No one loves sitting through a meeting that could have been an email—and your volunteers are no exception. At the same time, not everything fits neatly into a short message or weekly update. Sometimes we need space to talk things through. Sometimes we need to brainstorm, dream ahead, or share the fuller context behind an event or decision.
Volunteers need a lot from us to feel confident and connected—practical training, clarity around expectations, and support as they navigate real challenges in ministry. While a long email might seem like the easiest solution, it often misses the chance for conversation, connection, and shared understanding.
And if you’ve ever hesitated to put another meeting on the calendar, you’re not alone.
- Maybe attendance has been low in the past.
- Maybe the value wasn’t clear.
- Maybe it just felt hard to know what would actually make the meeting worth everyone’s time.
The truth is, volunteer meetings really matter. They create space for your team to connect and they’re an important way to invest in your volunteers with intention. When done well, meetings can be something your team actually looks forward to.
So if you’re looking for ways to make your volunteer meetings feel more meaningful than an email, we’re here to help. Here are five things to consider as you create meetings your volunteer team will actually enjoy.
PICK A TOPIC
This one seems pretty self-explanatory, but it’s a huge step to creating a meeting that’s impactful and enjoyable. The fastest way to get volunteers to check out is to start a meeting with “So, what should we talk about today?” There’s definitely a time and place for these types of discussions, but your scheduled meetings aren’t one of them.
You’ll want to pick your topic and head of time, and it should be something relevant to what your volunteers need. This could be training in a specific ministry area, a brainstorm meeting about your upcoming summer camp theme, or a conversation about something kids or teenagers are dealing with today. You’ll also want to make sure you can connect this topic back to your vision for ministry so everything feels connected to your strategy. (And if you don’t have one, you can steal our volunteer strategy for children’s ministry or youth ministry!)
SCHEDULE, PROMOTE, PLAN
Nothing is worse than hearing a volunteer ask the day before your meeting, “Wait. We’re having a meeting?” Take time to schedule your meeting at least two months in advance and at a time they’ll already be at church, like a Sunday afternoon for lunch or after your weekly program.
Announce your meeting and your topic when you’re two months away from the date, and keep promoting it to your volunteers each week on social media, during your weekly huddles, and in your regular communications. As you plan your meeting, we recommend you keep your meeting to an hour, and make sure to include fun, food, celebrations, information, and announcements.
BUILD YOUR ENVIRONMENT
Unlike your weekly program, you don’t need to go all out with your volunteer meeting environment—at least, not all the time. There are a few things you’ll want to add in to help make these meetings feel fun and engaging—music, giveaways, tables, and chairs.
A few simple environment choices can go a long way. Play a fun playlist as people arrive to set the tone and help everyone feel at ease. Consider adding a small element of fun—like a quick game or a few gift cards for giveaways. Most importantly, think about how you seat your team. Arrange chairs in circles or around tables so conversation feels natural and everyone feels included.
FEED THEM
Sharing food is a great way to build relationships and a great way for you to practically show how much you care about your team. If you’re asking your volunteers to meet during lunch or dinner, be sure to provide a full meal for them. (And… maybe not pizza. They get plenty of that during your events for students.)
If you’re asking volunteers to meet outside of a regular lunch or dinner time, provide a snack instead of a full meal. Offer doughnuts and coffee, a nacho bar, or a make-your-own sundae station. You might even use the Volunteer Survey to gather a spread of their favorite snacks.
TRAIN THEM
Once you’ve eaten and connected with your team, it’s time for the training. We recommend 30-40 minutes of teaching and discussion for each of your meetings. This could be 15 minutes of training followed by a discussion time, or your could alternate between training and discussion. Do what works best for you and for the topic you’re covering. Just be sure to include both training and discussion. If you have more than ten volunteers, split your discussion into table groups. If you have ten or fewer volunteers, let the discussion happen as one large group. Then, after the meeting, make sure to follow up with your volunteers with a quick text thanking them for their time!
With just a few thoughtful changes, you can create volunteer meetings that feel meaningful, encouraging, and worth showing up for. And while it may seem like a lot to plan, you don’t have to start from scratch. But if you need an extra hand, we’ve made a resource just for you! We’ve made 5 meeting guides to help you give your volunteers practical training all year long.
If you need more volunteer resources, check out the Grow Marketplace! It’s full of helpful tools and resources to train, lead, and connect with your volunteers. Whether you’re planning months ahead or pulling something together for next week, the Grow Marketplace makes it easy to find exactly what you need, when you need it. Grow is more than just curriculum—it’s everything you need for your ministry, for the whole year or just for next week.
In this post, here’s what we’ll cover: