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coffeehouse volunteers

Coffeehouse Update April 2011

Dear Coffeehouse Volunteer team,

I hope you have been feeling good about coffeehouse lately. I sure am! Pastor David and Marina were in the building on a Friday night and commented that they did not know more people than they did know. I think that is a great identifier that we are reaching out to the community. Thanks for all your time and commitment to this mission.

I wanted to briefly update you on some things.

Coffeehouse Student Leadership Team Kirk and Amy Jo are meeting with their team (Eric T, Tyler, Nikki, Marie) every Friday now to keep them working toward each next event.

Scheduling Jeanette W is a huge asset to our Friday night volunteers as she will be regularly following up on scheduling and reminding people who are scheduled to show up!

New recruits I am trying my best to beef up our volunteer team. Learning from past mistakes, I am trying hard to get volunteers who really want to interact with the students (and show up when scheduled!)

By the way, thank you for modeling hanging out with teens. I have mentioned in the past that sometimes I feel like I need to avoid conversations with other adults so that I can spend the time with the students. But I think it is really important that we model prioritizing interacting with students first so our volunteers know this is important to the success of coffeehouse. (My rule of thumb for Friday nights is students first, then adults.)

Baristas Thanks to Chris F being willing to barista every other Friday (and train people too) and Sjodins & Amy M also baristing, we are getting closer to having baristas every Friday.

Coffeehouse Environment I have been trying to make it a priority to set up coffeehouse each Friday before it starts. When you arrive, can you consider some of the following “little things that make a big difference”? 1) Turning on “open” sign in coffeehouse. 2) Making sure kiosk login is working and assigned student leaders are attending to it. This is very important to me as I follow up with a note to every student who attends. (Daniel, Dom, Amy, and Lou know the login.) 3) I think its important that we arrange the quad so it feels more “comfy” and less like a classroom. Simple things like hiding all the extra chairs and tables; putting checkers and games on tables; pulling the couch away from the back wall; and turning on lamps and christmas lights really help. 4) Thanks for not opening the gym till 9p. I know the teens get a little rambunctious around 8:30p, but I really believe that keeping them closer together has helped them connect with other students they would not be as quick to reach out too. 5) The music situation is 100 times better. The student leaders have been much more intentional about turning on music, not blasting it, keeping it appropriate, and keeping screamo in the gym (and to a minimum) 6) Thank Lou for turning on sports on the TV in the coffeehouse. This is great. (Can we please keep it to sports only though?) I also have created DVD’s that include motion loops and youth group video loops. I left these DVDs by both quad TVs and in the DVD folder in the coffeehouse.

18+ attendees Our age limit continues to be a grey area. This seems the best solution for now. (We will always encourage high school graduates to attend Thursday night 18.20somethings.) Here are some non-negotiables: 1) If a high school graduate is flirting with a high school student, we need to immediately talk to them. If it continues to be a problem, then they need to be asked not to attend. 2) If a high school graduate makes a high school student feel uncomfortable, we need to immediately talk to them. If it continues to be a problem, then they need to be asked not to attend. 3) Church policy is that a person must be 21 to serve with high school students.

Summer Closure I have discovered that it is helpful in ministry to briefly “close” a weekly event to 1) give your volunteers a breather 2) give students a chance to take a break 3) bring more excitement when we open up again (which always happens!) June 24: DuPage Mission Trip July 1: Chicago Mission Trip August 5, August 12

By the way, the 8th graders will be invited to join high school on July 8th. We will have a preview night for them on June 17 at the all youth group BBQ during coffeehouse

Free Drink for new student I will purchase free drink cards for students who come to coffeehouse for the first time. I will write a note and mails the card to the new student the following week.

Thanks again for being a part of this ministry to our community. I really enjoy serving alongside you!

Daniel

 

Your Friday Night Availibility Current Schedule

Adult Volunteers

Adult volunteers are essential for Coffeehouse to be a PEOPLE PLACE, a SAFE PLACE, and a FAITH PLACE:
>Having at least one meaningful conversation with at least one student on a Friday night.
>Providing adult presence in every room that is being used.
>Filling out quarterly availability and showing up when scheduled to ensure enough weekly volunteers.

Food Team:  Bring baked goods and/or snacks to share with 20-30 people.   Drop off snacks at coffeehouse by 7:30pm or put them in church office on Thursday/Friday (Please contact Daniel if you leave snacks.)  We would love to have you stay a little while when you drop off food if you wish.
+Serve on a rotating schedule every 4-12 weeks.
 Greeter Team: Stationed at “login/logout” desk in the coffeehouse hallway from 8:45-10:30 pm.  Every student must “login” when they enter the facility.  (A student leader will be stationed at this desk from 7:30-8:45 pm to greet students as they arrive too.)
+Serve on a rotating schedule every 8-12 weeks
Connector Team:  Come ready to hang out with students! Spend time with students talking, playing games, and just letting them know you care.
+Serve on a rotating schedule every 6-12 weeks.  If you are able to serve every 2-6 weeks, please consider this as we would like adult volunteers to come more often in order to make better connections with students
Baristas:    Team members are trained by our 264.coffeehouse manager.  If you are gifted in hospitality or are looking for an “excuse” to start up a conversation with a student you don’t know, why not consider becoming a barista?
+Serve on a rotating schedule every 2-12 weeks.
Core Team: The Core Team volunteer regularly attends Friday Night Coffeehouse to provide a consistent presence to the students.
Current Core Team: Daniel + Amy Riemenschneider (BC Staff), Lou Passi (Coffeehouse Host), Dom Palandri (Unofficial Coffeehouse Bouncer), Kirk + Amy Jo Steinbruecker ( “Coffeehouse student Leadership Team” Representatives) & Jeannette Wells (Scheduling Coordinator).

Coffeehouse Logistics

The coffeehouse is open every Friday from 7:30-11:30PM.  (The coffee bar is open every other Friday.)

Rules
+All students must “login” when they arrive at coffeehouse.
+Students leaving may only return if they have been given verbal permission by their parents and an adult leader.
+No loitering in the parking lot.
+Friday Night Coffeehouse is open to high school freshmen through 19 years old. (Anyone who is older than 19 will be encouraged to attend 18.20somethings on Thursday nights.)

Gym
+At 9 pm the gym will be opened to everyone to play volleyball, dodgeball, basketball, and other sports.
+The gym will be closed at 11pm.
+No food is allowed in the gym.

Volunteers Scheduling

+Jeannette, our Coffeehouse Schedule Coordinator & Daniel will email/text/contact you when we would like you to fill out the online “Your Friday Night Availability” Form.  We ask that you do this within one week.Your Friday Night Availability
+Then we will create the Coffeehouse Volunteer Schedule based on your stated availability.Volunteer Schedule
+If you are unable to serve on your assigned date, please contact/switch with another volunteer by Thursday prior to coffeehouse.  (It is very important that we have the same amount of volunteers present at coffeehouse as scheduled).
+If you are unable to serve anymore, please let Jeanette know.

Volunteering with Youth at BC

Bloomingdale Church is committed to protecting children and teenagers by carefully screening all adult and volunteers.

Volunteering with Minor’s Policy

A “Volunteering with Minor” application is to be completed for any volunteer position involving the supervision or custody of minors at Bloomingdale Church. It is being used to help church leaders provide a secure environment for children and youth who participate in our programs and use our facilities.

Please note: All Volunteering with Minors application, upon staff approval, are valid for one year within all of our children and teen programming.

First Time Volunteers
+Must have attended Bloomingdale Church for at least six months.
+Must fill out the First Time Volunteering with Minors application and receive approval by the church staff before being allowed to volunteer.

First Time Volunteer Application

Returning Volunteers
+Must fill out the Volunteering with Minors Renewal Application annually and receive approval by the church staff.
+The renewal application is valid for one year and is to be filled out annually between June 1-September 15.
+The renewal application can only be filled out by those who have already filled out “First Time Volunteering with Minors Application.”

Annual Renewal Volunteer Application