A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. (Lao-tzu)

What grand plans do you have? For some, youth ministry is seen as a catalyst for change, whether in students or for the church as a whole. For others, they have no idea where the youth ministry is going next week let alone three years down the road. (Change can be petrifying.) So how do you move forward well?

Every journey begins with a first step. Identifying what your next steps are gives you something to aim for. Those next steps don’t have to be monumental; they can be incremental. So how can you formulate your next steps?

  1. Pray. Ask your team, your church leadership, your students, the parents and other prayer warriors to pray for God’s specific direction this coming year. Is there a specific focus he wants you to hone in on? Perhaps you can ask people to pray individually for 1-2 weeks and then have everyone come together for an evening of fasting and prayer, trying to discern that direction.
  2. Write it down. Sounds easy and yet is often a forgotten step. Writing it down helps to solidify what exactly you’re aiming for.
  3. Decide how you’ll fulfill those next steps. What strategy or changes will you implement? (Make sure your supervisor knows what you’re planning to do.) What would be some milestones in the coming year that would signify whether you’re on course?
  4. Gather the resources you need. This can include assets inside or outside your church. (Utilize CBOQ in this regard.)
  5. Evaluate. Along with your milestones, take some time to evaluate at the end of next year. You may not have fulfilled your objectives. That may not be due to failure. Recognize what elements could have been improved upon and what circumstances are beyond your control.

For the second year in a row, CBOQ Youth and Family will be sending each church our next steps survey, helping you to identify what those next steps are and which of our resources may be helpful in fulfilling them. In the summer, we’re committed to following up with every survey individually, seeing how we can support you in your God-directed next steps.

Every journey begins with a step. So where do you want to start?