Southeast Christian Church nursery needs volunteers

What are some creative ways to get more volunteers for Southeast Christian Churches nursery?

If you're having trouble getting your children checked in each week, then do what we did a year ago- step up and volunteer yourself. Yes it is very trying with 3 children under 3. Every other week we really struggle to make it to worship service, but we stepped up and helped out. However, the problem doesn't seem to be getting any better from what I can tell.

When I came to Southeast years ago the volunteer spirit around the church was much better. (see my past post on volunteering) I think that as a church we are probably doing a better job outside of the church, which is a better place to serve anyway. I'm from the school of thought that you can do both with excellence. Here are a few ideas I have to recruit, retain and motivate more volunteers to action in the nursery.

1) If you are on the sidelines watching and being served, get off the sidelines and serve. You will be blessed more by giving and serving that by being served.

2) If you have a weekend group (ABF class) that is more of a social group than a intimate bible study then consider disbanding it and volunteering together in the nursery.

3) If you have a weekend group that is thriving and its the only small group your involved with then consider meeting twice per month and volunteering twice per month.

4) If you are involved in a women's study, a men's study, a small group study and a weekend group; consider dropping the weekend group and volunteering instead.

5) Look at the other volunteer positions within the church and make them more efficient to allow a shift in volunteers to the nursery. A good example is the Sports Fitness Control Center. It usually takes 1-2 people to assist the part time staffer except for the busy winter months. Many times 3 volunteers are recruited for each shift. That is about 100 or more volunteers that could be shifted to the nursery. This is just one example.

6) Give me the names of all the people who don't call and don't show up for their volunteer commitments. If Christians, who are supposed to be the light of the world and salt of the earth, can't keep commitments then they should be called on this. I'm tired of free passes for apathetic Christians. I'll personally call them and give them a reminder and it won't come from staff at church. So they can't get mad at the church staff.

7) Setting up a small video service with communion and offering for those who volunteer in the nursery. This way parents can still attend a service. With 3 children checked in at 8:15 AM to volunteer for 9AM service, we would have to check in the kids for 4 and half hours to attend the 11:15 AM service. Our other option is to bring the kids all for Saturday service and then bring them back in the morning.