Planning Your Ministry Year

The Lord guides our steps, but we can be good stewards of the time He gives us through intentional planning. Planning ahead allows for a more balanced and sustainable ministry year, and it doesn’t have to be complicated or overwhelming.

So grab your calendar and a pencil (because we never plan in pen), and follow these steps to planning your ministry year.

Planning Your Ministry Year

Start with the big picture. 

Spend time reflecting on your ministry’s vision and keep it front and center as you set goals for the year. Our goals give us the direction and boundaries for our calendar. Write down all the big, important, we-do-them-every-year, this-isn’t-going-to-change-unless-the-rapture-happens dates first (Easter, Christmas, church-wide events) so you can plan around those.

These are the tent poles or milestones of each year that act as foundational markers throughout the year. These events act as anchors for the rest of your calendar.

Also make note of the seasons of busy-ness for your families so you can be mindful of events during those seasons. As much as we’d love it if the families in our church only had our events on their calendar, the reality is they have commitments (a lot of them) outside of our ministries. The families in my ministry asked for no extra events past the first weekend of December until after Christmas and from the beginning of May until after school gets out.

Those are two months that are jam-packed with school activities and extracurriculars, so keep your families’ other schedules in mind. This will help prevent you spending time and energy on an event that no one shows up to.

And don’t forget to add in your personal dates too! Family vacations, seasons of transition (like the birth of a baby, a sister getting married or a child graduating high school, etc.) should all be part of your big-picture ministry year planning.

After you set your goals and consider the lives of your families and volunteers, create calendar events that help you accomplish those goals (you can use Deeper KidMin’s Ministry Goal Setting Guide to help).

Narrow down the details. 

Now that you have the big picture planned, work backward to fill in the details. How can you set yourself up for success with each major event on your calendar? Add ministry planning checkpoints or due dates in your calendar for each major event. For example, if VBS happens the first week of June, maybe you purchase final supplies/organize final donations the last week of May, open registration 8 weeks before in April, start promoting your VBS in March, communicate with your team in February, and finalize VBS curriculum by the end of January.

Working backward from your event date allows you to spread out the tasks and make sure that nothing gets put off until the last minute or forgotten. Ministry planning checkpoints also help you create opportunities to invite volunteers to use their gifting to amplify the event.

The details allow you to get a little creative too! Consider areas or events where you can innovate and try something new. Maybe instead of a traditional Christmas program, you create a family-friendly interactive event or nativity experience. Instead of a summer-long Bible study, you host a Bible adventure camp with hands-on activities. Think outside the box with your themes, outreach efforts, and even the way you communicate with families.

Another element of narrowing down the details includes having the teams in place to help you pull off your events and week-to-week ministry rhythms. Children’s ministry doesn’t happen in a vacuum. The more the church as a whole supports your ministry, the more effective it will be. Look for ways to involve the congregation by casting vision in the main service as often as possible, partnering with other ministries for big events, and regularly sharing the wins from your ministry.

Evaluate your plan and effectiveness. 

When you’re done, look at your calendar year visually. Is there one month that has lots of events? Did you plan 3 ministry events for your preschool families in April, but nothing else until October? Make sure your calendar is balanced throughout the year in the number of events for each intended audience and the volunteers needed to support the events.

Each event on the calendar must help meet a specific goal and have a specific purpose. Can you identify how each event on your calendar helps you meet your specific goals for the year and your vision for the ministry?

Evaluate each specific event too. Ask questions of your families and volunteers to gather feedback about the event. And take notes on how you planned, promoted, and prepared for an event so it’s even easier next year. Write down any notes or changes you want to make for next time You could even schedule an email to send yourself the notes when it’s time to start planning the event for next year! 

Flexibility in the Planning

Regardless of how much we plan, ministry is dynamic, and unexpected things will arise. A well-planned calendar gives you the flexibility to pivot when needed without feeling overwhelmed. That’s why we always plan in pencil—so we can adjust as God leads!

Planning your children’s ministry calendar doesn’t have to be a daunting task. By focusing on the big picture first, narrowing down the details, and taking time to evaluate your calendar, you can create a ministry year that is intentional, impactful, and sustainable for you, your families, and your team. As you plan, trust that God will guide your steps. And know that each event, lesson, and relationship built is planting seeds of faith that will last a lifetime.

Want resources that will walk you through these critical steps for planning your ministry year? Check out the KidMin Planning Bundle from Deeper KidMin, complete with a goal-setting guide, feedback questions, calendar planning checklist, and more!