Now What?

There are big events in your ministry and Church every year. Two obvious ones that happen are Christmas and Easter. But there are others as well! And, they are just as important for various reasons. Some other examples of big events could be a Fall Fun Fest, a Super Bowl party or Mother’s Day event that happens.

Regardless of what the big event is, the question that follows those events always remain the same…”Now What?”. What do you do now that this big event is over, both for you and for your ministry. Here are some ideas that I have found effective for me and my ministry.

1. Rest. Chances are that during a big event you put in a lot of extra time and sacrificed a lot of you and family time for this event. Take time to rest and relax. If you don’t take at least a day or two off you will be getting closer to burnout…maybe not next week or next month but it will add up and eventually come back to haunt you.
2. Celebrate. Regardless of whether this event turned out exactly how you envisioned it or not, there should be at least one thing worth celebrating. Take time to celebrate what God did so you don’t forget His goodness. God did something. See what that was and celebrate it.
3. Honor those who made sacrifices. Throw a party! Honor those who worked really hard to pull it off. Treat them to a celebration dinner just for them, or give them a card of appreciation. Let them know just how much you appreciated their sacrifices.
4. Evaluate. Make sure you take time to evaluate how the event did. It could be as simple as what was good, bad and confusing or it could be more detailed. Whatever works best for you and your team, use it and evaluate how well you all did performing the event.
5. Follow Up. Follow up is so important after a big event. What conversations did you have that you can follow up on? Who were some new people you need to contact? What situations do you need to work on so they are more clear next time? At the very least, here are 3 groups of people you can follow up with.
6. Go and get going on what’s next. As much fun it is to celebrate and reflect on the goodness of the last event, don’t let that make you become complacent. Get going on what’s next so that you can capitalize on the momentum that you have gained in this event.

Big events are great and they can bring about a lot of momentum to your ministry or Church. Don’t get caught thinking, “now what?”. Map it out as part of your planning strategy for the event so that you know fully what you are doing next. God will do great work regardless, but play your part so that you can keep moving forward and truly capitalize on these events in your ministry.

What do you think?  What do you do next after a big event in your ministry or Church?  Share them below or on social media using #ymsidekick when you share.

Want to learn digital tools to expand your reach in ministry? Join the Digital Bootcamp Facebook Group!