During my time in Youth Ministry I have seen leader trainings done many different ways. In different seasons of ministry, and for different events, different styles of training are necessary.
Furthermore, I have discovered that sticking to one style of training while excluding others is detrimental to the growth of the leaders in your ministry. So as you read about the different ways you can train leaders, pray about how you will implement them in your ministry.
3 Ways to Train Leaders:
1. Large Group Trainings
Large Group Trainings are best way to cast a consistent message to the masses. In addition, large group trainings stir camaraderie among the volunteers in your ministry. There’s just something special about having your whole volunteer base together to think, dream, and pray in the same direction! But here’s the kicker: What you provide better be good. The worst thing in the world is a long, boring, low quality group training where leaders are wondering why they stuck around after church when they could be at lunch or on the couch watching football!
Pros:
- Same vision cast to a large group
- Time efficient.
- Camaraderie.
Cons:
- Content better be high quality and engaging.
- Hard to get 100% attendance.
- Not overly relational.
2. Small Group Trainings
I love Small Group Trainings! Our Small Groups are divided by grades and we recently moved away from large group trainings for our small group leaders and moved toward…wait for it…small group trainings for small group leaders! Poof! (That was your mind.)
Small group trainings allow for great content to be distributed with a personal touch. Not only can you make sure that all your leaders understand the direction and vision of the ministry, but you can get specific on how everything applies to the ministry/group they lead.
Pros:
- Vision and instruction cast directly.
- Mission can be localized to specific groups.
- You can hear back from your leaders directly.
Cons:
- Multiple meetings over multiple weeks to reach everyone.
- Vision must be cast over time rather than instantly.
3. One-on-One Trainings
These are by far my favorite! There is nothing more fulfilling than meeting with one of your leaders, having a heart-to-heart, pouring into them, and having them pour into you. The depth of conversation and connection that happen when you meet with each of your leaders cannot be replicated in larger gatherings!
Pros:
- Deep conversation & deep connection.
- Relationship builders.
- Personal & ministry development.
Cons:
- Takes FOREVER in larger ministries.
- Calendar nightmare.
Final Thoughts:
How are you training your leaders? What’s working for you? How are you implementing each of these types of trainings? The goal of this post was not to reveal something new and groundbreaking, but rather to get you thinking about how intentional you are with your leader trainings.
I’d love to hear what’s working for you! Comment below!
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David Hanson: Texas native, Texas Tech Red Raider, M.Div. at Truett Seminary, husband to Ashley, father to Ava & Ben, Student Pastor at LifePoint Church in Plano, Tx, table tennis (ping-pong) extraordinaire, addicted to coffee. For anything else…you’ll just have to ask.
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