How to Plan a Volunteer Discussion Group

When we think about training and leading others, we might picture an environment where one person is at the front of the room sharing their knowledge with others — like a teacher in a school. While this is a necessary part of our volunteer strategy, it’s not the only way to train and lead others. What if we took a step back and recognized the wisdom our volunteers could share with each other and you? That’s where Discussion Groups come in.

A Discussion Group is a gather with a small group of volunteers who work in a similar role, and the idea behind them is pretty simple: invite a small group of volunteers to join you for coffee, dessert, lasagna — whatever you want — so they can share some of their biggest successes, struggles, and the lessons they’ve learned along the way. Plus, you can easily host these discussion groups for your parents too!

So how do you do it? Let’s jump in!

EVERY YEAR

The premise of a volunteer discussion group is pretty simple: invite a small group of volunteers (about ten people) who serve in a similar area of ministry to join you for coffee and dessert (or chicken wings and soda) so they can share some of their biggest wins, struggles, and lessons learned. Each group fulfills a different purpose:

• MID-YEAR: This is your most important Discussion Group Guide! Use it to check in with your volunteers during the year and provide support in real-time.
• END-OF-YEAR: Use this Discussion Group Guide to review the previous year of ministry and get feedback before the new year begins.
• EVENT DEBRIEF: Use this Discussion Group Guide to review your big events, like camp or VBS.
• MINISTRY TRANSITION: Use this Discussion Guide to check in with your volunteers during times of significant change at your church.
• CRISIS CARE: Use this Discussion Guide to support your volunteer team during a time of crisis in your community.

Exactly how many Discussion Groups you need to schedule each year depends a lot on the number of volunteers you have and what else you have on your ministry calendar. But here are a few tips to help you figure out how many Discussion Groups is right for you.

• DON’T SCHEDULE THEM DURING BUSY MONTHS: If you already have a Volunteer Event or Volunteer Meeting scheduled in a certain month, don’t add a Volunteer Discussion Group to the calendar too— that’s a little too much activity for one month! If you haven’t already, we recommend using our Annual Planning Meeting Guide to help you strategize where all of your volunteer training efforts should live on the calendar. (And that planning resource is free! So why not?)
• PRIORITIZE THE MID-YEAR CHECK-IN: If you only have time for one Discussion Group this year, make this the one you do! These check-ins are designed to achieve multiple things at once:
  • Give volunteers a chance to connect with you and each other.
  • Give volunteers a chance to troubleshoot their challenges together before they get too frustrated.
  • Give you greater insight into their experiences and challenges so you can provide better support for the second half of the year.
• THEN ADD THE END-OF-YEAR CHECK-IN: Because not every volunteer will be returning for another school year with your ministry, this end-of-year check-in will likely be more beneficial for you (the ministry leader) than it will be for some of your volunteers. With that in mind, don’t be discouraged if it’s less attended than other Discussion Groups.
• THEN ADD YOUR EVENT DEBRIEFS: You don’t need these after every event, but are there any big events where you’d really like your volunteers to share their thoughts and experiences? If so, incorporate these into your calendar when you really need them, like after a camp or VBS. You could even incorporate this into the events themselves.
• SCHEDULE THE OTHER DISCUSSION GROUPS WHEN YOU NEED THEM: You won’t be able to plan ahead for a Discussion Group about a ministry transition or a crisis in your community, but if those situations pop up, don’t forget you’ve got a resource that can help!

EVERY DISCUSSION GROUP

Once you’ve decided when you’ll do these Discussion Groups and who you’ll invite, you’re ready to start planning them! And here’s the good news: since the success of these Discussion Groups depends on the wisdom, advice, and questions your volunteers bring to the table, they’re pretty easy to plan!

Remember, the purpose of these Discussion Groups is not for you to teach principles or cast vision. These discussion groups are very different from other methods of volunteer training you might be used to. Most of the time, we probably train our volunteers as if we’re the experts. These Discussion Groups, however, are an opportunity to help your volunteers see themselves (and each other) as the experts! The purpose is to engage your volunteers in collaborative conversation, coaching, and problem-solving so your volunteers can walk away from your discussion with plenty of practical ideas and lots of helpful advice. During these discussions, encourage your volunteers to share their own specific stories, ideas, and best practices so that other volunteers can learn from them and steal their ideas.

When you’re ready to plan your Discussion Group…

• LIMIT EACH DISCUSSION GROUP TO 10 PEOPLE: More than ten volunteers per group means everyone won’t get a chance to really be heard. If you have more than ten volunteers, you’ll need to either… Plan multiple Discussion Groups on different days to make sure everyone can participate. Have everyone meet on the same day, but split into smaller groups after everyone arrives.
• INVITE YOUR VOLUNTEERS: Rather than choosing a time and place on your own, talk with the volunteers you plan to invite and let them choose! That’s the beauty of a smaller gathering. If you have fewer than ten volunteers, inviting everyone should be pretty easy. But if you have more than ten on your team, here are a few things to keep in mind…
  • Mix up the genders! There’s no need to separate men and women in this context. In fact, your men and women definitely have insights, experiences, and techniques that will benefit everyone.
  • Keep similar roles together! Someone who runs the registration table in kids ministry won’t have that much in common with someone who’s leading a small group of teenagers. So make sure the people in each group actually serve in similar capacities.
• PREP YOUR SPACE: If you’re meeting at a coffee shop, restaurant, or remote workspace, you probably won’t need to worry much about the environment. It will already be pretty cozy. There may even be some music playing. But if you’re hosting your Discussion Group in a home or somewhere requiring set-up, we recommend either couches and armchairs or a big dining room table (covered in delicious food). You want your environment to feel welcoming and personal.
• PREP YOUR FOOD: If you can find a location with desserts and coffee (or appetizers and fountain drinks), you’re all set! Order a few things to share, or let everyone place their own order. Either way, pick up the tab for your team. If you’re hosting in a home or somewhere without the benefits of food service, grab a few trays of fun desserts and snacks.
• PRAY: Once you’ve prepared your questions, consider any specific questions, issues, or concerns you’d like to discuss with the volunteers you’ll be meeting with, and spend time in prayer.

When you’re finally sitting down with your volunteers in your Discussion Group…

• CATCH UP WITH EACH OTHER: Be sure to always start your discussions with your volunteers by letting everyone catch up personally. This connection will help pave the way for more honest and engaging conversations.
• BE A FACILITATOR: You know those skills you learned leading small groups of kids or teenagers? It’s time to use them again! As you facilitate the conversation…
  • Be conscious of the over-talkers and under- talkers in the group to make sure everyone has a chance to speak.
  • Redirect off-topic conversations warmly.
  • Affirm their contributions to the conversation by repeating their best insights, encouraging everyone to take notes, and saying outright when you love what someone has shared.
• ASK ABOUT THEIR SUCCESSES: What’s going well? What’s the best thing they’ve tried this year? What’s a great idea they had? What answers to prayer are they seeing?
• ASK ABOUT THEIR STRUGGLES: What challenges are they facing? What’s the most difficult part of their jobs as volunteers right now? What would make their jobs easier?
• FOLLOW-UP AFTERWARD: After your discussion, follow up with your volunteers with a quick text thanking them for their time. If you had a challenging conversation, be sure to follow up with them about that as well.

And that’s all there is to running your own volunteer discussion group! Looking for a few more resources to help you run your own groups? You can pick up Volunteer Discussion Group Guide from Grow Curriculum! It has everything you’ll need to make Volunteer Discussion groups part of your parent strategy!

Oh, and if you’re looking for other helpful resources for your ministry, check out Grow Curriculum! Grow is more than just kids and youth ministry curriculum. It’s everything you need for your ministry — for the whole year, or just for next week! There’s so much stuff ready for you to use over on the Grow Marketplace. We have volunteer resources, event guides, games, and so much more. Take a look for yourself and try something new!