3 things to focus on in 2019

It's that time of year.

Time for the tree to come down. The decorations to go away.

Time to think about losing some weight.

Time to realize it's gonna be 3 long months before the weather starts getting warmer.

Time to hang a new calendar. To see how long it will take me to stop writing "2018" on things.

Time for baseball (almost) - spring training starts next month!

And, time to set some goals for 2019.

Goals are important. They help remind us of where we're heading. Of what's important. 

In a sea of things demanding our attention, goals help us know what to focus on. What to say "yes" to. And when to say "no".

Let me share 3 things that I'm going to be focusing on in 2019.

1. Sunday Attendance. I know what some of you are thinking. "It's not about the numbers;  it's about ________." 

Lots of options for that blank. Discipleship. Caring for one another. Going deeper together. Etc., etc., etc. ... 

Let me share why I make Sunday attendance my number one focus - because those "numbers" are people. People made in God's image. People who are lost without Jesus. People we are called to reach.

The last sentence in Acts 2 is this: "And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved." I firmly believe that, in 2019, God still desires to regularly add those who are being saved to our fellowships.

My goal is to see an average of 136 kids by the end of 2019.

How did I get there?

My church averaged a little over 700 people/Sunday in 2018. Our goal is to be averaging 910 by the end of 2019. 

In 2018, we averaged 85 kids/Sunday - about 12% of the overall weekly attendance. By the end of 2019, I'd like to see that rise to a little bit healthier percentage - about 15%. 15% of 910 is 136.

That's a pretty big attendance swing - 85 kids in 2018, 136 in 2019. It means focusing on the quality of our Sunday morning experience, encouraging kids & families to be bringers, using social media to share the great things happening, and developing a better follow-up system for guests & visitors. 

It means a lot of time & effort & work.

It also means 50 more kids each week hearing Good News. Win.

2. Kids in Small Groups. For me, this is a measure of how connected our Sunday morning attenders are. More than "just" raising our Sunday attendance numbers, it's my desire that kids & families feel connected with each other and develop a sense of community. 

At my church, we launched a new small group campaign in September (using the Activate method). While your church may have a different vehicle for connecting folks and developing community, small groups are our method. And so, this is my second focus.

My goal is to see 68 kids involved in small groups by the Fall 2019 small group semester (50% of Sunday attendance average).

It will involve a lot of promoting. Asking. Inviting. Sharing stories. Working together with the pastoral team.

It also means more kids & families that are invested in each other's lives. Win.

3. Leadership. I'd like to admit something. I can't do this on my own. In fact, I shouldn't do this on my own. My primary roll as a pastor is NOT to be a doer ... it's to be a leader. And to build up leaders. Invest in them. Equip them. And allow them to use their talents & gifts to invest in others.

I've been at this church for about 18 months now, and have recruited an incredible team that does amazing things to serve the kids & families that come through our doors. Now, it's time to focus on leaders to invest in this team.

My goal is to invite & invest in 2 Small Group team leaders for Kids' Church, 2 Pre-K leaders, 2 Nursery leaders, and 1 Check-in/Safety leader.

It will involve time. Lots & lots of time. 

It also means 7 of my team members being more invested in ministry, and all of my team members being better cared for. Win.

There are certainly some other things that I'm focusing on in 2019, but these 3 are huge for me. This is where I want to leverage my time & effort this year. This is what I want to determine whether I say "yes" or "no" to opportunities. This is what I want our pastoral team to hold me accountable to.

And, one year from now, there should be:
  • More kids attending on Sundays
  • More kids & families investing in each other's lives.
  • More members of my team leading & investing in others.
Sounds good, huh?

So, how about you? Are your goals set? If you haven't already, it's a great time to set some goals for 2019!



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