Does Leading Youth Ministry Get Easier Over Time?
Maybe you ask this question after a rough encounter with a parent. Maybe you wonder this thought after an evening where nothing went according to...
It’s hard to think about the fall right after Christmas. After all there is still a whole lot of ministry to go. There are teens to welcome and programs to coordinate. But, now is the perfect time to start thinking about the end of the summer.
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As a youth minister you need to be able to set things in motion and the look forward. Thinking ahead will help you build the foundation and margin you need for an even better ministry. To get yourself ahead you need to start:
PREPARING YOUR BUDGETARY REQUESTS
Chances are your fiscal year ends on June 30th. Now is the perfect time to start thinking about what you need for next year. You need to put together a plan before you speak to your pastor or finance manager. You need to show them:
- What you’ve already spent.
- What you’ll need for the remainder of the year.
- Why you might need more in the next fiscal year.
The more data you can collect the more prepared you will be. This will not only give them a clear picture of your needs but confidence that you are wise with your budget.
RECRUITING A NEW CROP OF VOLUNTEERS
It’s hard to think about recruiting volunteers mid year. You are too busy focusing on the ones you have. But, if you can recruit now it will give you the perfect margin to prepare them over the summer.
Start creating the perfect plan to get people with enough time to acclimate and train them. This will give you peace of mind and make your ministry stronger for the fall.
DISCUSSING ANY STRATEGIC CHANGES
Changes are difficult for anyone to handle (Read more on constant change here). The more time you have to prepare people for change the better. Take the time now to sit with leadership and ask, “What needs to be improved or worked on?”
This will give you the perfect amount of time to develop a plan. Then you can get feedback, test it out and publicize it in the way you need to. In the end your pushback will be much less than if you make it last minute.
Again, it’s hard to think about the fall early on in the new year, but you can’t afford to miss out.
[reminder] When do you start planning the fall? When would you like to? [/reminder]