Honestly don't know why anyone trusts me to train volunteers. Half the time I'm figuring it out as I go and hoping nobody notices I'm winging it.
But found some stuff that actually helps instead of making people more confused.
Orange Videos I Found by Accident
Was desperately googling "how to train volunteers without them quitting" at like midnight when I found these Orange curriculum training videos.
They're short which is good because my volunteers have actual lives and can't sit through three-hour seminars about child development theory.
Explain stuff like why kids can't sit still in language normal humans understand. Revolutionary concept apparently.
Volunteer watched one about wiggly kids and told me she finally got why we don't make them sit in chairs the whole time. Only took her six months to figure that out.
Can watch at home in pajamas instead of dragging everyone to church for meetings where half the people fall asleep anyway.
Some First Aid Book I Can't Remember the Name Of
Found this book about handling ministry emergencies. Not just medical stuff but real scenarios like what to do when kid throws up during Bible story or parent shows up drunk to pickup.
Written by someone who clearly dealt with actual children instead of just reading about them in textbooks.
Covers weird things that actually happen but nobody tells you about. Like when kid tells you something scary about their home life and you have no clue what to do.
Keep copies lying around for volunteers to borrow. Better than me trying to explain everything and forgetting important details.
Wish I'd had this when volunteer asked what to do about bleeding kid and I just stared at her like I'd never seen blood before.
Background Check Thing That Actually Works
Had to find background check system that doesn't require law degree to complete. Previous one was so complicated three people quit before finishing it.
This one takes like ten minutes online instead of forms longer than mortgage applications. Get results fast so people can start helping instead of waiting months.
Some places make background checks so miserable people give up. That's stupid when you need volunteers.
Found company that treats volunteers like humans not potential criminals.
Now people finish same day they apply instead of abandoning process halfway through.
Video Calls With Other Confused People
Found this thing called Kidmin Coaching Network or something like that. Monthly calls with other kids ministry people who also have no idea what they're doing.
Like having coffee with friend who gets your struggles except it's video call with bunch of people dealing with same disasters.
They share stuff that actually works in real churches with real budgets and real volunteers who show up late and forget things.
No theoretical perfect world garbage. Just practical solutions from people in trenches.
Learned more in few months of these calls than years of reading books by people who probably never taught Sunday school in their lives.
Best part is realizing you're not only person whose craft projects turn into disasters and whose volunteers text you at last minute saying they can't make it.
Buddy System Because I'm Lazy
Not really resource just thing I started doing because too lazy to create proper training program.
Stick new volunteers with experienced ones for first month. Let experienced person show them everything instead of me trying to remember what to tell them.
Learn by watching instead of reading manuals nobody reads anyway.
New person feels supported. Experienced person feels important. I don't have to do orientation meetings.
Win-win-win situation.
Volunteer told me her buddy taught her more in one morning than all the paperwork we gave her. Probably true since I'm terrible at writing instructions.
Random Stuff That Helps
Keep training simple because nobody has time for complicated systems.
Focus on things that actually happen not theoretical situations from training manuals.
Let experienced volunteers teach new ones. They know what matters.
Make it ongoing not one giant information dump that overwhelms everyone.
Use stuff that already works instead of making up your own system because you think you're clever.
Things That Don't Work
Long manuals. Seriously nobody reads them. Stop making them.
Training meetings that last forever. People's brains shut off after like twenty minutes.
Theoretical child development stuff that sounds smart but doesn't help when kid is screaming.
Assuming people know obvious things that aren't actually obvious.
Making training feel like punishment for wanting to help.
Stuff I've Learned the Hard Way
Best training happens while actually doing ministry not sitting in meetings.
People learn better from other volunteers than from me sometimes. Humbling but true.
Don't over-train or they'll think it's way harder than it is.
Don't under-train either or they'll panic and quit.
Had volunteer quit after first week because nobody told her what to do when kid cried. Could have prevented that.
Another one stuck around for years because her buddy helped her through rough patches.
Why Any of This Matters
Volunteers want to do well but don't know how without help.
Bad first experiences make people quit and tell friends to avoid volunteering.
Good training creates volunteers who don't hate their lives and might actually stick around.
Kids deserve volunteers who somewhat know what they're doing.
Parents judge whole program based on whether volunteers seem competent.
Random Thoughts
No training system is perfect. People still ask questions you didn't think of.
But having something is way better than throwing people into chaos and hoping for best.
Volunteers who want to be there also want to be prepared. Give them tools.
Training shouldn't be scary or overwhelming. Just practical help.
Best training feels like friend helping friend not boss lecturing employee.
Had volunteer tell me she almost quit first day but her buddy helped her through meltdown and now she loves it.
Another one said she wished she'd known certain kid had sensory issues before trying to hug him and making him freak out.
Learn something new every week about what volunteers need to know that I never thought to tell them.
Getting Started When You're Clueless
Don't try everything at once. Pick one thing and see if it works.
Ask current volunteers what they wish they'd known starting out. Use their ideas.
Keep it simple and practical. Most common problems first.
Make training feel supportive not mandatory.
Remember goal is confident volunteers not perfect training program.
Most important thing is volunteers feeling equipped to love kids without completely losing their minds.
These things help with that better than anything else I've stumbled across.
Not saying they're only options but they work for me and people I've somehow convinced.
