CHILDREN’S/YOUTH MINISTRIES
ASSESSMENT REPORT
St. John Lutheran ChurchMissouri Synod
Indianapolis, IN
April 27, 2014
By Stephanie Caro, Senior Consultant
Nate Stratman, Staff Consultant
BACKGROUND
St. John Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod is a centuries old church that still has a
young–mind and face towards the future. St. John Lutheran opened its doors in 1852; its
first church service was on a Sunday and the first day of school was the very next day.
Church members describe their church as “family,” “welcoming,” “traditional,” and
“conservative.”
Here’s a paragraph on the church’s history from its website:
St. John Lutheran has many roots to the past. It's amazing to think our church was
established prior to the Civil War! Yet, we have reshaped ourselves several times,
adjusting to the current needs of the communities around. As long as St. John Lutheran
continues to reshape, move and adapt, while hanging on to the rock solid foundation of
our belief in Jesus Christ as our Savior and our unwavering grip on the Bible, God's Holy
Word, we believe God will use us together to reach hundreds, if not thousands more,
with the Good News of Jesus.
The membership of the church is around 1100 and on an average week, 550 people
attend one of the church’s four worship services. Three services are traditional and meet
in the Sanctuary on Saturdays at 6:00 p.m., and Sundays at 8:00 a.m. and 10:45 a.m.
There is a contemporary service at 10:25 a.m. on Sundays that meets in The Dwelling
Place, a multi-use facility built in 2005. The church is shepherded by Rev. Phil Krupski
who came on staff in 2000.
A central element to the mission of the church is its dedication to the Christian education
of its children. The church has a day care/pre-school called, “Little Wings” which serves
children from birth through Pre-Kindergarten. There is also a Lutheran school for
children Kindergarten through 8th grade. The ratio of school students whose families are
also members of the church tops 90%. In addition, there is a regional Lutheran high
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Page 1 of 33
school that four area Lutheran church schools feed into; the percentage of students who
graduate from SJLC School and go on to the high school is also high.
Currently, there are approximately 235 children, birth through 6th grade, on the rolls of
the church. During a typical week, about 190 of them participate in Sunday school,
worship, the schools, or YM456 (an outreach to 4th-6th graders). The children’s ministry is
described by some volunteers, parents, and other members as an ”exciting” and
“vibrant” place, while others say it is sometimes an ”excluding“ ministry to those children
and youth who don’t attend the church school.
In the youth ministry, there are 135 on the rolls of the church. On a weekly basis, about
70 of them participate in the life of the church between Sunday school, weekly school
and/or youth group.
The programming for children birth through 3rd grade is covered by the schools and
Sunday school. 4th-6th graders programming comes through the school, Sunday school
and a monthly group called YM456. For Jr. high youth, there’s the school, Sunday
school and youth group which meets 2x a month. The Sr. high youth have Sunday
school and youth group 2x a month. In addition to regular programming, there are
special events like VBS, a summer mission trip and special one-off events.
The children’s/youth ministry (outside of the school staff) is led by the Director of Youth,
Young Adults, and Family Ministries. John Durkin has been serving in this role since
2005. There are no other staff people nor is there a leadership committee dedicated to
the children’s/youth ministry apart from anything related to the school.
For the current year, the church has a total budget of $2,268,000. $546,000 of that goes
to support the school (which has a $1M budget). For the year 2014, the children’s/youth
ministry budget (expenses separate from any school expense) is in the neighborhood of
$65,000, which includes a programs budget and, 85% of the salary of the Director of
Christian Education. (The other 15% of the Director’s position is dedicated to adult
ministries.)
There are 14 adult core volunteers involved each week in one of the major children’s or
youth programs, 10 with the children and 4 with the youth. Others help out at special
events or behind the scenes throughout the year.
The facilities available to the children’s and youth ministries are extensive. First of all,
there’s the school with a gym. Since the school is such an integral part of the church, all
classrooms are shared unselfishly with whatever the needs are for overall ministry. In
addition, the youth have a traditional “youth room” down in the basement below the
Sanctuary.
Ministry Architects was invited to do an initial assessment of the children’s and youth
ministries and to make recommendations about how it might move strategically forward.
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Ministry Architects met with 34 individuals in 15 focus groups or one-on-one meetings.
What follows are the findings gleaned from those conversations along with
recommendations and a proposed timeline for the future.
CHILDREN’S AND YOUTH MINISTRIES IN CONTEXT
One lens Ministry Architects likes to use for understanding children’s and youth
ministries is the idea of the “three rents.” Children’s and youth ministries that “pay these
rents” tend to have much greater freedom to be creative, take risks, and experiment with
innovative ideas. Those children’s and youth ministries that fail to pay these rents often
find themselves mired in distrust, second-guessing and discouragement.
It has been Ministry Architects’ experience that though these three rents, in and of
themselves, do not ensure an effective or faithful ministry, they are often the most
immediate evaluation tools used by children, youth, parents, staff and the congregation
at large.
Rent #1: NUMBERS—A significant percentage of children and youth need to be
participating visibly in some aspect of the church’s ministry. It is important for this target
number to be clearly agreed on by the church leaders and the staff. Ironically, when
target numbers are not established, the children’s and youth ministries are typically more
likely to be judged by numbers than if the target numbers are clearly established. The
consensus is that this rent is being paid due to the successful enrollment in the school
and membership in the church.
Rent #2: PROGRAMS—In order to “earn the right” to experiment with changes, the
children’s and youth leadership needs to provide the church with a few visible, effective
children’s and youth programs that give both youth, children and parents “something to
talk about.” This rent is also stamped “paid” because of visible, successful programming.
There’s a buzz about what’s happening at SJLC for the children and youth.
Rent #3: ENTHUSIASM—The joyful enthusiasm and positive attitude of the children’s
and youth staff, volunteers and the youth themselves are essential to building trust with
the leadership of the church and with the parents. This rent is also well paid. Kudos!
As the leadership of the children’s and youth ministries develops its long-range vision, it
will need, at the same time, to be attentive to these “three rents.” In this sense, the
children’s and youth ministries faces parallel challenges.
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Ministry Architects pictures this parallel challenge this way:
1. Laying the Foundation: Building a
foundation and infrastructure that
will ensure the children’s and
youth ministries’ future
effectiveness, and at the same
time,
2. Continuing to Do Ministry:
Maintaining the current children’s
and youth ministries in a way that
builds the enthusiasm of youth,
children, their families, the staff
and the church at large.
As the children’s and youth ministries leadership steps into this parallel process, these
rules of thumb – or what Ministry Architects calls “ministry norms” – will be helpful to
keep in mind. Of course, “what is normal” for children’s or youth ministries can vary
widely. And SJLC has a unique structure that includes school teachers who are in many
ways contributing to the Christian formation of its students. Consequently, the usual
norms will be difficult to apply to SJLC Nevertheless, Ministry Architects has observed a
few general trends that may be instructive as church leaders seek to determine
appropriate expectations for the current and future investment in the children’s and youth
ministries:
CHILDREN’S MINISTRY NORMS
1) 1 Full-Time Staff Person for Every 75 Children: Though this ratio can
vary, it has been Ministry Architect’s experience that healthy, sustainable
children’s ministries require in the neighborhood of one full-time staff
person for every 75 children participating on an average week. SJLC is
providing adequate staffing oversight for their children’s ministry because
of the school staff and the Director of Youth’s oversight. A plan is in place
to hire an additional staff person at 10-15 hours a week to oversee the
non-school portion of the church’s children’s ministry. A church reaching
190 children (elementary and younger), would usually have 2.5 staff
members. At SJLC, much of that work is carried by the school staff, but
there should still be some appropriate staffing for the non-school aspects
of the children’s ministry.
2) $700 per Child: To budget for its children’s ministry for programming
outside of the school’s budget and programming, SJLC can use the
formula of $700 per child who participates in any church programming
during a given week (worship, Sunday school, YM456). This $700 per
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Page 4 of 33
child covers salary and expenses. Again, much of this budget will be
covered by the school, but a complete lack of budget or staffing for the
children’s ministry is not sustainable.
YOUTH NORMS
1) 10% of the Worshiping Congregation: In a typical church, the size of the youth
ministry tends to settle at a number around 10% of the worshiping congregation.
With an average worship attendance of 550, SJLC could expect to see about 55
youth present in the church weekly. With an actual engagement of about 70 7th12th graders each week, the youth ministry is exceeding the norm. Celebrate!
2) $1150 per Youth: To budget for its youth ministry for programming outside of the
school’s budget and programming, it would use the formula of $1150 per
individual student who participates in any church programming during any given
week (youth group, worship, Sunday school). This $1150 per head would cover
both salary and expenses. So a youth ministry of 70 students would normally see
a corresponding budget of $80,500. Because half of the youth-age students are
not involved in church’s school, we would expect to see some significant staffing
to reach those 35 or so students who become harder to reach once they
graduate 8th grade.
3) 1 Full-Time Staff Person for Every 50 Youth: According to this rule of thumb,
SJLC has the capacity to sustain the engagement of about 32 youth outside of
the school’s programming (with 65% of the current director’s job allocated to the
youth ministry).
4) 1 Adult for Every 5 Youth: Ministry Architects likes to think in terms of “spans of
care,” recognizing that, realistically, most volunteers cannot effectively oversee
the church’s Christian nurture of more than about five youth on an ongoing basis.
SJLC has 4 core youth volunteers, which means that SJLC is able to effectively
reach 20 youth in its youth ministries outside of the scope of the school. This
generally leads to burnout for the staff and “less than stellar” relationship building
with the youth.
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BUILDING A SUSTAINABLE STAFF
When a ministry is based solely on the giftedness of a single staff person, instability is a
predictable result. Ministry Architects has found that the most stable approach to staffing
a ministry, particularly in the early stages of a rebuild, is to build a staff of three different
kinds of people:
 The Architect: A person or organization that designs the building plan and
ensures that building is done in compliance with the agreed-upon plan.
 The General Contractor: A person or a group who manages the flow and
sequencing of work, manages the building process according to the agreed-upon
blueprint, and ensures that the appropriate number of “laborers” is in place for
each stage of the project.
 The Laborers: Those people charged with specific gifts and responsibilities for
particular aspects of the work. In children’s or youth ministry, a laborer might
have particular skills in relating to children or youth, or particular skills in planning
and managing events, or particular skills in teaching.
Many churches hire, as their lead children’s
or youth director, someone who may have
gifts in a single area – for example, working
with children or youth, managing a facility –
but who simply doesn't have the experience
base or the skill set to oversee the complex
components of a ministry. The result in
these situations can be a pattern of
unrealistic expectations for the staff, which
can lead to "scapegoating," particularly in
settings in which a sustainable
infrastructure for ministry has not been
established.
In the case of SJLC, the Director of Youth/Young Adults/Family Ministries is serving in
both the roles of the architect and general contractor. Ideally, the church itself should
create the “blueprints” for its ministry to youth and children, thus serving as the architect.
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ASSETS
Strengths to protect in the current children’s and youth ministries
St. John Church AND School
In the minds of those who participated in the groups, the church and school are one in
mission. There seemed to be no evidence of “us vs. them” thinking. This dynamic is so
much so that when SJLC made some recent branding decisions, they intentionally
changed their official name to “Church and School.”
What’s most amazing is the membership participation level between the two entities.
Over 90% of the school families are also church members. In addition, all but one of the
teachers at the school is a member of the church. One participant summed up what
many others similarly said, “We’re one mission. We’re one ministry (church/school). We
can’t be separated.”
Little Wings
Churches across America would love to have the entry point to their church that SJLC
has: Little Wings Day Care and Pre-School. For the percentage participation of families
in the church school to be so large, it had to start in the younger years. The staff of Little
Wings does all it can to make this happen. From Kathleen, the director: “Our teachers
attend the church. They’re always listening for ways to point the families to the church.
When a family shows interest in attending church here, our teachers find out what
service they would feel best in and then they meet them on that Sunday and sit with
them. Sometimes our teachers go to three services in one weekend!”
Also delightful to know is Little Wings’ dedication to equipping its parents with ways to
help their children know and love God. Each day, the families get an email with the
“Jesus Point” du jour and questions to help the parents talk about what their child
learned. A wonderful spiritual partnership!
Stellar Staff
“It’s obvious that the church staff love and respect each other” was the comment made
by one church member. Similar sentiments were echoed in every listening group with
positive comments were heard about each of the called members of the church. “We
love how Pastor Phil, Rick and John are all visible to meet and greet the kids every day.”
Encouraging remarks made about the two school staffs: “We have very little turnover in
the school staff. It’s a great place to work,” was a comment shared. “My child is loved
and cared for here.” All this points out that the church has done a wonderful job of
putting the right people on the right bus.
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115 Penn Warren Drive, Brentwood, TN 37027
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The Lilly Foundation
SJLC is blessed to be an Indiana church, home of the Lilly Foundation. The church has
been received several grants from Lilly, which supports new initiatives for churches in
their home state. This assessment and follow up partnership is being supported by such
a grant.
The Facilities
There is space galore, space that would make other churches lovingly jealous! Here’s a
list of just some of the facility blessings:
 Little Wings has its own building
 The Church School has its own wing
 There’s a gym available
 A dedicated youth space
 A beautiful new multi-purpose facility was built in 2005
 Plenty of parking spaces
 A beautiful old Sanctuary with exquisite stained glass windows
Youth Ministry in the Home
There seems to be a consensus from staff and church leaders that the church has taken
the responsibility of the spiritual formation of children and youth away from parents and
now it is time to equip parents to reclaim this role. This agreement is a good thing! It’s an
indication that God is moving SJLC and the leaders have received the message.
When the youth were asked if they wished their parents talked more about faith at home,
the answer was overwhelmingly “Yes, as long as it wasn’t too serious for too long.” A
parent said, “Give us tools and help make us comfortable praying with and talking to our
kids.” Another adult shared, “We put so many resources into our children already, let’s
go a step further and get families more involved.”
The church’s drive towards this new initiative was influenced by the book, “Sticky Faith”
and has been read by many staff members at SJLC. Based on extensive research out of
Fuller Institute, the major premise of the book is that kids who stick with their faith over
the long haul have parents who intentionally talked and lived out their faith in the home.
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CHALLENGES
Obstacles to moving the children’s and youth ministries strategically forward
But I Go to a “Church” School
An overwhelming percentage of students in SJLC youth group attend the St John
school, which is a huge blessing for many families and yet a challenge for weekly
Sunday school. One student said “I am in school all week, and then I have to come back
to school on Sunday, and it is in the same room and all.” Another student said something
similar, “we get Sunday School on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and
Friday.” Several staff members, parents and students echoed these comments. In short,
the Sunday school program is not offering something unique or meeting an unmet need
of the students who attend St. John school.
The 8th Grade Exile
Many youth ministries see a decrease in numbers in the 11th or 12th grades while St
John experiences the largest drop off after 8th grade. There are a healthy number of
students who are plugged into the school, confirmation and youth group until 8th grade,
and then it tapers off significantly. The Director of Youth, Young Adults and Family
Ministries has contact with children and youth almost every day of the week until 8th
grade if they go to St John school, then the high school years become a great challenge
to keep relational connection to the church. One staff member said they were “deeply
troubled” by this drop off and another said, “We invest so much into our kids for the first
9 years and do not see as much fruit from that investment as we would like.” It was also
said “we at St John have created a scenario where it is really easy to leave the ministry.”
Where Are We Going?
Each listening group affirmed the value of St John school, yet there was repeated
confusion of the vision and mission of the church. One parent said “there are way too
many things going on, making it hard to do things well.” Two staff members mentioned
the need for a unified vision for the church and school so St John could have “more
clarity in what they are trying to do.” It was suggested that the staff and council spend
time together to pray and discuss church-wide vision and the implementation of that
vision. Furthermore, a plan must be in place for growth of the school and Little Wings to
accommodate potential growth of young families church-wide. Without the input and
participation of the entire church in this vision, there will be a lack of buy in from the
congregation.
Limping Sunday school
The challenges surrounding the Sunday school were mentioned in almost every listening
group. Many parents said they did not encourage their children to go to the program
except parents with kids in the 7th or 8th grade. Several students said “having the
younger kids mixed in with us during Sunday school makes it really hard to learn or talk
about much.” It was said that “Sunday school is not a strong thing” and a staff member
said, “Lutheran churches that have a strong school do not have strong Sunday school
ministries.” Parents of younger children felt there was a lack of appropriate curricula as
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far as being age appropriate and reflecting Lutheran theology. These same parents felt
that the teachers needed better training. As far as the older students, many of them are
present in the corporate worship services but do not seem to place a high value on
Sunday school.
Superman Syndrome
The Director of Christian Education is deeply respected and cherished by the parents,
staff and students. Although John wears many hats at SJLC, it appears that he is lacking
partners in ministry. John is a huge asset to the church, but he is not Superman. For
sustainable ministry to occur, the church must think more like Spiderman who creates
webs or systems of relationships and ministries that do not rely so heavily on the
presence of one person. One parent said “John does ministry alone with few volunteers
and rarely a female leader” and another said, “We have active but inconsistent junior
and senior high youth. It is controlled by the personality running the program.” Many of
these comments included concern that the Director of Youth, Young Adults and Family
Ministries was doing too much and they were worried for his personal time and family.
The 80/20 Rule
A common statement around churches is that 80% of the work is done by 20% of the
people and several members said, “The same 20 people do everything.” A staff member
said “the volunteers who are currently plugged in are those who are self motivated.”
“We struggle with apathy in our congregation” and “It is hard to get people to volunteer”
were frequent sentiments. It was suggested by a parent, “This reality may also appear
due to the amount of programming and events offered at St. John, spreading volunteers
too thin.”
A Tool Belt Needing More Tools
The parents in the listening groups were asked a similar question, “What tools is the
church putting in your tool belts to help you raise your children in the faith?” Many
parents spoke about the school as a tool, yet they had very few examples outside of
that. St. John is lacking tangible and consistent training and equipping opportunities for
parents. One parent said, “Our teenagers are asking tough questions about faith and life,
leaving us stumped more often than not.” Many parents expressed interest in resources
and training to build confidence in raising adolescents to follow Christ in a difficult world.
Un-User-friendly Programming
One parent said “I can never remember when my son has youth group because it not
very consistent or frequent”. Many parents and kids wanted more youth group meetings,
which is a great compliment and adds to the consistency. A mother said, “As a newer
member, it took me awhile to figure out the rhythm of youth ministry around here.” A
student said, “I wish youth group was every single week.” The Director of Youth, Young
Adults and Families is involved in so many programs and has to work around school and
family activities, causing church programing to happen on a variety of days, times and
rotating weeks.
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Worship Integration
It is common among adolescents in the church that they want to take on meaningful
roles in the church and worship, as they become older teenagers. The worship services
at St. John are lacking the leadership and involvement of high school students. In the
listening groups there were statements such as “I would like to usher”, “I could do the
Gospel reading” and “I want to involve children in worship and I know that might not be
easy around here. For pastor to let go of the prayers might be a big deal.” It was also
said by a parent “we do a good job of having younger children sing in choirs and serve
as acolytes, but we do not incorporate teenagers in worship.”
Extreme Youth Room Makeover
Spaces in a church can really make people feel welcomed – or the opposite can be true
as well. Several statements were made about the youth room being an unwelcoming
space. While the students do have their own space, “it really needs to be updated”
according to a student. A mother said “The youth room downstairs is left overs, and it is
dark and under the sanctuary. When the students go down there, they know that they
are an after thought.”
Volunteer Development
There were a number of participants who said they’d like to see more opportunities
made available for the adults to receive better training. Volunteer placement, recruitment
and development are important to the success of a children's/youth ministry. A full
comprehensive volunteer matriculation process is even more important now that SJLC
has decided to undertake the family faith initiative. The systems for volunteer recruiting
and developing will need to be evaluated, tweaked where needed and created when
missing to ensure that a full fishing pond of volunteers is always at hand. The plan must
include giving volunteers everything they need for success.
Organizational Infrastructure
One of the largest threats to the future sustainability of this youth ministry is the lack of a
clear and workable structure for maintaining sustainability. The current staff, volunteers,
parents, and youth are all passionate about the youth ministry. They want to see
marvelous things happen; they want to see lives transformed for Christ. But there was
general agreement that organizational infrastructure is not a current hallmark of the
youth ministry at SJLC.
As the youth ministry develops, careful attention needs to be paid to the foundation and
infrastructure, which will hold it together:
 18-month youth ministry calendar
 Youth/Volunteer/Parent Directory
 Communication strategies
 Volunteer and committee job descriptions with expectations
 Clear policies and procedures
 Major Event Notebooks that provide direction and structure for each event
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
Solid, dependable and accessible database with attendance tracking
No Nursery
As children-friendly as SJLC is, it’s a conundrum that there is no nursery available on
Sunday mornings. Families who are church shopping use a “paid staffed nursery” as a
marker of “attend or not.” Many parents today desperately look forward to that one quiet
hour of worship (while their little ones are safely supervised) as a way to keep their
sanity in their hectic lives. Even if it’s not overly used, the perception that it’s there and
available is an important one.
Will There Be Room in the Inn?
Currently, the church school is at full enrollment. Little Wings is close to full. The church
leadership is striving towards providing a family transformational environment that will
“raise up a child in the way they should and they will not depart from it.” In other words,
SJLC desires for its children to be born, raised, and continue in the faith. They recognize
that this requires intentionality in equipping the family to be the spiritual center of each
person. All a good problem to have, right?
What’s missing currently is the plan for the potential growth that could come from this
spiritual game plan. Others in the community will here about this bold approach and
want to be a part of it. SJLC needs to consider if it will have plans in place for the
potential growth that could come from all that is in store.
Will there be room in the schools? The buildings? The services?
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RECOMMENDATIONS
1) Reframe the next 18 months as a time of goal setting and infrastructure building for
the children’s and youth ministries. Target October 2015 as the date for achieving
sustainable structures for the children’s and youth ministries knowing that
incremental successes will be seen throughout the renovation.
2) Establish a Prayer Team to undergird this renovation process.
3) Present this report to the church council, requesting that they endorse an 18-month
strategic design process for the children’s and youth ministries.
4) Establish a Children’s/Youth Ministry Renovation Team made up of four to five
volunteers who report regularly to the Director of Youth. These non-anxious, goaloriented people will free up the staff to focus on exceptional day-to-day ministry,
while the Renovation Team focuses on the recommendations below. These
recommendations include two overarching responsibilities:
I. Work with the children’s and youth ministries leadership to address the
immediate pressure points facing the ministries as they transition toward
sustainability.
II. Establish a consensus for the direction of the ministries and take
responsibility for implementing the strategic, long-term changes
recommended in this report.
5) Engage the services of Ministry Architects to take responsibility for:


Working with the staff and volunteers to ensure the achievement of the
outcomes outlined in this report’s timeline,
Assisting the children’s and youth ministries in overcoming the obstacles
that are certain to arise in the process of restructuring and fine-tuning the
children’s and youth ministries.
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RENOVATION TEAM TASK #1: Address the Pressure Points
(Accomplish these urgent tasks first to create a healthy climate conducive to change.)
Pressure Point #1: Team Development
Recruit enough volunteers to ensure that all bases are covered for the next two months.
o Make a list of immediate volunteer positions that need to be filled.
o Using the church photo directory and suggestions from other volunteers and
students, create a list of potential volunteers.
o Match the two lists, targeting specific roles with specific people. (i.e. “Tim would
make a great leader for special events.”)
o Divide up this list of potential volunteers and begin calling them personally.
o Go back to step one until all positions have been filled.
o Plan an exciting leadership launch event for the beginning of the school year that
will instill unity and common purpose within the children and youth ministry
volunteers.
o Hold a quarterly volunteer training event to build confidence and new skills within
volunteer leaders.
o Send out monthly training/encouragement notes to all volunteers by email.
o Close out the school year with an event to celebrate the time that volunteers
have given to the ministry.
Pressure Point #2: Ministry Programing
Evaluate the current programs (time, content, volunteers etc.) for children and youth
being offered (YM456, Youth Group, Confirmation) to ensure each program is structured
in such a way that it maximizes the time the church has with the children and youth in
their midst.
o Make a list of all programs for children and youth. List the primary purpose of
the group, the leaders, the content, the time and the place.
o As a group, have conversations once a quarter over the effectiveness of each
ministry to meet the stated purpose.
o High School Ministry: Evaluate the current offerings to ministry of high school
students. Develop a game plan that would provide consistent weekly
programming, increased collaboration with other high school groups, deeper
connection with the Lutheran high school, more mission opportunities, etc.
Pressure Point #3: Sunday school
Evaluate each classroom, teacher and curriculum offered in children’s and youth ministry
on Sunday mornings.
o Make a list of all programs for children and youth. List the primary purpose of
the group, the leaders, the content, the time and the place.
o Discuss the potential of creating alternative spaces for the children to meet so
those who attend St. John school are not in the same classroom on Sunday
mornings as well.
stephanie.caro@ymarchitects.com
nate.stratman@ymarchitects.com
115 Penn Warren Drive, Brentwood, TN 37027
877.462.5718
www.YMArchitects.com
Page 14 of 33
o
Consider a game plan for Sunday school that looks completely different than
what happens in the curriculum and presentation of the Word during the
week. Ideas could include: Family Sunday school, VBS format, Sunday Club
environment, Sunday Service Projects, etc. The possibilities are endless;
provide something different and children and youth will want to not miss out
Pressure Point #4: Nursery
Create a small task force to assess the needs of the nursery (room updates, volunteers,
finances to potentially pay nursery coordinator etc.)
o Have a discussion with the church leadership about potentially paying a
nursery worker for 3 hours each Sunday.
o Recruit a volunteer nursery coordinator to schedule extra volunteers,
schedule days to spruce up the area and oversee the needs of new toys and
equipment.
Pressure Point #5: Church-wide Visioning
Before plans can move ahead with children and youth ministry, it is imperative that the
church creates a vision with clear implementation and focus. This will help create
synergy and reduce some of the confusion caused by the amount of programs and
events at SJLC. A church-wide event would involve everyone, garnering energy around
the buy-in. A vision event would produce the following:
o A statement of values
o A set of three-year revolving goals
o A set of one-year bench marks
o A set of 10 next steps towards achieving those goals
o An organizational structure for each ministry
o A mission statement with “achievables” and target audience
RENOVATION TEAM TASK #2: Establishing a consensus for the direction
of the children’s and youth ministries and the creation of its infrastructure,
including the completion of the following tasks:
BUILDING INFRASTRUCTURE AND STABILITY
o
An Intentional Curriculum Plan: Create an integrated template for curriculum,
including a design for Sunday school and Youth gatherings
o
Control Document Development: Complete and publish an 18-month calendar,
create major event notebooks to help event planners succeed, and generate a
preventative maintenance calendar that schedules behind-the-scenes activities
for each month (like “September: nail down the date for next year’s mission
trip.”).
stephanie.caro@ymarchitects.com
nate.stratman@ymarchitects.com
115 Penn Warren Drive, Brentwood, TN 37027
877.462.5718
www.YMArchitects.com
Page 15 of 33
o
Compliance Documents: Ensure that an application and screening process for
every volunteer is in place and all adults working with any children or youth affirm
a sexual abuse/child protection policy.
o
Attendance: Track attendance for all children’s and youth activities.
o
Marketing: Establish clear internal marketing processes that allow parents,
children, youth, leaders and the broader church to be exposed to the successes
and good news surrounding the children’s and youth ministries. This would
include stories from mission trips, VBS and ministries like Little Wings.
o
Schedule: Adjust the weekly schedule for corporate children’s and youth
activities. There is a desire to obtain greater consistency and frequency
especially for youth programming (4-12).
o
Communication: Establish normative processes for effective and timely
communication with parents, children, youth and leaders utilizing as many forms
of communication as possible including updating the children’s and youth pages
of the church’s website, Facebook, mass texting, mail, e-mail, bulletin boards etc.
o
Children’s and Youth Ministry Manuals: Develop children’s and youth ministry
manuals, including the most recent children’s and youth directories, a 12-18month calendar, results-based job descriptions for staff and volunteers,
compliance documents, budgets, game plans, a preventative maintenance
calendar and notes for every major children’s and youth ministries event.
o
Fall Kick-Off/Parent Orientation: Develop an intentional, family-based,
incredibly fun Fall Kickoff event to launch the children’s and youth ministries in
the fall of 2014. Use that event to cast the vision, share information and build
enthusiasm about the year ahead.
DEVELOPING AND NURTURING STAFF AND SERVANTS
o
Strategic Staffing: Propose clear, appropriate long-term staffing plan for the
children’s and youth ministries that will provide the church with significant
capacity to sustain thriving ministries to its targeted number of children and
youth. This includes revising the current DCE job description and creating an
effective description for the ¼ time position, which has been approved by the
council.
o
Sustainable Pace: Help each staff member to develop a “rhythmic week”
including a Sabbath and “balcony” time (that is, time to look at the big picture and
make strategic plans).
o
Leadership Development: Complete results-based, written job descriptions for
all paid and volunteer positions in the children’s and youth ministries and create a
structure for the ongoing training of all volunteers at least quarterly.
stephanie.caro@ymarchitects.com
nate.stratman@ymarchitects.com
115 Penn Warren Drive, Brentwood, TN 37027
877.462.5718
www.YMArchitects.com
Page 16 of 33
o
Volunteer Recruitment: Build a fortified volunteer leadership team, some of who
will do relational ministry with children and youth while others work behind the
scenes. Create a “fishing pond” list of at least 15 possible volunteers to call on
for weekly volunteer positions.
o
Leadership Launch: Schedule and implement an inspiring leadership-training
event for all volunteer children’s and youth workers at the beginning of each
school year.
DEVELOPING CLEAR STRATEGIES AND NEW INITIATIVES
o
Parent Equipping: Begin to create an environment where parents can
consistently depend on the church to resource, encourage and equip them to
effectively disciple their children to a vibrant relationship with Jesus Christ.
o
o
o
o
o
o
Bring in Ministry Architects staff consultant Nate Stratman to present the
Sticky Faith seminar to parents, volunteers and potential mentors. Nate is
a Sticky Faith coach and has spoken to many congregations on this topic.
Create a small and accessible library of materials specifically designed to
equip parents in spiritual parenting starting at a young age through late
adolescence.
Provide blog articles and web links in email communications to help
parents respond to difficult spiritual and cultural issues facing their
children.
Using the Sticky Faith DVD’s on Right Now Media, offer several family
small groups that could meet in homes or at the church to encourage one
another in this process.
Create several dialogues with senior and retired adults to encourage
them to mentor and support some of the students and families. Prayer
partners and adopt-a-grandparent initiatives are helpful in bridging this
gap.
Assess every ministry in the church and decide whether it is multigenerational (several generations in the same space) or intergenerational (several generations sharing life and interacting together).
o
Integration: Develop a strategic plan for helping the children and youth become
an integral part of the whole church, weaving the children’s and youth ministries
into the fabric of the entire church. Pay specific attention to integrating high
school students into the worship services.
o
First-Timer Process: Develop a process for welcoming new families, children,
youth and guests to the church so that they feel warmly welcomed. Document a
timely follow up plan to ensure their return to the church.
o
Retention Plans for the Youth Ministry: Create game plans for
o Keeping youth involved in the youth programs after Confirmation
o For continuing to engage youth who have gotten their drivers’ license.
stephanie.caro@ymarchitects.com
nate.stratman@ymarchitects.com
115 Penn Warren Drive, Brentwood, TN 37027
877.462.5718
www.YMArchitects.com
Page 17 of 33
o
o
For intentionally reaching out to missing-in-action (MIA) youth and
reconnecting them with the life of SJLC.
Facilities: Explore the possibilities for a renovation of the youth room to better
serve the children and youth of SJLC. Propose options for the above to the
Council for revision or approval.
stephanie.caro@ymarchitects.com
nate.stratman@ymarchitects.com
115 Penn Warren Drive, Brentwood, TN 37027
877.462.5718
www.YMArchitects.com
Page 18 of 33
PROPOSED TIMELINE - MAY
The following provides SJLC with a timeline that can serve as a blueprint for the
strategic launch of a sustainable, long-term children’s and youth ministries.
Many churches choose to use the services of Ministry Architects to provide coaching
and experienced troubleshooting through this infrastructure-building process. If the
church would like Ministry Architects to provide more specialized consulting in certain
areas, particularly for the 18-month transition, we are available to help.
May 2014
Focus: Starting Right and Work Begins
Outcomes:

This report has been presented to the council for the strategic renovation of
the children’s and youth ministries and the council has given full support of
this plan.

A Renovation Team for the children’s and youth ministries has been recruited
and the first meeting has been scheduled for May.

A prayer team has been recruited and charged with praying for the children’s
ministry. They have received a copy of the assessment report and timeline.

Any immediate volunteer needs for the children’s and youth ministries have
been determined and slots have been filled.

Results-based job descriptions have been written and distributed to the
appropriate volunteers for the children’s ministry.

A thank you event for all volunteers has been planned and scheduled to
happen by the end of May. This event has also been communicated to all
volunteers.

Mechanisms for on-going education and coaching for the children’s and youth
ministries staff and key volunteers have been provided.
June 2014
Focus: Renovation Underway, Calendars, Volunteers, Database, Volunteer Thank
You
Outcomes:


Work has begun on the 2014-2015 children’s and youth ministries calendar.
A fishing pond of 25 potential volunteers in the children’s and youth ministries
has been created.
stephanie.caro@ymarchitects.com
nate.stratman@ymarchitects.com
115 Penn Warren Drive, Brentwood, TN 37027
877.462.5718
www.YMArchitects.com
Page 19 of 33

Work on the children’s and youth databases has begun, collecting the most
recent information for families, youth and children. All have been categorized
in a manner that will follow up on MIA families, youth and children. Each
child and youth has been classified in the following categories:
Active Children & Youth are the ones whose families are members and
have attended at least once in the past year – plus visitors who have
become a regular part of the group. They should show up in your printed
children’s and youth ministries directory.
Member Inactive (MIA) are still a part of the flock. You may not need to
send them a Facebook message every time the group gets together, but
you’ll want to regularly pursue these children and youth, whether they
ever show up or not.
Visitor Active are those who regularly attend weekly programs and/or
activities but are not an official member of the church.
Visitor Inactive are the ones who may have visited, but you are confident
they will never become a regular part of the group. This group requires no
follow up. But you’ll want to keep their information for the occasional big
event to which you’ll want to invite everyone you know.
First Timers refer to visitors who have attended a program for the first
time. You’ll want to have a process for capturing their information on their
first visit and follow up with them within one week of their visit.

A Visioning Retreat has been scheduled for the fall and a “save the date”
email/postcard has been sent to all families.

The Renovation Team for the children’s and youth ministries has held their
first meeting and they have understood their roles for the next 18 months.

A thank you event for all children’s and youth ministries volunteers has taken
place.

Mechanisms for on-going education and coaching for the children’s and youth
ministries staff and key volunteers have been provided.
stephanie.caro@ymarchitects.com
nate.stratman@ymarchitects.com
115 Penn Warren Drive, Brentwood, TN 37027
877.462.5718
www.YMArchitects.com
Page 20 of 33
July 2014
Focus: Calendars, Database, Communications, Visioning Promotion, Fall Kick-off,
Curriculum
Outcomes:

Promotion of the Visioning Retreat has begun.

A database of all children, youth and their families has been compiled and
each person has been “tagged” with a category

Communication norms have been determined and those best practices have
been implemented.

The 2014-2015 children’s and youth ministries calendar has been completed.

A Fall Kick-off for the children’s and youth ministries has been scheduled for
September. A team of parents has been recruited to implement the Fall Kickoff.

Curriculum has been chosen for the upcoming school year.

A Leadership Launch has been scheduled for August for the volunteers in the
children’s and youth ministries.

Each children’s and youth staff member has created a Rhythmic Week
including balcony time and has begun to live into their Rhythmic Week.

Mechanisms for on-going education and coaching for the children’s and youth
ministries staff and key volunteers have been provided.
August 2014
Focus: Pressure Points, Curriculum, Compliance, Calendar
Outcomes:
 One-year benchmarks have been assigned to each three-year, revolving goal
developed in the visioning process.

All programs have adhered to the Safe Sanctuaries policy as laid out by the
church.

All pressure points have been addressed.

The dates for the Curriculum Retreat have been set.

The 2014-2015 children’s and youth ministries calendar has been distributed
to all children, youth and their families. The calendars have been publicized
and major event dates have been put in the church’s calendar.
stephanie.caro@ymarchitects.com
nate.stratman@ymarchitects.com
115 Penn Warren Drive, Brentwood, TN 37027
877.462.5718
www.YMArchitects.com
Page 21 of 33

Curriculum has been distributed to all teachers/volunteers and they have
been trained to implement the curriculum.

Mechanisms for on-going education and coaching for the children’s and youth
ministries staff and key volunteers have been provided.

Host a Sticky Faith seminar with Nate Stratman to create momentum in the
entire congregation.
September 2014
Focus: Vision Retreat, Participation Goals, Volunteers, Leadership Launch, Fall
Kick-off
Outcomes:

A Visioning Retreat with all major stakeholders has occurred producing
visioning documents for the children’s and youth ministries (mission
statement, core values, goals and structure).

Reasonable participation goals have been determined for all children’s and
youth ministries events and weekly programs through August 2015 and steps
to accomplish those targets have begun to be implemented.

All volunteer needs for the 2014-2015 school year for the children’s and youth
ministries have been filled.

A volunteer application, an application process and a screening process for
all weekly hands-on volunteers have been created and implemented

All volunteers have experienced a Leadership Launch, lasting 2-4 hours that
clarified their roles, inspired them to grow in their own faith and equipped
them to serve. The Safe-Sanctuary Policy was reviewed and adopted by all
volunteers.

A Fall Kick-off has taken place that welcomed children, youth and parents
into a program they can get excited about, introduced parents to a format and
structure they can feel confident about and provided a forum for receiving
information from families. All participants feel energized and enthusiastic
about the coming year’s programs.

Mechanisms for on-going education and coaching for the children’s and youth
ministries staff and key volunteers have been provided.

Plan Sticky Faith DVD discussion groups. Collect resources for parents and
assess the intergenerational experiences throughout the church.
stephanie.caro@ymarchitects.com
nate.stratman@ymarchitects.com
115 Penn Warren Drive, Brentwood, TN 37027
877.462.5718
www.YMArchitects.com
Page 22 of 33
October 2014
Focus: Mid-Course Evaluation, Major Event Notebooks, Compliance, Budget
Outcomes:

The Renovation Team has completed a 6-month mid-course evaluation of the
renovation process and has made any adjustments necessary to improve the
work being done.

Work has begun on major event notebooks – creating a template for the
notebooks and collecting information on each children’s and youth event.

Background checks (or other screening methods) have been done for all
weekly hands-on volunteers.

All paperwork for hands on, weekly volunteers has been updated and in
compliance with the safe church policy. Background checks have been
completed on each volunteer.

A detailed 2015 budget for the children’s and youth ministries has been
completed and submitted to the appropriate group.

Mechanisms for on-going education and coaching for the children’s and youth
ministries staff and key volunteers have been provided.
November 2014
Focus: Curriculum Retreat, Communication, Compliance, Attendance
Outcomes

A Christian Formation Retreat has taken place and an integrated template or
scope and sequence of faith formation for 0-18 years has been created,
including a design for Sunday morning and other events.

Communication methods currently being used to promote the children’s and
youth ministries and share the successes with the congregation have been
evaluated and added to if necessary.

Permission slips for each offsite event in addition to standard medical release
forms for the entire year have been created and distributed.

Continuing education opportunities have been explored and calendared for
the children’s and youth ministries staff.

A process for tracking and recording attendance in all children’s and youth
ministries programs has been created and implemented.
stephanie.caro@ymarchitects.com
nate.stratman@ymarchitects.com
115 Penn Warren Drive, Brentwood, TN 37027
877.462.5718
www.YMArchitects.com
Page 23 of 33

Mechanisms for on-going education and coaching for the children’s and youth
ministries staff and key volunteers have been provided.
December 2014
Focus:
Outcomes: Summer Calendar, Catch Up



Relax…. Breathe…
Work has begun on the summer calendar for 2015.
Catch up on any “past due” timeline items.
January 2015
Focus: Marketing, Summer Calendar, Volunteer Training, Calendar
Outcomes:

Clear, internal marketing processes have been established that allow all
church members to be exposed to the successes and good news surrounding
the children’s and youth ministries.

A mid-year training event has taken place in which all volunteers receive
support and training in their specific roles. A “check-in” with each volunteer
has taken place to evaluate how the volunteer has been doing in their role
and addressed any concerns.


Work has begun on the 2015-2016 children’s and youth ministries calendar.

A strategic plan has been created for helping the children and youth become
an integral part of the whole congregation, weaving the children’s and youth
ministries into the fabric of the entire church.

Mechanisms for on-going education and coaching for the children’s and youth
ministries staff and key volunteers have been provided.
The summer calendar for the children’s and youth ministries has been
completed and distributed.
stephanie.caro@ymarchitects.com
nate.stratman@ymarchitects.com
115 Penn Warren Drive, Brentwood, TN 37027
877.462.5718
www.YMArchitects.com
Page 24 of 33
February 2015
Focus: Benchmarks, Volunteer Recruitment
Outcomes:

50% of the one-year benchmarks have been accomplished.

The 2015-2016 children’s and youth ministries calendar has been completed
through August 2016 and included a Fall Kick-off.

Volunteer recruiting seasons has opened.
o
Volunteer job descriptions have been reviewed and updated as needed.
o
Names of potential volunteers have been added to the fishing pond.
o
All volunteer needs have been determined for the 2015-2016 school year.
o
The volunteer needs list and the potential volunteers list has been
merged.
o
Current volunteers have been asked to evaluate and possibly renew their
commitment to the children’s and youth ministries.
o
Recruitment has begun for hands-on weekly volunteers, event
coordinators and behind-the-scenes volunteers for 2015-2016.

A game plan for welcoming new families, children, youth and guests to the
church so that they feel warmly welcomed has been implemented. The plan
has included a timely follow up plan to ensure their return to the church.

Mechanisms for on-going education and coaching for the children’s and youth
ministries staff and key volunteers have been provided.
March 2015
Focus: Database, MIA. Volunteer Thank You
Outcomes:

A volunteer thank you event has been scheduled and promotional materials
have gone out to all children’s and youth ministries volunteers.

MIA children and youth have been systematically reached out to.

The collection of updated information from each child, youth and family has
been completed and the database for the children’s and youth ministries has
been updated with that new information.
A game plan has been written and implementation has begun to

stephanie.caro@ymarchitects.com
nate.stratman@ymarchitects.com
115 Penn Warren Drive, Brentwood, TN 37027
877.462.5718
www.YMArchitects.com
Page 25 of 33
o
o
o

Keep youth involved in the youth programs after Confirmation
Engage MIA youth who have gotten their drivers’ license.
Intentionally reach out to missing-in-action (MIA) youth and reconnecting
them with the life of St. John Lutheran Church.
Mechanisms for on-going education and coaching for the children’s and youth
ministries staff and key volunteers have been provided.
April 2015
Focus: Volunteer Recruitment, Fall Kick-off
Outcomes:

A Fall Kick-off team has been recruited to begin planning for the start of the
fall children’s and youth ministries programs.

Volunteer recruitment has continued.

Develop a strategic plan for helping the children and youth become an
integral part of the whole church, weaving the children’s and youth ministries
into the fabric of the entire church. Pay specific attention to integrating high
school students into the worship services.

Mechanisms for on-going education and coaching for the children’s and youth
ministries staff and key volunteers have been provided.
May 2015
Focus: Major Event Notebooks, Volunteer Thank You, Volunteer Recruitment
Outcomes:

A volunteer thank you event has taken place.

All major event notebooks have been updated by the event coordinators and
given back to the children’s and youth staff to pass along to the next year’s
coordinator.

All volunteer needs for the 2015-2016 school year for the children’s and youth
ministries have been filled.
A short-term team has met with the appropriate church committees to explore
the possibilities for a renovation or redesign of the youth room to better serve
the children and youth of SJLC. Propose options for the above are being sent
to the council for revision or approval.

stephanie.caro@ymarchitects.com
nate.stratman@ymarchitects.com
115 Penn Warren Drive, Brentwood, TN 37027
877.462.5718
www.YMArchitects.com
Page 26 of 33
June/July 2015
Focus: Manual, Directory, Reflection and Re-Assessment
Outcomes:


With the most recent information on children, youth and their families, a
directory of all families and a directory of all volunteers have been created to
be distributed at the Fall Kick-off.
A review of the renovation process has been completed.

An online diagnostic has been completed to re-assess the children’s and
youth ministries.

Current pressure points have been named.

A Children’s and Youth Ministries Manual (both hard copy and digital) has
been completed, including
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o

Visioning documents
Directories
Volunteer directory
Volunteer training agendas and notes
Attendance records
Annual calendar
Results-based job descriptions
Game plans and new initiatives
Meeting agendas and minutes for the children’s and youth ministries
committee.
Christian Formation Plan and record of curriculum resources used for the
current year
Budget and other financial documents
Recruiting template, with a record of all the volunteer needs for the year
Compliance documents
Mechanisms for on-going education and coaching for the children’s and youth
ministries staff and key volunteers have been provided.
August 2015
Focus: Compliance, Preventative Maintenance Calendar, Curriculum, Major Event
Notebooks, Leadership Launch
Outcomes:

A preventative maintenance calendar has been created for the children’s and
youth ministries that will regularly deal with on-going “behind the scenes”
ministry maintenance.
stephanie.caro@ymarchitects.com
nate.stratman@ymarchitects.com
115 Penn Warren Drive, Brentwood, TN 37027
877.462.5718
www.YMArchitects.com
Page 27 of 33

The effectiveness of this past year’s curriculum has been reviewed and
decisions have been made for any necessary changes for the upcoming
school year.

All paperwork for hands on, weekly volunteers has been updated and in
compliance with the safe church policy. Background checks have been
completed on each volunteer.


All children’s and youth programs have adhered to the safe church policy.

All volunteers have experienced a Leadership Launch, lasting 2-4 hours that
clarified their roles, inspired them to grow in their own faith and equipped
them to serve. The Safe-guarding God’s Children Policy or something similar
was reviewed and adopted by all volunteers.

Mechanisms for on-going education and coaching for the children’s and youth
ministries staff and key volunteers have been provided.
Major event notebooks for each major event for the children’s and youth
ministries have been completed.
September 2015
Focus: Strategic Staffing, Participation Goals, Benchmarks, Fall Kick-off
Outcomes:

All one-year benchmarks have been achieved. Goals have been re-upped
and new one-year benchmarks have been established.

With the changes in the children’s and youth ministries, the staffing to meet
the size and scope of the children’s and youth ministries has been evaluated
and a game plan to meet those needs has been created if necessary.

Curriculum has been distributed to all teachers/volunteers and they have
been trained to implement the curriculum.

Reasonable participation goals have been determined for all children’s and
youth ministries events and weekly programs through August 2016 and steps
to accomplish those targets have begun to be implemented.

A Fall Kick-off has taken place that welcomed children, youth and parents
into a program they can get excited about, introduced parents to a format and
structure they can feel confident about and provided a forum for receiving
information from families. All participants feel energized and enthusiastic
about the coming year’s programs.
stephanie.caro@ymarchitects.com
nate.stratman@ymarchitects.com
115 Penn Warren Drive, Brentwood, TN 37027
877.462.5718
www.YMArchitects.com
Page 28 of 33
October 2015
Focus: Sustainability, Budget
Outcomes:
 A timeline for the next 12 months has been created that included game plans
for the current pressure points and items from the online diagnostic.

Game plans have been put in place to sustain the processes and procedures
during the renovation

Ongoing coaching has been secured and a sustainability plan has been put in
place.

A detailed 2016 budget for the children’s and youth ministries has been
completed and submitted to the appropriate group.

The staff and Renovation Team have celebrated what God has done with
their 18-month investment.

The Renovation Team has transitioned their role to providing support and
accountability to the children’s and youth ministries volunteers and focusing
on strategic issues such as three-year goals and one-year benchmarks,
curriculum selection, calendars, and volunteer recruitment.

Mechanisms for on-going education and coaching for the children’s and youth
ministries staff and key volunteers have been provided.
stephanie.caro@ymarchitects.com
nate.stratman@ymarchitects.com
115 Penn Warren Drive, Brentwood, TN 37027
877.462.5718
www.YMArchitects.com
Page 29 of 33
PROPOSED SEARCH TIMELINE
Below is a proposed time line for the search for a Director/Coordinator of Children’s
Ministry. These are best estimates, but God may have other plans!
Target Date
Month 1
Action taken
Church recruits a search team of 5 who will work alongside of the
Personnel Committee or Church Council. Youth should NOT sit on
this committee.
Job position is solidified in its desired scope. Questions answered
will be:
o Full time or part-time
o And to families?
o Amount of experience and education desired
o Ordained or Laity
Salary package is determined and received approval. (See Group
Magazine’s 2012 Salary Survey for current competitive packages.)
A dedicated email account is setup just for receiving resumes.
Search documents are posted on Google Docs for the Renovation
Team and Search Team eyes only.
Job posting and mass email is reviewed and edited. Can be
written by Ministry Architects Consultant.
Month 2
Current job description is reviewed and re-written by Ministry
Architects. Consultant will reflect the assessment and
infrastructure work, and current culture of SJLC. Description
is returned to Renovation Team for edits and approval, and
then sent on to the Search Committee.
The Search Team meets and receives a brief orientation for its
task of conducting a healthy, comprehensive search. Search team
job description and documents (prepared by Consultant?) is
reviewed.
The Search Committee determines where to post the jobs, who
will post and where resumes should be directed. Suggested
posting places include:
o Youth Ministry Architects Job Board
o Youth Specialties Job Bank
stephanie.caro@ymarchitects.com
nate.stratman@ymarchitects.com
115 Penn Warren Drive, Brentwood, TN 37027
877.462.5718
www.YMArchitects.com
Page 30 of 33
o
o
o
Simply Youth Ministry/Group Job Board
National/Regional Presbytery Job Boards
Seminaries and Christian Colleges
Future 1st and 2nd phone interview dates are determined and
calendared along with onsite 3rd interview dates.
Month 3
Report progress to Council and then church body.
Job is posted and mass email sent out.
Search Team has a conference call with Ministry Architects
Consultant to double check all is on track.
A process for sorting, vetting and responding to resumes is
determined. “A” candidates meet all requirements, “B” meet most
and are put on hold, and “C” candidates are sent a “not at this
time” immediate email.
Month 4
Resumes have been gathered and sorted into A, B, or C.
“A” candidates have received job application form and a time for
initial phone interview.
1st phone interviews have been conducted and those who have
been moved on the second round have been contacted with a
date set for 2nd phone interview. Those not moving on have
received a “not at this time.”
Vetting begins on round 2 candidates. Background check,
references follow-up, etc.
Month 5
Round 2 phone interviews are held and those 2-3 candidates
moving on have been contacted with an onsite visit scheduled.
Those not moving on have been thanked and any feedback given
for future interviews.
All vetting of potential candidates has been completed.
Arrangements have been made for the onsite visits.
stephanie.caro@ymarchitects.com
nate.stratman@ymarchitects.com
115 Penn Warren Drive, Brentwood, TN 37027
877.462.5718
www.YMArchitects.com
Page 31 of 33
Month 6
Onsite visits have happened and a decision is made.
The job is offered and accepted!
Dates are calendared for moving and start up.
A review session is scheduled between the new staff person and
consultant for review and orientation.
stephanie.caro@ymarchitects.com
nate.stratman@ymarchitects.com
115 Penn Warren Drive, Brentwood, TN 37027
877.462.5718
www.YMArchitects.com
Page 32 of 33
THE MINISTRY ARCHITECTS TEAM SERVING
ST. JOHN LUTHERAN CHURCH-MISSOURI SYNOD
Stephanie Caro – Senior Consultant
Stephanie Caro has been involved in ministry to children, youth and adults in
the local church since…a long time. Her humorous, straightforward style keeps
her busy presenting and coaching at conferences, training events, camps,
mission trips, retreats, churches, etc. She is Senior Consultant for Ministry
Architects and Director of Small Church Ministry Architects.
In 2010, her book, Thriving Youth Ministry in Smaller Churches, was published
by Group/Simply Youth Ministry. Her latest book, 99 Thoughts for the Smaller
Church Youth Worker, came out in 2011, also published by Group/Simply Youth Ministry.
Stephanie is a contributing author to several ministry resources in addition to her regular column
“Smaller Church Youth Ministry” in Group Magazine. Check out Stephanie's blog, part of the #1
read youth ministry blog, morethandodgeball.com, part of Simply Youth Ministry/Group
Publishing. Stephanie and her husband, Steve, live in Houston, TX. Their 7 children are all
grown!
Nate Stratman - Staff Consultant
Nate Stratman has been in full-time Youth Ministry since 2000, starting
with a church in Wilmington, NC and now serving as Director of
Students at First Presbyterian Church in Colorado Springs, CO. He is
creeping towards the end of his 10-year pursuit of an MDiv from Fuller
Seminary. Nate has partnered with Young Life and Youth Conference
Ministries (YCM) since he began in youth ministry and continues to do
so. Nate is married to Kim and they have two young daughters, Ruthie
and Ellie. Nate loves eating, cooking, the St. Louis Cardinals, the
outdoors, blogging (www.natestratman.com), being an Arkansas
Razorback and dreaming about ways the church can be what God
intended it to be.
Jeff Dunn-Rankin - VP of Consulting
Jeff has been Director of Youth at Christ United Methodist Church in Venice,
FL since 1998. He has consulted with large and small youth and children’s
ministries from California to Florida and is a frequent speaker at events from
the Group/Simply Convention to KidMin.
He is a regular columnist for Group Magazine, and In 2011, Jeff wrote two
books, Before You Hire a Youth Pastor and The Indispensable Youth
Pastor (Group Publishing), both co-authored with YMA President &
Founder, Mark DeVries. Before beginning church ministry, Jeff was managing editor of
the Charlotte Sun newspaper. Jeff is a graduate of the Sewanee: The University of the South and
has a Masters in Business Administration from Vanderbilt University. He currently lives in Venice,
Florida, with his wife Mary Lou, and two children, Matthew and Katie.
stephanie.caro@ymarchitects.com
nate.stratman@ymarchitects.com
115 Penn Warren Drive, Brentwood, TN 37027
877.462.5718
www.YMArchitects.com
Page 33 of 33