Communication Network December 4, 2006
The following are the communication methods within the Journey Ministries:
Website
The Journey Ministries’ website will have a calendar of events and important announcements that are both updated often. This information can be accessed by both adolescents and parents at their convenience. An updated website is an important method of communication because so many people rely on the internet as their primary source of information.
The website will also offer information to volunteer and student leaders including training and meeting calendars.
At every event, forms for new students will be available. When students fill them in, the ministry will gather their e-mail address and their family’s e-mail address. Every week a “What’s Going on at the Journey?” newsletter will be sent out to students and families with the schedule and announcements. Bible study leaders can also use e-mail to contact their group, while all leaders can use e-mail to stay in touch with individual students.
E-mail will be the primary communication method with volunteer leaders. Each week they will receive a “What’s Going on with the Journey?” newsletter along with important leader announcements and a training schedule.
Church Bulletins and Announcements
Large or significant events will be announced in the church bulletin or in church announcements. This will include events like fall kick-off, sign-up for camp or retreats, volunteer recruitment, or special events. The announcements will include the youth ministries’ website to encourage adolescents and their families to turn to the web for more consistent information.
To see a church bulletin blurb, click here.
Mailings and Fliers
Fliers are sent in the mail to adolescents and their families to announce schedules for each season and special events, like camp or retreats. At the beginning of Fall or Spring, fliers will be sent out announcing the After Class hours, when Bible Studies are offered, and the schedule of Friday Nights at the Journey. The fliers will also give sign-up information for programs like bible studies and give the web address for further information. Fliers also will be used to announce special events, such as holiday parties.
Posters
Posters announcing events and schedules at the Journey Coffeehouse will be posted at the Journey Coffeehouse, local schools, and other public areas were adolescents frequent. The posters will be updated regularly.
To see a poster example, click here.
Announcements
Announcements will be made at Friday Night at the Journey and bible studies to inform students of upcoming schedules and other important information.
Meetings
Meetings provide a way to share important information and receive feedback. To see the schedule of meetings, click here.
With student leaders: once-monthly Revolution meetings
With volunteer leaders: once-monthly volunteer leader training
With parents: once-monthly parental meeting
With church staff: once-a-week First Church staff meeting
The youth minister also has meeting time set aside each week to meet with students, parents, and leaders as needed.
Objectives and Evaluation December 2, 2006
At the Journey Ministry, we are committed to constantly evaluating our ministry. We believe it is important to fulfill our mission and vision for the overall ministry along with the objectives for each program within the ministry. To consistently fulfill our objectives we much evaluate our ministry and make adjustments when we aren’t fulfilling our objectives.
The mission, vision, values, and goals for our ministry can be found here. We evaluate the overall ministry based on these statements and also evaluate our programs based on their fulfillment of the overall mission and vision.
The description of some of the ministry’s programs can be found here.
The objectives and evaluation plan for The Journey Ministries’ programs:
Leaders:
Objectives
- to provide students with spiritual and life guides
- to provide students with Christ-like examples
- to provide students with people who love them
- to build community through the initiatives of the volunteer and youth leaders
Evaluation
- the youth minister meets with the pastor twice a year for a performance evaluation process, including written evaluations from volunteer leaders and students involved in the youth ministry
- new leaders are evaluated after one month of shadowing and then informally evaluated at a meeting with the youth minister each month
- complaints or concerns of any leader in the ministry will be followed by a formal evaluation
Volunteer leader training:
Objectives
- to provide once-a-month training sessions that will give leaders tools and information to help them minister
- to offer opportunities to attend a leadership retreat twice a year and CORE training once a year
- to provide support and encouragement
- to build relationships between the leaders
Evaluation
- Written evaluations twice a year asking:
- Do the training sessions provide tools and information that you used?
- What training was needed or wanted but wasn’t covered in the training sessions?
- Did the training sessions make you feel supported and encouraged? Why or why not?
- Are at least 85% of the leaders attending the leadership retreat and 50% of the leaders attending CORE?
- Are the leaders spending time with each other outside of the Journey Ministries?
Revolution:
Objectives
- To develop the leadership skills of Christian adolescents
- To give young leaders experience by involving them in leading younger students
- To develop leaders that build Christian community outside of the Journey Ministries
- To create Kingdom-builders by teaching students how to use their leadership skills for God
Evaluation
- do students display use of the taught leadership skills during later Revolution meetings or in the Journey Ministries?
- Are 75% of Revolution students involved in leadership in some capacity within the Journey Ministries?
- Do students have a group of Christian friends outside of the Journey Ministries? Or are the students committed to sharing their faith and life with a group of non-Christian students not involved in the Journey Ministries?
- Through discussion, is it clear that students are using their leadership skills for God, or are they using them for their own success?
Bible study groups:
Objectives
- To create intimate community where students can be open and honest with each other
- To move students to a deeper understanding of and commitment to being a follower of Christ and a Kingdom-builder
- To provide non-Christian students with a clear and biblical understanding of the gospel and the Christian faith
- To provide Christian students with the theological groundwork for a biblical worldview
- To guide students to experiencing God in everyday life through spiritual disciplines
Evaluation
- Through observation, are students being honest and open during bible study?
- Can students articulate what it means to be a Christian?
- Can non-Christian students articulate the basic message of the gospel?
- Can Christian students articulate their basic theological understanding of God, Christ, the Holy Spirit, creation, sin, salvation, and the bible?
- Can students describe a time when they experienced God through the use of a spiritual discipline?
After Class/Homework Help:
Objectives
- To reach the non-Christian adolescents in the community and have 25% of attendance be non-Christian students
- To build relationships by having each student talk to at least one other student they did not come with and make contact with one leader (based on new student forms)
- Create a welcoming and fun atmosphere where students want to return to
- to provide students help with homework, life issues, and spiritual questions if they want it
- to move Christians towards Christ by having at least 2 new students join bible studies each month
Evaluation
- Is 25% of the attendance non-Christian? (based on new student forms)
- Has each student talked to at least one other student and one leader by the time they leave? (based on new student forms)
- Do at least 75% of students return to the journey more than once?
- Ask the students: do they feel they got help with their homework and spiritual/life questions?
- Have at least 2 new students joined a bible study this month?
Fridays at the Journey:
Objectives
- Students invite their non-Christian friends to the event so at least 25% of the students present are non-Christian
- Every student gets personally invited to attend After Class and/or the next Friday Night at the Journey by an adult volunteer or student leader
- every student talks to at least one other student that they didn’t come with
Evaluation
- Is 25% of the attendance non-Christian? (based on new student forms)
- Has every student been invited to return to Friday Night at the Journey or to After Class before they leave?
- Has every student talked to at least one student they haven’t come with?
