• Sublist: Deep & Wide
Sublist: Deep & Wide
Having a two dimensional Substitute List is the long-term solution to all your Recruiting needs. The chronic weekend cancellations of your volunteers can be adequately dealt with, if you have a Sublist that is both deep and wide.
A Deep Sublist is one that is constantly growing longer. It is a dynamic list that you are actively expanding every week. You are looking for persons: who you want on your team, who enjoy you, the church, children and those you enjoy—namely, you want a relationship with them.
A Wide Sublist is one that comprised of those who can sub in varying amounts of time. It includes those willing to visit, chaperone, help, assist, lead something, teach or be a utility player (one who is willing to help you with any group, anywhere, at almost any time).
What makes this Deep and Wide Sublist work is the deliberate weekly effort to expand and work with all those on this list. Some will rotate in and out of the lineup. Others will be assigned monthly, biweekly or even just quarterly. The goal is actively work on and monitor this list.
This is not an immediate recruiting solution. This is a long-term effort to move people towards more involvement with your encouragement and resources, so they become confident, trained and more responsible for some aspect of children’s ministry.
You may have to personally work with and supervise a volunteer for a while before you actually “recruit” them to fulfill some staff position, which requires a background check. This would be your preliminary assessment time for some, but for others (who are willing) they jump right into the background check. You just have to feel your way along, but under your watchful eye. This is the recommendation until you have Master Teachers who are assigned this evaluation process with new volunteers.
Here are Six Observations that can help you develop this Deep & Wide Sublist Idea.
- It involves what I call Near Recruiting. This is concept that you do not recruit up front. Instead you appeal to them to join your team and ask them if they would be willing to be involved, just be around the program with you. You would like to introduce them to your program. They will be shocked that you are not really asking them for a position, even though they might assess that you need some staff
- This approach is really a Relational Approach. You begin to get to know them and befriend them. They get to know you, all the while you do not recruit, per se, rather, you negotiate for their involvement. Let them see what you are doing and learn how things work. Impress them.
- The Children will win them over. If they like kids and kids like them, you are more likely to move them along in your program over time. Debrief their experience.
- This Orientation Approach is a process. However, it allows you some time to expose them to both the training and support that comes with being on your team. (See Volunteer Benefit Package) When people find out all that is involved in your relational team approach they will be begging you to join your team. They will want it too.
- The Monitoring Worksheet is a ledger-like paper that has thirteen columns. You have your list of names on the left. Then you design a scheduling code for the kinds of involvement in each weekly column, for a quarter’s worth of Sundays. Design similiar Sublist Worksheets for all programs.
- Design simple Monitoring Codes. Some I have used: T is for teacher. A is Assist or Aid (usually a note, like crafts, snacks). V is for Visit. H is for Helper. C is for Chaperone. UP is for Utility Player (available anywhere, any age or some ages only, any times?). LT is for Lead Teacher.
If your Sublist is Deep & Wide you might never have to appeal for volunteers from the pulpit again. You just recruit from the relationships catalogued in your working Sublist.
Challenge: Create your Deep & Wide Sublist!
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