up your dream team, you need to ensure that your team knows the answers to four questions: What do you need? What should I know? How did I do? Do you love me? Properly executed, this information readily will attract, retain and reward your volunteers.

Detailed Expectations: What do you need?

What is your plan for utilizing volunteers? What strategy do you have for placing your team in specific roles? How will you make the best use of each person’s unique gifts and abilities? How are you ensuring that all your needs are met and all the holes are filled? The youth leader must have detailed expectations for their volunteers and a well-communicated plan on how volunteers can serve. Everybody is attracted to a great plan; this is certainly true in youth ministry. If you do not have volunteers, it’s because you do not have a plan. People follow a leader who has a plan.

Through the eyes of a volunteer, picture the following: You rush to get to the church because the youth leader needs you, only to discover he evidently needed 10 other adults, as well. Together you stand against the wall like a bunch of misfits at a middle school dance, not sure what to do and too embarrassed to ask. You’ve taken time from your day. You’ve made the effort to be there. You’ve offered your help. You were told you were needed. Now that you’re here, you don’t feel needed at all. Instead, you feel somewhat abused and taken for granted. Frustration sets in, and you wonder why you agreed to volunteer.

A well-developed and communicated plan will avoid this situation. The youth leader is responsible for the creation and implementation of this volunteer strategy. On any team, each member plays a specific role. Upfront or behind the scenes, in the spotlight or out, there are roles needing to be filled. The roles are made clear during practice where it is the coach’s job to place each person in the correct position, then prepare them to play that position. This is true for sports, drama, orchestra and even your job. You are in the role because somebody thought you were good enough to be placed and trained for the position. The same is true for volunteer teams.