How to promote your altar server program

September is coming, which means every group you only hear from once a year is now looking to get space in the bulletin (and back of the church) to promote that they're starting back and looking for new members.

Among those? Altar servers.

And let's face it: It's one of the most difficult groups to get new people for, because the target demographic is kids, many of whom in your parish probably aren't attending weekly and who you can't really promote to directly since they likely aren't reading the bulletin or email newsletter.

So how do we get new altar servers in your program this year? Here are three things to try:

While most of these would apply to any liturgical ministry, I wanted to focus on altar servers in particular because they are a unique group, since you have to market both to the parents and the kids themselves.

Promote why they should join, not why you need help.

Every interaction is a marketing pitch. So the first thing I always say when recruiting any type of volunteers is to think about it from their perspective.

Not why do you need/want volunteers, but how will it benefit them? What do they "get" out of it?

I know it feels self-serving, but it's how people think. So what benefit do servers get out of serving?

And we have to put it in their language. Kids aren't necessarily thinking about the honor of serving the parish and Jesus, but they might be attracted by getting to see the Mass up close or having a vital role to play that adults can't. Maybe they're looking for friends who share their faith or they want to do something at Mass besides just sit and watch from the pews.

And hey, the opportunity to swing the thurible or ring the bells is almost always an appealing sell.

Know where they are.

The other thing to think about with serving is knowing where your future servers are. Yes, you're marketing to the parents of course, but you're also pitching it to the kids too. They need to be on board.

So posting on social media or the bulletin isn't going to work for that — it's going to require going where they are and promoting there.

Where are they? The school. Religious ed. Family-focused events. Right above the holy water font. The hallway leading to the church bathrooms (seriously though, every kid is going to the bathroom at least once every Mass, right? May as well pitch serving to them on the walk to and from the pew).

Think about where this younger audience might be and focus your efforts there.

1:1 asks work best.

Of course do a parish-wide ask, but the best servers (and those most likely to say yes) are going to do so because they are specifically asked.

So that means talking to all the religious ed teachers and asking them to ask a few students they think would be good who they see at Mass.

Or having your current altar servers ask their friends, or literally going to school/religious ed classrooms and asking directly (bonus points if you can bring current altar servers with you and have them talk about it!):

Or having your current servers stand in the back after Mass and wave down their friends.

Or at the very least, using a group photo of your current servers and quotes from them in a flyer.

Because ultimately, that 1:1 method, while slower, will get you the biggest percentage of "yeses" and probably the best servers.

Prayers for your altar server program this year!

For His greater glory,

Emily