Are rebuilding years, good years?

It’s the dreaded word in sports…”rebuilding”.  Once a team says they are rebuilding, every fan knows that they are very likely going to experience a team that is not good enough to win a championship.  This season in the NBA, the Philadephia 76ers are “rebuilding” and at one point were 1-17 on the year (they are 4-26 now).  Last season in MLB the Chicago Cubs were rebuilding and they finished last in their division.

Bottom line, in our performance based expectations, “rebuilding” it is often met with negative reactions.  But does it have to be?  Can rebuilding be something positive?  I would say, “YES” and if you are going to be successful in Student Ministry for the long haul it is a “must”.

Every year, student ministries are forced to rebuild.  That is because every year, the ministry loses 8th graders and 12th graders to their next stage of life.  So when you lose people, you need to be able rebuild what you had the year prior(s) with a whole new crop of students.

So how can you turn your rebuilding mentality from being a “negative” to a “positive”?

• Keep your Leadership Team updated on what you are experiencing.  Let them know you have lost x amount of students and are bringing in x amount of new students.  If the Leadership Team of your Church sees a drop in numbers, they may wondering what you are doing wrong instead of knowing that you are experiencing a normal pattern in your ministry.  That is why it’s very important to keep them updated on what is happening.
• Make sure you are targeting and investing in the right students coming in.  You need to find your fast ships.  With every new class there will be students who are destined to be leaders.  Find those students and run with them, give them vision and help them become the leaders you know they can be.
• Keep your Volunteer Leaders focused.  When key leader students leave the program, it can be easy for volunteers to be down in what was lost.  Although leaders have left, if you mope around and focus on what you’ve lost and not what is in front of you and the new possibilities that lie ahead, then

The reality is you can’t stop those rebuilding years from happening.  But, they don’t have to be bad or poor performing years either.

How have you turned rebuilding years into great years? Share your thoughts and experiences below or on social media using #ymsidekick when you share.