I spent fifteen years recruiting Sunday School teachers. Some years the task was easier than others, but it was never truly easy. Over the years, I developed a system that worked for me. It sought to address the two chief reasons adults were reluctant to volunteer to teach, two fears that kept them from saying yes.
FEAR #1: Will I have time for this? No reasonable adult will be willing to give you a signed blank check to draw on their checking account, no matter how rich they are. Similarly, no reasonable adult will give you a blank check on their personal time account. They will want to know that they can handle this new responsibility, and they will want to feel confident that you can tell them honestly what it will take.
You will need to do your homework. Provide a brief job description. Describe honestly the number of hours each week, and the number of weeks in the year, that you want the volunteer to serve. (It will not serve you well to fudge here; if you think the numbers will scare off your volunteers, you may want to honestly re-evaluate what you are expecting.)
FEAR #2: Will I succeed at this? Almost every potential teacher, whether they express it or not, will have this concern. No one wants to take a job and do poorly.
You will want to guarantee them success! Offer training and orientation. Encourage them to shadow one of your best teachers for a couple of weeks. Point out how the curriculum you've chosen helps them be successful, both educationally and theologically. Promise to stay in touch as they get started in the position and keep your promise.
If you can address these two concerns for your potential volunteers, you have a greater chance of successfully enlisting them to teach God's children His Word!
What other concerns do volunteers have?
How do you go about enlisting new teachers?
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