Kids

As we moved into summer, our staff takes a quick breath. Families and volunteers are taking vacations so the hallway becomes a little less crowded. But the break does not last long. This season allows our staff some time to recruit and train our new volunteers for the fall.

The last Sunday in March,  Andy preached a great sermon to our entire church family about the importance of “getting out of your seat and jumping on board to serve.”   This was an incredible message to not only appreciate those who were already serving but to also give a nudge to those who were wanting to jump in and connect.

On UpStreet at Browns Bridge, we received about 206 names of potential volunteers. They simply checked a box in the bulletin saying they wanted more information about our ministry area and dropped it off in the offering bucket.
We were so excited about the response and interest we received.

So currently, we find ourselves in training mode to get everyone ready for our Promotion Sunday on August 2. The process of training is simple and extremely organized. Here are the steps we take to train new volunteers:

1.    Orientation- We invite each new potential volunteer to an orientation and in a 30-minute presentation, we give them an overall picture of our ministry area.
2.   Discuss Roles- We describe the commitment and responsibility of each volunteer role.
3.   Paperwork- Each volunteer completes an application, background check and references. Volunteers such as small group leaders and on-stage communicators go through an interview process with staff.

4.   Apprenticing- Each new volunteer shows up for a couple of Sundays and apprentices with a seasoned volunteer.

After this process is complete, most of our volunteers are trained and ready to go! So even though summer is a great time to relax and kick back, we feel like the details, time and hard work that go into placing the right people in the right role is EXTREMELY worth it!

Post written by:  Gina - UpStreet