Plan Development
After you know the type of Ministry you want to develop, consider looking online for ideas from other organizations. If you see something you like, give them a call. Many are willing to share their stories and offer guidance on dos and don’ts for getting started. The more you know, the more comfortable you will feel, creating your program.
Brainstorming Ideas
Another way to get ideas is to have a creative brainstorming session. Invite people who might use the proposed services to attend and help generate ideas regarding what they would like to see offered. The session is strictly creative and fun. The goal is to create as many ideas as possible, ensuring that both extreme and expected ideas are included. Any suggestion that might benefit the project is added to the pool for consideration, as it may lead to a thought not previously considered. Put each idea on a Post-it note and put it on a wall for the group to see.
After the group runs out of ideas, group together ideas with common themes. If there are ideas that are “outliers” (ideas you are not likely ever to consider, something you might do if someone donated a lot of money to support, or a special project for later), put them in a separate file for later consideration. If you know you will never consider it, you could toss it, for example, if someone said they would like to have regular trips to the moon.
Review your shared theme list and consider how to combine the individual’s ideas under the same workflow process for service delivery. Move the Post-it notes around on the wall to create a workflow that shows how services could be combined to work together, reducing the number of people needed to provide the service or decreasing the resources required.
Example: Project – Homebound Ministry
Ideas generated – homebound member/church member buddy connection, send weekly service program to them (email/snail mail depending on access), visitation based on health restrictions (virtual/in-person), send church pictorial directory, offer transportation to church events, offer to bring a plate of food by after an event (Consider food allergies by calling and asking what they would like to have sent on their tray), remember birthdays, anniversaries, deaths,
Grouping ideas – food – food committee- for homebound, have a list of those who are homebound and any special food restrictions. Have their phone numbers and a volunteer who calls at events to do food trays. Ask for a volunteer to make food deliveries or consider using Uber to deliver trays to their homes. For clerical duties, maintain a list of homebound individuals, including their addresses and email addresses, and distribute these items as part of the routine service.
Project Details
Now you are ready to get into the actual details of what you want to do. You know what your Ministry is going to be, who you are going to serve, and what you are going to provide. Though you don’t know how many people will use your service, you may have an idea if you know your congregation well. If you have a large congregation and are unsure, you can conduct a survey to identify their needs or simply follow your instincts. Here are some questions you need to answer as you plan out the details of your project.
Define the scope of your service.
Clearly defining the scope of your service is imperative. Without a clear definition, services can become sidetracked, and members may struggle to determine what is and what is not suitable when someone requests to participate. To be fair to everyone, definitions that can be distributed and followed must be articulated, distributed, and followed. Don’t get into the habit of coloring outside the lines. If you do, your borders on your picture expand, and you develop a larger picture because you can’t say yes to one without saying yes to everyone else in fairness. As a church, you must be fair; otherwise, you will misrepresent Jesus. Making exceptions and bending the rules for one and not another is one way Satan will destroy your credibility. Beware of that influence.
To clarify your scope of service, try to find answers to all the following questions to apply to what you plan to do, and add others not listed but relevant.
- Who –
Who is eligible?
Are only church members eligible, or can the community participate?
Who is going to manage it?
Who will do the work?
- What –
What service (s) do you plan to provide?
What records do you need to keep?
What is the liability, if any, for the church or participants?
- When –
When is the service offered?
When will it start?
Is there a stop date?
- Where –
Where is the service offered?
Will you visit their home in person, or virtually?
Will some services be offered at church, such as cooking classes for recently divorced dads?
- How –
How do you determine eligibility?
How do you deliver services?
How do you pay for it?
How is it communicated?
How many people can the church support?
How do you resolve disputes?
Safety Concerns
Some of the Compassion Ministry projects involve assisting vulnerable populations. Whenever individuals might be in situations where they might be alone and near a member of the opposite gender or a vulnerable population (i.e., someone possibly unable to defend themselves if an individual became aggressive), it is in the best interest of whoever sponsors that arrangement to be proactive and obtain a criminal and sex offender registry background check. By checking both, you have attempted to confirm that individuals you send into someone’s home are not known to be violent, stealing, or otherwise cause harm. If your church has an attorney, I recommend consulting with them regarding the need for consent, disclaimers, or any other forms they may wish you to use for the services provided or that they would like to post with the announcement. The United States is a litigious society, and taking precautions to protect the churches’ assets is recommended.
Another wise move is to check with your insurance broker to ensure your coverage remains adequate for the proposed services. Insurance coverage can be tricky, and often riders are necessary to cover volunteers who enter homes or provide services on-site. Although churches are often exempt from specific laws, many attorneys still find ways to involve them in litigation. Having coverage and legal advice can reduce headaches later.
Present Proposal for Approval
You now have what you need to seek final approval from the relevant authority. Draft your project proposal to present to the Board, Elders, or whomever says yes. Outline the proposal with sufficient detail to provide the necessary information without overwhelming the reader.
- Purpose – Why this project is essential for God’s Kingdom
- Definition – Define what the project is and the main components:
- Our goal is to offer a Homebound Ministry to current members of our church or to those in our community who, for any reason, cannot access the church but desire to maintain a personal connection with us.
- Our plan to accomplish this goal is to include a link, QR code, email address, and phone number in all communications, allowing people to easily reach someone who can assist them in getting connected. Through that connection, we will assign a buddy who will be their link to the church. The buddy will contact them regularly for updates on family status or to determine if they need assistance gaining access to resources. He will also ensure their name is on the list to receive an advance copy of the weekly worship service program, any updated pictorial directory, and any other publications or announcements. If we are planning activities, he will check to see if they want to go and help decide on transportation options, such as the church bus pickup, Uber, or a volunteer driver. Other services may also be developed along the way, specifically tailored to the individual.
- Staffing – The Compassion staff will require a coordinator to oversee all buddy assignments and volunteers for the buddy and support roles. The coordinator will maintain a schedule of service assignments and list people who have offered their skills for service. Having an annual campaign to solicit donations for a service bank will help maintain year-round access to services. Volunteers will provide services and serve as buddies. It will be necessary for volunteers who enter member homes to undergo a criminal and sex registry background check, and if they provide transportation, an annual DMV check. We will ask the volunteers to fund the cost of this as part of their donation.
- Budget – We would like to request a special offering be targeted toward this project twice a year to fund support for services needed and an option placed on the donation area specifically for donations targeted to support Compassion.
- Identify Issues – While we recognize that we may face opposition to providing support to individuals who are in crisis due to their actions, Jesus loves the sinner while hating the sin. As a church, we need to demonstrate that same truth in honoring our LORD. We should promote the fact that we recognize we may have individuals who attempt to take advantage of a handout, but we are here to serve God’s children. We will ask all who seek our support to complete the same information and make decisions equally. If someone violates our trust, that is between them and God, and He is the one to hold them accountable. We would certainly make the necessary reports within the legal system, but we would not seek retribution otherwise.
- Close in Prayer – Dear LORD, we seek your will regarding this program. We ask that you show us what you would have us do for you. Let us know what you want and how you want it done, for we seek only to do your will. We know that Satan will do his best to stop this Ministry and to cloud our minds with doubt and suspicion about the unworthiness of the people seeking our help and the good we can do with the money. However, in the LORD, we know that those with medical problems and personal loss are some of the most vulnerable to considering suicide and at risk of losing their souls. Please help us prevent that if we can. Thank you, lord Jesus, for each soul we may touch for your kingdom..
3. Ask and Answer Questions
4. Move Forward Based on the Answer
5. Begin Announcements about the Ministry
- Announce the Ministry to the congregation. Provide snippets of information with more details as the rollout date approaches.
- Gradually provide more details as you approach going live.
- Provide cards that people can pick up with information about the program.
- Ask to speak to the congregation and tell them about the programs.
- Phase in large projects if you have a small staff, so that you don’t become overwhelmed. Implement small wins, adding more overtime, to decrease the risk of becoming discouraged.
- Explain how the project promotes God’s kingdom and how it will positively impact your church. Include any anticipated negative impact and how you plan to mitigate it.
All that is left now is to get started. Good luck.
