Leadership
Student Ministry
Planning ahead!!
6:59 AM
I know that on a very basic level we all think we understand
the concept of planning ahead. This tends to be the thought especially in the
context of ministry or church work. I know that had you asked me 2 months ago
if I thought I was diligent and careful to plan ahead I would have said, “yes
for the most part!” This summer
(you can read more on that HERE!) however I have learned while for the most
part I am good at it I still need to improve. For my own sanity and the sanity
of the people that work with me.
With everything I had coming up I just really embraced for
the wave to hit and I did not adequately prepare my team for the summer that
was coming. Which means I did a poor job of helping them make sure that they
were prepared and ready for fall kick off. So naturally now we are running
around like crazy with the realization that fall kick off is but mere weeks
away!! Next year I will have a more strategic plan for embracing the summer
months and preparing my team for the upcoming projects that will need to be
tackled for Fall to be a screaming success.
The bottom line is that you have to plan for being away if
you don’t want their to be missed steps. Summer is a busy time. There is
generally a lot happening in the summer. And my job will require, at least for
a season, that I am gone a lot of it. Being in and out of the office for 7
weeks doesn’t have to be a huge deal. But if you don’t plan ahead for that and
set your team with clear expectations it will be.
Do you have a plan for planning ahead? Here are 4 things to
consider!
Calendaring – We
do this every year at oneChurch before we budget. We do this so we can have a
clear picture of our budget needs! I cannot stress the importance of
calendaring and then using that calendar to give you a clear picture of what
and how to plan! You can use this to out strategic deadlines in place to set
you and your team up for success.
Delegation –
Think ahead on what you situation will be so that you can delegate projects
that need to be taken care of! I should have sat down and taken a hard look at
my calendar and realized that I needed my team to come beside me and work on
some things so that we would be prepared for a great kick off. The hardest part
about the situation I am in now is that I have an AMAZING team! They would have
loved to help me and take on projects so we would never miss a beat!
Staffing – if you
are like me and being home very little in the summer is a regular occurrence
then you need to talk with your leadership about hiring interns and directors
over specific areas of responsibility! That way while you are away and doing
other things they can be there in your stead to take care of whatever you may
need. Volunteers are great for this as well. But I am firm believer in using
interns for the summer. It is a great opportunity for mentoring!
Be Specific –
Make sure that you take time before you leave or before you enter into a crazy
season that you sit down with the people you are entrusting and go over the
expectation for what you need accomplished. Give them freedom to put their own
creativity and talent into it. But make sure the end product and what is
desired look a lot a like. That means you will have to plan significant time to
meet with and empower those leaders. Empowering leaders to succeed takes some
clear direction. Don’t confuse that with micro management. Its not the same.
What would you add to the list?
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