5 Tips for Launch Week

For most youth ministries around the country this week is huge as you launch your fall programming.Sure, you've not even finished your expense reports from all the summer stuff, but hey... it's go time! LAUNCH WEEK! Without further ado, here's some tips to make the most of Launch Week.

5 Tips for Launch Week

1. Fun! It might sound crazy to mention, but don't forget to make your Launch Week fun. Why? Because when people have a good time, when they laugh, when they act a little silly, they let their guard down. See, having fun isn't just the opposite of being boring, it's also highly functional. Whether it's with games, skits, funny videos, or something else... fun levels the playing field and gets everyone on the same page.
2. Vision! Imagine you're a middle or high school student. The first couple weeks of school are all about casting vision as each class goes over what they'll learn, what to expect, and how to prepare yourself to come to class. Your Launch Week should do the same thing. If you've got a big, over-arching vision for the school year this is the time to share it. "What are we trying to accomplish together this year?" Don't make the mistake of launching into a 6-week series without casting some big vision for the year to come.
3. Teasers! During the first couple of weeks, as you're casting vision, as you're having fun-- shamelessly tease big items on your ministry calendar for the year to come. Is it the Fall retreat? Is it the Spring Break Mission Trip? Is it camp next summer? Start talking about it right now so that your group will start looking forward to it... and more importantly, they'll put it on their family calendar.
4. Announce, announce, announce! During Launch Week you're going to repeat yourself a lot.During Launch Week you're going to repeat yourself a lot. And that's OK.  Families are establishing new schedules and routines and you need to over announce things to make sure your stuff gets in. Don't assume they know anything, say it over and over again. "We meet Wednesday nights at what time?"
5. Train your volunteers! At the end of the day, volunteers need to know a lot more than when to show up and what to do. They need to know WHY you are doing things, they need to know HOW they fit into your vision, they need to know HOW to prepare for each week.

Ready to get a Masters Degree in Launch Week? Do all of this with parents, too. I mean... that's who is actually getting them there, right?