7 Tips to Recruit VBS Volunteers

It’s the time of year when VBS directors are recruiting volunteers for the week of VBS. It’s an exciting time, but it can also be challenging to get enough teens and adults to sign up to volunteer. So we asked the community over on our Answers VBS Facebook page for tips on how to recruit volunteers. Here’s what they shared:

• Start early. Be enthusiastic because that matters, be organized. People want to volunteer but also want to know what needs to be done. — A.L.
• I personally talk to specific people for specific roles. I get a significantly higher rate of volunteers versus blanket announcements. Plus, I have people hand-picked for specific roles too. — A.R.
• Get the youth group involved. — B.P.
• Pray. The harvest is plentiful, and the laborers are few—ask the Lord of harvest to send them. It’s what he tells us to do, and it’s the one thing that we don’t do. — R.E.
• I try to give everyone in the church a reasonable outlet to help. The shoppers can donate, the social media warriors can share posts, the artistic ones can make props, etc. We’ve been greatly blessed to have almost 100% participation by the time all is said and done. — A.W.
• Announce it everywhere. We start around January. Then, ask specific people for specific jobs. Once you have your leaders, have them begin asking people. Personal invites go a long way. We are a church of about 150 and usually have 60ish volunteers. — C.P.A.
• Feed them and they will come. — E.P.

The tip that was shared over and over again was this one: ask people individually. Print posters, make announcements during church, play promotional videos to excite people, and then follow up with specific people. A personal invitation is much more effective (and memorable) than simply announcing the need before the entire church.

Find promotional tools at AnswersVBS.com and join our Facebook community to share your advice and learn from others as we get closer to our 2022 Answers VBS, Zoomerang: Returning to the Value of Life.