Every children's ministry is different. Yet we all share common ground when it comes to volunteers: we never have enough and recruiting is a challenge.

Prior to teaching a workshop on volunteer recruiting and writing a book chapter on the same topic, I contacted several dozen churches and asked them to share their most successful strategies for 1) asking new volunteers to start and 2) challenging existing volunteers to expand their involvement. One approach, applicable to both scenarios, outnumbered all others by a ridiculous margin. What is this approach? A deliberate, personal conversation. Sure, this might sound too simple. Consider, though, how many people in the Bible responded to a one-to-one challenge. And while broad programs have an important role in ministry, people today still respond best to an individual they already know.

Dan is one of those people. But he didn't just show up on his own in Promiseland (the children's ministry of Willow Creek Community Church), he had help getting ...