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Reviewing your youth ministry plan |
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The life of a parish and of young people is forever changing and evolving. Why is it then that we expect that our youth ministry strategies can be repeated continuously without evaluation, and that our goals don’t need to change?
Evaluation is part of any planning process, whether in the church or the business world. Although at the end of most programs we are too exhausted to have an evaluation process, it is essential to help review the effectiveness of your overall ministry with young people in the parish.
Are you achieving your goals?
When your team gathers to organise planning for the next 12 months, it is easy to just put on the same programs and events as last year. At this point, it is important to evaluate your youth ministry programs against your youth ministry goals. As previously researched and agreed upon, your parish youth ministry goals are what your programs should aim to achieve. Discuss the effectiveness of each program as a team and if you feel the programs selected are not achieving the desired goal, it may be appropriate to look at other program options.
Some programs may have been running successfully with a lot of young people attending, but may not be helping achieve your youth ministry goals allocated to them. If so, it may be that there is a need for the program but it is not under the right goal. You may also find that there is not a balance of programs representing all aspects of the goals, so in the following year you may with to create new programs to fill the gaps.
Take the time to evaluate each program after it is over. Maybe invite leaders to come together for a meal to debrief, evaluate and to thank them.
o What youth ministry goal/s does this fit under?
o Was the program run successfully, meeting all program objectives?
o Which aspects of the program could be / need to be improved?
o If these aspects are improved, would the program be more effective in achieving your youth ministry goals?
o In what ways has this program benefitted the community / the young people who participated in it?
o Is it appropriate that this program be offered next year?
To assist you in this process make sure you gather participant feedback at the conclusion of the program / event.
Reviewing the effectiveness of your goals
After a year or two on the Youth Ministry Team and through various training opportunities, you will find that your own understanding of ministry with young people has grown. You may also discover that new opportunities of ministry appear. A reflection period is needed by the team to make sure that your goals are heading you in the right direction and that the programs being offered by the parish are the best they can be.
It should only be necessary to review your goals every 2 to 5 years. It is important to re-evaluate your goals using the same steps that were used to establish your original goals. It is easy with all your new youth ministry knowledge to ‘know’ what young people need, but like before, you need to create a sense of input and ownership by young people and the parish.
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