Orienting New Volunteers
Most organizations develop a host of insider terms and procedures that everyone knows but never thinks to pass on to a new person. Many of these a new person doesn’t know enough to ask about until the need arises, and then it may be too late. Consider a brief walk-through orientation that introduces a new staff member to basic survival information.
Cover the Basics
People. Church people, especially very involved church people, are notorious for assuming everyone already knows everyone else. Take time to introduce a new staff volunteer, not just to those on his or her immediate ministry team, but to all others he or she is likely to contact formally or informally. This includes the people working in the rooms next door and across the hall, the nice lady who has the key to the supply room, the quiet gentleman who slips in and picks up the roster and offering every week, the custodian who sets up the room on Saturday, and so on. People feel comfortable in a situation when they know the people.
Places. Don’t assume that someone who has never taught 3-year-olds will automatically know where things are. Point out where the nearest rest rooms are (both for adults and for children), the drinking fountains, the supply room, the library, the Sunday School office, the emergency escape route, a telephone, and so on. Even though this person is not going to be responsible for a certain function (e.g., getting the snack supplies from the church kitchen), make him or her aware of how to do it. When the person who does that function is not there the new volunteer will know what to do and can fill in.
Policies and Procedures. Provide a printed copy of all policies and procedures — not just those related to teaching. What is the policy about turning off the lights? Who checks that windows and doors are locked? Are there any activities that are not permitted in the rooms (e.g., no sand)? What happens to personal items that are left in the rooms?
Program. The above items all sound somewhat peripheral to the purposes of the program, but they are important pieces of information to help a new person feel at home. However, it is even more important to have a plan for introducing a new volunteer to the operations of the ministry and specifically, his or her part in it.
Provide Direction
Make a point of emphasizing what the program is trying to accomplish. A new person may already feel strongly drawn to work toward the objectives of the ministry or may have agreed to work primarily because: (1) of a desire to get involved in something worthwhile, (2) a sense of responsibility to help out, or (3) the children are so cute. These are not wrong reasons. However, if the basic goals of the ministry are not clearly communicated to new staff up front, those objectives will be little more than nice thoughts inscribed on official documents. Further, if the program purposes are not regularly reinforced with the whole staff, what actually happens will have little resemblance to your vision forthis ministry.
Demonstrate Resources
"Look in the TM for your BLAs. Sometimes they need the S book and sometimes they use something from the TR."
If the above quote makes any sense at all to you, you’ve probably spent considerable time around Sunday School curriculum. To a person just getting started, the jargon in that quote is gibberish. (Translation: TM =teacher manual; BLAs=Bible learning activities; S book=student book; TR=teaching resources.)
It takes only 10 or 15 minutes to give a new volunteer a hands-on introduction to the essential curriculum materials he or she will use. Emphasize and explain these items in the teacher manual
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Lesson aims tell us why we’re teaching the lesson and what we plan for learners to accomplish by the end of the session.
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The lesson focus statement is the one important truth we want every learner to remember.
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The session schedule is how we divide the time during the session. Each segment is important because it contributes to a balanced learning experience.
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Learning activities are ideas that suggest ways to involve learners actively to accomplish the learning aims.
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Lesson content (Bible story) contains the information we will present or help learners discover, always making sure it leads up to or reinforces understanding of the lesson focus statement.
Show where the related curriculum pieces (student book, teaching resources) are referred to and what their function is in stimulating interest, clarifying or simplifying information, and guiding towards life application.
© 2003 Gospel Publishing House, Springfield, MO. Permission to duplicate for local church use only.
