It’s amazing how people can rise to the occasion when you give them a chance to do so. The parent of two of my bar/bat mitzvah kids was interested in helping out when my co-teacher stepped down earlier this summer. I encouraged her to attend and help out, as she feels led to do so.
Her commitment slowly rose as she became more familiar with the kids, and this week, she led the lesson for the first time! It was a great moment and I learned a lot from stepping into a support role and letting someone else lead the class. The kids enjoyed it, too.
I think that’s probably an effective approach for involving new people into the ministry. Recognize what they are interested in, give them a chance to get involved, and let them grow into it. Some folks respond to a sudden, zero-to-60 commitment challenge, but I think the gradual approach works better and instills greater confidence and less burnout.
Soon volunteer helpers can become qualified leaders, if you set the table before them in the correct way, complete with tablecloth and all the place settings.
