I just finished reading Andy Stanley’s book Deep and Wide. I thought it was a great read and would encourage others to check it out. One thing that I took away from this book is a sense that in our ministry we need to better define what a win looks like.

Every ministry is different and the roles of each person within that ministry are different. Because of this we can have a variety of different definitions of success.
Possible Wins:
  • Student accepts Christ
  • Students getting baptized
  • Student calling you on their own initiative
  • Student bringing a friend to an event
  • A new student returning
  • A student who stops doing drugs or drinking
Each of these are possible wins, for each of our ministries we may have a variety of options. I hope the first two are on every list, but the others may be negotiable.
We have entered into this discussion in our ministry. It’s interesting because our parents, volunteers, my supervisor and myself all have different opinions. We need to find a way to find the most desirable outcomes that are God honoring. I think that for us defining our wins will help put everyone on the same page and create a more positive and God honoring atmosphere.
What methods have you come up with to define a win, and what does a win look like in your ministry environment.
Kyle Corbin has been serving youth as a volunteer or pastor for over 10 years and blogs exclusively here on LoveGodLoveStudents.com. He is currently the youth pastor at the Bridge Church in North Vancouver B.C. Hit him up on Twitter @CorbinKyle