Everyone knows that the unspoken goal of Preschool volunteers everywhere is to simply keep the blood inside their tiny little bodies until their parents come back to pick them up.
This seems like a very simple goal and one better attained if you have another leader by your side. I realize that there may be some of you out there who have never had the luxury of leading alongside someone else for one reason or another. Let me just say you’re missing out! Besides the fact that there is safety in numbers, when you co-lead there is so much more that can happen in the lives of your preschoolers, their families, as well as within yourself.
For your preschoolers, co-leading allows for consistency each week in the way that they are greeted at the door and poured into each Sunday morning. Another great thing about co-leading lies in the idea of divide and conquer—which can be the best plan of action when Johnny needs to “go potty” and Mary already went potty…
Let’s face this universal truth for a second: preschoolers can smell out fear or change of plan within a 50 foot radius and have the ability to wreak havoc when they detect one of those factors. So the old stand-by of throwing a newbie into a preschool room alone just to have a warm body in your spot when you’re sick or on vacation just isn’t gonna cut it. When you co-lead, you minimize the chance of breaking that oh-so-fragile (yet necessary) routine.
So how does this happen? More often than not, it’s a simple question of inviting a friend to just come and see. There’s any number of ways to approach it from: “I need some help with the preschoolers I teach on Sundays. How good are you with safety scissors?” to “Just come and see what it’s like. You don’t have to commit to anything.”
In addition to friends, another great pool of potential leaders in is the parents themselves. You just need to look for those that would be a good fit for your personality and who could balance anything you may see as your weaknesses.
Another great place to seek out a co-leader would be your Student Ministry. Often times, students are seeking places to serve as they strive to develop their own personal ministry.
No matter where you find your co-leader there’s one thing to keep in mind… You never know the great things that God will show you until you simply ask!
If you’ve already found a co-leader, tell us how! And what do you love most about co-leading?
As a preschool ministry director I help new volunteers find their perfect spot in ministry. That involves matching personalities as well as teaching skills and gifts with the leaders in each class and teams usually blend well. However, having served with family and friends I know the extra joy and satisfaction that comes from being closely connected with my team mates on multiple levels. Ideas and inspiration for the next week or lessons learned became part of our everyday discussions and we could better see God’s working in and through us.
I have also found that new believers or those who are still seeking to find out more about Jesus are also great volunteers in the preschool and children’s ministry areas. They often don’t know the foundations of creation, the stories of heroes and those who did not choose wisely that we take for granted. Childlike faith comes at any age and hearing the rest of the story can make all the difference for salvation decisions in their lives.