During my first year and a half of student ministry, I had to fire 3 committed volunteers. I was only 23 years old, had never served on a church staff, and now I was expected to lead volunteers who were twice my age! What a welcome to Student Ministry!

Why did I have to fire the volunteers?

The bottom line was that the volunteers lacked the understanding or willingness to take a season off in order to recover from life's circumstances. It was tough! I do not enjoy confrontation, but I learned that it can not be avoided when the situation has the potential to damage your ministry.

So, how do you do what you really don't want to do- when you know it is what you need to do?

Here are just a few suggestions:

Be careful not to make assumptions
I noticed the main voice of concern came from volunteers who were serving alongside the individual. I began by asking them to tell me their observations concerning the volunteer. I wanted to protect myself from making false assumptions about the volunteer before actually hearing their side of the story. (If possible, have evaluations throughout the year. This may give you or other division leaders an inside look into the personal lives of your volunteers).

Confront the problem immediately
Next, I would ask the volunteer to meet 1on1, so that we could discuss the issue. I often would start by asking a lot of questions about how they thought things were going in their particular area of ministry. Are they still passionate about serving in student ministry? Have they seen their spiritual gifts expressed in this area of student ministry? Do they feel like they work well with other leaders? Are there any life circumstances that may keep them from serving with their fullest potential? Together we identify the problem and decide on a few possible solutions. Then, I would allow time for them to correct their behavior or for the circumstance to improve before actually firing the volunteer. Sometimes the volunteers may not recognize there is a problem.

Suggest taking a season off
If the leader is continuing to struggle in his/her position and is unable to meet necessary expectations in their position, they may need to take a season off. For example, our small groups leaders are asked to serve from August-May. There have been times where I have asked a volunteer to take a season off for a semester and guarantee them a position back on our team at the beginning of the next semester. I wanted them to know that they are valued and I wanted them on our team.

Ask the volunteer to step down
Still there are circumstances where the volunteer may be serving in the wrong position, at the wrong time, or they are not meeting expectations. Then, it is best to meet with the volunteer one-on-one and ask them to step down from their position. Be sure to give them specific examples of why they are being asked to step down. If possible, you may want to give them suggestions of other ministry opportunities, taking a Spiritual Gifts test, or they may need to rest altogether.

Wouldn't ministry be easier if we didn't have to work with people?! May you use these challenges to grow as a leader and to grow your ministry team. I have had volunteers thank me for encouraging them to take a season off and they were able to return to Student Ministry refreshed and ready to serve! Press on! Volunteers help make ministry happen!

- Mary Margaret Mitterling
Brazos Pointe Fellowship


For more on how to fire a volunteer see Your First Two Years of Youth Ministry by Doug Fields.

http://www.simplyyouthministry.com/community-articles-from-the-field.html