3 ways to prepare for the new year

How might you end this year well and start strong in the new year? Consider setting aside  3-4 hours to REVIEW, RETHINK, and RE-IMAGINE ministry for the new year.

REVIEW

1. Review your goals from the past year.  What do  you celebrate?  What's still in progress? What did you prioritize but realized was no longer the best use of your time?
   
2. Review and celebrate the contributions made by your paid and unpaid staff. Thank people for their efforts, insights and gifts.
   
3. Review policies.  List what needs to be updated, added or deleted from your list.
   
4. Review reports, financial and legal documents to be submitted by the end of the year.
   
5. Review your employee manual and operations handbook. Update as needed.
   
6. Review bills yet to be paid and other obligations to be honored by the end of the year.
   
7. Review YTD giving. Anticipate how your church will end the year financially.
   

RETHINK

1. List the norms that drive your plans and programs and consider if they're still working for you.
   
2. List the assumptions you make that drive the decisions you make and consider if they still ring true.
   
3. Rethink how you spent your time and how you might need to redirect your time and energy for the coming year?
   
4. List what energized you and what sapped your energy.
   
5. List what you did to enlist, encourage and equip leaders this past year and what you might do for the coming year.
   
6. List what surprised you? What you were blindsided by?  What you learned and how often you took risks or tried on new practices and approaches.
   

RE-IMAGINE

1. Re-imagine ways your annual meeting could be a springboard to focusing people's attention on ministry for the new year?
   
2. Re-imagine ways to redirect your time, talents, and energies for the coming year.
   
3. Re-imagine what you will say yes to  and no to in the coming year. Re-imagine ways to share the ministry, give away tasks, and work around your weakness.
4. Re-imagine what word or phrase might frame your life and ministry for the new year.
   

What we inspect is what we usually improve or innovate. Carve out time to be at your creative best. As you review , rethink  and re-imagine ministry, consider encouraging others to do the same.  Be well!