How Frequently Should Churches Train Their Volunteers?

After a volunteer has been screened, fingerprinted, and approved, they can get to work. However, training shouldn’t end just when they start. In fact, regular training can help your volunteers remember safety when they’re working.

Can You Do Too Much Training?

Make sure you don’t exhaust your volunteers with too much training. Bob Wild, a veteran risk manager, admitted that his team initially made the mistake of mandating monthly safety meetings.

Volunteers are often parents with jobs or obligations. They will not want to sit in for a lecture every thirty days. If the training burden is too heavy, you will lose your best people, not because they don’t care about safety, but because they are exhausted.

When Should You Do Training for Volunteers?

A more sustainable model strikes a balance between regular touchpoints and major education events.

1. Quarterly: Switching to a four-times-a-year quarterly schedule can keep the information fresh without dominating the calendar. These sessions can be shorter and more targeted, reminding people of key protocols and allowing leadership to address any minor issues from the previous three months.
2. Annual Summit: While quarterly meetings keep the engine running, you can also do an annual safety summit. This is a mandatory meeting for every volunteer, from the parking lot team to the nursery workers. However, this is a big ask! How can you make it worth their time?

• Respect the Time: Keep it tight (e.g., three hours maximum).
• Feed Them Well: Do not just offer stale donuts. Provide a real breakfast or lunch. Bob Wild’s philosophy is simple: “Get to the facts, then get to the food.”
• Make-Up Class Options: If someone misses the main session, add a designated make-up class.

Who Can You Bring In to Speak?

Don’t let your summit be boring enough that people want to tune out!

If you want to make your summits more interesting, bring in a guest who your volunteers will be interested to learn from and more likely to listen to. You can try:

• Law Enforcement: You can invite a chief or an officer to speak for thirty minutes on current crime trends in the community.
• Legal Counsel: You can also bring in an attorney or an insurance agent (someone professional, preferably with a suit to continue their credibility) to explain liability and mandatory reporting laws.

When a lawyer tells a volunteer, “If you see a bruise and don’t report it, you could personally face fines or jail time,” the room listens, because they know what they’re talking about. It validates what the internal leadership has been saying and adds a layer of professional gravity.

Staying Current with a Changing World

Retraining is also vital because the threats evolve. Ten years ago, training did not need to cover “burner phones,” Snapchat, or social media. Five years ago, training didn’t have to discuss AI. Things are always changing, so your trainings should, too.

Learn how churches can train volunteers here.