Do You Dream About Your Ministry?

I had just completed my first year of youth ministry when my pastor asked me, “What do you want your ministry to look like in five years?”

I was blessed to have had a pastor who cared enough to ask me that question. It meant that he cared about my dreams as a youth minister. More importantly it meant that he cared that I had dreams.

Has anyone ever asked you that question?

Even if they haven’t are you dreaming about your ministry?

I’ve found that many people don’t dream because they’re either stuck in the busyness of life or they don’t know how. Dreaming about your ministry is essential to it’s success because it helps you solve problems and inspire others.

To be a dreamer you need to make sure you:

HAVE THE END IN MIND 

One of the reasons we struggle in ministry is because we can’t define success outside of numbers. There is a much bigger picture and if you can’t imagine it then you’ll only find frustration.

If you want to grow a dynamic ministry then you need to create a picture of what that looks like. Besides 100’s of teens showing up figure out how they:

• Engage in the church community
• Articulate their faith to one another
• Invest in their peers and younger generations

Create a picture that gets you excited and reminds you why your ministry matters.

WORK BACKWARDS

Once you have the end in mind start figuring out how you got there. That’s basically taking the end product and answering the question:

What needs to be in place to make this happen?

The answer might be, “I don’t know.” and that’s okay, sit with it. The answer might be something you don’t have but at least you’ll know what you need.

You don’t have to work backwards, but it offers a different perspective that can help those of us who are stuck with figuring out, “What’s next for our teens?”

IDENTIFY THE OBSTACLES

There is a ton of opposition that stands in the way of us doing ministry effectively. The obstacles that loom the largest are our own:

• Guilt
• Pride
• Fears

To overcome those obstacles you need to start out by identifying them. Admit to the fact that you are:

• Scared to ask someone to volunteer because you don’t want to get rejected
• Struggling to trust someone to take responsibility over a certain task

Name the obstacle, offer it up in prayer and share it with a trusted friend. Obstacles are unavoidable, but they are possible to overcome if you are willing to work with and through them.

SHARE THE DREAM WITH DREAM MAKERS

A dream that is not shared is simply a thought that doesn’t go anywhere. While your dreams are endless your ability to make them happen are limited.

Share your dreams with people in your church that are catalysts, doers and leaders. You need people who can introduce you to the resources and find the platform to make your dreams happen.

To find those people talk to your pastor and coworkers. Reach out to parents and share with them your ideas. Some of them are going to have experience and connections to make your dreams happen.

ALLOW GOD TO SHAPE IT

Even if you have a crystal clear picture of what your ministry should look like remember it can always change. If your dream turnouts exactly as you originally planned that’s because God has something bigger in store for you.

To embrace the changes, failures and detours make sure you are spending time in prayer. Designate at least an hour each week offering up and praying over your dreams. Allow Him to make them richer.

To simply dream isn’t always easy; therefore, I want to help. As a ministry coach I work with youth ministers, DRE’s and other church workers on putting together a plan. If you are interested in youth ministry coaching set up a FREE consultation HERE.

But, I know not everyone has the time or the budget for coaching. That’s why I’m happy to share with you the NEW Marathon Youth Ministry Toolbox. It’s our online store where you have access to some of the tools and resources I’ve been using to grow my ministry.

To visit the store just click the button below:

“Are you dreaming about your ministry?” If you haven’t started get on it because what awaits will be amazing