Sustaining: How do they do it?
The WHO of Sustaining
Paid staff are the ones who focus on recruiting, mobilizing, and directing the mission community. Volunteer team leaders oversee the team’s direct ministry and have ownership for their ministry. The mission community takes care of the team’s health, quality, and vitality for sharing Christ with kids.
The WHAT of Sustaining
Most of the paid staff say to “focus on building our mission community” by building a quality team gathered for the purpose of going where kids are and introducing them to Christ, surrounded by parents and other adults in the community who care and support the leaders in very practical ways.
The WHY of Sustaining
Growth… “Closing the back door” and focusing on retaining the leaders we already have!
Continuity… Kids deserve adults who will walk with them over the long haul.
Retention… The key to ongoing ministry in any community is local ownership.
Stewardship of talents… God expects us to return his gifts—our volunteers—better than when they came.
The HOW of Sustaining
Go High! Our staff narrowed sustaining to 4 operating principles for sustaining volunteers………
High Calling
High Ownership
High Responsibility
High Expectations
In the Volunteer Leadership Development Program, we named four key pieces to have in the development plan:
Volunteer care / community building – how will you care for and pray for volunteers?
Renewing the volunteer’s call – how will you inspire volunteers to keep going?
Evaluations – how will you appraise and grow each ministry season and year?
Saying “Thank you.” – how will you thank your volunteer leaders?