Everything I know about youth ministry, I’ve learned from serving under Doug Fields at Saddleback church. Every year, Doug had our leaders sign a commitment sheet. Even leaders who’d been serving for 15+ years. Here are a few reasons why I continue to have our leaders sign a commitment sheet:
1. A signed commitment is a step towards getting everyone on the same page. It takes more than a signed piece of paper to unify a team, but unity begins with a shared commitment.
2. A signed commitment defines success for your leaders because it clearly communicates your expectations. Not having a leadership “DTR” is like shooting a target you can’t see.
3. A signed commitment helps your leaders personally evaluate their ministry. At the end of the month, a leader can review the commitments and see if they are keeping their commitment.
4. A signed commitment makes it easier to hold your leaders accountable. At some point, you’ll need to confront a leader and a signed commitment eliminates arguments. Let’s say you have a leader who is habitually late to youth ministry events. At some point in your conversation, you’ll be able to say, “We’ve all committed to being on time, I need you to honor that commitment.” In bigger situations, such as a leader not buying into the youth ministry philosophy, this becomes even more important.
What have I missed? Does your ministry use a signed commitment, how has it been good? Post something in the comments below so I don’t get lonely.
DOWNLOAD HERE: HSM Leader Commitment
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