Are you looking to start or (re)start a ministry?
It can be an exhausting and overwhelming experience, especially if done improperly.
I’ve helped so many churches lay a foundation to start a ministry.
I’m going to share some of the questions I walk my clients through before starting a ministry.
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Why do you want to start this ministry?
This sounds ridiculous right? Many ministries are started without understanding the “WHY” behind the ministry.
Having the “WHY” will make the planning, advertising, targeting, and budgeting so much easier. The “WHY” provides the guardrails for the ministry.
A church wanted to launch a college ministry. Their “WHY” to starting this ministry is that they had 30 college age adults who weren’t plugged into the church anywhere.
They wanted to provide an environment where they can be challenged and grow in their faith. After 3 months, this ministry grew from 0 to 20 people. They were doing service projects in the community. They were serving in various church ministry areas. They were attending a weekly small group.
Healthy ministry growth was the result of them understanding their why.
What will this ministry look like?
What experiences will your ministry offer? What specific need will this ministry meet?
When starting a ministry, it is better to start small, because it is more sustainable, and it provides room to add more experiences.
I helped a church launch a young adult worship service. Two months after they launched, they added small groups. Four months after they launched, they added service projects. Six months after they launched, they added special events.
By knowing what their ministry was going to look like, they were able to develop a step-up process that resulted in continual ministry growth.
What will ministry success look like?
What ministry markers will be used to determine ministry success? Defining success can be tricky, because bigger isn’t always successful.
How do we measure a person’s spiritual growth in their heart?
A good guide for ministry success markers is found in Matthew 22:36-39 – Love God & Love People.
How will the ministry be communicated?
When we look at the landscape of communication there are so many options.
Research what your target audience uses for communication, then utilize those avenues to get the word out about your ministry.
A church was creating a communication strategy that focused on inside and outside of the ministry communication avenues.
They were challenged to develop a strategy that focused on three things. Marketing the ministry to the public. Highlighting the ministry to the church. Advertising the ministry to the attenders.
What are your first-year ministry goals?
Setting ministry goals can be overwhelming, especially starting a new ministry. Be encouraged, you can do this.
One of the tools I use with churches I coach is the SMART method. If you aren’t familiar with this method – google SMART and you will learn more than you want.
Find the middle ground between too high that are unreachable, and too low of a goal that are too attainable.