Volunteer Guides
Every lesson in Lessons.church includes guides tailored to specific volunteer roles. Instead of handing each volunteer the entire lesson plan, you can point them to a guide that shows only the instructions relevant to their role, keeping things simple and focused.
Before You Begin
- Understand lesson structure by reading Viewing Lessons
- Navigate to the lesson you want to prepare guides for
How Guides Are Organized
Lessons are broken into sections (for example, "Welcome", "Bible Story", "Small Group Activity"). Within each section, roles are assigned specific actions. There are four action types:
- Say -- Scripted text for the volunteer to read or paraphrase.
- Do -- A physical action or activity to carry out.
- Note -- Background information or reminders for the volunteer (not spoken aloud).
- Play -- A video or audio clip to play for the class.
When a volunteer opens their guide, they see each section in order with only the actions assigned to their role. This keeps things simple and focused.
Viewing a Volunteer Guide
- Open the lesson you want to prepare for.
- Look for the list of roles associated with the lesson's venue.
- Click on a role name to open the guide for that role.
The guide displays each section as a step-by-step walkthrough. Volunteers can scroll through it on a phone, tablet, or computer during class.
Printing Guides
If your volunteers prefer a paper copy, you can print any guide directly from the browser.
- Open the guide for the desired role.
- Use your browser's Print function (Ctrl+P or Cmd+P).
- Print the page or save it as a PDF to distribute later.
Share guide links with your volunteers ahead of time so they can review their instructions before class. A quick read-through during the week helps everyone feel more prepared on Sunday morning.
Multiple Roles
Some lessons have several roles -- for example, a lead teacher, a small-group leader, and a tech volunteer. Each role has its own guide, so you can have as many specialized guides as the lesson calls for.
If a role does not apply to your classroom, you can hide it using the customization features so your volunteers only see the roles that matter.
Related Articles
- Presenter Mode -- Display the lesson on a screen while volunteers follow their guides
- Downloads and Materials -- Print activity sheets and handouts for your class