Mark starts helping with our 5th graders last month. Really nice guy, wants to help. So I hand him this fifteen-page packet - volunteer handbook, safety policies, behavior management, curriculum overview, emergency procedures, everything.

Next week he shows up looking like I hit him with a truck. Admits he didn't read most of it because it was too much, too confusing, and he didn't know what actually mattered.

Today we're talking about volunteer training that actually works instead of information overload - from starting tiny to letting people follow experienced volunteers to why stories stick better than policies. Plus how I learned that good training focuses on what volunteers are scared of, not what I think they need to know.

If you're overwhelming new volunteers with everything at once and wondering why they look terrified, this one's for you. Fair warning: you might have to throw out your comprehensive training manual and start over.

For ministry leaders, volunteer coordinators, and anyone who's discovered that more training doesn't always mean better training.

Check out KidsMinistry.Blog for more ideas, tips, and resources to help your Children's Ministry thrive!