Youth ministry works in cycles. Most youth leaders reckon the autumn term is a key one and the September start is an important moment in the year.
The summer term can be dominated by external pressures (like exams) but, after the youth group seems to have been spread all over the place, they all return expecting a programme. What are the things that need to be in place at that point so that you’re not playing catch-up for the whole of that crucial term? Hopefully, time well spent in August makes the term easier to survive.
The plan
How much is known about next term by both the leaders you work with and young people you serve? A simple, published term plan including all the events you hope to do gives everyone the sense that somebody knows what the aim is for the next few weeks. If that hasn’t been done can you get your leaders together and look at some possibilities. If you have a teaching programme (and I hope you have) who is doing what each week. Some youth leaders have the view that last-minute = spontaneous and that means God is more likely to bless. Others are so rigid that a major world catastrophe would not get a mention. Events like those recently witnessed in London, need our attention so that our young people have some guidance on how to handle such issues. But a teaching plan and a rota should give you both structure and flexibility. If you do a one-week special you have a plan to come back to.
