Not too long ago, I was flipping through the cable channel guide and found two movies playing on different channels. One was 50 First Dates and the other, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. It struck me funny that movies about the beginning and end of dating relationships were playing concurrently.

It seems it is something like that in youth ministry. It is rare that I hear anyone say, “I wish qualified, willing, self-motivated, teachable, van-owning people would stop calling me to volunteer to be youth workers. I have all the help I need!”

OK, I never have heard that.

Almost every youth ministry needs more volunteer help. On the other hand, it is not uncommon to hear a leader say a volunteer is somewhat counterproductive, and it would be better if they were working in another ministry—maybe even in another town.

Though my context is the local church, I hope some of the principles are applicable to a parachurch or other ministry, as well. However, before any lists or “how tos,” stop now and pray. If you need to deal with volunteers, either coming or going, the best idea possible is to seek God’s heart about what you have in mind.

Why Do We Need Volunteers?

Youth ministry cannot exist without adults. In the 1997 book Reaching a Generation for Christ, Mark Senter and Richard Dunn proposed a number of principles — axioms — that are foundational to youth ministry. Among them were:

Youth ministry begins when a Christian adult finds a comfortable method of entering a student’s world.

Youth ministry happens as long as a Christian adult is able to use his or her contact with a student to draw the student into a maturing relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

Youth ministry ceases to take place when the adult/student relationship is broken or no longer moves the student toward spiritual maturity.

We need adult volunteers throughout our ministry. Most youth ministry leaders intuitively know they cannot maintain an infinite number of relationships. The most talented youth workers on the planet cannot keep up with more than about 30 students, and even then is only possible if the students are relatively alike. With diverse backgrounds, personalities, schools, family life, age and gender, it is a reasonable assumption that a varied group of adults is needed.

Who Are Our Adult Volunteers?

I liked Senter’s axioms, so I jotted down a few of my own.

You can have as many different ministry initiatives as you want as long as you have a motivated and skilled adult to lead each one.

Small groups led by volunteers free a youth minister to focus on the big picture of investing in students and adults.

Recruit your volunteers from among a number of groups, such as existing youth workers who might like to try another ministry position, parents of youth, parents of preteens who soon will be in the youth group, single adults and grandparents.