What I learned from an Extreme Makeover Pep Rally

I had a unique opportunity to watch a volunteer training at my church done, literally, Hollywood-style. ABC’s Extreme Home Makeover was in town to build a home and my church was selected to host the volunteer pep rally. Over 500 contractors and tradesmen came poured into the auditorium on a Friday Morning to be inspired and oriented for the job for building, decorating, and furnishing a home in 108 hours. The rally/training event was run by Conrad Rickett, of the Lock and Key Production Company. Conrad was equipped with a microphone, his enthusiasm, and a handful of video clips– stuff that available to you and I. Here are some “take away’s” that you can bring into our ministries even if we don’t have a big screen budget:

Use the Time before the Training Well

Conrad met with our tech team well before the guests started arriving. He wasn’t scrambling to test his microphone or making last minute copies. Conrad met the guests in the lobby, shook their hands, and thanked them for their involvement. When the training began he’d only be able to address the volunteers as a crowd. But in the minutes before the event began he was able to make a personal touch. With a little advanced preparation we can create the calm space to make an individual connection with the folk who make our children’s ministries go.

Vision: Invite the Volunteers into a Great Story

Conrad opened the morning by telling the story of how Extreme Makeover came to be. ABC contacted Lock and Key and asked them to pitch a show that could compete with remodeling shows on the cable networks. Conrad’s initial concept was a show where seven designers remodeled a home in seven days. ABC accepted the show, but Conrad quickly realized the emptiness of the story. The homes they were going to remodel were already luxurious—they didn’t need any work. This didn’t make for “must-see” viewing. Frustrated, Conrad drove into a run down section of LA and found the most dilapidated home on the block. He asked the girl in the yard why they were letting their house fall apart. She answered that one of her parents had heath problems—there simply wasn’t the time or money to invest in the home. Conrad realized that he had a better story! The show would about improving the lives of heroic people who were overwhelmed by life circumstances. The show would present stories of second chances. This superior story inspired hundred of skilled workers to donate their time in each town a home is built and commands a viewing audience of 13 million people.

What kind of story are you presenting your volunteers? Are you inviting them provide child care? Or are you inviting them to introduce children to the God who loves them?

Stories of Changed Lives

Conrad didn’t stop casting vision with a broad picture of changing lives. He showed a video clip filled with several families telling how their lives were changed. We watched video of foster parents, a war veteran who lost a leg in Iraq, and a rescue worker at Ground Zero who had there lives changed by volunteers like those in the room. These stories served let the construction workers, plumbers, and electricians know that they weren’t just building another house; they were building into a very real life.
We can capitalize on the power of an individual story by providing our volunteers the opportunities to swap stories about the changed lives they see. We can video tape the testimonies of grateful parents and show them to our volunteers. By keeping stories of changed lives in front of our volunteer we remind them that their work matters.

Core Values

Conrad placed two simple core values in front of the contractors: Safety and Quality. He assured the volunteers that they’d be turned away if they weren’t wearing the appropriate safety gear. And he reminded them that they building a home quickly, but also correctly. Corners would not be cut. This would be a home that would last for generations.

These two core values empowered the volunteers to make independent decisions quickly. They never needed so run questions about safety or quality through the site supervisors. They were given the freedom to do the safe and excellent thing whenever a crossroad presented itself. This type of freedom was essential in light of the tight deadline.

We can give our volunteers the same level of empowerment by regularly reviewing our core values at our trainings.

Honor Your Team

Conrad made a point to introduce every member his production staff and to explain what is that they do and how he’d be lost without them. We met the ground team who worked with the City of Erie and prepared the neighbor for the reality that their lives would be interrupted with a reality show. We met the foremen who’d supervise volunteers. All the behind the scenes workers who don’t make the big screen were brought to the fore front and celebrated.

Who are your behind-the-scenes core people who you can’t live without? Honor some of them at your next staff meeting. Let your teachers know who collects their supplies, builds the schedules, or sanitizes the toys. By acknowledging these behind the scenes heroes, you keep them energized, affirmed, and in the game.