People are gathering in the parking lot. Some are sharing the finer points of what they brought up during the committee meeting and others have the attention of the pastors or staff and are talking about things they didn’t get a chance to bring up. And what was gained? People shared the things that already taken place in the past. Committee members were invited to dedicate even more time to the ministry in multiple ways. And the person in charge of the meeting was the only one leaving with a bigger task list. 

It was you. You left with a bigger task list.

This occurs in all denominations in churches of all sizes with leaders of all skill levels. 

If this sounds familiar what follows might be of use to you. There is another way, a better way, that will allow each member of the team to value the time of the meeting, to be effective with their work, and to work in partnership with each other to accomplish something more than any one member could on their own. 

It starts with our approach. Approach your church committee meetings with these three things in mind: Take responsibility. Take charge. Ensure success. 

Take Responsibility

Meetings are most effective when we understand why we are meeting. What is each person’s role on the team or committee? What’s expected of those who are involved in the meeting? This means that there are a few things that need to happen before the meeting takes place.

The members of the team need to have:

1. A clear job description or list of tasks that they are responsible for.
2. A reason or purpose that the team has been established.
   • Is the team responsible for dreaming, goal-setting, and the future of the ministry?
     • If so, let’s be clear and state that that’s the reason the team is gathering.
3. A detailed agenda that you follow for each meeting that will help create rhythm and set expectations for the meeting.

Need an agenda for your church committee meetings?
Check out this one.

When each of these is in place, you’ve taken responsibility. 

Take Charge

Most of the meeting should take place outside of the meeting rather than during. Here’s what that means. Between the meetings, there are a few things that need to happen: 

1. Tasks Under Way: The chairperson should check in on each member of the team. Did they accomplish their task? If so, add that note to the agenda in a section called “Updates.” If they didn’t, still note the the current progress in updates. Do they have a question that needs to be answered? Whatever the response is, add it to the agenda.
   
2. Completed Tasks: If their task is complete, then we’re asking if they’re ready to take on the next thing (whatever that might be…). Add the new task to the agenda in a section titled “Assignments.” By avoiding having these discussions during the meeting, you reserve time for the things that need the attention of the whole team. 
   
3. Incomplete Tasks: If the task has not yet been started, keep it in the assignments section of the agenda. When there’s no progress, there’s no update, and there are no questions to answer. 

With this check-in taking place between the meetings, the chairperson is building the agenda along the way. They’re keeping in touch with what’s being accomplished and what’s stuck. And they’re in the position to help with the task that’s most in need. This is the chairperson’s job description. 

Ensure Success

Success will largely be dependent on the two practices above. By taking responsibility and taking charge, the others on the committee will begin to arrive prepared and ready to discuss what’s already on the agenda. Here are a few additional tips that will help ensure the success of the meetings, and of the ministry, as a result. 

1. Send out the agenda at least 48 hours in advance and ask everyone to come prepared to discuss the input and decisions. 
2. Focus the meeting on collecting input and answering questions that are specific to the tasks at hand and minimize the time spent on any of the other items.
3. Include only task-oriented items on the agenda.
4. Ask each member of the team to solve the problems, complete the task, or devise the plan between the meeting and bring those recommendations to the following meeting. You’ll check in with them along the way. 
5. As the chairperson, spend time each month supporting the members of the team and their success and avoid taking on additional tasks. They’ll feel supported and equipped to accomplish their tasks. 

Moving from minimally productive meeting practices to something that is more rhythmic, predictable, and task-oriented can take some time to see the new results. You’re creating a culture shift and that can sometimes be slow. Give yourself and the team three to six months to really get in the groove of operating in this form. It might mean there are changes to the makeup of your team, but it will also mean you begin seeing the results you’re hoping for from this group of partners in your ministry.  

Finally, here’s the agenda template mentioned above. If you have questions about moving your committee culture from stuck to effective, contact Bryant Johnson.

Photo Above: CC BY 3.0 US Mapbox Uncharted ERG

The post Making Church Committee Meetings Matter appeared first on Ministry Architects.

Although it can make for a cute approach to an Easter egg hunt, it’s an unsuccessful method for the church in searching for the next person to the join its staff. Yet, this is often the style that unprepared search committees tend to take.

A posting is drafted with the job description and minor details about the position, it’s posted on the church website, and then the waiting begins. And it continues, and the team is left wondering, “What’s wrong with the church if no one will apply?”

In addition, tensions tend to rise about the vacant position and the size of the shoes that now need to be filled. Questions can be heard throughout worship on Sunday morning. “When will we find the right person?” “How will the next person do the job like Jill?” “Do we have someone else already to fill the position? I know they just announced it this morning.” The list of hopes, dreams, and expectations grows larger and larger.

For many churches, the search process can be fueled with worry and anxiety and often results in hurried and rushed search. Although there are stories (maybe legends) of how the hurry up offense resulted in a great hire, it’s more likely that the results of a rushed hiring process are jeopardizing what might be best for the ministry, creating unmet expectations, and settling for the first person who provides a good interview.

What if there was a way to ensure better results from the search? What if the only unknown variable in the search process was the person that will be hired? What needs to be done to find the best fit?
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In order to conduct the best search, there are three crucial components to consider.

The search work always starts in-house.

Assessing what is and what isn’t currently working in the ministry is the first step. What people love about the ministry and what they hope for in the future can be key in making a successful hire. Reviewing the current mission and vision of the church and outlining how this position fits into those goals will set the new hire up for success. What new season is the church entering and how will that impact the job description and responsibilities? These are big questions that take time to answer. The answers though are the foundation of all the work the search team is expected to do.

Form a clear process and timeframe.

Creating clarity about the different stages of the search and setting time frames for each help to keep the work on track. Consider a six-month timeframe when thinking about next steps. How long do you intend to review and assess the ministry? How long will resumes be collected? When will phone interviews begin and when do we intend to move toward in-person interviews? When do we expect to be done? Not only do the answers to these questions help the search team stay on track, but it provides a communication map to be shared with church members, too. Often, having a clear and unified response from the team is enough to turn the tide of anxiety toward patient anticipation.

Be prepared to do your homework.

Avoid the tendency to post the position and sit back and wait for resumes to appear. This is a search and requires some hard work from the team. Create an elevator pitch and social media posts the church members can share. Shape the interview questions to match the type of experience you’re looking for. Take time to discover how the candidates previous work matches up with the newly fine-tuned job description. Follow-up with references to hear more about their previous work and experience. Does that reflect what the ministry needs now and in the future? As a team, agree to wait for the right candidate.

The search process can feel overwhelming with no plan in place. But a diligent, thoughtful, intentional plan for conducting the search process will set up the church and ministry for the type of results you are hoping for.
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So, pick up the Easter egg basket, peek behind the trees, look under the branches, and search until you find the person who will help to lead you in the direction God is calling you to go.

The post Searching for Success appeared first on Ministry Architects.

Yet, in the middle of the excitement that is fall ministry, somewhere in the back of our minds we’re beginning to think about next summer. In some ways it seems so far off, but that’s the exact right amount of time to get our summer calendars and schedules together.

With that in mind here are ten things to consider as you develop next summer’s calendar.

1. Consider your mission and ministry goals. Summer events, retreats, and programs across age groups in the church can feel like last minute, haphazard, and purposeless planning… when they’re planned last minute, haphazardly, and without purpose. By starting our planning early, it allows time to reflect on our mission and our ministry goals first. Then plan camps, retreats, small groups, mission trips, VBS, or any other summer program in a way the will assure we meet our goals.
2. Request other ministry calendars. Check with the other ministries in the church and see what they’ve got planned or are considering for next summer. This will assure that we don’t step on each other’s toes, demonstrate your willingness to be a team player, and help avoid conflicts that often arise when we wait until the last minute.
3. Collect school calendars. It’s likely your church serves families who attend multiple different schools that probably get out of school and begin school at different times. If your hoping that the multigenerational mission trip will be well attended, plan it around the availability of the families you hope to serve. This can be challenging to navigate once you’ve collected the calendars but will help to make the best decision for the best possible outcomes.
4. Communicate early. As you soon as dates are solidified for your ministry’s summer calendar, publish them. Don’t wait. Let’s help make it easy for others to participate. Parents and volunteers are often requesting their time off at least twelve months in advance. Most summer camps for children and youth publish next summer’s dates at the end of the current event. To help our families prioritize our ministry opportunities, earlier is always better.
5. Help families plan. See above. Families deeply want to be involved, but they often won’t wait. They want their children and youth to be involved, but they are coordinating with other groups who are competing with their children’s time. Plan early and help families do the same.
6. Review the church wide calendar. This can be an often-missed source of guidance when planning ahead. Just double check to see if what you’re considering is already blocked out by another group. By starting in the fall, that allows plenty of time to change or consider new dates to avoid the conflict. And if the calendar is open, be sure that your ministry gets added.
7. Request rooms and church vehicles. Once your on the church wide calendar, be sure to make any room and vehicle requests early in the process.
8. Coordinate payments. Many of the trips that get planned, whether they are a church-wide mission trip, a youth ministry camp, or an offsite volunteer training, require a registration and payments. By planning early, it allows participants to schedule and plan financially as well as with their calendars.
9. Build momentum. For an upcoming mission trip, you may want to have multiple meetings to prepare the group for the work or experience they will have. Each meeting builds excitement for the upcoming opportunity. Each meeting prepares their hearts and minds for what’s to come. Each meeting the Holy Spirit nudges us closer to those we will serve. These are momentum building meetings that will help the trip into the memory maker it deserves to be.
10. Add your fall kickoffs. Remember that the summer schedule is not just about summer but help to launch our falls ministries with success. Be sure to include any fall kickoffs, the start of new ministries, and returning to the regular yearly schedule at the end of the summer calendar.

With a little time and attention, the summer calendar can be scheduled, dates set, plans made, and you’re freed up to focus on the ministry this week, while avoiding the rush and anxiety that is guaranteed to take place if you wait until spring.

The post TOP 10 Considerations for Summer Planning appeared first on Ministry Architects.

Think about carrying a heavy object. We might be able to lift it and carry it for a distance, but eventually, our arms and legs get tired. We might take a break and set that object down for a bit, before carrying on. We might realize it’s just too heavy to carry. Or, with a deep breath, we’ll lift and give it our all for another short distance until we’re simply exhausted.

Ministry can be quite similar for children’s and youth ministry staff. Many church staff can lead a ministry for a season under the strain of growth or at higher levels than other churches, but one of two things will often happen. These two results are quite predictable. First, the ministry may simply level back out to what would be a normal level of participation. For children’s ministry it is normal for one full-time staff person to sustain the engagement of about 75 children. And for youth ministry one full-time staff person can sustain about 50 youth engaged in the ministry. Or, the staff will get burned out, disengage, or even resign from their current position. It’s typically not a question of IF this will happen, but WHEN will it happen.

The good news is there is a way that leads to better results.

Keeping normal participation levels in mind provides us with a tool to manage and communicate what can reasonably be expected from the ministry, but it also provides us with a way to think and plan strategically for our future staffing needs.

Using these norms, we can build a strategic staffing plan (check out this template). A strategic staffing plan helps us to share with church leaders, pastors, and staff that “this is how it could be” to support the larger number of children and youth the ministry is currently seeing involved. By creating clarity about how many children or youth we can faithfully structure our church staff to support the current and future needs of the ministry. By planning ahead, projecting for growth, and thinking about our future staffing needs we are poised to prepare for the growth of the ministry rather than react to something that has grown out of hand.

A strategic staffing plan also allows us to acknowledge when the church is being the best stewards of the gifts that God has given the church. Certainly, there may be a season in which God gifts the ministry with more children or youth than the church can faithfully sustain. It is in this place, we were are grateful for the work that we are blessed to do, but also, by using the norms above, have conversations with church leaders about healthy expectations the ministry and agree on the number of children and youth that we are prepared to serve.

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• Handed out last week’s bulletins for worship
• Led a mission project with fewer volunteers than it required
• Crashed the church van
• Left the microphone on while in the restroom
• Prayed with the wrong person in the hospital
• Had an infant spit up on my stoles
• Angered an entire committee during my first week
• Called a church member by the wrong name

This list of challenges that you may face in the church is endless. The truth is that your church is either resolving a challenge or creating one. With God at work in your church, it’s a constant ebb and flow of challenges in the life of the church. While many of us face the next challenge with anxiety, we should be anticipating the next challenge with joy.

To do so, let’s consider the approach that is taken. Often, we take the next good idea from the top of the stack on our desk and move to implementing that latest and greatest idea. Sometimes, this will work for a season, but it rarely addresses the underlying problems. You may hear that new visitors don’t return to your church because they went unnoticed during their visit. Rather than reviewing how they are greeted or welcomed, the church might move straight to develop a new member class that build connections with church staff and leaders. While that might provide great value, it still has not addressed how visitors are greeted, welcomed, contacted, and followed-up with after their first day at the church.  The good idea is… well… good, but it’s really the third step in addressing a challenge.

There are three crucial steps every church should take when addressing the challenges, the church is facing.

1. Assess – Take time to ask questions and listen to responses. As James suggests, we move quickly to listening to those who are impacted by the challenges in the church. We listen for what they love about the church and why this challenge is frustrating to them. It’s in this stage that we truly discover the root of problem we face. Like a doctor would suggest, if your hip hurts the problem may lie in your hip, knee, or ankle.
2. Blueprint – Using all that you have learned while assessing (listening) the ministry or challenge area, it’s time to draft a new blueprint for the ministry area. You’re building a new plan to achieve new results and speak joy into the ministry. It’s in this phase that new plans are created, new ideas explored, and imagining what it might look like if we moved the ministry in this direction.
3. Implement – It’s now time to put the next good idea in place. However, only the ideas that help to achieve the new results we desire should be included. If it won’t provide the new results that we want to produce, keep it in your “good idea” stack for another time and focus your energy on the blueprint that’s been designed to achieve those new outcomes from the ministry.

It’s tempting to jump straight to designing a new blueprint or even implementing new ideas without first address the underlying problem. However, it’s unlikely to build the momentum you deeply want to see. Take time to listen to your church, before moving into action.

The post Ministry Challenges appeared first on Ministry Architects.

“You should have let me know you had so much to do. I would have loved to picked up the food,“ she said.

“It’s easier if I do it myself.” These words echo through churches. Pastors say them. Children’s directors say them. Youth directors say them. Even volunteers who are serving to coordinate major events for the church have said them.

I could easily justify this wrong answer to you. We’ve all had our reasons for taking the easier route. In this case, I had the credit card, ordered the food, and I knew the plan. As long as I did the work, we didn’t have to worry about the church credit card, processing reimbursement, or a volunteer paying out of pocket. It was just easier for me to do it myself. Isn’t this typically the case? And the truth is, it is easier to do it myself.

Here’s the question I ask myself and propose to you.

It’s easier, but is it better?

Does it make for a better ministry when we do go about our work all on our own? Are we equipping others if we do it ourselves? How are helping to setup the long-term success of the ministry?

If you’ve uttered these words to yourself, to someone else, or have heard them in the church let me propose three reason why it’s better to ask someone to help.

1. Enlisting Others is a Time Saver: “It takes more time to tell someone else how to do it than if I just did myself.” That’s correct for the first time. However, when you share the work with others you save time for yourself. If you have 20 hours of preparation for a trip and share it with one other person, the work is now accomplished in 10 hours. Every time you enlist someone else, you are investing in time management and developing a ministry that accomplish its work with efficiency. Now that you’ve got that 10 hours back, how will spend that time?

2. An Exponential Multiplier: Expressing, in word or action, that you must complete each task means that the impact of the ministry is dependent on one person’s ability, time, and schedule. While we might never explicitly state this out loud, we demonstrate it when we take the workload on our shoulders and don’t ask for help. Rather, the ministry that invests in volunteers will have a deeper and longer-lasting impact on those it is called to serve. I always found that each adult involved the ministry was able to connect with others who I had not been able to reach. For each volunteer you equip, the ministry is prepared for five more people to be involved. If you told me that every $1 invested, I would get $5 back on, I would not hesitate to make that investment. This is how it works with volunteers. What’s stopping you now?

3. Opportunity to Procrastinate: This week someone said to me, “I wish I had more time to do the things I love and need to do.” Do you dream of having more time to prepare to teach? More time to spend with those you’re called to serve? What about having more time to invest in the future goals and vision for the ministry? By enlisting others in the ministry, having enough time for what you love to do, can become a reality. However, it will seem like a far-off dream for anyone who takes on more for the sake of easy.

While we can accomplish the work on our own, is it better or is it just easier?

What ways have you fought against the easier way in your work? What benefits have you found when you do?

I’d love to hear your responses. Email me at Bryant.johnson@ministryarchitects.com.

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What Does It Mean?

In 1543, a book that would forever change the world was published. That book was De revolutionibus orbium coelestium (On the Revolutions of the Celestial Spheres). This would be outline a new model for our world. This new model would project that the sun was at the center of the known universe, not the earth. This theory was proposed by Nicolaus Copernicus.

Then around 1600 the first telescope (or looker as some called it) was invented. Lenses had been grinded and shaped for many years prior so that others could wear glasses. Galileo would continue his work to discover the true nature of the universe, further supporting Copernicus’ original theory. For this work to continue the telescope had to be improved. It would be nearly a hundred years later for telescope to evolve to use reflection rather than refraction.

That was quite a different world four hundred years ago, than the one we live in now. Hours, days, and years would be spent discovering facts. Sometimes, it would take hundreds of years to discover the facts.

I wonder, when Copernicus first had a hunch that the sun might be at the center of our solar system, did he have ever ask “What does this mean for me? What does it mean for us?” Would he have taken the time to consider how the tides, seasons, weather changes, and even migration patterns are connected to the way in which our solar system works?

Yet, today we take those facts for granted. And hundreds of years after first proposing that the sun is the center of the known universe, we are able to reflect what it means for us.

We no longer spend years, days, or hours developing or discovering the facts. Thanks to the internet, we can usually discover them in a matter of minutes. Facts, information, and content of any kind are readily available.

Some of the youth I work with often have their cell phones out or they are easily within reach at any given moment. They have the facts of the world at their fingertips. A few in my group will even look up stories, dates, and people as we go through our lessons.

In ministry, this provides us with an opportunity unlike any other before it. We have the privilege to spend more time helping young people to discover what scripture means for them.

What does it mean for me? What does it mean for you? What does it mean for us?

Answering these questions has the potential for life changing transformation for young people in the church today.

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Bryant Johnson began working in youth ministry in 1997 and is currently serving at Harrison United Methodist Church in Pineville, NC. He has been worship speaker for summer camps, taught seminars for youth workers, and written curriculum for the Florida United Methodist Camping programs.

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You’ve likely heard these words recently as someone shares why they will miss your program this week. “I’ve got to get my homework done. Maybe I’ll make it next week.” Or, “Our calendar is just so busy with sports, school, and everything in between.” Busy is one of the biggest reasons that youth give today for not being involved in youth ministry programming. They’re just too busy. And “crazy busy” seems to be the norm today, although, I’m not convinced that it should be called normal.

“Crazy busy” seems to be equated with other words like productive, better, and quality. You often hear statements like, “that ministry has so much to offer and so much to do” or “there’s something going on every week.” Busy is not always better. Busy is often tired, worn down, scared, and distracted. Let’s not forget that it can be the cause of that all too well-known experience of being burned-out.

My schedule is sometimes too busy as well. Just this past fall, I had four of the four weekends in October booked up. I realize I am part of the problem, but I think our ministries can be part of the solution as well. It makes me ask, “Is what I model or what I do more important to the lives of the youth that I serve?”

The youth ministry calendar often reflects the “busy” that I want to combat. We have our regular weekly program(s). Then this weekend we may have our retreat, next weekend begins the fundraiser, and then two weeks after that is the church event that the youth ministry is a part of, as we plan for the next mission event or lock-in. This may be fine, if you have multiple staff on your team. One person takes the middle school retreat while another takes the fundraiser the following weekend. However, many of us lead our ministries as the sole staff person.

I’m not sure crazy busy is what God called us to be. “Remember the Sabbath day, and keep it holy” (Exodus 20:8). Our calendars may more often reflect remembering the Sabbath as a thing in the past. Yet, Sabbath is a biblical rhythm of rest and enjoyment that has the ability to comfort, provide joy, a fresh perspective and excitement for what is to come.

As I plan my calendar each year, there are a few questions that I like to answer that helps me to set aside the urge to be “crazy busy.” I hope they are helpful for you as well.

• When will my Sabbath take place this week?
• When will my Sabbath take place in this month?
• What weekends will we have events and how many am I able to maintain?
• How many can I maintain and still be refreshed and renewed?

What weekends will have ministry black out dates in which only regular programming takes place?

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Bryant Johnson began working in youth ministry in 1997 and is currently serving at Harrison United Methodist Church in Pineville, NC. He has been worship speaker for summer camps, taught seminars for youth workers, and written curriculum for the Florida United Methodist Camping programs.

The post Still Crazy Busy? appeared first on Ministry Architects.

In 2002 Verizon began a new ad campaign that would come with a catch phrase, which would be used for year’s to come. “Can you hear me now?” It was addressing the challenge that other cellular networks were having with dropped calls. Quite simply, there was a communication breakdown with the new and emerging technologies. Of course cell phones had been around for a few years, but were now beginning to get purchased for parents and for teens as well.

I believe the breakdown of communication came a few year’s earlier with the advent of AOL’s Instant Messenger. It was first released in 1997. This means that all of the youth that you are currently working with were born into a world of instant messaging. When AOL IM began, it wouldn’t take long before LOL (laughing out loud), BRB (be right back), and AFK (away from keyboard) would begin to replace words and full phrases. It was quicker and easier to type. It also meant that parents would often miss what kids were saying when the youth began using POS (parents over shoulder) and PRW (parents are watching) as a signal to their friends to be careful with their comments.

As text messaging began to emerge, using a few letters to represent full words and phrases would become quite common. My mom will often use this abbreviated communication style to text me. It’s likely yours is too. Things like lulz (sarcastically laughing out loud), SMH (shaking my head), BAE (before anyone else), IMHO (in my honest opinion), TBH (to be honest), and of course BTW (by the way) have become common and are being replaced by new forms of text speak almost daily.

What does that mean for the church and youth ministry? First, the church is not immune to changes of communication and it’s impact on the families and youth that you serve. In fact, this has been a problem for many, many years. In the book of James, we are told to be “quick to listen and slow to speak.” Look it up in your Bible app. Back then it was basically talking face to face, using parchment, or stone tablets. It also means that we have to think strategically about how and when we will communicate.

Now, some of your group may be on Facebook, others on Twitter or Instagram (owned by Facebook). Some may use Pinterest, Path, or Snapchat. Parents may use email while others may not. I had a parent recently say, “My email is a deluge of information that I simply can’t sift through.” Others will check the website for updates and others may expect a phone call. Some will send messages through their text message app on their phone, while others will use group messaging apps like Facebook Messenger or What’s App? (also owned by Facebook). There are so many forms of communication available it’s hard to know which to use when. And if you only communicate on the networks you are personally involved in, then you will certainly miss some people in your community. What’s the youth ministry to do?

It reinforces the need to have a strong communications plan within your group that will cover telling the good story of youth ministry in your church as well as sharing the important information about your schedule, events, retreats, and anything else you are trying to share. You don’t want to be shouting from the mountaintop into an empty valley. No matter how loud you yell, the message will not be conveyed. Rather, lets plan to speak in the way that others are listening.

Here are some are a few ways of communication to consider.

FACE TO FACE

What type of information will be shared face to face and how often? Will it include announcements at youth group, in front of the congregation, and one to one throughout Sunday morning? You might also consider having a table setup with all your flyers, brochures, and information about the events coming up through the school year.

PHONE CALLS

In this world of messaging, don’t overlook the power of a phone call. If you are recruiting volunteers, responding to a question that was raised in an email, or even following up on a late payment, it’s often quicker and more effective to pick up the phone and dial a few numbers.

TEXTING

I would guess that texting is already a major part of your communications. I wonder, however, if there is a real plan for when that takes place and for what purpose. Do you send out texts for last minute reminders? What about for sharing what the scripture or topic will be this week? Does it just come from staff or volunteers as well? Will all kids receive a text or just those who sign up?

WEBSITE and EMAIL

These two often go hand in hand. But before you begin filling either with information, what type of information will you include? Will the website be static, with your regular program schedule for visitors to view? Will it be updated, like in a blog format, with all the upcoming information each week? Once you’ve decided how to use your website the best, then how will emails support that? Sometimes, even more importantly, we need to ask who will emails be sent to?

SOCIAL MEDIA

This can be difficult to figure out at times. You will need to know which networks your youth and parents are on and then decide which networks you will use in your communications. Once you’ve decided which social networks to establish a presence on, you’ve got present the content appropriately. A picture on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram don’t all reach the same audience or in the same way. It’s also important to decide if you will post as yourself or under a youth ministry account.

While, there are other forms to consider as well, these are the big ones. You may still send someone a piece of mail through the postal service, but it’s likely that’s no longer a major piece of your communications.

Once you’ve made some decisions about how you will communicate, there is one more step in the process. You will want to share your communications plan with your staff, volunteers, and most important youth and their families. The goal is to help them to understand how to find and receive the information that is most important to them.

Establishing an effective communications plan will help you to leave behind the days of asking “can you hear me now?”

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Bryant Johnson began working in youth ministry in 1997 and is currently serving at Harrison United Methodist Church in Pineville, NC. He has been worship speaker for summer camps, taught seminars for youth workers, and written curriculum for the Florida United Methodist Camping programs.

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