4. Develop a Plan.
When determining needs, you might possibly see far more than your team or ministry can address. Patrick Lencioni (2006) offers a youth ministry plan strategy called developing a thematic goal. That is, determine a measurable goal that addresses your most serious need. Then plan to meet it. Continue to “do” elements of your ministry program that work. But add or change elements that don’t overuse existing resources and time and address the most important need. Plans should address three areas: overall strategy, programs and tactics.
- Overall strategy is the “how” of fulfilling your guiding statement during a given time period. Overall strategy for evangelism sets goal numbers of people to tell about Christ and perhaps numbers of friends to invite to specific events.
- Programs are the week-to-week activities and events that strive to reinforce teaching of and fulfill the guiding statements.
- Tactics are the nuts and bolts activities that equip people in your ministry for accomplishing goals set by the overall strategy. Doug Fields’ “Habits” is a tactic for developing student’s discipleship practices, for example.
5. Set a Date for Review and Reform.
After you have a philosophy with guiding statements to set direction, determine your needs, set goals to address them, and lay out strategy, programs and tactics to meet the goals, set a deadline to see how you did. Culture directly affects the planning and outcome of strategy. You need to constantly review how you are meeting your goals and adapt, adjust and even ditch some plans. Typically, annual reviews are easier to plan.
As a leader, you may need to asses earlier if plans are completely and totally failing. It’s not always easy to know when to kill a “sacred cow” (Fields, 1998) or continue a program even though the results are not what all desired. Your team will be essential for feedback and decision-making. Make sure to include students on your team. After all, the ministry you’re leading is for them. Also, be sure the senior pastor supports the changes you intend to carry out.
No process is perfect. But the youth ministry plan described here may help create a flexible but firm strategy. The last and most important element is prayer. We should carry out all ministry under the leadership of the Holy Spirit. Be certain that God’s power working through you and your team will lead to the results God wants.
Fields, Doug (1998) Purpose Driven Youth Ministry: 9 Essential Foundations for Healthy Growth. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan
Lencioni, Patrick (2006) Silos, Politics, and Turf Wars: A Leadership Fable about Destroying the Barriers that Turn Colleagues into Competitors. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass
