Yes, the title to this article is to be sung to that peppy little tune from “Grease.” You remember that classic ending, with John Travolta and Olivia Newton John cavorting around the end-of-school carnival. They’re both so happy to have finally agreed that they’re meant for each other. When it’s time to recruit leadership for your small-group ministry, is this what pops into your head? I’m guessing, probably not. But what if it could be? What if recruiting was an exciting, fun, cooperative agreement to do something meaningful together?

In my last article [http://www.smallgroupministry.com/article.asp?ID=828], I gave a homework assignment. I asked you to think deeply about the roles you need filled in your ministry, and to consider the length of service, the time commitment, the skills necessary for the job and more. Hopefully you’ve come up with a comprehensive description of what a volunteer will do for your ministry in the role for which you’re recruiting. The document you’ve created is what I like to call your back story.

I’ve had some experience in the theater. It’s great to take the stage and tell an audience a compelling story. There are two ways you can go about putting on a play. One is to memorize the lines in the script and present them when the curtain goes up. The other is to get to know the character you’re portraying—understand why he or she might say what’s in the script, and what motivates that person. Those who take the time to create a full character with a history and an interesting story do a much better job on stage than those who’ve just rehearsed some lines. An audience will never see the back story, but without it the presentation just isn’t as compelling.

So, before you ever schedule an appointment with a potential volunteer, you need to develop a compelling back story. You need to be comfortable with details that may never be fully discussed. You need to know what you’re asking that person to do, why you’re asking him or her to do it, why he or she is the exact person to take on this challenge. Knowing all this makes it will likely make your invitation much more compelling.

First, people want to know that they can make a difference. They want to be involved in something that makes a difference in their church, town, business… the world. So the first question you want to be able to answer is, “What difference can I make if I do this?”

Then there’s a little thing called “fit.” What type of person is the ideal fit for the job you need done? What sort of temperament works for this role? What kind of time commitment will it take to do it right, and when does he or she need to be available? What sort of education, experience, influence, etc. would be a good fit for this role?

Create the role you need filled and what the very best person who might fill that role would look like. Then go about finding the person who is the best possible fit. So, let’s get on with the back story.

Get a plan. Perhaps one of the most important aspects is length of service and plan for transition. You must have a fully developed plan for turning over leadership in a volunteer organization. Since everyone has a desire to make a difference, it’s crucial to have ways for people to move into leadership roles to fulfill that desire. Far too often the church is guilty of having a select few hold leadership forever and never giving others the chance to lead. Identifying a term of service and a plan for transition protects your ministry and the volunteer. When considering the term of service, think about your ideal. If your small-group ministry runs by semesters, maybe you’re looking for a one-semester commitment. Perhaps it’s a full-year commitment with a review each semester to make sure everyone’s still satisfied with how things are going. If it takes a good solid year to really get into a groove, consider this a two year commitment.

Define “success.” Finally, your back story should include what success looks like and how you see your volunteer playing a role in making that success happen. If he or she consents to serve in your ministry, how will the ministry benefit? How will others benefit? How will the volunteer benefit? Answering these questions can serve as the energy that drives the entire invitation.

With your back story well developed, you’re ready to put together your list of candidates and start recruiting. Remember, you won’t necessarily share all the information you’ve developed. Just like in a good play, the back story gives depth, meaning and conviction to what you do and say. It gives you the backbone of confidence you’ll need to approach a prospective volunteer.

Next time, I’ll walk through the best way to ask someone to volunteer for your ministry.