This is the final blog post in a series about the ministry of the Church Nursery as one of the first touch points and spaces your church serves for your youngest members and guests. Did you miss our first three? Check them out here!

If you have had the privilege of serving alongside youth volunteers in your nursery, you know just how much of a blessing they are. They bring an infectious energy to the entire area! Inviting them to serve with your little ones doesn’t have to be a daunting task. Cultivating and training youth volunteers can help them become a very active part of your nursery ministry team.

Benefits of youth serving in the nursery

Youth serving in the nursery are more than spot-fillers or extra bodies in the room. They are a very essential part of expanding your ministry to babies. Benefits include:

• Helping youth develop a compassionate, patient, and attentive heart for serving others.
• Connecting youth to your church community and providing mentor opportunities.
• Giving youth ownership and a voice in their church by inviting them to share their ideas.
• Building youth’s confidence and leadership skills, including being prepared and showing up when scheduled.
• Providing youth opportunities to serve as positive examples to their peers and younger students.

Recruiting youth volunteers

You want gifted, passionate, and responsible youth serving on your nursery team – just as you would for adult volunteers! Here are a few ways to find them:

• Make serving a family affair. Invite families to serve together.
• Work with your student ministry leaders to recruit youth. Have small groups serve together.
• Recruit for nursery support tasks such as preparing materials and cleaning toys.

Training youth volunteers

Proper training helps youth volunteers to be successful in their roles and gives them the confidence to serve. When it comes to training youth volunteers, try to:

• Offer clear communication including the mission and values of your nursery ministry, the responsibilities and benefits of serving, policies and procedures, safety and security policies, and personal conduct and behavior.
• Invite parents to be part of the training process. You will want their support and partnership as their youth serves.
• Teens are attracted to fun! Think outside the box for ways to draw them into your training time, by including things such as obstacle courses and creative places (i.e. parks) to brainstorm ideas.
• Train your adult volunteers to act as mentors to the youth. The intergenerational connection can last for years to come!

 Developing youth volunteers

Everyone wants to feel cared for and valued. Your youth volunteers are no different. Some tips for developing your youth volunteers:

• Challenge your youth to take the lead on one or more of the nursery activities. Work with them to gather any needed supplies and make other necessary preparations.
• It’s all about relationships; get to know the youth who serve.
• Keep them inspired! Send stories of how their service impacts your ministry and families.
• Send notes and tuck in a gift card for coffee, ice cream, or a movie.
• Text them scripture verses or encouraging quotes.
• Connect with them on social media. Consider a social media group page just for them to share prayer requests, pictures, and stories.

Your ministry will be blessed and energized because of your youth volunteers. Don’t be afraid to invite them in and become an active part of your nursery team.

This blog is excerpted from “Cultivating and Training Youth Volunteers,” just one of the articles in the Frolic Nursery Practices library available on Sparkhouse Digital – sign up for your FREE 30-day trial now to view! This content is also available in our Frolic Nursery Coordinator Guide.