I’m working with the youth group at my church this year. Wanted to share with you our three main goals for the year.  These can help you no matter what ministry you’re involved in.

1. Consistency

It’s really easy to get excited about doing ministry early in the year. New ideas and new opportunities abound. The temptation and potential for letdown shows up as the year moves along. This year we’re making a commitment to be consistent. Often ministries can get caught up in their once a year or once a quarter bash. The people need something more. We’re working to ensure that our ministry provides consistent, quality, spiritual programs and activities for our young people. What about the group you’re serving? Is the Christmas party or church picnic the only thing they know you for? Set up a plan to make sure your ministry is engaging the congregation and the community often.

2. Training for Leadership

Train someone to replace you. Okay now that might be a shocker for some because we like to think that we’re indispensible. Our second goal this year is to train our young people and other volunteers for leadership positions. I’ve heard it said that some of the best leaders work themselves out of a job. The effort you put into training another leader will reduce your workload and allow others to grow in ministry. Training leaders also means avoiding the scramble to fill positions at the end of the year.

3. Discipleship

We love telling people what to do, especially when it comes to Christianity. We’re good at revealing what their problems are and what they need to do to solve them. Truthfully it’s information that most people know already. Often the problem is not the WHAT but the HOW. For the young people the question is how to I become a better Christian or how do I show Christ at school. Discipleship is the how. It’s the process of guiding someone to understand not only what it means to follow Jesus, but answers the question how does that look in everyday life? Modeling is the most effective way to teach others about Christ. Don’t just talk about Jesus, live like you’re his disciple as well.