Ministry Blackboard

13May/130

the Monday Morning Debrief: Changes gone array

imagesIt's that time of year again...TV Show Cancelation Season!  Now that most of the networks have wrapped up their "season" of TV shows, the dreaded cancellation notice has come.  And frankly, for some of those shows, this notice couldn't come soon enough for me.  However, I am disappointed that "Deception" has been cancelled.  It had promise and intrigue but alas, it was not meant to be.

Of all the shows being cancelled this season, one show in particular has stuck out as having the most issues behind their cancellation.  That is NBC's "Up all Night" show. There are many reasons for the demise of the show. In fact, for me to even try to summarize all the numerous changes to this program would do a great disservice to the pure mayhem that ensued over the 2 years of existence.  You really have to read this article yourself to fully understand.  But, the bottom line for me is that when you try to tinker too much, you lose focus of what you are trying to accomplish, lose people (your audience and cast) along the way and forget what you were really trying to do in the first place.

This disaster leads me to question changes I am making (or have made) in my ministry.  It makes me wonder, why am I making this change?  What am I trying to accomplish and do with this change?  How will this affect my audience and my leaders?  Will I lose any of them along the way?  Will it matter if I lose people along the way?

The reality is there are times when change is good and needed. But there are also times when change happens just for changes sake and that is not necessarily a good reason.  Before you make any change, you really have to evaluate fully what will be the impact of the change and determine if it will be worth it ultimately to do it.  Sometimes the answer is a resounding "YES", but I have also been in situations where I made changes that didn't need to happen and the ministry suffered because of it.

You have to keep your vision and goals in mind when you are deciding to make changes.  Making too many changes can cause you, as it did with "Up all Night", to lose focus which then caused them to lose their audience, their cast and ultimately their show.  Don't be like them. Make sure you take time to really process the pros and cons of each potential change.  Making the right ones could be the exact kick in the pants you program needs.  But, making the wrong ones could also be a blow that further pushes your ministry a little bit further down the hole.

Thoughts?  Experiences?  Post a comment below so we can learn from each other and benefit

 

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27Dec/120

Evaluating the Fall Semester

So it's the end of the year which is really the end of the 1st semester of ministry.  Have you done an evaluation yet of your ministry - the highs and lows?  The accomplishments and the misses?

I did this last week and here are some of the good things that have happened with our student ministry at New Life and some of the misses.

Good things that happened:

  • Worship Team was developed and got more students involved in ministry.
  • Tech Team began to be assembled (We had 2 students start helping out and there is indications that more on the horizon)
  • Theme Nights.  Our most attended nights throughout the semester were our Theme nights like "Hallo-tober Fest".  Something new, something different and out students seemed to really like that.  We'll do more of that in the winter and spring.
  • Formation of a Middle School Home Group.

Where we missed the mark:

  • Although we continued to develop community in the group, there is still work that needs to get done at helping students feel more comfortable around each other.
  • Attendance on Sunday Night Big Group was small than I was expecting
  • Still in need of female leaders to help out.  We have to be more aggressive about recruiting, training and developing leaders if we are going to be able to reach more students.
  • Creation vs. Evolution Class was a good start but not nearly as good as I was hoping

So what about you?  What good things that happened this fall for you and where did you miss the mark?  Furthermore, what adjustments are you planning on making this coming semester?  TAKE A MINUTE right now and process through the above questions so that you can continue to make the good things happen and you don't miss the mark as much.

Thoughts?  Comments?  Experiences?  Share them below so that we can all benefit from them.

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10Sep/120

the Monday Morning Debrief: Fixing Missed Opportunities

I'm a huge Penn State Football fan.  Say what you will about the scandal that happened there and I will most likely agree with everything as I feel so bad for those boys and what they went through.  But that doesn't change the way I feel about their football program (sorry if you have a problem with that).

But, despite all that has happened, I still root like crazy for them each Saturday.  Well this past Saturday they were playing UVA and were in a tough battle, but it was a battle they should have won easily.  The problem was that they lost...by 1 point...with their field goal kicker missing 4 field goals and 1 extra point!  Just the extra point alone would have been enough to get them to Overtime where they might have a chance but the 4 missed field goals were devastating and costed them the game.

Now Penn State starts the season 0-2 and has to go to work and fix this part of the team so they don't have missed opportunities like this one on Saturday.

So how does this apply to ministry?

What missed opportunities from this past week do you need to fix?  Programmatically, what did you miss this past week that needs to be adjusted so you don't miss them again this coming week?  Relationally, what missed opportunity did you have that you need to go back to fix or repair so that relationship doesn't get tarnished.

As Clay Matthews said after the Packer's loss to the 49ers yesterday, "It's only week 1". It's not too late in the year to make the necessary adjustments so that those missed opportunities turn out to be positive learning experiences that propel you and your program to new nights.  But, it's key to first identify those misses.  So right now, TAKE A MINUTE and think through those missed opportunities for this past week and examine what you need to do to make changes.

If we are able to identify the missed opportunities and make the proper changes it can make a huge difference between having a successful year and a really bad year.

Thoughts? Comments?  Experiences?  Post a comment and share so that we can all learn and benefit from each other.

 

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24Oct/110

The Monday Morning Debrief: Change is Good

This past week, Muammar Gaddafi, Libya's Dicator for over 40 years, was killed.  His death was the climax of a revolution that started about 8 months ago.  How this new nation of Libya will move on from here is uncertain as there is still so much to be done to get a new government up and running.  But what is certain is now that Gaddafi is gone the people of Libya can take over their country and begin to make changes for the better for the whole country.

So how does this apply to ministry?

Change is good.  In the case of Libya, change was great.  Gaddafi ruled Libya with an iron fist and ruled over them in a gruesome fashion.  So to say that change was good for Libya is an understatement.  Change was extremely necessary there.

This brings to mind, change in our ministry.  In your ministry, what needs to change?  Depending on your goals and vision for the program, change in your ministry could be any number of things.  For instance, some changes are minor like different types of games or music selection.  Other changes are major ones like the format of your program or different ways that you train and develop your volunteers.  Regardless of whether it is minor or major changes, the bottom line is that there is probably something you are doing right now that needs to change in some way.

So TAKE A MINUTE and go before God and ask Him to reveal some things that needs to change in your ministry.  Then, make those changes.  If there is something in your ministry that needs to change and you don't make that change, you are really hindering the effectiveness of your ministry.  But don't change just to change.  If something isn't broke, you don't need to fix it.  Change only the things that really need a tweak or adjustment.  Seek God's wisdom to lead you through it and help you make the changes that need to be made.

Thoughts? Comments? Questions? Experiences?  Post a comment so that we can all benefit.

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3Oct/110

the Monday Morning Debrief: Fall is here…now what?

If you live in the East Coast you'd notice a pretty significant temperture drop this weekend.  Not only was it cold, but it was rainy as well.  Couple that with a slew of big time NCAA football games, NFL games and Playoff baseball, one can honestly say that fall is officially here.  I do love this time of year!

So how does this apply to ministry?

As the fall is in full swing, so should your ministry be.  For most programs, you are a good 1 month into the semester, so as you move forward, it is always good to reflect on the past month.  Here are some questions for you to think about now as you look back:

  • How is your attendance?  Are you up, down, or flat from where you ended last year?  How are you tracking year over year?
  • How is your follow up with new students?  Do new students feel welcomed and appreciated?
  • What are some needs you are noticing in your program?
  • How are your leaders doing?  Are they doing what you expected them to do?
  • How are you doing leading your leaders?  Have you had a leaders meeting yet, updating on "business" and talking strategy?  When is your next meeting planned?
TAKE A MINUTE right now and start to think through and processing what happened last month.  If you need to make adjustments, which ones do you need to make and how are you going to accomplish them.  If things are going great, identify what you are doing that is working and how you can make it successful for the long term.
Regardless of where you are at, remember, Youth Ministry is a marathon, not a spring.  There are going to be good times and there are going to be hard times.  Continue to invest in students, teaching them the Truth and make the proper adjustments as needed.  I hope and pray that God blesses your efforts and ministry.
Thoughts? Comments? Questions? Experiences?  Post a comment so that we can all benefit.

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26Sep/110

The Monday Morning Debrief: Approval Ratings

This week, President Obama's approval rating has hit a historic low.  It currently stands at 36% approval and 56% disapproval of how he is doing as President.  This is particularly concerning for Democrats because it is about a year until the next presidential election and his potential Republican counterparts seem to be gaining ground against him.

So how does President Obama's approval rating happen to apply to ministry?

It brings up the question for all of us, ministers, what do you do when your approval rating drops?  How do we respond when no matter what we seem to be doing, people are constantly unhappy with our performance.  What do you do then?  I believe you can go to 3 different groups of people that will help you reverse the ratings and get you going back on the right track as a ministry.

For starters, you have to seek the Lord.  This seems like the obvious choice, but when I have encountered this in the past, it is amazing how many times I turn towards other people before I turn to God.  By turning to God this is your opportunity to cry out to Him, seeking his comfort and peace in the midst of some negativity.  It is also an opportunity for you to ask Him for the truth that lies within the criticism you face.  Remember, even thought people may seem harsh and it feels like personal attacks, usually there is always a little bit of truth that we can learn from and apply to our experience.

Secondly, you need to talk with some trusted volunteers and ministry supporters.  When you are finding out negative feedback about your performance, you need to go before some trusted members or your volunteer staff and some supporters and find out what they know and if it is true or not.  These people will hopefully share with you honestly and help you process what the next steps are.  I have found these times to be very valuable to me and have really helped to build up my leadership team.  Why?  Because I have gone to my fellow team members and not only asked them for their honesty, but I also enlisted their help to make our youth program better and me better as the Head Leader of the program.

Lastly, I would recommend going to some students you know and trust.  Go to these students and share with them that you have heard things are not going well in the program, but that you desire to make it better and need their help.  If you have heard specific things about your program, you can ask them to verify if the other students feel this way.  Finally, you can ask what needs to be done and how can they help make the necessary changes to the program.  Just like with your leaders, by enlisting them to help you make the necessary changes, you are getting theses students on board with your program.  Hopefully others will follow and as they see changes being made, your approval rating could go up as well.

So now what?  What's the point of going to these 3 groups of people?  The ultimate point here is to grow from this experience.  No one, whether you admit it or now, wants to have poor approval ratings and be viewed as doing a poor job at anything.  That is why you not only have to take the feedback you have gotten now and do something with it.  You have to make changes to what you are doing.  It's going to be humbling in one way or another, but as 1 Peter 5:6 says, "Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time."

Remember, the reason why you are doing ministry in the first place is to bring people into a relationship with the Lord.  So, although it may be humbling, you owe it to God to do whatever you can to do the best job possible.  Lives are at stake so we need to be doing everything and anything we can to win people to Christ for HIS GLORY, not ours.

So when you receive the feedback, devise a plan (even include others in on it) and go after these students for Christ with a new passion and excitement, turning to Him at every turn so that people may come to know Him and He be glorified for it.

Thoughts? Comments? Questions? Experiences? TAKE A MINUTE and share so we can all learn and benefit.

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22Aug/110

Making Changes – Part 1: Programmatic Changes

The Burger "King" has been fired!  That's right, this past week the fast food chain Burger King fired it's King.  After lackluster sales and a desire to create a new image, Burger King's new Marketing team decided to fire the King.  So long Mr. King, you had some really funny commericals.  Like this one...YouTube Preview Image

To read more about the King's firing, check out Forbes article here.

So how does this apply to ministry?

Sometimes changes need to be made in ministry.  There are all different kinds of changes, but this week I will focus on 3 specific changes that you may encounter one time or another as the Point Person/Department Head/Director of your particular ministry.  These 3 are:

  1. Programmatic
  2. Strategic
  3. Staffing/Volunteer

Today's focus is on programmatic changes.  No matter how successful a program has been in the past, it may not be cutting the mustard anymore.  That is when changes need to happen.  Whether it is drastic changes like discontinuing a program or more simple changes that add spunk and life back into it, sometimes change can be the best thing for a program or activity you do.

For instance, when I was the Youth Pastor at Cedar Run Community Church we tried over and over to get an effective Sunday night program in place. It was just not working, no matter what we tried.  Eventually, after a few years of trying different formats and elements, we hit a pretty good model that worked for us.  The key for us is that we kept on trying.  We didn't stop and say, "well if kids are coming to this program, to heck with them.  We're keeping it the way it is and they'll miss out".  There may have been times when I felt that way, but we didn't do that.  We gave the program a chance to be successful but then cut it when it wasn't working.

Eventually, we did find the right format for us that drew the right amount of students that we were able to say that it was a success.  But it would not have been possible if we had not taken a hard look at the program and kept on trying to make the necessary changes to make it successful.

So what about you?  Are there programmatic changes that need to take place in your ministry?  Right now, TAKE A MINUTE and do a quick overview of your programs.  Ask yourself,  what are we doing right now that is not working?  What changes need to be made so that you can make them successful or eliminate them?  If changes can't be made to make them successful, eliminating them is the only option because you are just wasting yours and others time by putting on a program that isn't working.

The one challenge with eliminating programs is that do not get rid of the program and replace it with nothing.  If you eliminate it and offer nothing else for the students to benefit from, then the students will lose.  The goal here in making programmatic changes is to not do less. Rather it is to offer programs that are meeting students where they are at and helping them discover who Christ is and grow in that relationship.  So be wise in your changes because it is for the sake of students hearing about and growing in Christ.

Thoughts?  Comments?  Questions?  I would love to hear your feedback

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15Aug/110

The Monday Morning Debrief: Annual Teases

This past week, Pat Forde from ESPN.com posted a list of the College Football teams that are Annual Teases.  By teases he means that these teams have a lot of hype leading into the season and then often fail to perform on the field - coming in below expectations.  For a list of the teams and reasons for their underperformance click here.  As a big Penn State fan, I was relieved that he didn't have them on that list - Go Lions!

So how does this apply to ministry?

Every fall we can hype up the program really well.  You know how it goes - based yearly evaluations and comments, you make changes to the program and promise people, "this fall is gonna rock" or "I know things weren't great this spring, but this fall, we are doing some major changes that are going to rock".  Those are great words but unfortunately, sometimes the end results don't live up to the hype we give.

Some here are a few tipsI have found to NOT be a Tease this fall to your constituents:

  1. Be planned out.  That's right, if you are hyping that this fall is going to be different, then start off with the basics - PLAN.  Plan out your fall curriculum and activities well in advance of your kick-off.  Now planning does not automatically guarantee success.  However, if you plan well enough in advance or give it a lot of time and focus, you are more likely to be successful than you normally would.  By planning ahead, you also allow yourself to run your thoughts by others (especially your leaders) for their input.  That doesn't mean you have to talk all their thoughts and suggestions, but it does give you the opportunity to get additional insight into your plan.  Planning ahead also gives you plenty of time to gather the necessary "stuff" you need to make an activity or lesson amazing.  I have had no worse feeling than thinking of a great talk illustration or extra attraction to a program, realizing that I didn't have enough time to pull it together.  When you plan ahead you give yourself plenty of opportunity to not miss that last great touch. 
  2. Get your leaders on board.  That's right, if you want to move into a new "era" of your program, you have to have your leaders on board with the direction you are headed.  If not, you are going to slowly but surely frustrate and ultimately lose them.  By getting the leaders on board, you are cluing them in and hopefully giving them a chance to offer feedback or input in what you would like to do.  If the leaders are on board and feel part of the process, they are going to be just as excited as you are in promoting this new direction, program or emphasis you are putting on in the fall.
  3. Keep on building relationships.  With a new crop of incoming students coming into your program that means that there is a great chance to start and develop more relationships.  Also it gives you a fresh start to get them to "buy in" to your program and what you all offer as a ministry.  The reality is these students come into your program with a lot of excitement. They are pumped to be there and feel apart of what you are doing.  So why not bring in your best stuff and really keep them excited (that is where planning comes in).  Lastly, make sure you and your leaders are investing in and developing relationships with them.  The more you can do that, the greater the chance they get to see and experience Christ and hopefully their lives will change.
These are three simple ways to not be an Annual Tease to the students and families you are ministering to.  Right now, TAKE A MINUTE and examine where you are at with your planning and preparation in the fall.  Are you going to be a tease or are you well ahead of the game?  What do you need to do today to make sure you are going to live up to the hype this fall?
Also, I would love your thoughts on this.  Do we "tease" people in other ways?  If so, how and what can we do to rectify that?  Post a comment so that we can all learn and benefit.

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12Aug/110

the BLACKBOARD: What have you learned this summer?

As the end of summer approaches, it's always good for a little reflection.  What is it that you learned this summer?  Good or bad, funny or sad, TAKE A MINUTE and jot down a thought or 2 so that we can all learn and apply some of these thoughts to our planning and preparatin for NEXT summer (or even future events during the school year).

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20Jul/110

It’s Earnings Season

Once a quarter, companies report their earnings to the public.  When they report their earnings this shows the world how well they are doing - are they making a profit or declining, do they have momentum or losing it?  Just last week, Google reported their earnings and yesterday afternoon Apple, Inc reported theirs.  Google reported that they produced over $9 billion in revenue and their profit increased from the previous quarter by 32%!  $9 billion in revenue!!!! Not to be outdone, just yesterday Apple reported that they generated $28.57 billion in revenue this quarter on the strength of selling over 20 million iPhones and over 9 million iPads.

These are phenomenal figures and shows that both Google and Apple is exceeding expectations.  After Apple reported their earnings (in after market trading), the stock rose over 5% to an all-time high as it showed everyone that Apple is performing at a very high level.

So as I look at these numbers from Google and Apple, it made me wonder about our reporting process.  Just as businesses report their earnings quarterly to the public, how often are you reporting your ministry earnings?  I'm not talking about reporting your financial earnings but how often are you reporting how well you are doing as a ministry?  I'm talking about how often are your reporting on the health of your program to your leaders, parents and the other staff?  Do they even know what you are striving for and seeking to do as a ministry?  How do you determine how well your ministry is performing?

I believe in ministry we owe it to the church, our supervisor, our students, leaders and the parents to set goals and standards.  Do all these groups need to know EVERYTHING we are doing as a ministry?  Of course not, but I believe that we owe it to ourselves and everyone else to be held to the goals and standards we set as a way to show that progress is being made and that we are headed in a direction.  Businesses are held to a huge standard and as a ministry we should be held to an even higher standard because lives are at stake.

So, what goals are you setting for this coming fall?  How will you determine if your fall is a success or not?  Right now, TAKE A MINUTE and write down some goals that you would want to have.  Or even set up a meeting with your volunteer leaders to go over some goal setting both individually and as a ministry.

Agree with this?  Disagree with it?  What are your thoughts on goal setting and expectations?  Post a comment or two and share your thoughts so we can all benefit.

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