Home Youth Leaders Articles for Youth Leaders Summer Strategies for a Strong Fall

Summer Strategies for a Strong Fall

I’m not sure about you, but for many youth workers a common temptation of the lazy days of summer is the temptation to be lazy doing some of the things that need to get done in order to have a strong fall. Here are three areas to pay extra attention to this summer that will pay off in the fall.

1. Recruit, Recruit, Recruit.  The fall usually brings new small groups, new programs, and new activities. The summer usually brings a drop-off of volunteers who are done with their youth ministry run, and won’t be returning. The math is pretty simple: to continue to grow and expand a healthy youth ministry, you need to replace the volunteers you lose PLUS add a few. Failure to recruit during the summer sets you up for failure in the fall.

2. Plan Your Fall Calendar I know, it takes so much work to get ready for summer and to pull off all the summer “stuff” that the last thing you want to do is plan another quarter’s worth of activity. But you need to. you need to because the fall is arguably the most strategic season of the year, and failure to properly plan and strategize for it is a mistake.

3. Rest. It is summer, and summer is a great time to rest, reflect and relax. For the two reasons listed above, and many others, it is also a very busy time….so be well rested! Youth ministry and the church rarely slow down…but you should.

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