Most adult volunteers in youth ministry are stuck in a dead end job. They don’t know there is anything for them after small group leader. So they just get by, never pushing themselves to grow or develop other skills. Why should they? It’s not like there is anything beyond their current role.

Most youth workers never draw a picture of the future for their adult volunteers when it comes to their position. Just think about it like this: if there was nothing for you after youth leader, no other position in the church, would you challenge yourself to grow?

Give your adult volunteers a growth plan and watch them change how they approach their position. When volunteers know that they could move from small group leader to coach of small group leaders to discipleship coordinator they know there is a reason to grow themselves.

Ever think it would be nice to have more paid staff for the youth ministry? Sure it would but you don’t have the resources to make that happen. Let’s rethink that; maybe you could develop your adult volunteers for those positions. Maybe you could put some of your best people on a pathway to more responsibility and leadership in the ministry.

When we give volunteers a growth plan we are casting the vision for them to be more than they thought they could be. We are motivating them to reach their potential. Volunteers love serving with leaders that do this for them.

Don’t limit your volunteers; give them a growth plan and challenge them to own more of the ministry.