How To Give Yourself Margin When You Are Out Of Time
The week to week grind is pretty hectic. You wake up and it’s Monday, you blink and the week is gone. Deadlines are approaching and you panic because...
We’re shutting down our regular youth ministry program this week. It’s something we do every year. We close up shop for a few weeks as we transition into summer mode. Some think it’s a time to wind down, but in reality it’s a great time to get ramped up.
Courtesy of A Guy Taking Photos/Creative Commons License
While summer is the perfect time to offer camp and mission trips it’s also an opportune time to get ready for fall. Before you get sucked up into the summer fun make sure you:
SCHEDULE TIME TO BUILD YOUR TEAM
On top of recruiting you need to invest in the people that are on your team. That means gathering them together to:
- Simply hang out and build relationships.
- Learn more about a certain area of ministry (i.e. helping teens who are hurting).
- Reflect on the past year.
- Review commitments, and procedures for the upcoming year.
The pushback to gathering your team is that no one will be around. But, that shouldn’t hold you back from inviting them to be together. Build a culture where summer is the time you can all get strong for the fall.
DEVELOP GOALS FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR
It’s probably best to set goals at the beginning of the summer. This way you can use the rest of this season putting together a plan to accomplish them. When you develop goals you give your ministry direction.
When teens come back in the fall or adults sign up to serve they want to know where you are trying to go. Make it clear to them, by spending time thinking about what God wants you to accomplish.
CHANGE UP THE ROUTINE
There will be natural changes to your routine like camps and vacation. But, move around your hours. Give yourself a new routine (For more on forming a routine click HERE) so that you don’t burn yourself out.
Take a day to figure out your schedule. Show it to your pastor and ask some people to hold you accountable. Stay fresh by doing something a little different.
Don’t let summer fly by. Tackle it with a new plan and focus on growing stronger for the fall. It’ll be the vacation your ministry needs.
[reminder] Do you control your summer or does it control you? [/reminder]