Finding Rhythm in November

In trying to grasp the science of timing, I’ve learned to ask the question, when is the best time to ….

The influence for this question came from the book, When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing (affiliate link) where Daniel Pink shows that timing is really a science not an art.

As I have learned more about the importance of timing, I have gained a better understanding of life rhythms. Learning and leveraging rhythms will lead to consistent effectiveness.

When I consider an annual rhythm, I have determined that November is the most important month of the year for high performance. So every November I listen to Pink’s book on timing and I start my New Year at Advent not January 1.

Here is the simple plan I follow.

Purge and organize.

I want to work in a clean office. Clutter is a distraction. This is where I start on my annual organizational purge. The goal is to create a productive space to do high quality work. I update files, purge desk drawers and shelves and get clutter off the floor.

Reflect and plan.

Spend time reflecting on the last year. What is something that you are most proud of? In your work? In your family?

What is something that didn’t go well? What happened? How would you do it differently?

Get a paper calendar and map out your next 13 months. You can use a digital calendar, but don’t use it exclusively. Write down all of the important dates and fill in others dates by asking, when is the best time to…..

Recreate and create.

Enjoy the change of pace that the holidays bring. If you have done good work in organizing and planning, you are already ahead of most. In the remaining weeks of the year, few are productive. Be intentional about organizing and planning, making your recreation and creation stress free.

Congratulations! You are now prepared to move into the secular year ahead of schedule.

3 Big things for November

Every month and season has its own rhythm. Learning how to pair your rhythm with each month or season helps you to become more effective with less effort.

In November, the seasonal rhythm starts to slow down. All of the heavy lifting for the semester has passed, you are now focused on a slower rhythm in a busy season.

Three things will help you make the most of the current season and set you up for the next. Done well, you will enter the New Year with more energy and focus.

Here are three big things to focus on in November.

1. Volunteers. Express your thankfulness and appreciation to all of your volunteers. October was Pastor Appreciation month so November is a natural transition to Volunteer Appreciation Month. There are a lot of things you can do so set the bar high. Make being a part of your Student Ministry remarkable!

2. Invite. Be intentional about extending community to others. Everyone deserves an opportunity to be at the table with friends. Let this thanksgiving season be your inspiration to look around and notice others.

3. Reflect. Think back over the last year and identify the things that went well and things that disappointed. Don’t be tempted to make a plan of action at this time. Just journal your reflections early and often. This will set you up well for the next rhythmic season.

Enjoy this season. Things are about to change!

Transitions

I was early in my first ministry when I watched my step dad get forced out of the church he pastored. It made an impression.

I learned the importance of having a plan. It probably helped that I was entrepreneurial–though I didn’t know that at the time.

I made a What’s Next plan.

First I committed myself to my call to serve others through the local church regardless of what that looked like. My call was from God, not anyone else.

I experimented with side hustles. I will spare you the list. With every hustle I learned more about business. This would pay off one day.

I got out of debt. Stayed out of debt.

I studied business, mostly this was a matter of survival.

I set a goal–to create my own options for the future.

I am thankful to those who have helped me along the way. It has taken a while but the journey has been good. So here is my last tip. Find good people who will encourage you and walk with you.

Don’t hesitate to start right here. You can reach me at shapingstudents@gmail.com.

What’s next?

I believe that the Youth Ministry position is the most challenging position on a church staff.

I have said this for years during our orientation at camp where there are Youth Ministers and sponsors in the room. Often there are Pastors and other staff members present. Rarely has anyone challenged me.

There are several things that make the Youth Ministry position challenging. The short list is teens, parents, and supervisors. But none of these are the BIG ONE.

The BIG ONE is that the Youth Minister on church staff is the only staff member who has to ask the question, What’s next?

Every other person on staff can do what they are doing until they retire. A Youth Minister will most likely do something else.

So in the midst of all of the other things that a Youth Minister has to deal with, there is eventually this nagging question of, What’s next?

Once this question enters your headspace, it doesn't go away. I’ve learned this from those that have heard this speech.

It is not a reason to be discouraged or to give up. It is a reason to begin to dream of a transition where you will continue to be fulfilled in your God given call.

In the meantime, keep crushing it. There are great days ahead!

When is the best time to recalibrate?

Let me speculate here. Most of us don’t intentionally recalibrate in order to maintain optimum health, whether physically or organizationally. We tend to recalibrate when something breaks.

A well timed calibration can help you evaluate on schedule and can become an effective system in your organization.

My default on deep work includes these three things:

• People–do I want someone or others to be a part of the recalibration process? This is a good leadership process when you develop a rhythm that systematically evaluates your ministry.

• Place–where can you go to eliminate distractions and do deep work? If you don’t have a default location, then be creative and find a stimulating place. Experiment and keep a list of good places.

• Process–how will you evaluate? The most reliable measure is your vision. How is your vision becoming a reality? What steps or programs are getting traction and bearing fruit? Don’t be guilty of only evaluating attendance. This is important, but try to determine the narrative of the number. There is always a story behind the numbers. Pay attention to the story.

Remember that there is a natural pull away from the pursuit of vision. Our rhythm moves from week to week and if we are not careful we drift off course. Taking time to periodically recalibrate will strengthen your process.

Dig through the “No’s” to find the “Yes”

Guest blog - Wes Henson, part 2

We’ve all been there: you need another camp sponsor, or another Middle School boys small group leader. But how do you find them?

Years ago I found myself in need of a female camp sponsor. I was serving in a small church in a small community and the task ahead of me was tall. So I set out to find a female camp sponsor. I don’t remember the names of everyone I asked, but I do remember the number: 9.

The ninth lady I asked finally agreed to go to camp as a sponsor. That means I got 8 no’s before I got a yes. But I kept asking. This may feel like a failure, but the lesson was waiting for me.

More recently, over the last six years, I’ve almost tripled the number of adults we have serving in the ministry on a weekly basis with one principle: sometimes you have to dig through the “no’s” to find the “yes”. Put another way, every “no” is a step closer to the person who will say “yes”.

Leadership development does not only pertain to students. Adults need leadership development as well. But a willing adult leader is better than a gifted but unwilling adult leader.

So be willing to dig to find the yes’s, and you’ll be well on your way.

Wes Henson

www.threequestionleadership.com

Cast the Leadership Net – Who do you invite into leadership?

Guest blog - Wes Henson, part 1

When it comes to inviting students and adults into leadership, where do we start?

Years ago I started to invite students to be part of our leadership team. We had a “kickoff” trip followed by a mix of weekly and monthly meetings. I had two girls who showed leadership potential and I invited them to join the team. Initially they resisted but I stuck with the invitation and convinced them to join us.

Fast forward a few months and they had essentially stepped out of our leadership team. I would remind them, but they were resistant. Looking back, I see the mistake I made.

I would rather help someone who is willing to grow than someone who seems naturally gifted to lead but not willing to grow.

I still invite students to join our leadership team, especially ones in whom I see leadership potential, but I have stopped trying to convince them to participate in our leadership program.

Why? Because willingness beats ability.

I would rather have a student who is willing to experiment, grow, struggle, and succeed at leadership because they are hungry to grow, than to have someone we have to drag to keep up with the team.

Our leadership net is wide. We invite everyone to join. Don’t get me wrong, we set the bar for leaders high, and we have a team for them to join, but it’s not exclusive beyond a willingness to contribute and participate.

You never know who is waiting to be invited, either. Which leads me to maybe the greatest lesson I’ve learned in the last 6 years about recruiting adults to help with student ministry. Because leadership development doesn’t only happen in teenagers.

Wes Henson, Student Minister, Trinity Baptist, Kerrville, TX

Student Ministry Leadership

When thinking about Student Ministry leadership there are at least two relevant points of emphasis:

1. Developing leaders.

2. Providing leadership for your Student ministry.

Each of these points hold equal significance.

Look at it this way. Developing leaders is making disciples and providing leadership is serving.

When these two elements are present in your ministry, you have a shared ministry model that promotes growth and membership engagement.

With this model in mind, you are not the only one aware of the vision for the Student Ministry or the only one accountable to the vision.

Your Student Leadership becomes your partner in ministry.

Here is a guide to help think about how your Student Ministry leadership becomes your partner in ministry:

Communicate–use every means possible to communicate with your leadership the purpose of the event. Don’t rely on digital communication alone. Conduct a stand up meeting (huddle) 30 minutes before events to reinforce the purpose of the event, go over specific assignments, and pray.

Observation–pay attention to what is happening in the room. Encourage leadership to be ready to share observations and offer feedback.

Evaluation–meet up again after the event to get quick feedback. You can do deeper evaluation the next day or at your next planning meeting.

These three quick hits will create a pattern of ownership and will be one part of training leadership to becoming a partner in ministry.