I recently asked Nate write an article for ChurchLeaders explaining how to develop a strategy plan for your youth ministry. If you missed it you can catch an exerpt here on my blog and [go here] for the rest:
When I first became a student ministry pastor I had very little training. I had to build a ministry almost completely from scratch. What was already in place needed rebuilding. Over the past 12 years I have learned some ministry tools to systematically make a strategic plan for ministry. There are a few models for creating a strategic plan. I offer this short version: Prepare, develop guiding statements, look at the landscape, develop a plan, and set a date for review and reform.
Prepare
Assemble a team. There is no substitute for collaboration. In preparing to plan, assemble a team in ministry you trust and can depend on. The trust factor is important because you want people who can tell you what they perceive to be happening in the ministry. What are the current realities? If you develop a plan, how can commitment be generated? How is success going to be determined when your plan goes into action? A team of trusted co-laborers can offer feedback, help assess the environment, and offer suggestions that you alone could not possibly think of on your own. Finally, life in ministry goes far smoother when consensus is built before action is taken.
[Go here] for the rest of the article.
