Questions I Often Ask... the Student Ministries Edition

As mentioned in a previous post, very little is formulaic in the world of Student Ministries. Students tend to be a moving target.

There are a few foundational elements that simply must be present before anything can happen (Jesus, prayer, the word, and relationships to name a few).

Yet, it is extremely valuable and important to consistently stop and evaluate the effectiveness of the ministry. Here are 5 questions I find we are often asking.

1. What are we/ aren't we doing that we should/shouldn't be doing? This really is two different questions, but I believe the two should regularly be asked together. We tend to think about "what else" or "what more" we should be doing. If it's continually adding "more", burnout is around the corner. There are times that it's "else" or "more", but we see that it's often "instead".
   There may be some programs that have become ineffective. There may be models that we are working inside of that are no longer culturally relevant or right for the size and scope of the ministry.
2. What themes are jumping out across the board? Last Spring, I was on a personal and significant journey with prayer. Our IMPACT and NYGO Summer teams were rocked in the world of prayer. It became clear that prayer was going to be a significant focus in our ministry this year.
3. What are our critics saying? We aren't going to cater to our critics. But, criticisms can be accurate. If they aren't accurate, they contain a perception that is there. So, as we consider criticisms, we ask if they are worth addressing.
4. What are our stories? I try regularly to keep my ears to the ground for the stories of change, students who are "getting it", and leaders who are rejoicing. When I become aware of those stories, I try to hear them straight from the source. As they are sharing the story, I'm asking myself,
   Where have we come along and assisted in this story?
   Is how we've come along transferable to others in our ministry?
   Can this story inspire others in the same way?
   
5. What's our corporate pulse? It's so important to stop and try to get a feel for where our emotion, energy, passion levels, and focus are as a whole with the ministry. Depending on where the pulse is, we can figure out which button we need to hit on the remote.
   Pause: Maybe we just all need to stop and breathe.
   Play: Maybe we just all need to laugh.
   Fast Forward: Maybe we need to look ahead on where God is taking us.
   Rewind: Maybe we need to go back and review God's faithfulness/ the basis of what we're about.

Again, this is far from an exhaustive list of the questions we ask, and there may likely be other questions that we ask more regularly. These are the 5 that hit me as I typed.
What about you and your ministry or business? What are the questions you often ask?