Failing to Plan in Youth Ministry is Planning to Fail in Youth Ministry

 1.  Pray

Certainly, the first and foremost thing we must do when planning in youth ministry is pray.  God knows your students way better than you ever will and knows what they need before you  - or they -  even do.  So spend some time praying before you even begin planning.  Part of the praying process is petition (asking God), but part of it is listening; just being silent.  Listen to what God is telling you that He wants His children to know and do this year.

2.  Begin With the End in Mind

Where do you want to take your students this year?  I don't mean physically, but what do you want them to know?  At the end of the year, how will they be different for attending your youth group than if they did not attend your youth group?  There might be some lessons you need to teach, or some events that you need to do in the beginning of the year to build on each other in order to get to the end goal.

3.  Location, Location, Location

In real estate, location is everything.  When I plan, I like to pick a location that inspires me.  For years now I have taken one day out of every year to just pray and plan.  I get away from my office.  I usually pick a place that makes great coffee, because what doesn't inspire people like a good cup o' joe, right?  I also usually pick a place by the water, because it puts me in a good mood.  Maybe those things don't inspire you, but pick something that does.  Maybe you would rather be in a field, or up in the mountains.  Choose what works best for you to get away from your daily tasks and just focus on God and the year ahead.

4.  Discuss Your Plan With Others

I like to run my plans by my wife.  She usually has some good insights and keeps me from doing too much.  It's also important to discuss your plans with your leadership.  Communicate them with your elders, your senior pastor, and your volunteer team.  They all may just have some wisdom to impart to you that will help you fine tune your plans to make it the best year ever!

5.  Finalize

Start putting your calendar together to get ready to send out to everyone.  I like to look at our school calendar to see if there is anything going on that will conflict with our youth ministry's plans.  I also like to look at holidays and things of that nature.  This year April Fool's day falls on a youth group night.  We're going to have some fun with that one!  What is important to your local community?  Is football king?  Think of some ways to partner with them.  What are some ways you can serve them?  

Another question to consider is:  Is your year balanced?  What I mean by that is do you have too many outreach events and not enough spiritual growth events?  Or are your messages geared too much toward spiritual maturity and weak in the area of evangelism?  Just make sure you aren't lopsided in any way.

Hope this helps.  Happy planning!  What else do you like to do when planning for youth ministry?  I'd love to hear from you.