1) List all your ideas/events.

    2) Ask yourself:

     

    What's already scheduled on the calendar at my church?

    Is there an event already happening at my church that will conflict with my plans?

     

    • Arrange your events on your calendar to enhance the church calendar at large.
      • BONUS: Collaborate with other ministry leaders so you can advertise for their events and they can advertise for your events.
    • If you need to get pastor/church board approval, do so.

    (Download a template of a sample board proposal you can modify to fit your needs in the link below)

    SAMPLE BOARD PROPOSAL

     

    3) Now ask yourself:

    Can I partner with another ministry in my church on an event?

     

    • An example: children's and family ministry could partner with health ministry to do kids or family cooking classes.
      • Pray for creativity in this.
      • It will enhance your church outreach as a whole if ministry leaders are collaborating!

     

    4) Fill out the table below with your events and dates.

    DOWNLOAD A PRINTABLE/MODIFIABLE VERSION OF THIS TABLE HERE

     

    DATE

    EVENT

    SPIRITUAL GROWTH

    RELATIONAL GROWTH

    MISSIONAL

    DISCIPLING

    LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

    JAN

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    FEB

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    MAR

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    APR

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    MAY

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    JUN

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    JUL

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    AUG

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    SEP

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    OCT

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    NOV

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    DEC

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    5) Organize your thoughts and check the relevance of an idea/event you are thinking about:

    To organize your thoughts on the relevance of an event you are planning:

    • Think about your first event.
    • Place a check under each small group metric that this event would emphasize (spiritual growth, relational growth, missional, etc.).
    • How many metrics can you check for that one event?
    • How could you modify your event to meet more small group metrics?
    • Repeat for each event.
      • for example: SABBATH HIKE - you would check:
        • SPIRITUAL
        • RELATIONAL
      • to include more small group metrics you could: challenge each kid to invite a friend who doesn't attend church.
        • MISSIONAL
      • to include more small group metrics you could: have kids plan an evening worship time and/or activity during the hike or back at your church.
        • DISCIPLING
      • to include more small group metrics you could: coach one kid or parent in leading out in a worship talk.
        • LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

     

    6) Now look at your calendar of events:

    • Is your calendar year lacking in any one of the metrics?
      • Which metric has the least check marks? Which has the most? Are you balanced?
    • If your metrics aren’t balanced, how could you modify things so they are?

     

    7) Execute the plans God has given you!

    • Be Prayerful.
    • Be Okay if things don't turn out the way you thought they would.
      • go back and analyze what happened.
        • learn from your observations and do things differently next time.
          • Evangelism DOES work!
    • Be Humble if it was a raging success.
      • give glory to God
      • go back and see if you could do thing even better next time. 
        • "Good" is the enemy of "GREAT".
        • God deserves greatness!

     

    Oh, when we come to the pearly gates, and have an entrance into the city of God, will anyone who enters there regret that he devoted his life unreservedly to Jesus?...

    …Let us now love Him with undivided affections, and cooperate with the heavenly intelligences, that we may be laborers together with God, and by partaking of the divine nature, be able to reveal Christ to others.

    EGW, Bible Echo, February 15, 1892