Vacation Bible School is one of the most important outreach activities your church likely does every year.
But if you’re like most churches, mobilizing enough volunteers to fill your needed positions can be tough. You’re likely ready to pull your hair out just thinking about it.
If you’re not careful, you’ll end up overworking the same limited number of volunteers each year. Before you know it, you have even fewer and fewer volunteers willing to serve.
But take heart. You can change the narrative. This year can be different. This blog post will walk you through how your church can flip the script and mobilize more volunteers than ever.
Why Having Enough VBS Volunteers Matters
There are plenty of places you can cut corners at VBS, and no one will ever know the difference. They won’t care if their cookies are generic instead of name-brand. If you score craft supplies on sale, no one’s complaining (they might even cheer you on for the bargain).
But one thing you can’t skimp on? Volunteers.
Trying to run VBS without enough helpers is a recipe for chaos. More importantly, it’s a safety issue. When there aren’t enough adults in the room, it’s harder to keep an eye on every child. And let’s be honest—no one wants to be outnumbered by a swarm of energetic kids without enough backup.
Make sure you have plenty of volunteers. This is the one area where cutting corners just isn’t worth it.
Make Volunteer Sign-Ups Simple and Accessible
Don’t make people work hard to volunteer. People have to clear too many roadblocks before volunteering anyway (other time commitments, fear of failure, laziness, etc.). Try not to add new ones to the list.
Limit the amount of information your prospective volunteers need to provide to get involved. Name and email address or phone number should be enough to get started. Leverage a simple, shareable link for sign-ups in church emails or social media. Consider including a QR code to use (particularly during worship services) to cut out the problem of typing out the web address.
Also, make sure you clarify why volunteering during VBS is so important as you’re delivering the ask.
Use Technology to Provide a Better Volunteer Experience
One of the most important ways you grow your VBS numbers is to make sure you don’t lose volunteers along the way. A better volunteer experience not only helps you lose fewer volunteers year to year, but it also means they’re more likely to encourage their friends to participate.
Digital tools like the volunteer solutions you can find in Realm will help you foster a culture of ministry participation in your church by simplifying how you work with volunteers. For example, through Realm, you can provide your volunteers with training pathways so your volunteers (and your staff) know where participants are in their training journey. (Trained volunteers are happy volunteers!)
You’ll also be able to simplify the process for VBS volunteers to check in before serving and find a replacement if their plans change.
Create a Culture of Volunteerism
Help your VBS volunteers move beyond a one-time opportunity to a lifetime of service. Invite your volunteers to keep serving. You could do this by simply making an announcement from the pulpit the following weekend, but it’ll be much more effective if you go to volunteers individually. Note some of the ways you saw them serve during VBS and ask if they’d be open to a similar role throughout the year.
Share the experiences of your VBS volunteers throughout the year but, remarkably, a few weeks after the event and the weeks leading up to it the following year. You can either ask them to share a testimony in person or via video if that makes the volunteer more comfortable.
Offer Training and Appreciation
If you want to retain volunteers, it’s critical that you train them well and show them how much you appreciate them. Before they begin serving, make sure they know what they’re expected to do. Check with your denomination or local ministry networks for training opportunities near you. Often, the publisher of your VBS curriculum can recommend some options, as well.
Once you’ve completed VBS, show your appreciation through hand-written notes, a small gift, or maybe a celebration meal. As you do this, help your volunteers see the impact they made by sharing stories of God at work.
Volunteers who feel prepared for their role and appreciated for their service return next year and encourage others to join them.
Relax & Prepare for Your Best VBS Yet
VBS volunteer recruitment doesn’t need to be something you dread. As you simplify the sign-up process, leverage tools like Realm, nurture a volunteer culture, and thank your volunteers well, volunteer engagement will grow. The best part is you won’t just be getting volunteers for a week a year but many will serve in your church for years to come!
Move beyond the “faithful 20 percent” and mobilize your whole church for the ministry God has placed before you.
To learn more about how your church can supercharge your church’s VBS experience, check out our FREE guide: Moments That Matter: How to Create a Life-Changing VBS Experience.
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