I get this question all of the time: “Should volunteers join the Network?”
Here’s my answer: “Yes.”
And then come the “but” comments…
- But it’s kind of expensive
- But they don’t need the same kind of networking
- But I can get the info and just pass it along to them
- But we don’t have the budget for that
So we do ask the volunteer youth ministry leader to join the Network, to come to the Extravaganza and to participate in the other aspects of the Network. We believe that we are a stronger Network because our membership is diverse in this way.
And so here’s what we do to try and make the Network and the Extravaganza accessible to the volunteer: We work hard to make the Extravaganza as affordable as possible. We know that your continuing education (or wherever you find your funding) is valuable, and we’re committed to a great event at as affordable a cost as possible. And we believe that the resources that come from the Network and the “E” are of value to the volunteer, and the results of our evaluations seem to bear that out.
We hear things like:
- “We never knew these resources existed!”
- “There is so much out there”
- “These workshops helped me re-think my whole ministry”
- “I want more training!”
Volunteers love coming to the Extravaganza.
So yes, if you are a volunteer, please join us in New Orleans this February. If you are a professional who works with volunteers in your congregations, consider trying to figure out a way to bring them along. Yes, it’s a big-ticket item, we know that. But we believe in raising the bar for ministry across the church and we believe that if your congregation is able to invest in them in this way, the results in growth for your ministry will be exponential.
Blessings!
Todd
Network is a Verb 