4 Groups To Help You Analyze Your Ministry

With Thanksgiving less than a week away it’s easy to get caught up in the Christmas rush.  But, before you start getting into the Christmas spirit take time to reflect and analyze the last few months of ministry.

Courtesy of @boetter/Creative Commons License

You might not feel like there is a lot to work with, but a mid year review is valuable.  It will help you see what needs adjusting.  You can look at what is going on behind the scenes.  And, it will give you the insight you need to make sure you stay on course.

To get started you need to ask the right people and 4 groups you should start with are:

NEW VOLUNTEERS

If someone has been serving in your ministry for 3 months or less you need to get their input.  You are so far into the weeds that sometimes you miss things.  These volunteers will be able ask you questions that you might have overlooked.

Have someone else lead the survey.  Because they are new they might be afraid of offending you.  You want these people to be honest about their thoughts and opinions.

YOUR PASTOR OR A COWORKER

You need someone who will analyze the work you put into your ministry.  Ask them to observe your work week and ask questions about your schedule and tasks.  It will be humbling but they can help you:

• Delegate tasks.
• Get rid of poor work habits.
• Organize your priorities.

Make sure it’s with someone who isn’t afraid to be honest and someone you are receptive too.

A FELLOW YOUTH WORKER

You need someone who gets youth ministry.  Instead of inviting them to your program, have them analyze your meetings.  Getting another youth worker’s perspective on how you manage volunteers is priceless.  

After all they get it.  They know what it’s like when volunteers don’t show up or live up to your expectations.  Ask them questions on how they would handle a situation.  Have them point out your strengths and weaknesses.

KEY PARENTS

Parents will help you analyze your impact.  Sit down with parents you know who you trust to be honest and helpful.  Ask them questions like:

• Do your teenagers talk about the subject matter at home?
• Have you noticed anything different about your teens since they started coming?
• How would you rank this on your teen’s priority list?

This information is valuable because it will enable you to measure results you would not see on a regular basis.

There are several other groups you could sit down with (i.e. students and veteran volunteers) to help you analyze.  But sometimes it’s important to think outside the box in order to get best results.  

[reminder] Who else would you ask about your program?  When do you analyze? [/reminder]