The way to achieve success is 1st to have a definite, clear practical ideal—a goal, an objective. 2nd, have the necessary means to achieve your ends—wisdom, money, materials, and methods. 3rd adjust your means to that end.
-Aristotle

Entrepreneurs have business plans that direct the course for their start up companies.

So maybe youth pastors need a ministry plan that executes their youth ministry mission.  Writing a youth ministry plan help spell out what God wants to do in your youth ministry.

As the Fall is in full swing, it is essential youth pastors know what they are doing and why they are doing it.

Components of a youth ministry plan:

*Objectives

Your plan objectives should be specific goals that can be measured. Keep the list to three or four because long lists make it harder to focus. As a youth ministry department, this topic is the best place to put emphasis on outcomes and measurements as part of your plan.

*Mission

Use your mission statement to establish your fundamental goals for the quality of your youth ministry. A good mission statement can be a critical element in defining what God is calling your youth ministry to do and communicating to parents, students, elders, adult volunteers, and your community.  I am huge proponent for knowing how to assess your youth ministry and executing a contextual mission statement that is true for your context.

*Keys to Success

Virtually every organization has different keys to success that can make the difference between success and failure.

The idea of keys to success is based on the need for focus. Remember less is more. In practice, lists of more than three or four priorities are usually less effective. The more priorities beyond three or four, the less chance of implementation. It is usually best to list the objectives either as a numbered list or as a set of bullet points.

*Youth Ministry Organizational Structure

This can be used as a summary paragraph about your youth ministry culture and context. Describe where your youth ministry is located, how long it has been around, and what is unique about it.

*Student Analysis Summary

Summarize the real and felt spiritual needs of your students.

*Student Segmentation

Identify what type of students are attending your youth group.  Make sure to answer the question of why these type of students are coming to your program.  Explain and define the different clusters of students and develop as much info as you feel you need about the students involved in your youth ministry.

*Target Student Segment Strategy

Explain why your youth ministry will focus on specific student groups.  Focus is key!  Youth ministries cannot be all things to all type of students.

*Competitive Edge

What makes your youth ministry different from every other youth ministry in your city?  Research what other youth ministries are doing in your city.  You don’t want to do the same exact thing the Baptist church is doing.  If they are attracting a certain kind of student, try to attract the other type of students.

*Fundraiser Strategies

Funding is everything.  Identify how you will raise extra funds to support your youth ministry mission.

*Milestones

Include as many specific programs as possible. For each program, give it a name, a person responsible, a milestone date, and a budget.

*Website Plan Summary

A web presence is a critical channel for many youth ministries.  There are plenty of opensource platforms that make having an online presence really easy and simple.

*Leadership Philosophy

It is essential to have a set leadership structure that explains the ideas behind the moves of the youth pastor.

*Personnel/Staff/Adult Leader Plan

Clarify how you will recruit, train, and pour into leaders/staff.

*Financial Plan

Illustrate the different categories in the youth ministry budget and the purpose behind each category.

*Annual Calendar

Plan out the programmatic flow for the entire year.  Make sure to schedule your vacation time.  Also make great starting and ending points through your youth ministry.

*Teaching Outlines

Knowing what you will be talking greatly helps the production of your talk and also gives students a unifying vision for your teaching.

The goal of writing a youth ministry plan is to think about every aspect of your ministry.

© 2009, Jeremy Zach. All rights reserved.