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For most pastors, ministry, or business leaders, summer means having more flex time in their schedules. It is an excellent time to prepare for the upcoming fall ministry or business season when many churches and organizations experience a surge in attendance and activity.
The summer months provide an excellent opportunity for leaders to work not just in the ministry or their business but also on their ministry or business. Here are ten areas every leader should do in the summer to prepare for the fall:
1. Reflect on The Past Season
Take some time to reflect on the past year. What worked well? What didn’t? And what lessons did you learn? Use this time to evaluate your ministries or business areas and make any necessary changes. Don’t be afraid to ask for feedback from your team to get an honest assessment of how things are going.
This might be an excellent time to schedule a day or two away from the office with your leadership team to reflect and plan together without the distractions of the office.
2. Plan for The Upcoming Year
Once you’ve spent time reflecting on the previous ministry or business season, start thinking through dreams and plans for the upcoming year. Consider what new events and programs you want to implement, what activities you should prune, what current areas you want to focus on, and what goals you want to set for the future. Take time to pray with your team and seek God’s guidance as you plan.
This would be a great time to have the rhythm of utilizing a unified ministry or business calendar. Having everything on one calendar lets you see where there’s redundancy and waste in your events.
3. Set S.M.A.R.T. Goals
As you plan for the upcoming year, set specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals for your ministry. How many people do you want to see in small groups for those in ministry? How many new volunteers do you need to recruit for growth and attrition? Is there a number of baptisms you would like to take place? For those in business, how many new people would you like to engage with what you offer? How many do you want as repeats? What new staff do you need?
These goals will help your team stay focused and motivated throughout the year. Ensure your new goals align with your church, ministry, or business mission and vision.
4. Recruit and Train Volunteers or New Hires
Summer is a perfect time to continue recruiting and training new volunteers or new hires for the next ministry or business season. As you recruit, provide training opportunities for the new people you onboard to ensure they are equipped for the tasks they will be performing. Never ask them to perform a job you have not trained them well to do. Failing to equip them with training sets them up for failure or burnout.
This is also an excellent time to ensure all your staff and volunteers understand the “why” behind their ministry or department. We can easily skip the why and get right to the what, which can also lead to burnout.
5. Develop a Communication Plan
Clear and consistent communication is crucial to any organization’s success. Develop a communication plan for the upcoming year that includes regular updates to your in-house and larger community about events, programs, and other important information.
For those leading in churches, don’t just rely on Sunday morning announcements to get the word out. To reach your congregation, utilize various communication channels, such as email, text, social media, and your church’s website. Only use Sunday announcements to highlight two to three next steps for most of the congregation (i.e., fill out an information card, join a small group, attend a newcomer’s class, etc.). These are great ideas that will help businesses, too.
6. Take Time for Personal Development
As a church leader, taking time for personal development is essential. Use the summer months to attend conferences, participate in webinars, or engage in other training opportunities to help you grow as a leader.
While relaxing at the pool, beach, lake, or mountains, read books and listen to podcasts that will help you stay informed about trends and best practices in ministry or business. Remember to invest in your spiritual life development, too. Growing leaders grow leaders. We should always strive to learn and improve ourselves so we can help those we lead to take their next steps.
7. Evaluate Your Technology and Online Presence
As we learned during the pandemic, having a robust online presence is crucial for churches and businesses. Use the summer season to evaluate your website and social media accounts. Is your website current and user-friendly?
Research indicates that 80% of visitors review church websites before entering a church building. These statistics may very well be accurate for businesses, too. Are you using social media effectively to engage with your current people and reach new people? Are there any new digital tools or platforms you should consider using?
You can also use this time to evaluate your church or business technology infrastructure. Are your computers and other devices up-to-date and secure? Do you have a plan in place for data backup and recovery in case of a technology failure? Are you cyber-secure?
8. Connect with Community Partners
To reach the whole city, it is crucial to build relationships with other community organizations and partners. Use these months to connect with local schools, non-profit organizations, different churches, and businesses in your area. Consider ways to collaborate on community service projects, events, or other initiatives in the upcoming year.
Building and nurturing solid relationships with community partners can help your ministry or business expand its reach and impact and can also help you identify new needs and opportunities for your ministry or business.
9. Pray for Your Church, Ministry, Customers, and Community
Most importantly, take time to pray for your congregation and community. Prayer is a powerful tool that can help you focus on God’s purposes for your church, ministry, business, and community.
For those in a church or ministry, consider hosting a prayer event with other churches or encouraging your congregation to participate in a prayer campaign as you prepare for the fall season. Those in business can become creative with other Christian leaders in business to develop a prayer event.
10. Rest and Recharge
Finally, don’t forget to rest and recharge during the summer season. We all know that ministry or leading a business can be demanding. Taking time to care for yourself physically, emotionally, and spiritually is essential. Take a vacation, spend time with family and friends, and engage in activities that bring you joy and refill your energy levels.
The summer season provides an excellent opportunity for church, ministry, and business leaders to reflect, plan, and prepare for the upcoming fall season. By doing these ten things, you will be better equipped to lead your church, ministry, or business and serve better in the months ahead.
*Adapted from an article by Chris Surratt with Lifeway Research
