• Let’s Talk Training
Let’s Talk Training
What is Successful Training? Training is more involved that just gathering a crowd who listen to you talk. Successful training is “teaching” that can only be measured by those who can DO what you are training them to do. If those you “train” cannot DO something, then you might just be “orienting” them, which is not called “Training.” Remember, Orientation is important, but let’s not confuse it with real training. Taxiing up and down the runway is not flying!
1. Training can take several forms:
- Personal Training, where you learn by yourself with self-help resources.
- Tutorial Training, like learning from a formal program, training series or an online program by your self—A long distance learning model with a curriculum.
- Formal Training, like course work in an undergrad or grad school with other classmates for academic credit.
- Understudy Training, like an apprentice-type learning from a master teacher, mentor or coach that provides individual guidance and accountability.
- Small Group Training, like training in monthly grade level or departmental meeting, where the focus is on common interests and the needs for teaching an age.
- Large Group Training, like a quarterly training program, where the focus is vision, program design, policy, communication, and training for large groups.
- Special Event Training, like training for outreach events, but formatted in workshops, seminars, a course or even webinars that focus on specialty training (i.e., puppetry, discipline, gospel magic, follow up, etc.)
- Regional Training, like S.S. Conventions, denominational training events, etc.
2. Develop Your Training Calendar
Do you have weekly huddles, monthly, quarterly or twice a year or annual training opportunities? Are you looking for opportunities to add personal training to your repertoire?
3. Develop a Training Program
You need to be very intentional and deliberate about the training you provide. You need to be their leader and they need to follow your instructions and teaching. We are called to equip others for the work of the ministry (Eph. 4:12). Our training role must be constant and we must develop our training program for workers.
4. Provide Training for Veterans
This is training that your veteran team is like in service training. Your veteran volunteers must remain teachable to stay on the cutting edge. Challenge them to be life long learners. This might be a workshop, a class, a seminar or even some coaching.
5. Make Time for Training Yourself! As CM leaders it is good for you to obtain some in-service training too, namely, by going to conferences, conventions, workshops and seminars. However, Kidology Coaching can fulfill some of this need for additional training. Most church budgets provide for this extra training. Budgets might have various names for it, but it is still the same concept of getting additional leadership equipping. Often church leadership let you pick your own training options, rather than dictate what training you should have. Be sure to include some training each year. Often your outside training can influence your inside training, so you need to be growing and changing, just like your volunteers.
Challenge: Make a list of all your volunteer leaders. Then try to assess by writing down ONE thing that each leader would need to learn to improve their teaching/leadership. This might be obvious for some, but you might have to spend some time with your leaders to determine just what that “next lesson” might be. They might just tell you what they need to learn to grow. Notice the categories of training they need. Then begin planning the how and when you might just provide that training. Do you have a Training Menu to offer them?
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