If you are in ministry you live and die by the calendar and, depending on the size of your church, you “death by calendar” could be imminent if you are not careful.
So, stop clacking those keys and put the pencil down until you’ve asked these 6 questions, starting with this one.
Does The Event/Program/Message Fit with Our Mission and Values?
Alignment
Ensure that the event aligns with the core mission and values of your church. If you’re focused on discipleship when your church is focused on outreach, you might be out of sync. What is your Pastor/church passionate about and how are you aligning your youth ministry calendar with them?
Spiritual Growth
Does the event/program/message contribute to the spiritual growth and development of your students? Does this mean the event has to have a devotion or bible study component? No, but consider equipping your volunteers to having spiritual conversations during the event.
Long-Term Goals
How does this event support your long-term goals for youth ministry? If you have goals for your youth ministry, and I hope you do, does this event get your closer to those goals or are you just filling slots? If you do not have goals, I recommend my goal setting course Squad Goals.
This is a quote I use often to those who tell me they either don’t have time for something or something came up,
“Either you fill your calendar or someone or something will”
You have to be proactive when it comes to your youth calendar. You have to think through where you want to be in 3 months, 6 months and the end of the year because otherwise time will get away from you and you will wonder, in the end, “where did the time go?” It went exactly to what you prioritized.
This is part one of a six part series. If you would like a planning sheet to go over these questions with your team and get the next post in this series in your inbox, sign up for my newsletter and it will be yours.
For more planning resources, check these resources out
My Youth Meeting Playbook (included in the My Youth Ministry Playbook)
The Youth Pastor’s Guide To Planning Unforgettable Trips (included in My Youth Ministry Playbook)
The Goal Line: A Goal Setting Exercise (included in Squad Goals Course)