As I look back at the first year of the various ministry start-ups that I have been a part of one thing I wish I would have done in all of them: select emerging/potential leaders sooner and poured more resources into them (time, energy, training, developmental experiences).
The first two years of any ministry start-up are brutal. The greatest challenge is building a core group of student leaders that provide a foundation for long-term growth. The quicker you can solidify that group the better your ministry will be.
Other areas of ministry cry out for attention: your social events are probably less social than you want, your meetings are unfocused and messy. However spending time on these things at the expense of building your student leader group will stunt the growth process.
One easy way to empower emerging leaders is to take them with you--to anything really. Especially things that you think are off-limits to students. In my experience these experiences provided opportunities to pour vision and personal convictions into that person.
Any tips you have for those starting a ministry?
photo courtesy of az1172
