process

This is in response to a former article I wrote on DIY Student Ministry. This is the sixth of ten areas that I’m covering in this series.

Thank God, literally…that He has created and designed other people in my ministry to be more organized and administrative than myself. When it comes down to nitty gritty details, planning, gathering information, keeping it organized, etc. I go a little bit off the deep end. I love details but usually have a hard time organizing them if they don’t have my full attention, and let’s be honest, if you are a student pastor – you can hardly ever give one thing your full attention.

Maybe you have been to the same camp year after year…or go on the same mission trip summer after summer. Have you ever considered something different? Is there a better location for your money? For your time? Have you taken the time research or better yet have someone else research for you? Get away from DIY student ministry by finding the leader or volunteer in your ministry that is type A, has a clean and organized home, gets a high off of details…you know what kind of person I’m talking about, this could even be a parent in your ministry. Promote them to be the chief researcher for your ministry. This person could be beneficial for you in a number of ways, researching numbers, growth, school calendars, best time for retreats, mission trips, locations, lodging, transportation.

Retreat Research. When it comes to a retreat, camp or mission trip there are a many things that cannot go unseen. I want to know all the details, and usually want to hear an alternate option for each one…I like options, it helps me make better decisions.

Location. How far away is this place? Just because you have been at the same camp for 8 years doesn’t mean their isn’t a better option, don’t let this blind you from having an even better experience.
Transportation. What is the most economical? Plane, Charter bus, school bus, 12 passenger vans, SUVs, carpool. I’ve done them all, each of them have their pros and cons.
Lodging. Paying for lodging is not the only option. I have been in multiple situations where lodging has been provided for free, the organization appreciates what we are doing for the community – as a thank you they will let you use their facility. I have stayed in high schools (use their gyms for sleeping quarters), YMCA’s, and even colleges. When it comes to staying in hotels…I always try to get adjoining rooms, with two leaders per room for the safety and accountability factor.
Food. The dollar menu can be your best friend! It’s not the healthiest food, but when you are in a bind on a trip or need to make a quick stop…find two or three fast food options for students and give them 45 minutes. (Call ahead! McDonalds will love you for it, if you give them an ETA so they can prepared ahead of time…this could get you in and out of the restaurant faster) They will love you for it. Buy lunch meat, PBJ, and a variety of bread – have them make their own sandwich – this is a cheaper/healthier option but requires some additional set up.
Pre-trip. Whether it be for camp or for a mission trip I find it imperative to see it for myself before taking a group of students with me or sending them with someone else. I look at things from a risk-management perspective (anything that could go wrong, prepare for the worst) I need plan B’s and rainy day schedules in my back pocket, this is hard to do if you have never been to the location. This also helps you gain a perspective of reality rather than just looking at the numbers on paper or exploring the computer screen. Some things you think are great ideas will soon fizzle away once you step into reality.
Process. Students don’t just show up the day of and you go on your trip. There is a huge process that takes place before this. Collecting registration forms, money, liability releases, etc. If you are doing this all on your own I think you are making a mistake, find someone to help you or delegate to someone else. Brainstorm how you can make this process easier and quicker for everyone involved. The harder your process, the harder it is on your team, and families who are signing up. It’s 2013 people, let’s get creative – use the technology thats been given to you.
Think outside the box. Get a new camp speaker, switch up the location, do a hybrid camp/mission trip. You might discover something new!

This is in response to a former article I wrote on DIY Student Ministry. This is the sixth of ten areas that I’m covering in this series.

This is in response to a former article I wrote on DIY Student Ministry. This is the fourth of ten areas that I’m covering in this series.

A new student walks into your room on a Sunday morning…better yet, do they? Thousands of students every year go unnoticed or aren’t given the opportunity to even make it to the threshold of the youth room. Many churches forfeit their opportunity to welcome the student by lack of promoting and advertising the time and location in which students meet. Let’s face it, the day of parents dropping off their teenager at the door is coming to a close; unless the teenager themselves can find out when and where you are meeting, then you just lost many potential students. Where are your signs? Are your meeting times and info on the church website, how about social media? I’d love to discuss on how to better encourage the number of visitors to your program but first I would find it incredibly important that a solid foundation is in place for welcoming the visitor.

It’s music to the student pastor’s ears when they hear, “We had 10 visitors today!”…that’s great, but the question I would silently ask myself would be…”Are they coming back?” Understanding that you hold some responsibility on whether or not a visitor returns is a huge deal! Do you have the pressure from your church to “grow” your youth group size numerically? Well, have you considered that the only way to grow your youth group numerically is through new attendees (visitors that come back)? This shows just how important a visitor follow-up process can be.

My Visitor Checklist:

Did you get their contact information?
Did you give them a gift in exchange, thanking them for coming?
Did you connect them with someone they can identify with: school, grade, hobby?
Did you personalize a follow-up step? Phone call, post card, gift drop, etc.
Did you connect with the parents?

If zero of these things happen, the likelihood of this student returning is slim to none. However, each step improves your chances of seeing that student again…if you complete all 5 steps I estimate you have a 60-70% chance of seeing that student again, especially if they do not have a church home and enjoyed their time. I helped restart and improve this process in my new role at Gateway Church, but this is not something I do on my own. Striving to get away from a DIY SM, I have invited others into this process that can be far more welcoming and do a better job at maintaining our process. Knowing the next teen that walks through my door could experience life change forever and a relationship with Jesus Christ – partly because we were faithful to help them get connected and stay connected, now that’s a reason to get excited about a visitor follow-up process! (theology disclaimer: We take no credit for their salvation, but would like to think our faithfulness to this kind of process is God gracing us and allowing us partner with Him when it comes to seeing life change!)

I recommend the book Fusion. This doesn’t directly apply to student ministry but many of the follow-up methods can be repurposed for welcoming teenagers.

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Retreat Research DIY(6.10)

Creating & Maintaining a Visitor Follow-Up Process (DIY4.10)