I’ve coached and worked alongside pastors and ministry leaders across the country while leading a youth ministry at my own local church. I’ve met a lot of great leaders, and a lot of tired ones. And one thing we ALL have in common– WE’RE DOING TOO MUCH!

We are called to spread the Gospel and bring God’s Kingdom here, and that can look a lot of different ways. Ministry looks different in every context. But I’ll tell you one thing: Paul wasn’t folding bulletins.

Whether senior pastor or a secretary, youth director or an elder, I’ve never worked with anyone in the church who couldn’t use another set of hands. And, if I’m being honest, I’ve never met a ministry leader who didn’t have at least one finger in a pot that they shouldn’t. 

Below is an abbreviated list of things we, as pastors and ministry leaders, should start delegating in 2025. Then, if you’re ready, I’ll tell you how to get started. 

1. Start Delegating Communications and Marketing

Social Media Management
Keeping your church’s social media active and engaging can feel like a full-time job in itself. Scheduling posts, replying to comments, and analyzing engagement metrics can easily overwhelm one person. This is a task where consistency matters—find someone who can dedicate time to doing it well.

Website Updates
A church website is often the first impression for visitors. Keeping it up-to-date with events, sermons, and contact info ensures it reflects your ministry accurately. But the reality? It’s a time-sink that doesn’t require pastoral oversight.

Newsletter Creation
Crafting weekly or monthly updates takes creativity and focus. Whether digital or printed, newsletters are a key way to keep your congregation informed. Hand this off to someone who has an eye for design and clear communication.

Graphic Design
From sermon slides to event flyers, visual communication is essential. A volunteer or team member with creative skills can bring your ideas to life WITHOUT you spending another 3 hours on Canva.

Event Promotion
Getting the word out through email, social media, and announcements can make or break event attendance. A communications-savvy helper can ensure your efforts reach the right people at the right time.

Who Could Help?

• A creative volunteer passionate about storytelling and visuals.
• A tech-savvy college student looking for experience and a creative way to serve.
• A Ministry Admin who specializes in communications.

2. Start Delegating Administrative Tasks

Volunteer Scheduling
Coordinating schedules for greeters, nursery workers, and worship leaders can feel like solving a Rubik’s Cube. This task needs someone who thrives on logistics and follow-through.

Meeting Prep
From sending reminders to taking notes, meetings run smoother when someone else manages the details. This frees you to focus on leading the conversation.

Database Management
Maintaining member records, attendance tracking, and donor reports are critical—but they don’t need to be handled by you.

Donor Acknowledgments
Gratitude goes a long way in stewardship. Hand this off to someone who can ensure timely thank-yous for every gift, big or small.

Calendar Coordination
A shared master calendar keeps everyone on the same page, but managing it doesn’t have to land on your plate.

Who Could Help?

• A detail-oriented member of your congregation.
• A part-time admin assistant or Ministry Admin.
• A volunteer who loves spreadsheets and planning.
• A recently retired professional who’s going a little stir-crazy at home.

3. Start Delegating Worship and Creative Elements

Slide Preparation
Prepping lyrics, sermon points, and announcements for worship can take hours. This is a simple but essential task that someone else can own.

Bulletin Design
From assembling the order of worship to including announcements, bulletins are a weekly staple that doesn’t need to be designed by you.

AV and Livestream Support
Whether troubleshooting tech or running livestreams, there are often volunteers with the skills to handle this vital ministry.

Creative Media Projects
Videos and sermon recaps can be powerful tools for engagement. Let someone with a passion for media take the lead.

Worship Set Planning
Planning Sunday’s music is important, but it doesn’t have to be your responsibility every week.

Who Could Help?

• A worship team member who’s eager to take on more responsibility.
• A young adult in your church who loves tech or video editing.
• A Ministry Admin with a creative edge or a PT support person in your local community.

4. Start Delegating Family Ministry

Parent Communications
Keeping parents informed about youth and children’s programming—whether it’s weekly schedules or event reminders—is a task that doesn’t have to come from you.

Curriculum Prep
Printing handouts, organizing supplies, or preparing craft materials is time-intensive, but it’s something that others can do with clear instructions.

Volunteer Recruitment
Recruiting volunteers can be daunting, but there are people in your church who are natural connectors and can take this off your plate.

Event Planning
Family-oriented events like retreats, Trunk-or-Treat, or parent-child game nights require lots of moving parts. Someone else can step in to manage the details, from ordering supplies to setting up schedules.

Follow-Up with Families
It’s important to check in with new families or those who’ve attended special events. Delegating this to a trusted team member ensures everyone feels welcomed and connected.

Who Could Help?

• A parent in your congregation who’s passionate about family ministry.
• A youth or children’s ministry volunteer with a knack for organization.
• A group of little old ladies who meet every Wednesday morning to pack the children’s curriculum baskets and print out worksheets. (Or is that just me? )

5. Start Delegating Logistics and Operations

Facilities Management
Scheduling repairs, managing cleaning crews, and overseeing building use are necessary tasks, but they don’t require your time.

Event Setup and Teardown
From arranging chairs to decorating, these physical tasks can be done by a team of volunteers or staff.

Tech Support
When the livestream crashes or the microphone fails, it’s better if someone tech-savvy is on hand to handle it.

Supply Management
Keeping an eye on the stock of coffee, communion supplies, or office materials is important, but it doesn’t need your direct attention.

Budget Tracking
Monitoring expenses and creating reports ensures financial transparency, but someone with a knack for spreadsheets can handle this better (and faster).

Who Could Help?

• A facilities manager or team of volunteers dedicated to building care.
• A volunteer or part-time staffer with tech expertise.
• A financially savvy member of the congregation.
• A Ministry Admin who specializes in operations and logistics.

So, how do you get started? If you’re still here at this point, that means you’re serious. You’re ready to start delegating in 2025. And you know what? I’m proud of you!

Now, here’s how you can start delegating– 

Step 1:

Print out this list or make a list of your own. 

Step 2:

Review the list again and highlight the items that make you cringe the hardest. Which of these tasks takes the most of your lifeblood? Remember– Vampires always need an invitation inside. KICK THEM OUT!

Step 3:

Pray over the highlighted items. What? You didn’t think delegation was a spiritual practice? Friend, delegation is an act of faith. Ask God which items need to fall from your plate in 2025, and then pray for God to provide the right person/people who will be passionate about taking them on.

Step 4:

Make a mini-Volunteer Megaboard (or download ours here). 

1. In the first column of a spreadsheet or on paper, write your shortlist of 1-5 tasks you’d like to delegate this year, leaving three rows between each task. 
2. In the next column, through prayer and discernment, jot down three names of people in your congregation who you believe might be able to take on this task.
   • DO NOT make their excuses or say the “no’s” for them. I promise they are perfectly willing and capable of saying no to you themselves.
   • That’s why you need three names per task– Statistically, 2 in 3 people will say no to you. But that’s okay! You have backups.)
3. If you have wracked your brain and you do not believe that anyone in your congregation could possibly do this task… Wrack someone else’s brain. Ask your spouse. The church secretary. The town gossip. Sometimes, we just need another set of eyes.
4. However, if no one is able to think of a name, let alone three, this might be a task worth outsourcing. If that is the case, type “External” and move on to the next task. 
5. Once you have your list of tasks to delegate, you’re ready, right? Wrong! Time to send it to a trusted prayer partner. Spend a couple of days intentionally praying alongside this friend over these tasks and the specific names on the document. If God provides greater discernment, change your list accordingly. If not, IT’S GO TIME!
6. Finally, after all that, it’s time to start tapping shoulders. Start with your first choice for each task, and reach out how you’re most comfortable. Some leaders are callers, some are emailers, and I’m a texter. Whatever method of communication you won’t put off until tomorrow is the right method of communication.
   • If you are reaching it via text or email, say something like, “Hey so-and-so, we’ve got an exciting opportunity for helping out with [communications, etc.] at the church, and I immediately thought of you. Any chance I can catch you [on the phone sometime this week/after church on Sunday/take you to coffee] to chat more about it?
   • If you are starting with a cold call, lead with enthusiasm. You’re not desperate. You’re excited to share this important responsibility in the church with someone you think could do an amazing job with it. 
7. And what if they say no? Well, that’s why you’ve got three names, right? Start dialing. 
8. But what if you wrote “External” for one (or all!) of your dreaded tasks? I’m not going to sugar coat it. It can be hard when you feel like you’re doing it all by yourself, and it feels like there is no one you can even think of to ask for help. But it’s not hopeless. There are several options for bringing in outside help to you and your ministry. Here are some questions to consider:
   • Can I afford to bring someone on as a full or part-time staff member?
   • Is there a possibility for a stipend if I look for a local intern to fulfill this task?
   • If there is no budget, is there someone in the congregation I could ask about supporting an auxiliary person like this?
   • Could a remote Ministry Admin from Ministry Architects better fit my budget?
   • If this is something we don’t have money for, who can I bring alongside me this year to intentionally pray that God sends us the right people to help in these areas?

To wrap up…

I’ll say it again: Delegation is an act of faith. It’s trusting that God has placed people around you with gifts and skills to share the load. Start small by identifying a couple of tasks from this list to delegate. Over time, as your team grows in confidence and capacity, you’ll find yourself freed to focus on the parts of ministry that only you can do. And remember, whether it’s a passionate volunteer or a professional Ministry Admin, help is out there—and you’re not alone.

If you get stuck, though, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us here at Ministry Architects. We are real pastors and ministry leaders who have been where you are. We are happy to offer a free coaching call to help pull you out of the rut, and we have downloadable resources, blogs, and podcasts that we would love to share with you. 

Brandi Kirkland

brandi.kirkland@ministryarchitects.com

Brandi Kirkland serves as a staff consultant and SEO specialist for Ministry Architects. Church systems and strategy are her very favorite thing, and she loves what she does every single day. Brandi graduated from Johnson University with a bachelor’s degree in Christian Ministry and gets to be the rare graduate who actually works in their field of study. Brandi has led children’s and youth ministry in both single-site and multi-site churches, and believes that each church has its own, unique offering that it brings to the cause of Christ.

The post 25 Things Pastors Should Start Delegating in 2025 appeared first on Ministry Architects.

Okay, what if you were told you got to have a coach or mentor or guide to meet with regularly as a support piece to your job? Does the change of phrase make a difference?

We’re guessing it does. Because nobody likes to feel like they’re being scrutinized. We’d all much rather be coached or mentored (dare we say, discipled) rather than supervised or evaluated. 

Whatever the reason may be, how we talk about and approach THIS piece of vocational ministry matters. The church staff evaluation process matters. 

And the good news is, if you’re a supervisor of any kind: you get to set the tone! You get to establish a different way of walking with the people on your teams so that your church’s approach looks a lot more like thoughtful discipleship rather than anxiety-inducing dread brought on by an annual critique and threat of job loss.

Granted, there are a lot more ways to describe staff support in churches today than those two options. ???? So, let’s take a look at 4 features of a healthy staff evaluation process:

1. Meet WEEKLY (Not just for annual staff evaluations!)

• Please hear us; we’re not saying have more meetings. We’re saying meet more with one another. Establish a standard that weekly, 15-minute check-ins happen between all supervisors and individual staff. Some weeks, you won’t go the full 15 minutes. Other weeks, you might need a longer stretch of time. But each week, every staff member is discussing these 3 questions with the person they report to / are supported by:
  • What are the big things this week?
  • Where are there potential challenges?
  • What can I do to help / Where do you need more support?
• Don’t forget: lead pastors need people, too and should also have a ministry partner who they meet with weekly.

2. Review Roles and Reasons ANNUALLY

• Once each year, take the time to review job descriptions and discuss the reasons why each role exists in the life of the church to help fulfill its mission.
  • This kind of conversation not only reminds each person of the purpose of their position but also provides an opportunity for any readjusting that might be needed so that everyone stays aligned and works towards the same goals. 
  • Be sure to include a visual of the larger organizational chart as a part of this review, too. Seeing where we fit and that we belong can be just as important as hearing how we’re doing.
• If this annual conversation needs a refresh in your church, or you’d like to see a template for what this can be, click here for a free staff evaluation conversation guide.

3. Tend to the Team ROUTINELY

• It sometimes doesn’t matter how much everyone loves Jesus, working on a team means working with other humans, and humans are human: we all fall short (and get on each others’ nerves.) This is why healthy staff support not only focuses on individuals, it also incorporates times when teammates can leave their desks and focus on their relationships with one another.
  • Idea: Host a team-time-out once a month, where everyone has some kind of fun together. (i.e., sharing lunch, going bowling, playing Mario Kart… this doesn’t have to cost a lot.)
  • Idea: Incorporate teammates’ feedback in the annual review process, allowing other staffers to provide insights and encouragement anonymously.
• As a part of this piece, supervisors should aim to be observant of team dynamics and address any tensions that may exist with a Matthew 18 approach.

4. Be Clear CONSTANTLY

• Clarity is kindness. Which means there should be no surprises at any checkpoint as to the following workplace questions:
  • Am I doing my job right?
  • How do others experience me?
  • What are my growing edges?
• Clarity removes the suspense of surprise because feedback related to these questions is embedded throughout all the conversations happening above.

So how are you doing? 
Where could your church staff grow in how teammates invest in one another?

We’d love to hear!

And if you’re looking for more ideas on how to refresh your staff culture and approach this work from a place of discipleship, be sure to listen to this episode of The Ministry Architects Podcast.

Contributors:

David Gaddini

david.gaddini@ministryarchitects.com

David is the senior pastor at Fellowship of Faith in McHenry, Illinois. David produces a podcast, Questions You Never Thought You Could Ask in Church.

Brent Parker

brent.parker@ministryarchitects.com

Brent is the lead — and founding —pastor of The Church at Woodforest, a campus of The Woodlands Methodist Church north of Houston, Texas.

Anthony Prince

anthony.prince@ministryarchitects.com

Anthony currently serves as the Executive Pastor at Real Life Church of LA, a growing church plant in the foothills of Los Angeles, CA.

The post 4 Features of a Healthy Staff Evaluation Process appeared first on Ministry Architects.

And my answer is always: yes!

Inclusion allows our kids with disabilities or special needs to learn about Jesus with their peers. And, it allows our typical kids to grow in understanding and compassion for others. But there are times when, no matter how much your ministry desires to embrace inclusion, a separate space will be needed. So it’s helpful to have a both/and mindset. 

You know what else is helpful to consider when starting out?

This list:

1. Utilizing Space for Special Needs Ministry

Space, it’s not just the final frontier. Intentional space can allow your church to welcome people with higher-level sensory needs. If you have extra space, a nice, quiet area with low lighting usually does the trick in creating a quiet place for children who are easily overwhelmed. Equip the space with a few soft items such as bean bag chairs, weighted blankets, and quiet activities, and you have yourself a sensory room. 

I prefer to include all the kids in the same space. However, some children may not be able to participate if they do not have a separate space. Space may be what holds you back from having a separate quiet or sensory area, but it does not need to keep you from serving families with sensory needs. 

2. Inviting People

The greatest (and least expensive) resource you need. If space is not an abundant resource for you, how about people? Creating a one-on-one buddy system may make the difference between a family attending church, or not. 

I know what you’re thinking, “But we’re in constant need of volunteers for what already exists!” But did you know that buddies tend to be a popular volunteer position? This is especially true for youth who want to serve. 

A buddy’s one goal is to help a child be successful. And the outcome of that success is often an entire family attends your church, knowing their kid is safe and well-cared for. So it’s just good ministry math to add this role to your roster.

3. Traveling with Tools for Special Needs Ministry

Fun fact: the greatest tools I have used to serve children who are neurodiverse fit in one small backpack. If your church does not have a designated sensory space, a sensory bag may do the trick. I like to provide my buddies with a simple backpack to carry for the children they serve. 

What’s in the bag? 

It depends on the needs of the child, but here are a few favorites:

• Headphones
• Laminated picture schedule
• A fidget
• Playdough
• Timer

4. Sharing Awareness

Be curious, not judgmental; this is more than just a quote debated for who said it first (was it Walt Whitman or Ted Lasso?) it’s an invitation for everyone to learn and grow.

Create awareness amongst the church, volunteers, and even the children by helping everyone understand that different people learn, engage, and participate differently. Thus, meeting those differences with the same grace and diversity of resources can make all the difference when it comes to the strength of connection, the ability to be present, and the experience of feeling welcome.

Take a look at Luke 14 and ask the question of who Jesus was inviting to the table. The blind, the crippled, the lame, and the poor. (Also, if your church is stuck on what are the proper terms for families with special needs, Luke 14 will help you see that those terms change all the time.)

5. Establishing A Family Room

A new addition in many churches is a family-friendly sensory room. This is a space that allows parents to listen to the message being streamed while their children are safely in the room with them. These rooms are equipped like a sensory room with low lighting, soft seating, and quiet activities like fidgets. The upside is there is no need for additional volunteers and parents get to connect with one another.

In a perfect world, I would offer an inclusive buddy ministry with the option of a quiet, separate sensory room. But most of us don’t live in that space-abundant, perfect world. So we do what we can with what we have, taking the steps we can now to move forward into our next.

A family our church served in a weekend respite program could not safely be welcomed in our Sunday service until we made a few significant changes. It took us two years to make those changes. But each little step forward kept us moving in the right direction until, eventually, the entire family could be present on Sundays.

So what do we do, in the meantime, when it’s not safe for a child to attend without a separate space for special needs ministry? 

We welcome families safely by using the resources we have, understanding that for some of our families, the safest answer for their children may not be no, it just might be not now. Hear me: this is not a no. Instead, it is an opportunity to work with the family, walking through the list above to consider the best, safest way to welcome their whole family. 

And if you want to talk through what a first step can look like in your ministry world, please click here and let’s connect. 

Kerri-Ann Hayes

kerri-ann.hayes@ministryarchitects.com

Kerri-Ann Hayes has been a children’s and family ministry leader in Central Florida since the late 1990s. She has led children’s ministry in both single and multi-site churches. Kerri-Ann has a Disney family heritage, a hospitality management background, and a love for the local church that all shifted nicely into the world of family ministry. During her years of serving families, Kerri-Ann developed a passion for those struggling to find their place in the church due to the special needs of their children. She loves supporting and equipping churches to be accessible to families with special needs or traumatic backgrounds and is the author of The Accessible Church. Kerri-Ann and her husband, Tom, live in Clermont, Florida, where they raised their three children.

The post 5 First Steps to Creating an Inclusive Special Needs Ministry appeared first on Ministry Architects.

As you consider your role as a children’s minister, volunteer leader, or supportive presence in the life of children and families, here are a few suggestions to help with back-to-school emotions and healthy habits:

Children’s ministers should…

Become Aware:

Ask children and parents about the school they will attend, who their teachers will be, and what grades they will be in. Ask about their interests and what they plan to do this school year. In this way, you will have more knowledge about your flock and can follow up as the school year progresses.

Offer Help:

If you find that a child or parent feels insecure about school, offer to help. For children’s ministers, this may mean providing a listening ear, stopping by a home to deliver a back-to-school encouragement gift, praying with and for the family, or checking in intentionally to see how things are going, once the school year begins.

Stay In-the-Know:

Don’t miss the opportunity to stay aware of what is happening throughout the school year. Periodically ask parents how school is going. When you see children on Sundays, ask them about school. If you simply ask children how school is going you may only get a one-word answer: fine. Here are some guiding questions to avoid the dreaded fine answer:

• What is your favorite thing about school?
• Tell me about your teacher.
• Who do you play with at recess?
• What is your favorite specials class? (ex: gym, music, art, library, etc.)
• What’s something cool you learned about last week?
• Are there any special school events coming up?
• Is there anything that bothered you today?

Make Connections:

If you learn that a child is learning about ocean life or weather, help the children make connections to Bible stories. If a child is worried, provide them with a Bible verse to remember when worry creeps in.

• Ocean Life: 
  • God created fish. (Genesis 1:20-22)
  • Jesus called his disciples to make fishers of men. (Matthew 4:19, Mark 1:17)
  • Jesus helped the fishermen (who had been unsuccessful with their overnight fishing ventures) catch a bunch of fish. (Luke 5, John 21)
• Weather: Jesus calmed the storm. (Matthew 8:23-27, Luke 8:22-25)
• Worry: Instead of dwelling on worries, think about other things. (Philippians 4:6-8)

Become a Partner:

Ask parents if their child’s school allows lunch visitors, classroom volunteers, or adults to read to children. If so, offer to visit or to volunteer at the schools represented by the children in your ministry. Allow interested parents to sign up to have you visit their child’s school. In this way, you will build relationships both with the children, the parents, and the schools, bridging a gap between church, school, and home.

Provide Resources:

If parents have questions or struggles, be a resource for them. This may mean finding articles, videos, or books about the subjects parents struggle with. Listen for common concerns, and compile a list of resources for parents. Here are some suggested topics:

• Discipline or healthy boundaries with children
• Teaching children faith at home
• Bullying
• Helping children with anxiety
• Age-appropriate development/learning
• Signs of learning differences or special needs

And finally, children’s ministers should pray for everyone:

If you click here, you can download a set of back-to-school prayers for free. These can be shared with your volunteer teams, ministry colleagues, and families in your community.

For more information, recommended books and websites, or to find resources for children’s ministry and Christian parenting, let’s connect! You can email me at elaine.pendergrass@ministryarchitects.com or visit Teaching Kids About God.

Elaine Pendergrass

elaine.pendergrass@ministryarchitects.com

Elaine comes with a wealth of knowledge about teaching and learning, child development, and children’s discipleship. She holds a B.S. in Elementary Studies and an M.A. in School Administration, both from Gardner-Webb University (Boiling Springs, NC). Elaine has devoted her career to education and children’s ministry. She has served both in public and private schools as an Elementary teacher, Instructional Specialist, Preschool Director, and Head of School. Elaine served as a Children’s Minister at two large churches in Houston, TX. Elaine is passionate about loving children, making disciples, and equipping families to raise their children in faith. Elaine and her husband David have two beautiful children, Hayden and Julia.

The post Back to School: Resources for Children’s Ministers appeared first on Ministry Architects.

I can remember being in my first few years of ministry and learning about a trend that seemed to happen every year in almost every setting. In looking at the demographics of youth groups, they always seemed to skew young. 

This was certainly the case when it came to our high school ministry. It was as if juniors and seniors who had been incredibly involved in their younger years had decided that being a part of the youth ministry simply was no longer worth their time. In some ways this was a natural consequence of lives that were busier, friendships that had shifted, and priorities that had changed. But I started to wonder: did we, as ministry leaders, just have to accept this as a situation we had no control over? 

Or, were there things we could do to engage upperclassmen in a deeper way and lead our group to a different outcome? 

There will always be students who fade away from both our ministry and their faith, just like any other life stage of people. But, I do believe that we can focus on a few areas that have the potential to keep older teens involved in a way that will truly help them in their faith and create a different culture in our ministries.

Remember that relationships matter most. 

One of the main ways to keep upperclassmen involved in your ministry is to make sure that the relationships they have at church are strong. This “relational ministry” mindset can’t just start when they are older. It has to be embedded in the overall strategy for your ministry, and you need to intentionally do things to foster relationships.

This means making time for fostering relationships on trips, at special events, and during regular, weekly gatherings (youth group, small group, Bible studies, etc.) It also means giving up some of your “teaching” time for relational time. This may be hard to hear, but people want connection more than they want content, so make time for creating connections a priority.

Students need to have solid relationships with not just their peers, but with trusted adult leaders who will love them, listen to them, and help guide them along their journey. You don’t just need people who can teach the Bible or share life-lesson stories or monitor rule-following. You need people who love Jesus and love students and are willing to jump into the messiness of teenage life. There are likely a number of people in your church who could fill this role. But, don’t forget, they need training and encouragement along the way (they need relationships, too.)

If students can start building solid relationships in their early years of the youth ministry, they will be more likely to stay around longer because they want to be with people they trust and have a history with. I have seen group after group be incredibly engaged during their junior and senior years because they have strong relationships and they have done it together.

Make it special. 

Sometimes in ministry we shy away from doing something more or special for certain groups. On the surface, I get it. We want to treat everyone the same and not pick favorites. But there is something to be said for having something special for older students. In reality, we all get more opportunities and privileges as we get older, and I believe the same should be true at church. For years our church had a senior trip in the spring and special summer mission trips just for upperclassmen.

These opportunities, along with a few others, are things for students to look forward to as they get older. You might say that we were dangling a few carrots in front of these teens in order to keep them involved. Well, it worked. We always had great engagement and participation from our older students, in part because there was something special for them. 

Let them use their voice. 

One of the best things you can do to keep older students involved is to give them opportunities to speak into what is happening in your church and your ministry. The Ministry Architects Podcast team has a whole episode on if students aren’t leading, they’re leaving. Lots of churches create a type of student leadership team that is primarily made up of juniors and seniors. Groups like this need to be more than a token attempt to keep teenagers involved. These groups need to have real conversations and have the ability to chart the direction of the ministry.

Students love to help build curriculum, make decisions about events, and lead meetings. Letting students use their voice does not mean that all of the adults evacuate the conversations and give up their leadership role. Adults still have to steer the conversations and make the final decisions, but teenagers have the ability and the desire to give input.

Another way to let upperclassmen use their voice is through sharing their testimony and teaching their peers. Lots of teenagers have stories to tell, and we can give them the platform to do it. When we give teenagers real opportunities to do ministry, they feel like they belong and can contribute. 

Engage them on their level. 

So many juniors and seniors check out of youth ministries because they feel like they’ve “been there and done that.” This is particularly true when it comes to what we are teaching and talking about. If they have been involved in your church for any length of time at all, they have heard a lot of the stories and they likely know the basics of the faith. 

I didn’t say they were living out their faith, but they have heard a lot about how to do it. In order to keep older students interested and engaged, we have to be talking about things they are thinking about and want to talk about. Sure, there are still things we need to be teaching them but, if we’re not careful, we’ll lose them. In an effort to help them really embrace the basics of the faith, we sometimes, unintentionally, push them away because we are covering things they think they have already heard. We have to engage them at their level, talk about their felt needs, and not revert to being too basic in what we teach. Check this starter guide out if you want to create a discipleship pathway that means something.

Prioritize relationships. Make it special. Elevate voices. Engage intentionally.

If we want to have a healthy and growing youth ministry, we have to put a real emphasis on keeping the older students involved. In lots of ways, we have to make it worth their time. If they have real and deep relationships, it will be worth it to them. If there are special opportunities that they can’t get elsewhere, it will be worth it. If they can use their voice and actually contribute, it will be worth it. And, if they feel like we understand where they are coming from and talk about things that are relevant to their lives, it will be worth it. Upperclassmen will find a home where they want to be involved, they will grow in their faith, and they will help you create a healthy culture that will be sustainable for years to come.

Chris Sasser

chris.sasser@ministryarchitects.com

Chris is the Pastor of Family Ministries at Port City Community Church in Wilmington, NC. He has served in full-time ministry since 1993, working with children’s, middle school, high school, college, and parent ministries. He has a passion for equipping and encouraging parents and leaders to help the next generation walk with God. Chris shares thoughts and ideas at www.equipandencourage.com and loves to share with students, leaders, and parents. Chris is married to Karin and they have two children, CJ and Kylie. A graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill, Chris is an avid sports fan and really loves the ‘Heels!

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At Ministry Architects, we’ve worked with over 1,000 churches, and, inevitably, this is THE most frequently asked question. Based on all that we’ve seen and come to understand about what helps support a sustainable ministry, we’ve developed some norms. These numbers are just a way to compare some numbers from your church with the same numbers in other churches. 

Before taking a closer look, here are a few important notes you will want to keep in mind as you consider where your church lands amongst this data:

1. These numbers are an average from the churches we have worked with all across the country. Our work with congregations of all shapes and sizes and in a variety of contexts has helped inform our norms. Whether your church is small or large, set in an urban, suburban, or rural setting, homogeneous or diverse, somewhere in this data is a church that looks like you.
   
   
2. These numbers are not a clear indicator of health or sustainability in your ministry but are hoped to serve as a baseline for comparison and a starting place, when considering investing fresh attention to a ministry. If your church falls outside of these norms and you still have a thriving ministry, that’s to be celebrated! And we would suggest there are variables outside these norms that are contributing to that health.
   
   
3. These numbers enable you to have more conversations about your unique needs and circumstances, and make adjustments accordingly. As you look at these numbers, especially the budget numbers, remember that the cost of living varies widely across the country. For example, if you are in New York City, you may not be able to run a ministry on the same budget that a church in Bryan, Texas can. But by looking at these norms and comparing them to your own church’s numbers, you can learn how you compare to the national average and use that information when discussing the distribution of resources in your specific community.
   
   
4. These numbers have lasted through the pandemic – and are applicable to your church right now. Ministry Architects exists to support healthy systems and innovative change for the future of the church. And in a world that’s ever changing, we know how important it is for content and resources to be relevant and useful right here, right now. Including the useful information you’re about to discover.

Children’s Ministry Norms

Youth Ministry Norms

Church-wide Norms

The post Ministry Norms: What even is ‘normal’? appeared first on Ministry Architects.

Here’s a good starting metric: check the level of enthusiasm in your church. Can you find it? Is it focused and aligned or scattered and invested in all sorts of places?

If the enthusiasm isn’t palpable, that’s one characteristic to note. If it’s not directed towards a particular program, goal, or vision that’s also noteworthy. And both are good indicators that it’s time for your community to do some strategic planning. 

While guiding vision conversations is one of our favorite things to do (this work aligns perfectly with implementing healthy systems and innovative change for the future of the church), if you’re aiming to set some goals and steer direction on your own, here are a few things to keep in mind: 

Still need help in creating a strategic plan for your congregation’s future? Sign up for a free coaching call with one of our experts who can begin walking you through your next steps towards a more focused and aligned vision.

The post Planning for the Future appeared first on Ministry Architects.

As I’ve been having lots of conversations, facilitating focus groups, and leading seminars, I’ve noted many common themes. The one that stands out most starkly is this:

Kids, teens, and parents are all hurting in so many ways. 

The pressure to perform, the strain of relationships, and the overall stress of life seems to be bringing people down at an increasing rate. It seems to be harder and harder for people to embrace the hope of Jesus and the belief that a life with God, while not perfect or problem free, will offer a freedom and joy that can overcome the world.

This overall feeling is well-summarized by a quote from a recent conversation I had with a high school student at my church: 

“Stress levels are enormous. I used to love school, now I stare at the clock until the bell rings. I play sports as well which means I miss some class but have to make it up later. My parents aren’t any help either. They are part of the problem. “You better watch that 93 in science. It’s getting a little too close to an A-” They don’t get it. Keeping perfect grades while playing 3 sports a year is difficult. But don’t let them see me too sad, or too stressed, or too much of any negative emotion or they’ll blame it on my phone and snatch it right up until I cry at the dinner table about it. Someone has to tell adults that we will crumble without some sort of relief.”

That last line really gets me and, in some way, has become a rallying cry for me.

“Someone has to tell adults that we will crumble without some sort of relief.”

Kids and teenagers today are crumbling. We, as adults, have to pay attention to what is going on in more ways than ever. We must be in the fight with them, equipping and encouraging them as they navigate the world. This desire to help parents and ministry leaders truly see what is happening and be proactive in the fight has led me to create a few resources that I hope will help.

In 2022, I released the book Bags: Helping Your Kids Lighten the Load. This book comes from years of watching young people pack and carry some tremendous emotional baggage. On top of that, they have no idea how to deal with it. The book identifies eight common “bags” that kids pack as they grow up. I talk about things like comparison, rejection, disappointment, and the pressure to perform. Each chapter offers practical things those parenting and doing ministry can do to help kids not pack these bags. We can give them a lighter load to carry through life.

I believe that we, as parents and ministry leaders, can have a tremendous impact on the way our kids view the world and how they learn how to be healthy along the way. 

Speaking of health, that has become an important word to me as I have thought about the state of families today. Everyone has a picture of what we think “success” looks like. I don’t know about you, but when it comes to my kids and how they turn out–

I have changed the target when it comes to success. 

For me, success no longer looks like good grades that lead to the right college or job that helps them achieve financial success. The idea that my kids need to earn awards and climb whatever ladder is in front of them, be a good citizen and live in the right social circles, is no longer important to me. (We all know people who have achieved the “American Dream” and are miserable.)

I simply want for my kids to get to their young adult years and be healthy. I want for them to be healthy emotionally, mentally, relationally, and spiritually. If my wife and I can get our kids to their mid 20s and they are healthy in these areas, I don’t care where they work, where they live, how much money they make, or what social circles they run in. I obviously pray that they will have a real relationship with God that leads them every day. And I believe that if they do, they are much more likely to be healthy in the four areas I’ve mentioned:

– Emotional Health
– Mental Health
– Relational Health
– Spiritual Health

As adults who are raising and leading kids and teens, we can make a tremendous difference in their lives. We have the opportunity to equip and encourage them along the way, pointing them to a God who loves them and a faith that can lead them. As we lead, we have to both pay attention to what is happening to them and be proactive in what we want for them. As anyone who has worked with or raised kids and teens knows, this is a dance. Sometimes we stumble and fall, and we sometimes move into a beautiful expression of life and love.

In my opinion, it all hinges on one thing: Relationships

We have to work, not just on the mechanics of life, but on the connections we all crave. If we, as adults, focus first on the relationships we have with the kids and teens in our homes, or sphere of influence in our neighborhoods or ministries, instead of just teaching the things we think kids need to know, we will have a much better chance at actually seeing the “bags” they carry. Then, we can help them lighten the load and move towards the health they so desperately need. 

So, hang in there. Keep fighting. Focus on health, for both you and the kids and teens you love so much. Pray for their hearts. Offer encouragement. Build relationships, lead well, and trust that the seeds you are planting and watering will grow into what God wants them to be.

Additional Resources

Want more helpful resources? Check out these free downloads!

• Five Mistakes Churches Make In Family Ministry
• Whole Family Ministry Conversation Guide

Chris Sasser (a.k.a. “Sass”) is the Pastor of Family Ministries at Port City Community Church in Wilmington, NC. He has served in full-time ministry since 1993, working with children’s, middle school, high school, college, and parent ministries. He has a passion for equipping and encouraging parents and leaders to help the next generation walk with God. Chris shares thoughts and ideas at www.equipandencourage.com and loves to share with students, leaders, and parents. He is married to Karin and they have two children, CJ and Kylie. Chris is a graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill and has done some graduate work at Fuller Theological Seminary and Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary.

The post Kids Are Crumbling appeared first on Ministry Architects.

Here he was at a brand new place – a large, suburban, and highly liturgical church. And he did something crazy. When it came time for the sermon, he stepped away from the pulpit, came down into the center aisle, and talked to us. He preached without notes. His message was rich, Biblical, and made you think. He was personable. He connected. I walked away remembering things and thinking about things. I was a 52-week per year Sunday attender. But this was the first time I listened to a sermon. 

It doesn’t matter if you’re a pastor, youth leader, or any other kind of church leader. There’s going to come a point where you’re going to find yourself in front of a group of people delivering a message. When we do, all of us hope people will connect with what we’re saying and be impacted by it. 

I’ve been a pastor for 23 years now. Preaching and teaching are my main gig. I’ve learned that when I preach without notes, it connects more deeply. Here’s the good news: it doesn’t require memorizing manuscripts. It doesn’t even require writing one. With a few simple techniques, you can stay nimble and engaging – all without notes in front of you.

I don’t think it’s always better to preach without notes. But I do think it’s a limitation if you can’t. Some messages demand preaching without notes. Most messages are better when you can. 

This is part three of our guide for how to build an 18-month preaching calendar. If you’re looking for the art of crafting a message and planning ahead, check out part one and part two. What you’re about to read is about delivery. These are the tips and tricks I’ve gleaned over time that help me preach without notes, and that will, hopefully, help you, too. 

Satellites vs. Train Tracks

Too often we preach like we’re traveling by train. We start at a certain point, follow a carefully laid out track, and hope we reach our destination. It’s beautiful when it works, but there’s just one problem: get off track and the whole thing derails. 

When your preaching follows a carefully laid out track, you risk forgetting the sequential flow and set yourself up to go off the rails. The only solution is to spend an inordinate amount of time memorizing each step or to keep notes in front of you. This often means reading, because the time and mental capacity simply isn’t there to memorize the route you charted. 

Try this instead: Switch from train tracks to satellites.
Imagine your preaching is like a solar system. The central star is your main point. It’s what your message is about. All kinds of things revolve around it. These are the satellites – your supporting points, illustrations, and applications. It’s the stuff you want to say about your central point. 

Focus on the central defining point. 

• Articulate it. Everything you say will revolve around it. 
• Now identify a few insights relating to that point. Just a few. These can be stories, anecdotes, implications, examples, further insights the center point raises, push-backs, related texts, personal impressions, application points, or anything else, so long as it relates to that center defining star.
• As you preach, keep coming back to that central point. Your delivery can develop its own organic flow without having to hit points in a predetermined order.  

The benefit is that you no longer have to remember a singular, linear sequence of thought. All you have to remember is the central point and some of its satellites. Then, you’re free to jump to what’s coming to mind in the moment. Everyday conversation works this way, and it’s engaging. If you lose sight of one of the points you drafted (it happens), the whole system doesn’t come crashing down. You can skip points, move on, or come back to them. The central point is still intact. The satellites you choose only serve to enhance it.

Here’s another benefit: listeners drift. Even in the best messages, focus veers. Satellite preaching provides your audience natural entry points to reengage whereas train track preaching risks losing them at an earlier station. 

What if I forget something in the moment? Take heart. You will. It doesn’t matter. The satellites aren’t dependent on each other. The listener doesn’t need to follow every single one. Every topic and every text has more satellites than we can count. There’s always more you can say. You will inevitably forget points or have to cut points for the sake of time that you so desperately wanted to make. It will kill you. It will not kill them. They’ll be none the wiser!  With this style, even if you forget everything else, you have your central point. And you’ve also given yourself freedom to draw in new satellites that strike you in the moment. 

I forget points all the time. It’s not that scary when you have an entire solar system of points to draw on. When you know your central point, you can adapt, even if certain satellites drop out of view. Just keep moving ahead.

What about the content of each satellite? Don’t I have to memorize that? I doubt it. Just remembering the satellite is usually enough mental prompt to help you recall its pertinent details. You know this stuff. If you’ve done your prep work, you’ll be surprised at how the pertinent details stick with you. 

What if there’s a specific quote or passage I want to share verbatim? Just put it on the screen. If you don’t have one, read it from the Bible or the actual book directly. These shifts in presentation can actually increase personal connection as the listener intuitively journeys with you between fixed content and your comments on it.  

Back Pocket Prompts

If you speak without notes, it’s good to have some go-to prompts in your back pocket. These are phrases you can draw on anytime you forget your next point or get lost. Here are a few: 

• “Here’s what I like about this passage…” Actually say that. Then share what you like. 
• “Here’s what I don’t like about this passage…” That’ll get their attention. Be honest about your own struggle with a reading’s  perceived implications.
• “Here’s what confuses me about this passage….” Share the questions you’re asking or how you’ve misunderstood it in the past. 
• “Here’s what challenges me in this passage…” Get transparent. How is God convicting you?

For a moment, imagine getting up to preach, forgetting everything, then doing this:

Today I want to talk to you about… [name the topic]. 
A passage I like that talks about this is… [name it, then read it]. 
Here’s what I like about this passage…
Here’s what I don’t like…
This used to confuse me…
But here’s where it’s challenging me…

Simple, clean, textual, and personal. Not a bad message. No notes required. And you can apply this to any message that uses a Biblical text. 

Also note the use of “I” language. By talking in the first person, you’re now inviting them into your journey. You’re now sharing something personal instead of preaching at them. People connect with that. You’re also modeling a simple way they can talk about their faith, too. 

Less is More. Simple is Better.

If you can’t remember what you’re talking about without your notes, how will they? 

We try to do too much when we preach. I’m guilty of this. There’s so much we want to share, so many interconnections with other passages, and so many theological revelations and applications. 

Complex arguments with intricate logical progressions have their place: in a paper. Speaking, though, is about clarion calls to action, words of affirmation and inspiration, warnings and convictions. Simplify your flow. Your preaching will be better. 

Before you ever step into a pulpit, you’ve been on a journey with your message. Maybe it’s been an afternoon, maybe a week, maybe longer. Whatever the time frame, the text has been shaping you. You’ve had time to digest it, rethink various implications, and discover new connections. 

Your listeners haven’t. They’re coming in cold and fresh. By the time you utter your first words, you’re already 20 steps ahead. They are not with you. If you’re not careful, you risk moving too quickly and losing them, permanently. Incidentally, have you ever noticed that the messages you’ve developed quickly sometimes connect better? I think it’s because we haven’t had the chance to get too far ahead of our listeners.

Try this: See if you can write your entire message on a post-it note. Write your central point with a few satellites defined by key words or short phrases. Now see if you can memorize that. You’re well on your way to preaching without notes.

Have the Guts

There’s more than can be said, but I’ll follow my own advice and leave you with one closing thought: have the guts to try it. At some point, you just have to take off the training wheels and go up there without your notes. You may wobble or even fall. That’s okay. God is full of grace! I suspect your people are, too. 

I once forgot my entire train of thought mid-message and for the life of me couldn’t think of how to recover. What’s worse is that I already said I had five points I wanted to share. And I was only on point number two. Total deer in the headlights. I stuttered and stammered. Every second brought my loss of words into greater focus. Finally I just said, “Guys, my mind went blank. I had three more points. I have no idea what they are. But I bet they were good. I’ll have to share them with you sometime.”

And you know what? People laughed. In a good way. It was endearing. It created a bond. We were together in ministry that day. 

People don’t demand perfection. So don’t demand it of yourself. People need to see that the church is a place where they don’t have to be perfect. Let them see you in such a way that you’re still poised and able to laugh about it. God may speak louder through that than anything you had to say. 

Wrapping it Up

There is a difference between writing well and speaking well. Writing well doesn’t equal speaking well. We write differently than we speak. In a good conversation, we deftly jump between topics, organically. Have you ever tried to write down a conversation, let alone outline one ahead of time? It just doesn’t work. It gets messy, wooden, and stifles the flow. 
If your preaching feels more like delivering a paper than having a good conversation, and if it’s tying you to your manuscript, try this approach and see if it helps you. Contact us if we can help you with your preaching, whether it’s setting up an 18-month preaching calendar, outlining weekly content, or preaching without notes. We’re here to help.

The post <strong>Preaching without Notes</strong> appeared first on Ministry Architects.