1. E X A MINE Y OUR MINIS T RY from Doug Fields
FOR STARTERS TRAINING on the GO
Can you think of a time you To be effective and healthy in my youth ministry, I must constantly examine
reached a goal you set for it. The problem is, examination is difficult because it often requires a change
and a commitment to a new plan. Since you can probably see where I’m
yourself? What was the goal?
going with this training, I don’t imagine that you’re bubbling over with
How did you feel once you excitement to continue reading. I understand the potential for pain, but bear
achieved it? 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-
IN T HE TRENCHE S tion. When you’re ready to do a little youth ministry evaluation, you may
find these actions helpful.
I’m currently evaluating my personal
Personal evaluation. Take a little time to examine your role in ministry.
health—eating, exercise—the whole
thing. The evaluation isn’t pretty. I Where do you feel like you’re making an impact? Where do you see room for
typically crash-diet to meet a weight improvement? What skills do you need to develop to improve in your ministry?
goal; then, when I meet the goal, I Are you tired? excited? bitter? unfulfilled? thrilled? What’s happening in your
rejoice for a short time before regain- heart? Take time to evaluate your current role and feelings related to that role.
ing the weight. I have no steady
Goal setting. How do you currently measure success in your youth
exercise routine, and a near-death
ministry? What tangible result or goal are you moving toward? How do
experience while running a race
forced me to evaluate this part of my you spend your time? Unless you define some specific ministry-related
life. (OK, maybe it wasn’t near death. goals, you won’t have a standard for measuring progress. So try setting
It just felt like it.) some realistic goals. They don’t have to be outrageous goals (like “have a
significant conversation with every teenager in our city”) to lead to a more
My exercise is basically limited to
effective ministry. If the goals are not worthwhile, you won’t remember
the annual 10-kilometer Turkey
them, but if the goals are too big, you may not achieve them. I ask my
Trot Thanksgiving morning. Believe
me, I run this race not because of volunteers to write short, simple goals. For example:
desire, but because of my sense • Have a significant conversation with Nathan every week.
of obligation to a friend on our
volunteer team. Since I don’t train • Pray five minutes daily for our youth ministry.
for the race, I’m usually laid up for a • Show up to youth group on time.
week afterward. Then it’s December
and I’m around more fattening food • E-mail one student from my small group each week.
than at any other time of the year.
My experience is that a little success with small goals makes me want to
Plus, I’ve convinced myself that I’m
too busy in December to exercise, so continue to set more and larger goals. Meeting several small goals is better
I gain a ton of weight (well, not an than setting hugely ambitious goals that are never met.
actual ton but very close). Accountability. A goal without some type of accountability is often noth-
Next, I begin January with strong, ing more than a good intention. Accountability can be a great motivator.
focused evaluation that leads to If I know another youth leader is going to ask me about one of my goals,
lofty goals for a healthier life, which I I’m much more likely to pursue that goal. I ask our volunteers to share
keep for about two weeks. Can you their goals with another volunteer for a little built-in accountability. I’m not
relate to any of this? How might it suggesting militant accountability and confrontation. I am encouraging the
relate to your ministry to students? type of accountability that’s a simple acknowledgment, such as, “How did
your conversation with Nathan go this week?”
The 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.
YOUTH LEADER TRAINING ON THE GO

2. E X A MINE Y OUR MINI S T R Y
CONNECT to God’s Word T O T HE POINT
• Make the decision to evaluate
“Test me, O Lord, and try me, examine my heart your ministry.
and my mind; for your love is ever before me, and
I walk continually in your truth.” —Psalm 26:2-3 • Don’t be afraid to look
close—and then set some
small goals.
• What’s one step you’ll take to prayerfully evaluate
• Find someone to partner with
your heart? your ministry?
for accountability.
• Who will you ask to hold you accountable to
TRY I T
follow God’s leading in ministry?
Write a response and prayer to God here… Grab 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 flip
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
MA K E IT PER SONAL achieving each goal.
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