Ahh, autumn — those brisk mornings, apple-spiced everything, and pumpkins as far as the eye can see. (We’d mention the changing leaves, but we’re in Florida, so we don’t know what those are.)
With each fall season, there come new opportunities, especially for ministries. If you’re a youth minister, you’ve done your Back to School drives, survived the opening weeks of school, and are now in rhythm.
But how do you maintain that? And have you built an environment that keeps your group excited for ministry each week?
We know a thing or two about ministry. We’ve worked with youth ministers and group leaders for 25 years, so we’ve seen and heard a lot. Here are tips for keeping your ministry engaged — from children to youth to adults!
Find a place for the newbies.
It doesn’t matter the age of your group, everyone wants to fit in and feel accepted. How you do that, however, goes beyond having laughs and cool games.
“But wait, my group is awesome!” you say. “They’re super fun and everyone has a good time!”
Often, having a good time isn’t enough to motivate someone to keep coming back week after week. What keeps people returning is purpose. What role or opportunity are you giving newbies to fill? They should feel valued, trusted, and engaged in whatever it is. Making sure new attendees can serve alongside seasoned members will help those newbies feel right at home.
Look for opportunities to serve the community.
There seem to be more opportunities for ministry during the fall. We don’t know if it’s the cooler weather, the general enjoyable fall atmosphere, or the fact that schedules are less chaotic than during the summer, but fall provides a lot of moments to get out there and serve.
It can be as simple as cleaning up the yards of the elderly in your church or sorting food at the local food donation center. By taking opportunities to have an impact on the community, you keep your group engaged in the mission of the Church and directly do what Christ calls us to do — serve others.
Consider a fall or winter retreat.
Some group leaders feel like they need a milestone for each season. Church camp during the summer is the most obvious, but what about fall or winter? Consider bringing your group to a D Now with other community churches. You can also look for ways to set up a retreat for your group. Having big events like these does a few things, like:
- Keep your group excited for what’s coming next.
- Give them added ammo when wanting to invite people to get involved.
- Offer an opportunity to reconnect and break through the day-to-day.
And if you’re thinking about a fall or winter retreat, why not make the group feel special with some custom group shirts? (Was that a smooth transition…?) We offer a variety of Fall Youth and Ministry t-shirt designs, quickly customizable to meet your group’s needs. We can also work with your team to bring your design to life! Soft shirts your group will love at rates your ministry can actually afford? Give us a call at 800-242-9166 or get your free quote.