Developing an Annual Leadership Training Strategy

Training Format: How and when will training happen?

This concerns both who is delivering the training and the scale of the training. A growing leader can, and I would suggest should, receive several different formats of training throughout a year. A well-rounded training strategy will include several of the following formats of training:

• Regular Check-Ins: These are short opportunities which may be part of the regular leadership team meetings before or after a particular program.
• Local training. Local training is training that is coordinated by the local church and run either by a staff member or team leader, or by someone invited in from elsewhere.
• Network training. That is, gathering with other local churches to train leaders together. This provides opportunities to cover a wider range of content and for leaders to both gather with other leaders and hear from other voices.
• Training events/Conferences. These are the large-scale training events that are hosted and coordinated beyond the local church. Whether it is a camp, single or multi-day event, these training options provide an opportunity for leaders to hear from a range of voices and network with other leaders from different ministry contexts. This may be something that the whole leadership team attends, or it might be something that a particular section of the leadership team attends.
• Retreats. A retreat is either a single or multi-day event for your leadership team with the focus most likely be more on the local ministry and team building.
• Coaching. Coaching involves the one-on-one, walking alongside someone as they continue to grow in their leadership skills and discipleship of Jesus. This could be in a formal coaching arrangement, or simply developing a culture of reflection and feedback.
• Specific Groups. This involves working with a specific group of leaders for guided training that is specific to their role or leadership responsibilities. E.g. all first-year leaders, all team leaders.
• Resource library: Maintain and share appropriate resources, whether articles, books, videos or other tools to equip leaders in their ministry.

Training Strategy: Putting it together

It is now essential to put the two together to develop a plan or pathway for when training will occur over a year (or multiple years) and what content will be covered when. Pathways help because they provide a framework and structure of moving people from Point A (where they are now) to Point B (where you want them to be in 1, 2, 5 years). However, each person is different and not everyone (anyone?) moves in a linear direction and there will be times when you need to train leaders in reaction to something in your ministry, so a pathway is helpful but held to loosely.

The key questions to ask when developing a training strategy are:

1. Who is the training for? Is it for the whole team, new leaders, experienced leaders, team leaders?
2. What do they need training in? Do they need new skills? Ask the leaders what they would like to be trained in? Ask team leaders what their teams need?
3. What is the outcome of the training? What are you hoping the leaders will know, do or believe?
4. What format of training suits this outcome best? Given the previous questions, should this be local, a network, a conference, other?
5. Who is best to deliver the training? Is this training you should run? Can you get an outside voice to speak? If you aren’t sure what is available talk to other children’s or youth ministers near you or get in touch you with a Youthworks Ministry Support Team advisor.

 

Answers to these questions will help shape the path and direction of a leadership strategy and prioritise the content that your leaders are trained.

Below are three examples of what an annual training strategy may look like. These range from one training moment per quarter through to some training input every month. Depending on the size of your ministry and your capacity as a leader, one or two of these options may be more suitable to you.

*These examples will have a Sydney flavour to them, but the principles outlined can be transferred to any location.

 

Training Strategy #1 – One formal training moment per quarter

Quarter 1 - Foundations	Quarter 2 - Ministry Skills
Conference: A group of junior leaders attend a ‘Leaders in Training’ conference to help them engage with the Bible and gain skills to teach young people.	Local training: Gather your leadership team for training on two key ministry area skills. You invite a guest to come and present training.
Quarter 3 - Ministry Skills	Quarter 4 - Reflection
Network training: Gather with other local churches for leaders to be trained in a range of ministry skills. This may be a Youthworks Children’s and Youth leader training day.	Local Training: Gather your leadership team at the end of the year for a review of the year, sharing experiences and discussing improvements for the following year.

On-going coaching: Each week team leaders/ministry leaders are meeting with a team member helping them reflect on their ministry and grow in the skills/capacity for ministry.

 

Training Strategy #2 – Two formal training moments per quarter

Quarter 1 - Foundations & Vision	Quarter 2 - Ministry Skills
Conference: A group of junior leaders attend a ‘Leaders in Training’ conference to help them be upskilled in their engagement with the Bible and skills to teach it to young people.  Local Training: You gather your leadership team to launch the year and cover things like values, mission and vision of the ministry.	Network training: Gather with other local churches for leaders to receive training in a range of ministry skills. Conference: Some leaders may attend SMBC Children’s Ministry Conference together.
Quarter 3 - Team Building and Culture	Quarter 4 - Reflection and Retention
Retreat: Your leadership team attends a two-night retreat where they focus on their own personal devotional life and strategizing about the direction of the ministry together. Specific Group: Gather Team Leaders for training on helping them to lead teams well.	Local Training: Gather your leadership team at the end of the year for a review of the year, share and discussing improvements for the following year. Specific Group: Gather leaders for who this was their first year leading and help them reflect on the year and talk about what ministry the following year involves.

Ongoing development

• Regular check-ins: Short meetings around ministry programs. Each quarter there is a particular focus, Q1: engaging children/youth in the group, Q2: partnership with families, Q3: gospel conversations, Q4: praying with children/youth.
• Coaching: Each week team leaders/ministry leaders are meeting with a team member helping them reflect on their ministry and grow in the skills/capacity for ministry.
• Resource library: Share appropriate resources that align with current ministry.

Training Strategy #3 – Three formal training moments per quarter 

Quarter 1 - Year Launch & Vision	Quarter 2 - Teaching Strategy
January: Leadership Kick-Off Retreat: Your leadership team attends a two-night retreat where they have focused time on their own personal devotional life and strategizing about the direction of the ministry together. February: Effective Ministry Local training: Gather with your leadership team for training on two key ministry area skills. March: Team Leaders Specific Group: Gather Team Leaders for focused time on helping them to lead teams well.	April: Curriculum and Age-Appropriate teaching Local training: You gather your leadership team to cover curriculum and how to teach different age groups. May: Creative Teaching Engagement Resource: Share a resource with team members that is specific to their ministry for ways to engage their age group with teaching content. June: Mid-Year Check-In Specific Group: Gather with each leadership team to reflect on the year so far and brainstorm what are the priorities for the rest of the year.
Quarter 3 - Leadership Development	Quarter 4 - Reflection and Planning
July: Team Leaders Specific Group: Gather Team Leaders to review the year and identify leaders in their teams who can be invited to take more responsibility. August: New Leaders Specific Group: Gather first year and potential leaders for the following year for a focused time the personal life of a leader. September Conference A group of leaders attend a training conference such as LiT to help them be upskilled in their engagement with the Bible and skills to teach it to young people.	October: Finishing the year well Local Training: Gather your leadership team to encourage and equip them for the last months of the year. Train them in skills to have meaningful gospel conversations with kids/youth. November: Strategic Planning Retreat: A one-day retreat for the current and any future team leaders to plan for the following year. Cover things like vision, strategy, goals and significant events or priorities. December: End-of-Year Reflection Local Training: Gather the leadership team to review and reflect on the year. Share wins and stories of how God has been at work throughout the year.

Ongoing development

• Regular check-ins: Short meetings around ministry programs. Each quarter there is a particular focus, Q1: engaging children/youth in the group, Q2: partnership with families, Q3: gospel conversations, Q4: praying with children/youth.
• Coaching: Each week team leaders/ministry leaders are meeting with a team member helping them reflect on their ministry and grow in the skills/capacity for ministry.
• Resource library: Share appropriate resources that align with current ministry.