Unless you're in the VBS or youth event trenches, you likely have a somewhat less hectic schedule than usual during the summer months. If that's the case, after you've taken some time off, this is a great time to start planning ahead.

Once school is back in session, you'll have more families coming back to church on a regular basis. You'll also have kids moving up into the next grade in your youth programs. The back-to-school season is somewhat of a "new year" for many churches in that respect.

With that in mind, how can you get ahead of the curve and be prepared for the next busy church season?

Here are a few planning tips to help you get started:

1. Establish the scope of any events or new program launches

  • Does this event involve the entire congregation? High school only? All children and youth programs?
  • When do we want to host this event?
  • What's the budget for this event?
  • How many volunteers (and what volunteer roles) will we need?

2. Define the win

  • How many people attending do we see as a "win"? 10 percent more than last year? 100 people total?
  • What do we want participants to learn or walk away with from the event?
  • What action do we want them to take as a result of this event (invite friends to church, memorize Scripture, sign up to volunteer, etc.)?

3. Determine who needs to be involved in planning

  • What skill sets do we need for this event?
    • Graphic design for print, web and social media
    • Décor creativity
    • Lighting, stage and sound setup
  • Which ministry areas and staff members will be impacted?
    • For example: The facilities team won't be too happy if you don't let them know 200 teenagers will be at the church on a Saturday night. They need to know what's going on so they can plan for any cleanup and/or changing setup procedures for that weekend.
    • Don't forget to involve the marketing, design, finance and other behind-the-scenes departments.
    • Do you need volunteers for this event? Make sure you talk with your church's volunteer coordinator (if you have one) or work with each ministry area to see about communicating to their volunteers about the event.

4. Develop a plan with the input of those listed in Step 3

  • Find out what tasks they need to complete (or that they need others to complete) to make the event successful.
  • Ask them to provide you with an estimate on the amount of time they'll need to complete each task and who (a specific name) is responsible for each. Verify timelines with the person named as the responsible party.
  • Create a project plan (an Excel spreadsheet can work in a pinch) with a list of all the tasks, start and finish date for each, and an individual assigned to each task.

5. Conduct weekly check-ins

  • Review the project plan at least weekly and talk with individuals who have tasks due the current week or upcoming week. Find out if they've completed those tasks and if not, what's preventing them from doing so. Work to remove any roadblocks whenever possible.

6. Launch the event/program

  • This is where all your planning and coordination pays off. Enjoy the launch and seeing all the ideas that were on paper become reality.

7. Celebrate wins

  • Don't just move on to the next project. Take time out with the team to celebrate a successful event.
  • Include key volunteers and/or make sure you recognize all volunteers in some way (handwritten thank-you notes, group recognition during a service, etc.).8

8. Conduct a lessons learned session

  • Host a meeting to discuss what everyone learned from this event launch.
    • What went well that we should continue for future events?
    • What didn't work well and what should we do differently next time?
  • Use the notes from this meeting as you start planning the next event.

Take some time off to get refreshed this summer. That's just as important as planning for the next season's event.

However, by starting to plan now for fall events, you'll set yourself up for a less stressful and more effective back-to-school ministry season.