It usually starts in a brainstorm.
“Why don’t we take our entire group to Mexico and build a church!”
“Let’s plan a big pizza party for graduation night,”
Or, “How about hosting a training convention?”
When it’s your turn to plan an even, start here.
Seven Steps to Planning an Event
- What's the point? What are your goals for the event? Are they primarily spiritual, social or service oriented? Are you building your youth group? Or nurturing them? Or training them for a certain project? Be specific.
- Who's the target. Are you aiming this event at your youth, at their parents, at the members of your congregation, or at potential new members?
- What's the duration? How long should the event last? Is it an hour Sabbath school program? A Saturday night party? A weekend retreat? A week-long mission trip?
- Who's in charge. The bigger event, the more people you should delegate to be in charge of different elements: Programming, inviting guest speakers, public relations and marketing, fundraising, scheduling, etc.
- What do we need? A place to hold the event? Reservations? Guest speakers? A theme? Get impute from your target and the people you place in charge.
- How much will it cost? Estimate the cost of each element of the event. Start with the major factors: for your event you will need to budget for food, transportation, lodging? Try not to overlook any of the minor details, as well. Do you already have that money in your budget? Or will you need to raise the money before plans are set in concrete?
- When do we start? First find a place on the master calendar. Then allow as much time as possible for planning, securing reservations and commitments where necessary, and obtaining supplies. The more advance time you give yourself, the less stress will be involved in the planning, and the more successful you are likely to be.
From: ABZ’s of Adventist Youth Ministry
Permission to copy for use in the local congregation or group.
