A number of youth workers have commented that they haven't built team in their setting because of a lack of committed volunteers.
My reflection though is that it is difficult to have committed volunteers if there isn't team.
I know this sounds a bit like, "what is the sound of one hand clapping?" but I really think it's true. Waiting until you have committed leaders to try and form and develop team will not work, it is unlikely you will have that level of commitment from people just turning up for task. (In the early days of being a Parish based worker I nearly lost one really gifted volunteer because I asked to little of them and hadn't put enough energy into team so am reflecting from painful experience).
I wrote a piece on recruitment a while back and team is part of that Matrix. It is hard I know to recruit volunteers BUT when inviting people into a vision ...and a team that is working with that vision, it becomes significantly more achievable.
As one of the commenter's on the Rota entry said, belonging to a series of rotas is not very rewarding.
We need to build the Fun, trust and Vision that makes for team as this is a great way to work, it is a place that fosters commitment AND it's a way of modelling and living out Kingdom among young people in a way that one Youth worker simply cannot. (The other thing that happens with team is that the creativity abounds in a way that one person alone cannot hope to achieve)
Bit of a ramble but it's related to conversations with Youth Workers .... and has cropped in several times with Churches reviewing projects, where they have been delighted with their Youth workers ability to build rapport with young people but have been saddened that the worker had not managed to build and develop team.
Not easy I know ....... but needs to be a more significant intention than being on the, "Things I need to get round to at some point" list.
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