I’ll never forget the first volunteer training meeting I had as a brand-new children’s pastor. I had prepared curriculum samples and gathered all the volunteers. I showed them our new curriculum and then asked what they thought.

The first person spoke up and said she didn’t like it. Then it all went downhill from there—everyone had some negative feedback to share. I left the meeting feeling overwhelmed and discouraged.

I realized afterward that I had failed to get the key leaders involved in the process of evaluating and choosing curriculum, and waited until it was too late to get their input and buy-in. After that meeting I almost quit ministry, but I decided to hang in there and learn from it!

And I didn’t make that mistake again. An important part of implementing a new curriculum is getting buy-in from your key leaders. Invite them into the process early and truly listen to their input.

Once you’ve chosen your new curriculum, here are 5 tips for training your volunteers for the new curriculum.

The curriculum helps with structure and format for teaching, but the volunteers are the ones who bring lessons to life and do the real ministry.

two young adults talking

5 Ways to Train Volunteers Up for Success with a New Curriculum

1. Cast the vision.

Determine the goal and the core values for the curriculum and make that your starting place. If your curriculum provides it, share videos or slides (to give a visual depiction) that communicate the philosophy, values, and vision for the curriculum.

Go through the scope and sequence so volunteers know what kids will be learning and how the lessons are structured throughout the year.

2. Review lessons and talk through logistics.

Provide several sample lessons for each age group. If your curriculum uses a web portal, display it and watch tutorial videos (if available). Help volunteers understand how to access the lessons, how to edit the lessons (if applicable), and how they will prepare and teach the lessons.

If using media, show volunteers how to access and teach using the media. Ask their preference for lesson-delivery. Make sure to communicate how early they’ll get the lessons, and expectations for advance prep or gathering or ordering supplies. If using monthly themes or decorations, plan who will participate and how it will be done.

If any churches nearby use the curriculum, it may be helpful to set up a time to visit and observe (or even just meet with the leaders and hear how they’re using it). Some curriculum lines may have sample videos showing leaders teaching the service, or webinars to show how to use the lessons.

3. Run a sample service.

One of the best children’s ministry training events I did was a service run-through with just the volunteers. Looking at a lesson and leading or participating in a lesson can be completely different.

Choose your top-tier teachers and leaders to run through a condensed version of the lesson and invite the volunteers to participate and learn how the lessons flow and figure out what parts of the lesson need to be tweaked for your context.

Don’t forget to talk through things like what volunteers can do if they have extra time (or the opposite: if they need to cut things out of the lesson!), or what they can do if the lesson gets off-track or the kids lose interest.

Offer tips for classroom management and including all kids. Make the training worth their time by adding value to their lives and developing their leadership skills. Doing a service run-through with volunteers can also help with bonding and team building as they feel a sense of teamwork and belonging. Make sure to offer lots of encouragement and affirm their gifts!

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4. Answer questions.

Don’t forget to offer a time of Q/A and go over the details with your team. Talk through the ancillary resources available with your curriculum, such as parent resources or resources for various age groups or including kids with special needs.

5. Provide a way to gather continual feedback and extend training.

Let the volunteers know how they can share feedback with you after they serve. One children’s pastor I know had an automatic text or email set up for each volunteer after they served. The automatic message featured three simple questions: What went well today? What didn’t go well today? Is there anything I need to know or anything I can do to help?

It was short and sweet, and offered a great way for volunteers to give immediate feedback.

Gather continual feedback from your team even after the initial introduction to a new curriculum. You could also set up a “feedback form” with slips of paper and a box or envelope near your volunteer station or send out quarterly evaluation forms. Continue to share feedback and teaching tips with volunteers regularly. If your curriculum has a blog or ongoing training resources, send regular digital communications including these resources.

Empower Your Volunteers Before They Step into the Classroom

Start your volunteer training with a group meeting, but don’t let it stop after the meeting. You can provide training through short pre-service huddles, emails or texts, or one-on-one conversations. Offer tips and feedback to your team regularly as you start using the curriculum. If something isn’t working, help them find a solution or a way to make it better (for example, if the kids aren’t engaged in Bible story videos, switch to live teaching, etc.).

A curriculum training meeting could look like:

  • Vision-casting and curriculum overview: 10 minutes
  • Review sample lessons and talk through logistics: 10 minutes
  • Lesson run-through: 25 minutes
  • Leadership training (classroom management, role-specific training): 15 minutes
  • Q/A and details: 15 minutes
  • Prayer and closing encouragement: 10 minutes

Your training serves to introduce the volunteers to the curriculum and its values and vision, as well as build your team and help them feel prepared and set up for success as they serve. Remind them that they don’t have to be Bible experts or crazy entertainers or spend hours preparing the lessons.

Build Confidence Before Sunday: Training Volunteers on Curriculum

The curriculum is there to guide and support them, but the best ministry happens through relationships and the work of the Holy Spirit. Kids won’t remember every detail of every lesson, but kids will remember volunteers who cared about them and shared God’s love for them, who listened to them, and who showed up consistently to point them to Jesus.

The curriculum helps with structure and format for teaching, but the volunteers are the ones who bring lessons to life and do the real ministry.

Looking for a New Curriculum?

Let us help. Take our Fit Finder or check out these helpful articles as you explore.