Start Strong, Finish Strong.

This is one of my favorite mantras. I have long felt that it fits with the Student Minister lifestyle. Going from event to event requires a healthy perspective. One that will assure that you give the event, or project, your best.

Starting strong begins with wise calendaring. You will save yourself a lot of headaches if you have a good grasp of the calendar. The calendar will show you the optimum time to schedule an event with the best possible outcomes. Once an event is scheduled then you create a timeline of activity in order to make this event the best that it can be.
Do the work. The is the unspoken part of the mantra. If you start strong with a plan and a process with a clear vision of an outcome it will be easy to do the work of mapping out the tasks needed for a good event.
Finish strong. If you have managed the tasks well then you have set yourself up for the last push. These are the steps that will set your programming apart from ordinary. As you set your sight on finishing strong remember that the goal of a race is to run through the tape. Same in Student Ministry. The event is not over until it is 1) evaluated, 2) put away, and 3) began the follow-up process. If all you are after are numbers, you can ignore these last three steps. If you are looking to build a strong healthy ministry, then you should nail down these steps every time.
Know your weak spots and recruit. One last thing. You will tend to have a sweet spot in the above process. Learn it and recruit other leaders to take up a role with you. Forming a team around this little mantra will add value to each and every event where the process is implemented.