New year, new me.

It’s funny because I have been saying this over and over around the office. I have heard so many say it around this time of year… it’s funny. I have been saying on my podcast (The Other Student Ministry Podcast) I have been saying it about everything. New office, new me! New PS4, new me! New year, new me! The new year is a great time to begin to look at your life and your ministry and think about changes.

The new year is a great time to actually make the changes you have been thinking about making and people would not be that surprised because the with the new year, people expect change.

But here is the truth, your ministry won’t change if you don’t.

If you keep doing the same thing, your ministry will keep doing the same thing. So one of the greatest things you can do is take a look back at this last year and reflect while thinking about the next. If we want to see change in our leadership, pastoring, mentoring, teaching, etc we will need to think through what and why we need to change somethings.

I have been going through the following questions myself. I have been really thinking through, writing down, praying through these things in order for when I get up in front of my team and my students, I can begin to cast the vision of where we are going this year.

I suggest you do the same. I have attached just a few insights of my own journal to give you an idea of where/what I am praying for this year:

  1. What do you want the overarching theme for your 2018 to be? For us, it’s serving. I want our ministry to grasp that the heart of Jesus is that of service. So most of what we do this year will point students to serving in some way, shape or form.
  2. What do you want to see, discover, explore? I want to see our other campus launch a healthy and thriving student ministry for the first time. I want to discover what multi-site looks like and what works for us. I want to explore with students when we serve and how they transform them from the inside out.
  3. Who do you want to spend more time with in 2018? Our leaders. Our leadership team is growing and it can be hard to pour into our leaders in a quality time type of way. I want to figure out how I can get good time with them, not just as a leader but someone who cares greatly for their spiritual growth as well.
  4. What skills do you want to learn, improve or master? I want to grow in my teaching ability. I know in order to do this, time management is something I will need to dominate this year. Too many times have I not put, in what I feel like, is not enough time in message preparation. I would love to master my energy… time spent on things that mater most to me during times in which I am best fitted to do so. So again, time and energy management.
  5. Which personal quality do you want to develop or strengthen? I would love to strengthen my ability to ask better questions of people. Either if it’s a student to know them better or a leader I get to spend time with to glean more from them.
  6. What do you want your everyday life to be like? A set blocked schedule so I know I have done my best with the time that I have been given to the people who needed it. Whether that is from work, friends, or family.
  7. Which habits do you want to change, cultivate or get rid of in your ministry? I would like to change what people call our ministry. We are two years into a name change and people still call it SHIFT Students and I want it always to be CCV Students. I know this will take time. I want to continue to cultivate our worship culture. I think it’s super strong and students know why we do what we do. I want to get rid of apathy of faith. Be excited to be here and learn and I know it’s our jobs to help students understand why this is the greatest news they could ever hear.
  8. What do you want to achieve this year in your ministry? I would love to see 90 adult leaders serving in our ministry. I would love to see 70% of our students attending small groups. I would love to see 50% of our students stepping out and serving regularly.
  9. How do you want to remember the year 2018 when you look back on it 10/20/50 years from now? This was the year when our ministry reached a tipping point and where it was the year students left the church campus and began effectively reaching their school campuses in a major way.
  10. What is your number one goal for 2018? Be the best follower of Jesus I ever have been, be the best dad/husband, be the best pastor for these students at this time… in that order.

 

@justinknowles3