Our collaboration with the youth ministry is Not Coordinated.
Your Question:
“How can I make sure that the YM calendar and the CM calendar are considered when new programs are designed?”
The Issues:
Coordination requires consistent, planned communication. Getting the planning meetings scheduled between the CM and the YM may be a challenge, but it is very worth it.
Scripture Foundation:
“The body is a unit, though it is composed of many parts. And although its parts are many, they all form one body…For the body does not consist of one part, but of many…God has composed the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its members should have mutual concern for one another.” 1Corinthians 12: 12, 14, 24
Short Answer:
This question assumes that the YM director understands the value of collaborating with the CM on certain programs or efforts. If you question this perspective, you might read the answers to the other questions in this section about collaborating with the YM for more help in establishing this perspective.
- Since you feel there should be more coordination between the YM and the CM regarding ministry events or efforts, you need to identify the cause of this lack of coordination.
- Ministry leaders are busy.
- Ministry leaders may focus on what is important to them and may tend to neglect the other factors of ministry.
- Ministry leaders may be easily distracted or forgetful.
If any of these very natural tendencies exist, you may need to take the initiative and schedule a yearly meeting to establish more coordination. It is possible that you view the value of collaboration between the two ministries as more important than the YM director. If this is true, you may have to take the initiative in coordinating those efforts.
Depending on the size of the church, and the size of the YM, the YM may be led by one person or a staff of many. It is important for you to know who is actually scheduling programs or coordinating events. It is this person with whom you need to meet or communicate.
- “Coordinating” the collaboration between the CM and the YM should include the following aspects:
- The shared purpose or goal of the program or event.
- The date for the program or event.
- The cost and location for the event.
- The “curriculum” or training for the event.
- The specific schedule of activities during the event or program.
- Communication with parents / marketing to the church for the event or program.
- The leadership of the event or program (shared between the CM and the YM?).
- Follow-up after the event from the CM and the YM to the students and to the parents.
- Sharing the “fruit” of the event or program with the church to celebrate what God did, and to serve as “marketing” and recruiting for the next event or program.
- Evaluation of the event or program and plans to improve the efforts next time.
These steps will help you coordinate the collaboration that happens between the YM and the CM. For more help in strengthening and coordinating the collaboration between the youth ministry and the CM, click on the APPENDIX link below.
