Got training? For many church leaders this important area of equipping is often overlooked. We find a warm body, place then into a volunteer role, and then heave a sigh of relief. “Here’s the Leader’s Guide, have fun!”

The benefit of training your volunteers is not limited to just great performance and skill development. More importantly, effective training is directly linked to a person’s growth in discipleship.

So where do you begin? When training your volunteers, consider intentionally training towards the three Cs: Character, Content, and Competencies.

Character
Help your volunteers discover who they are in Christ and how to live (and lead) as the forgiven people of God. Incorporate spiritual nurture and development into your training plan. This could be as simple as including devotions at each meeting.

Content
Discuss what volunteers need to know to be successful. I once called a church that had a volunteer receptionist who said she didn’t know how to transfer a call to someone’s voice mail. How unfortunate for that person to be placed in a situation with no training for her to be successful! Obviously, content will vary by position, but it should include all the things your volunteers need to know to be effective in their ministry role.

Competencies
Affirm what your volunteers are able to do, or need to perform. Does the volunteer have the skills to accomplish the job? Do their spiritual gifts match the position? Determine this before placing someone in a ministry role to make sure you have a good match. Affirm what each person brings to the position, then allow them to utilize their gifts and abilities.

When you train for Character, Content, and Competencies you’ll equip your volunteers for ministry success!

[Editor’s Note:  This content is available online through Group’s Good to Go Volunteer Training.]