How To Battle Self-Doubt In Your Ministry
It could be the greatest night of ministry ever, but you don’t feel that way. You can’t explain why you didn’t enjoy it like your volunteers or teens...
One of the keys to a growing ministry is how efficiently and effectively it’s run. Granted things do not need to be perfect, but they should be done with a level of excellence.
Courtesy of col_adamson/Creative Commons License
So, how does one do youth ministry effectively when it can be quite messy? How can you have organic growth and an efficient program? It comes down to:
HOW WELL YOU USE YOUR TIME
If you want to be seen as a professional it means developing some best practices. Five of them should include:
BEGINNING AND ENDING ON TIME
If you consistently start late or run over the allotted time people will grow frustrated. They’ll see your ministry as inconsiderate and even lazy.
How you start and how you finish is key. Be sure to clearly communicate your times and do your best to meet them. When people see you respect their schedule they’ll respect you.
BUILD IN MARGIN
Life happens and ministry is messy. Those are facts but not excuses to misuse people’s time. Build margin into your schedule. Give people time to breathe, move, and grow.
Build in margin by scheduling it in. It can be a few minutes or a full hour. Make sure it’s purposeful and planned. And keep it within the overall time frame you’ve communicated.
KEEP TRACK OF TIME
The only way you know whether or not you are using your time efficiently is by tracking it. Each week you need to know how long each component takes.
This will allow you to critique each area of your program. It will help you answer questions like:
- Why are we constantly running over?
- How come this takes so long?
- What isn’t clear about what we are trying to accomplish?
It will give you more structure and even increase your capacity to do more.
PRACTICE AND RUN THROUGH THE PROGRAM
Your ministry needs a run through each week. Granted you aren’t putting performance on Broadway, but it allows you to address any potential obstacles.
When you run through a message it allows you to make adjustments to your tone. When you review an activity it helps you get your supplies in order. It is also key to setting people up for success.
The better you use your time the more you can stick to the schedule. When you stick to the schedule you build trust. And when people trust you with their time, they’ll invest in what you have to offer.
[reminder] How do you take into consideration other people’s time? What are some of your best practices? [/reminder]