Episode 312: Shepherding and Discipling Volunteers with Kristi McElheney

<p><b>Shepherding and Discipling Volunteers with Kristi McElheney</b></p><p></p><p>Healthy children's ministries are built on healthy volunteers—but recruiting volunteers is only the beginning. In this episode, Kristi McElheney shares her memorable "donut" framework for shepherding and discipling volunteers, emphasizing that effective ministry starts with Jesus, grows from a leader's identity in Christ, and flourishes through intentional investment in volunteers.</p><p></p><p>Kristi explains why leaders must first anchor their own identity in God rather than ministry success, how to build meaningful relationships with volunteers, and practical ways to disciple teams through onboarding, training, observation, and feedback. Whether you're leading a handful of volunteers or an entire ministry team, this conversation will encourage you to move beyond volunteer management and into true spiritual leadership.</p><p></p><p><b>Timestamps:</b></p><p><b>00:00</b> – Meet Kristi McElheney and her ministry journey<br /><b>01:32</b> – The "donut" analogy for discipling volunteers<br /><b>02:16</b> – Why Jesus is the foundation of every volunteer strategy<br /><b>03:37</b> – The leader's identity: why the glaze comes before the sprinkles<br /><b>07:02</b> – The volunteers as the "sprinkles" and the discipleship cycle<br /><b>07:49</b> – Avoiding the trap of finding your identity in ministry success<br /><b>09:38</b> – Practical tools for discovering your God-given identity and purpose<br /><b>13:41</b> – Four steps to disciple volunteers: onboarding, training, observation, and feedback<br /><b>16:48</b> – Why observation isn't criticism—it's an investment in growth<br /><b>19:12</b> – Having difficult conversations with volunteers through relationship, not authority<br /><b>22:42</b> – Moving beyond volunteer management into genuine discipleship<br /><b>23:14</b> – Building relationships through prayer, conversations, and intentional follow-up<br /><b>25:31</b> – Creating volunteer trainings that foster spiritual growth, not just logistics<br /><b>26:47</b> – Why discipleship should be woven into every ministry environment<br /><b>27:20</b> – How to connect with Kristi McElheney</p><p></p><p>If you've ever struggled to recruit, retain, or shepherd volunteers, this episode offers practical wisdom and biblical encouragement to help you cultivate a thriving, spiritually healthy volunteer team.</p>