- Plan your ministry year now….but allow for God’s spirit to move things
The most organized churches I know are also the churches where the staff is less stressed, leaders know what is coming and are prepared for it, and effort is spent on effective tasks.
So pull out a calendar and put together a schedule for this year – or at least as much of it as you can. Right now you should be able to plan January – May easily – and if you think about it, you can put basic plans in for the summer too.
I can hear the comments now…”What if the Spirit leads me to change my preaching schedule?” then GREAT, change it! But by making a basic plan and thinking through timing for Easter, Mother’s Day, VBS, Back to Church and beyond NOW – you can avoid the stress of last minute planning on some pretty major topics.
Want to take it a step further? Go ahead, plug in the sermon series you are going to preach this year – yes, you read that right. Join the Outreach Church kit subscription service, and get instant access to over 35 sermon series kits plus new ones added regularly. Pick your favorites, plug them into the schedule and now you and your team are organized! - Be a good steward: frugal but not cheap
By now we all know that budgets are tight and getting tighter and we are all going to have to be creative and frugal to make ends meet and keep ministering to our community. So good stewardship is key – because while we need to watch our spending, we also don’t want to waste money on things that are cheaply made and won’t hold up or don’t look good.
Some things are worth a little more because they are more effective, better made and will last longer so be a good shopper and look for invitations, banners and digital resources that are good values. - Prioritize evangelism and outreach
We are all called to follow the great commission and “GO!” – there are no qualifiers like “Go if the economy is good” so even when times are tough it’s still important to make evangelism and reaching the lost a priority in your ministry and in your budget. I know I will be praying fervently and asking God’s guidance while trusting him to meet our needs.
NOTE: Watch for new tips on budget evangelism coming in January! - Encourage your congregation to participate and not just spectate
In a 2020 blog, pastor Derwin Gray said, “…God equips everyone who is in Christ to be redemptive agents in the world. I’m not saying everyone in your congregation needs to go on a short-term mission trip or become a small group leader. What I am saying is resolve to create ways—even small ways—in which they can participate in the Great Commission with their time, talents, and resources.”
So this year, look for simple ways to get your regular pew fillers excited and involved even in the smallest ways. Provide simple personal invitations that anyone can leave on a bulletin board or hand to a waitress. Order some fun Handheld Signs and ask people to help greet on Sunday mornings or ask volunteers to help send thank you cards to visitors. Baby steps are still steps. - Keep your online spaces current and relevant, too
We all have that neighbor who leaves their Christmas decorations up through Valentine’s Day (I might be that person in my neighborhood – I’m not saying) – but we wouldn’t dream of leaving decorations up in our churches and having our buildings look out of touch. So why are we ok with websites and social media pages that don’t get regularly updated?
In our culture, a church’s website and social pages ARE the Front Door! So it’s time to take the wreath down and put up some new pictures, promote some upcoming spring events and regularly engage your online audience with interactive posts, polls, videos and other compelling content. It’s an essential part of ministry in 2023 so if you need help, check out Outreach Digital.
Are you making ministry resolutions for the new year? We would love to hear from you – visit us on Facebook and share your goals.
