Struggling to staff your classrooms?
What if doubling the number of people assigned to a classroom led to more volunteers who stayed the course longer and felt supported and cared for along the way? I know this sounds crazy but it has worked for me for more than 32 years (and I serve in a church of under 200 adults).
Many years ago I felt God’s nudge to hold people to a higher standard, because our kids needed more consistency from their teachers. No more scrambling to fill classes each week, but call people to a commitment that would help our kids be known and flourish. They are too important to neglect. So, I began a new ministry model. In this model each class has 4-6 teachers assigned based on the size and ages of the class. 2-3 teachers serve each week in the class. There are two teams of teachers, a school-term team and a summer team. The school-term team must take the summer off to refresh.
Each team creates its own schedule. Some teams choose to serve every other week. Others serve two-weeks on and two-weeks off and still others develop schedules around their personal calendars.
The advantages of this model of ministry are:
- All classes are fully staffed by team members who are trained, and know the children, schedule and curriculum. There is consistency in leadership.
- All substitutions are done within the team, so no need for last minute scrambling by the Children’s Pastor to find substitutes.
- Teachers do not feel stuck. They can easily take time off for vacations or sick children. Team members support each other.
Created for and published in Children’s Ministry Magazine. www.childrensministry.com. Reprinted by permission. Copyright Group Publishing, All Rights Reserved.
