F O R S T A R T E R S

f r o m D o u g F i e l d s

TRENCHE SI N T H E

YOU T H LE ADER T RAINING ON T HE GO

TRAINING on the GOCan you think of a time you

reached a goal you set for

yourself? What was the goal?

How did you feel once you

achieved it?

I’m currently evaluating my personal health—eating, exercise—the whole thing. The evaluation isn’t pretty. I typically crash-diet to meet a weight goal; then, when I meet the goal, I rejoice for a short time before regain-ing the weight. I have no steady exercise routine, and a near-death experience while running a race forced me to evaluate this part of my life. (OK, maybe it wasn’t near death. It just felt like it.)

My exercise is basically limited to the annual 10-kilometer Turkey Trot Thanksgiving morning. Believe me, I run this race not because of desire, but because of my sense of obligation to a friend on our volunteer team. Since I don’t train for the race, I’m usually laid up for a week afterward. Then it’s December and I’m around more fattening food than at any other time of the year. Plus, I’ve convinced myself that I’m too busy in December to exercise, so I gain a ton of weight (well, not an actual ton but very close).

Next, I begin January with strong, focused evaluation that leads to lofty goals for a healthier life, which I keep for about two weeks. Can you relate to any of this? How might it relate to your ministry to students?

To be eff ective and healthy in my youth ministry, I must constantly examine it. Th e problem is, examination is diffi cult because it oft en requires a change and a commitment to a new plan. Since you can probably see where I’m going with this training, I don’t imagine that you’re bubbling over with excitement to continue reading. I understand the potential for pain, but bear with me as I maneuver through the power of evaluating your ministry.

Every time I stop to consider my ministry, I return to the same three actions: personal evaluation, goal setting, and accountability for motiva-tion. When you’re ready to do a little youth ministry evaluation, you may fi nd these actions helpful.

Personal evaluation. Take a little time to examine your role in ministry. Where do you feel like you’re making an impact? Where do you see room for improvement? What skills do you need to develop to improve in your ministry? Are you tired? excited? bitter? unfulfi lled? thrilled? What’s happening in your heart? Take time to evaluate your current role and feelings related to that role.

Goal setting. How do you currently measure success in your youth ministry? What tangible result or goal are you moving toward? How do you spend your time? Unless you defi ne some specifi c ministry-related goals, you won’t have a standard for measuring progress. So try setting some realistic goals. Th ey don’t have to be outrageous goals (like “have a signifi cant conversation with every teenager in our city”) to lead to a more eff ective ministry. If the goals are not worthwhile, you won’t remember them, but if the goals are too big, you may not achieve them. I ask my volunteers to write short, simple goals. For example:

• Have a signifi cant conversation with Nathan every week.

• Pray fi ve minutes daily for our youth ministry.

• Show up to youth group on time.

• E-mail one student from my small group each week.

My experience is that a little success with small goals makes me want to continue to set more and larger goals. Meeting several small goals is better than setting hugely ambitious goals that are never met.

Accountability. A goal without some type of accountability is oft en noth-ing more than a good intention. Accountability can be a great motivator. If I know another youth leader is going to ask me about one of my goals, I’m much more likely to pursue that goal. I ask our volunteers to share their goals with another volunteer for a little built-in accountability. I’m not suggesting militant accountability and confrontation. I am encouraging the type of accountability that’s a simple acknowledgment, such as, “How did your conversation with Nathan go this week?”

Th e unexamined ministry can become a wasted ministry. And while examination isn’t easy, it can have great power with a little attention and help from those you share ministry with.

E X A M I N E Y O U R M I N I S T R Y

MA K E I T P ER SONA L

CONNECT to God’s Word

Permission to photocopy this handout granted for local church use. Copyright © Doug Fields. Published in Youth Leader Training on the Go by Group Publishing, Inc., P.O. Box 481, Loveland, CO 80539. www.youthministry.com and www.simplyyouthministry.com

T O T H E PO IN T

T R Y I TGrab any newspaper, and take a moment to examine every inch of the front page. What are the different sections? What are the most important articles? What faces do you see? Who are the reporters? Spend about 10 minutes looking carefully at everything. Now take a blank sheet of paper and sketch similar sections to represent your ministry (and your life, if you choose).

Think of all the areas of ministry you’re responsible for, and make boxes, headlines, or small notes for each one. Priorities should be in big boxes (think headlines), smaller priorities should be in the side column (think sports scores and weather reports), and frustrations should be in bold (think natural disasters).

Include everything that makes up your ministry to students. Now fl ip the paper over and draw the same boxes and sections. This time, write what you want each area to look like in one year. Set some realistic goals for these different areas of your ministry, and make a plan for achieving each goal.

• Make the decision to evaluate your ministry.

• Don’t be afraid to look close—and then set some small goals.

• Find someone to partner with for accountability.

E X A M I N E Y O U R M I N I S T R Y

“ Test me, O Lord, and tr y me, examine my hear t and my mind; for your love is ever before me, and I walk continually in your truth.” —Psalm 26:2-3

• What’s one step you’ll take to prayerfully evaluate

your heart? your ministry?

• Who will you ask to hold you accountable to

follow God’s leading in ministry?

Write a response and prayer to God here…