As God leads you to take steps of faith to help young people, it is exciting to know that God has others He wants to involve in this work. You are not alone.
God has people prepared to help the students at your school. He has connected us like all the parts of the body, a hand to a wrist or a head to a neck. He has called us all to work together for His kingdom (1 Corinthians 12). However, sometimes we need a little help knowing how to start working together like one body.
There are many ways to start working together. You can look for student leaders on the campus or develop a church partnership. However, a great place to start is to simply plan a meeting to get information out to other adults whom you can invite to volunteer with you in Cru.
Start with a Specific Mindset
Before you start planning your Cru volunteer information meeting, it’s important to have the mindset that is seen in Matthew 9:36-38.
When He saw the crowds, He had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field.”
When you see the crowds of students pouring out of the school’s doors at dismissal, take some time to reflect on these verses. There are three big takeaways that we need to remember every time we go to the campus. These same three things give us a great foundation as we plan and prepare for our informational meeting.
- See what Jesus sees. When we look at students on campus, we need to see the spiritual need they have. “They were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” Jesus also says that many people are ready to come to Him. “The harvest is plentiful…”
- Feel what Jesus feels. “He had compassion on them.”
- Pray what Jesus would pray. “Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers…”
When Jesus tells us that the harvest is plentiful, think about the school you want to reach. There are plenty of students at your school who need the new life and the hope Christ offers them. Not only does Jesus tell us that the harvest is plentiful, but He also tells us to pray and ask Him to send workers (followers of Jesus) who can help.
Pray, pray some more, and ask others to pray with you.
Jesus tells His disciples to ask God to send more people who can join in the work, who can help with the harvest. There are many people ready to come to Him, so our first step is to pray! We need to ask the Lord of the Harvest to send out workers who can help bring hope to the students on our campus.
Prayer must be our foundation. The following steps won’t really matter if we do them on our own. We might succeed in being kind or achieving our own goals, but the vision that Jesus is casting for us is more about God and what He wants for His harvest than what we want.
Always start with prayer.
As you and others pray, write down any names of people who come to mind. One way to think of ideas of who could volunteer to work with you is to use a list of possible volunteer roles.
It is important to remember that working directly with teenagers is not for everyone. You may need volunteers who can lead small groups or outreach gatherings. Some people may be better in a supporting role. As you make your list and pray for these people, consider what the students will need from volunteers, especially those working directly with students.
Young people need a safe person who is able to listen well and someone who will try to relate to them by taking an interest in their world. They need someone who is able to balance both grace and truth. Some people can be that kind of volunteer and some people will need a different role. So carefully consider what roles would be the best fit for the people on your list.
Remember our foundation verse; your volunteers need to be leaders who have compassion, leaders who see what Jesus sees when they look at young people. While volunteers may have different roles, each role has value, like the parts of a body.
Have you ever considered getting involved with Cru and investing in teenagers? Now is your chance!
Pick a strategic location and ideal time to have your meeting. As you look at the list of people, is there a place that works best for them? It would be great to choose a spot that many people already know about and visit. That could be a church, a library, the school, a family home, or a coffee shop with a meeting room.
Try to use a similar process when it comes to picking a time. Is there a time you think will work best for the group you want to bring together?
Here are a few other helpful things to keep in mind:
- Involve others in helping to choose a time and place.
- There is rarely a perfect time and place that will work for everyone. Ask time and place questions of a few key people, but do not be discouraged if only half of the people you invite can make it. Do your best.
- Give three weeks notice. This does not mean you cannot ask someone to come a few days before the gathering, but planning about three weeks ahead is a good idea.
- Pick a specific time to start and end, then stick to those times. Everyone has differing ideas on time. Some will come late or plan to stay after; however, having clear start and end times accommodates those who do not have flexible schedules. As the leader, start on time and dismiss at the end time, but give an open invitation to stay later for anyone who wants to talk more or missed the start of the meeting.
- Keep your meeting to two hours or less. Finish presenting at least 15 minutes early to allow people to connect or ask specific questions.
When you prayed for volunteers, God brought specific people to mind. This step involves a step of faith to personally invite them.
Invite them using the kind of communication that fits them best. Some people like a text more than a phone call. Ask those who were praying with you if they can personally invite the people they suggested, especially if they know them better than you do. Be sure to personally invite everyone God has brought to mind as soon as you can.
Here is an example of what your invitation could be:
“Hello [name of friend], I would like to invite you to a Cru volunteer information meeting on [specific date] at [specific location] from [start time] to [end time]. Cru is an organization that is committed to helping the students at our school. In Cru, we want safe and caring adults who can help teenagers create a community where they can learn more about God, make great friendships, and make the school a better place. I thought of you because I thought you would really help us reach out to students and care for them.”
You will have three main goals for your meeting that will serve as a base for the schedule:
- Make people feel welcome.
- Share the needs of the school and how Cru can help.
- Invite people to volunteer with Cru.
Welcoming people may not seem that important, but it sets the mood of the whole meeting and helps people feel comfortable. First impressions are huge, so consider providing food to create an atmosphere of community and care. Name tags may help if you have people from different social arenas. Don’t forget to take a moment for short introductions so people start to feel a connection with one another.
Sharing the needs of the campus is essential. This is the main reason you are having this meeting, to discuss what the problem is and how Cru can help. If you know a student or recent graduate, ask them to share. They could describe the spiritual needs of students today, share how Cru has helped them, and how Cru is reaching their friends. Make sure you take the time to help the student prepare what they plan to share. If you do not have a student involved in Cru, you can share these things along with some of the future outreach plans Cru has at your school.
Invite them to join you with a specific call to action. Having a handout for this part of the meeting is often very helpful. It helps them get familiar with Cru and prepares them to engage in the conversation.
During the meeting, briefly explain how those volunteer roles can help teenagers and describe the application process for becoming a volunteer. Give a clear ask at the end of your meeting and provide a way for them to respond.
You may want to have a response card to collect their responses. You will want to ask everyone to jot down their name along with the best phone number or email and any volunteer role in which they are interested. If you decide not to use a response card, you could create a sign-up sheet instead.
Whatever you use, it is important for people to be able to take action on what you asked them. Even if that answer is “no,” at least you have a clear response and can move on to whoever is next.
There are a few things you can do about 3-4 days in advance to prepare for a great meeting:
- Keep praying and asking the Lord of the harvest to send out workers.
- If you have a student sharing, sit down with them and go over what they will be sharing.
- Check-in with the location for your meeting to make sure everything is set.
- Send out individual texts to let everyone know you are looking forward to seeing them. It doesn’t hurt to mention the date, time, and place as a reminder.
- Gather your supplies. Print your handout, response cards, and schedule. Get some extra pens for people to use at the meeting. Do not forget name tags.
This is the main event. Plan to arrive early and help with any set-up. Have a meeting schedule prepared for any other leaders or speakers.
- Pray for a great meeting.
- Start on time.
- Welcome everyone and ask them to introduce themselves.
- Share the needs students have. Use a video if you’d like.
- Talk about how Cru can help meet those needs and what Cru might look like in your area.
- Share the impact volunteers can have in the lives of students.
- Distribute your handout. Briefly describe the possible volunteer roles and the volunteer application process.
- Hand out your response cards. Ask everyone to fill out the form and return it to you.
The people you invited could be an immediate answer to your prayer for workers. However, many of them may not be sure right away if they can commit. Use your response cards and follow up with them about 3-4 days after your invitation.
You might think 3-4 days is too soon, but it is not. In our culture, we each get dozens of messages a day. If someone received your invitation on a Sunday night, by Tuesday evening they may have had 100 other messages directed at them. Without follow-up, your invitation may stay near the bottom of a growing list of new messages. Of course, if they need more time to think about it, give them the time they need, but ask them when would be a better time to follow up with them.
Leave the Results to God
You can take the initiative, but ultimately the results of this meeting are up to God. We can share Cru’s vision with others who have a heart for students: parents, youth pastors, coaches, teachers, or church members. We can share what is happening with the High School Ministry of Cru and invite them to join us at a volunteer informational meeting. However, God will need to do the work of changing hearts and minds. It might not happen the way we hope, but it will be exciting to see what God will do when we work together like one body.
The harvest is indeed plentiful, and you do not have to work alone. Invite others to come and see what God might do in the lives of young people on your campus. We believe teenagers who are taking steps of faith for God will drastically change the world, so volunteers can definitely make an impact on their local schools.
