Last week I listened to this message by Mark Driscoll from the 2011 Newspring Leadership Conference. It is one of the most important messages I have ever listened to. I will be listening to this over and over again.

If you’re married or plan to be one day, if you’re in ministry, or if you find yourself chasing success and idolizing people, you need to watch this message!

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I want to focus on the practical things I learned at Unleash today. Everything I learned was practical, but  I want to focus on the systems I can implement into our ministry. Hope this adds value to you and your ministry. I went to two sessions 1.)  Triple Threat Youth Ministry with Brad Cooper (This was awesome!) and 2.) Hiring, Firing, and Creating a Staff Culture with Jason Wilson (their Executive Pastor).  Here we go:

Services:

• Run Through an Entire Service during mock service as if you were having service
• Worship – Use Planning Center Online - Record Tracks early in the week – send them to team
• Countdown’s with the Series Graphic on it
• If it doesn’t point people to service, don’t do  it!
  • They Worship, Preach the Word, and do Small Groups – Period. No events except Summer Camp
• 2 Invitations: Salvation and Prayer – Leaders take students who raise their hands for both and either lead them to the Lord or pray with them then follow-up with them

Weekly Schedule (Youth):

• Sunday – All staff goes  to all 4 services
• Monday – Critique of Sunday (Brutally honest) / Focus on Area of Specialty
• Tuesday – Plan Services 4 1/2 weeks out / Afternoon off
  
• Wednesday -  A.m. Off /  Set-up tear down/ Relationships / Youth Service
• Thursday – Critique of Service
• Friday – Off until 5 p.m. – then Youth Service
• Saturday – Off

Follow-UP

• They use Fellowship One
  
• Small Group Leaders do the Follow-Up
• They TextSignal.com to follow-up with Text Messages

1st Time Guests

• Have Adult Leaders Escort all 1st time Guests around all night and follow up with that student
• They have a first time guest party – the Jump off – Every 1st timer gets a wrist band that gets them in there
• They get a letter at the 1st time guest party

Volunteer Process

• To be a member – you have to serve
• Observation Night
• Interview
• Application

Staff

• They have staff getaways just to pursue God together
• Evaluations every 6 months – great conversation times, feedback,  rating employees

This is just a touch of what I learned and look to implement into our ministry. I definitely recommend following Newspring and seeing what they’re doing. They’ve helped me out several times – they’re more than willing to pour into others and share anything they can that will add value to people and ministries.