Bloom Where You Are Planted Presented by Bishop Raymond J. Keith Jr. Refuge in Kentucky Church Louisville, KY

Why should you analyze your Youth Ministry methods? Today’s world is always changing and vastly different from just one generation ago. Our young people are faced with challenges far beyond their years and have been raised in a society where answers to life’s questions have been reduced to seconds-long sound bites.

Why should you analyze your Youth Ministry methods? Technology has blessed our children in having instant access to immeasurable information, but the down side is that not all of that information is good for them. They suffer sensory overload, and are often not equipped with the tools and training to process all of the stimuli to which they are exposed.

Why should you analyze your Youth Ministry methods? If we want to win these young ones and draw them to Christ, we have to be open to new approaches that will reach them where they are. This is an on-going process. What worked last year may not be effective next year. The enemy is adept at embracing change and using it to his advantage. How much more so should the Church be?

Why should you analyze your Youth Ministry methods? Our children have a vast array of backgrounds, experiences, and circumstances that it’s all but impossible to have a “one-size-fits-all” solution. They most likely cannot change where they are. We can, however, through Christ Jesus, reach them and teach them how to bloom where they are planted.

How do I evaluate my methods? In order to objectively evaluate the effectiveness of your ministry, there are several key questions you must ask:

How do I evaluate my methods? What am I trying to accomplish? While this may sound simplistic, you would be surprised how many people have programs with no clear objective in mind. Perhaps it’s because of tradition, or because of a sense that “something” was needed but no one was quite sure what. Take some time and detail on paper what you want to accomplish with each endeavor you currently have in place. Write a Mission Statement for each program, auxiliary, etc.

How do I evaluate my methods? How do I know that I am accomplishing that which I set out to do? Goals should be measurable, or else they are simply dreams. Find a quantitative way to measure the success level of each ministry endeavor. For example, if the mission for your Youth Department is to have all church members ages 25 and under participate in the department, measure and track that. Calculate as of today the percent of members who are active in the Youth Department and use that as your baseline figure, or starting point. In 3 months, calculate again, and see if there has been an increase or decline. Adjust your strategy accordingly to move closer to your goal.

How do I evaluate my methods? Is there a better or more efficient way to do what I’m trying to do? Usually nothing is perfect in its initial form. Look for other programs or groups that are doing well what you are trying to do and find out how they make it happen. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Take elements that work for them and tweak them to suit your needs. Changing your methods does not mean you have to change your message!

What now? Once you begin to get a clear picture of where you are, then you can begin to map out where you need to go.

Eliminate the dead weight. What now? Eliminate the dead weight. Revisit the Mission statements you wrote. Do you have endeavors for which you could not write a solid mission? Let them go. Do you have multiple endeavors with the same general goals? Consolidate them. Do you have endeavors with a solid goal, but aren’t measurably effective? Reshape them. Once you get rid of the extraneous efforts, you can clearly focus on those things with the greatest chance of success.

Eliminate the dead weight. (cont.) What now? Eliminate the dead weight. (cont.) As stated before, what worked last year may not work this year. Is every program relevant to your desired demographic? Does it provide teaching that they can apply to their lives? Is information provided in a way that reaches them? Can they relate to what you are doing/saying/showing them?

Determine your strengths and opportunities for improvement. What now? Determine your strengths and opportunities for improvement. Evaluate this for each endeavor, and among your staff. Place the right people in positions where they will flourish. Tenure should not guarantee a position.

Maximize your resources. What now? Maximize your resources. Resources are the things at your disposal to help you accomplish your goals. Typically they are things such as people, money, technology, and facilities. All of these things are in limited supply, so you must be wise in their use. Determine which resources are appropriate for each endeavor and allocate them accordingly. Avoid too much overlap! The last thing you want is to drain your resource pool, and that usually applies to money and people.

Identify risks and plan ahead. What now? Identify risks and plan ahead. Everything in life carries risks. The key to success is to plan ahead. Identify what things could hinder or derail your program. Be realistic about the impact each risk could potentially have, and develop a contingency (Plan B). Another important part of planning is to develop mitigations, which simply serve as damage control for each potential risk. Rarely should you be blind-sided.

Summary Although methods may have to change due to the ever-changing times, the message itself is timeless. Jesus is the answer. Now it’s up to us to get that simple, seconds-long sound bite to a generation that needs to know.