What is it about fall that seems to get us energized? For some it may be the start of the football season, for others it’s the cooler temperatures. Whatever the reason, now’s the time to help your volunteers get energized about keeping ministry safe.

Take these steps to protect your volunteers—and the people they serve:

Renew
“Who’s on first?” may be the question you need to ask your volunteers. Safe ministry begins with a full team to ensure you have enough hands on deck. Renew ministry commitments to find out who’ll be serving on the new schedule. A “rally event” is a great way to gather everyone together and recommit to the mission of your ministry.

Review
September is a great time to review ministry descriptions, position responsibilities, and training opportunities for each volunteer serving in your ministry. Make changes as needed and fill in the gaps that may be missing. You don’t want to hear in November, “I thought you were planning the Christmas program!”

Redo
Yes, in ministry there are some things you do over and over again. That’s certainly the case when it comes to safety. The baseline for background checks has become annual screening. Pull your records to see who needs to be rescreened. You might also want to redo child abuse prevention training, CPR classes, emergency preparedness, and other safety awareness training this month.

Renew, review, and redo the things necessary to keep your volunteers energized and on track for a safe ministry year.