The last couple weeks I’ve talked a little about evaluating your ministry at the end of the school year. Hopefully by now I’ve convinced you of the importance of this process. This week I want to give you a way to easily categorize what you’ve learned to determine which steps you should take next. Here are three categories that the different areas of your ministry fall under.
Preserve
First, the good news. There are some things in your ministry that are working well and won’t need any changes made. This may include overarching vision (mission statement, core values, etc.) as well as programs. These are the areas that have served your group well and can be left running as is.
Prune
The concept of pruning is Biblical and something that needs to be done regularly. Sometimes pruning requires making a few changes and other times it requires doing away with something altogether. Jesus said of the Father, “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit.” Without regular pruning a plant will not maintain healthy growth. We don’t always like pruning, but it’s necessary for our development.
Pioneer
This is the category that encompasses dreams God has given you for your ministry or things you’ve noticed could be better by starting something new. You may have ideas that have been kicking around for awhile, but because you’ve never put them to paper nothing has come of them. These things are probably going to take most of your time over the summer or early in the fall semester, but they are usually well worth the effort.
Just by listing the different areas of your ministry and putting them into one of these three categories you now have the beginning steps of a plan for the fall. You may need a break for the next couple weeks, so feel free to file this away or let it marinate in your brain. When you’re ready to get going again you’ll have a list to guide your next couple months.
What areas do you find need the most pruning? What ideas are you excited about pioneering in the fall?