What Is The Most Important Youth Ministry Thing You Do Every Week?
Show Notes
Kristen's SevenFold Communication Coverage
- Social media- whatever the platform(s) the majority of your students are using, build out the FOMO (fear of missing out) by letting them know ahead of time and after time what all was going on during your weekly programs,
- Text- Everybody likes direct information (especially Parents) YMB recommends Remind
- Email- creating a great email list either with your CMS (church management software) or Mailchimp. The key here is segmentation so when you send an email it is direct, specific and infrequent. Let your people know that emails from you matter.
- Snail mail- Good ole fashioned analog inbox. Don't mail all the time but please send out something directly to your households because your students are probably not getting the info to the right people. Kristen recommends mailing out a quarterly calendar with pertinent dates.
- Hot sheet- The monthly updated newcomer guide to your ministry. If someone brand new walked into your church and you weren't there to describe what was happening what would a minimally informed volunteer say about your ministry? If you don't know, then don't guess. Inform them with a hot sheet, "here's what to know this month."
- Announcements- Some of us start here, Kristen recommends ending here. Whether they are live or video recap the previous
- Handout flyers & invite cards- Whenever a (new) student shows up make sure to have something in their hand to go home with and show their parents.
But...
WAIT!
All of that could be a waste if you don't collect the information!
Make sure that as much as you working to create the content, you are also working to set up channels and ways in which you are collecting the information so you can send it out to your students and their families.
Chad & Zac Meetings and Momentum
You probably have a lot of meetings each week. Here's one more that matters.
Schedule a weekly meeting with yourself.
Yes.
In the same way you would meet with a parent, a fellow pastor, or volunteer, schedule a meeting with yourself.
Block out some time and reflect on your ministry, your leadership and what is next. Raise your gaze beyond what you have to do right now, this week, and consider what has been done and what needs to be considered in the coming weeks and months.
In the same way you are elevating your communication strategy elevate your event planning by meeting with yourself and giving your ministry an opportunity for momentum!