Tag: planning

Quick Tip: Be Willing to Ask for Help

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When it comes to asking for help, how would you rate yourself ? Are you really good at it? Are you someone who just goes at it alone and gets it done no matter the cost to you? Or do you ask others to jump in and help?

Asking for help is not something I’m naturally good at doing. I was raised with the mentality that you do everything on your own because you’re the only person you can rely on. We were the “pick yourself up by your bootstraps” type of family.

Now I could go on about how that’s a flawed type of system and how that very phrase is antithetical to what it means to be a Christ follower, but I won’t. Instead I want to encourage you to be willing to ask for help.

One of my favorite things we get to do in our ministry is host a Christmas party for our leaders. For years I took that responsibility upon myself to plan, decorate, and execute. I would spend countless hours and days and weeks preparing everything.

I’d handle decor, I’d build the schedule, prepare the gifts, purchase and provide the food, handle the emceeing, and of course I’d be the one cleaning up. Did you feel tired just reading that? Did it hit home for you?

When a ministry or job or an event hangs upon one person that’s a problem. What if that one person gets sick? Worse, what if they quit? This builds a culture of personality around a person, not an identity in Christ and that isn’t what we are meant to be doing.

Instead, we should seek help. We should bring others into the process, share the load, empower our people, and remind ourselves that the ministry doesn’t rest upon us but upon Christ.

Shortly after 2020-2021, we had to rethink how we hosted and ran our leader Christmas party. I knew I could no longer run it on my own and had to come to terms with letting go and allowing others to help.

A couple of parents had offered at different points to help, so I figured sending out a request for help would be a good first step. I wrote an email explaining what we had seen God doing over the last year in student ministry, all the ways our leaders had been serving, and outlined the needs and requests.

Our ask of parents was simple: would they provide desserts and appetizers for our leader Christmas party as way to encourage and bless our leaders? I was skeptical the first year we sent this out, but I was pleasantly surprised with the results. We didn’t just have food for the party, but leftovers we sent home with our leader. Even more leftovers were repurposed for our student party the next week.

We have continued to utilize this approach with our families each year, and every year they bless our leaders in abundance. In doing so it alleviates a huge need for that event and allows our team to better engage with our leaders.

It also shows our leaders that our families do see and appreciate them by providing very real and tangible gifts for them. Many families even send cards and notes along that we share with our leaders.

So at the end of the day it isn’t just about asking for food. It is understanding that by asking for help, we can alleviate the pressure we often feel as ministry leaders, bless others by asking for help, and allow other people to have ownership.

Asking for help can at times be difficult, but it is necessary for the longevity of yourself, your ministry, and the church. Bring others in, allow people to utilize their skills and gifts, and build the church and your ministry around Christ. If you do this you will see yourself, your ministry, and your church grow for the better.

Quick Tip: Plan Ahead

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This weekend our church was hosting numerous events and gatherings, including our Christmas party for student ministry volunteers. There were multiple hurdles that presented themselves, including usage of the kitchen and refrigerator space, groups coming to use the building who hadn’t reserved it, and many other factors that happened in the moment.

Have you ever experienced a scheduling nightmare or had competing events or values? I have experienced those moments far more than I care to admit, but I have found that a key component of avoiding hurdles is planning ahead. When we plan ahead it doesn’t eliminate the hurdles completely, but it does minimize the effect of the hurdles and their frequency.

When we plan ahead it helps with multiple pieces including the following:

Allowing people to plan their schedules.

When you plan out your ministry calendar by six months or a year, it allows students, families, volunteers, and other ministries to see what is coming and plan their schedules accordingly.

Think about it: how do you feel when you can put your calendar together and not have any surprises? I know I love being able to look ahead and know what is coming so I don’t have to try to frantically change my plans last minute.

For our leader Christmas party, we had given them the date six months ago so our leaders could put it in their calendars and plan for and around it as necessary. Doing this helps people to see the value you place on your ministry and your vision.

Affording your ministry priority in reserving spaces.

This may seem a little self serving, but let’s be honest, sometimes reserving space is a priority that you need. We work in a church context where almost every space is communal. We don’t have a designated space where we can have a “youth room,” nor are we able to leave our decor and games out. Everything is stored away in case another ministry or group would like to utilize that space.

The same may be said for your context, or perhaps your church is small but utilized frequently which is whole different set of hurdles to work through. Whatever your setting, reserving your spaces well ahead of time affords you the peace of mind to know that whenever and wherever you’re hosting things, you will have that place designated for your group.

My personal recommendation on scheduling ahead is six months to a year. This doesn’t mean you need your event or gathering finalized, but it allows you to have a space reserved and ready to be utilized as you sculpt and plan that gathering.

Highlighting the value you place on communication.

Communicating early and planning ahead helps your community to see that you care about them and value keeping them informed. While this highlights that you value communication, it also highlights that you value your students, families, and volunteers because a good leader plans ahead and communicates well so his people are aware of what is happening. It communicates that you care and value your people and you are seeking to help them and the ministry flourish.

Allowing you and your staff team to prepare well for upcoming events.

Planning ahead is not something I always liked to do. I used to be a “fly by the seat of your parents” type of guy when I first started out in student ministry. I also didn’t always communicate the plan or direction to the people I was leading. That’s not helpful for any team or leader.

When you communicate and plan ahead, you’re allowing everyone to plan and prepare for what is going to be happening including you and your staff team. When you can have a target on the map or a date on the calendar, it allows everyone to plan accordingly.

You have scheduled what you’re doing and communicated the date, which in a way forces your hand to prepare in advance and work ahead of time in planning. This will help your team be more effective and prepared as you seek to lead and guide them well.

Planning ahead isn’t always easy, but I would assert it is a necessity for youth workers. When we plan ahead it communicates value and worth and helps us to be better leaders. What is one way you plan ahead or what is an action step you can take to begin to do so?

Tips for Creating a Winter Weather Policy

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Thanksgiving just happened which means here in Pennsylvania we are officially moving into winter. That means snow is an ever-present reality for our ministry and for many others around the country. While I love the way snow looks when it falls and the beauty of it on the ground, it does compound all of the planning for church and student ministry.

Depending on where you live, your winter weather policy may look different from other parts of the country due to your experience with winter weather. It may take more or less winter weather to cancel or change programming depending on how often you get it and how familiar your area is with that type of weather.

At the end of the day our policies should be designed to make sure we are doing our best to keep our students, leaders, and families safe. This isn’t about having programming but ensuring the safety of those we have been assigned to care for.

Consider following the examples of local schools.

One of the best practices our church has is to watch and see what the local schools are doing when it comes to making decisions for programming and opening/closing the building. If schools cancel evening activities it is probably a good choice to follow suit. If they cancel or have a delayed opening, it gives you time and insight into how you should alter or cancel programming for your ministry.

Reserve the right to make your own decisions.

While we tend to follow the schools’ decisions in our area, we reserve the right to change things on our end if needed. Schools may close for the day because of the way the storm is moving, but we have also seen where it has warmed up and caused all the snow to melt prior to youth group. There’s also the scenario where nothing happens until the latter part of the day which means we need to make a decision based on what’s best for our community.

Always err on the side of caution.

This is one of the big tipping points for our ministry when it comes to making a decision based on weather. I know that there will be times we get it wrong. I may cancel programming because it looks like we will get hammered by a winter storm that does next to nothing. I have canceled due to cold conditions and icy roadways that didn’t turn out to be as bad as expected.

For each time I have canceled programming (whether or not the weather did what was expected) there are always disappointed people who ask me why. Here’s what I always say, “I want to err on the side of caution to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our students, families, and volunteers in all situations and will take the necessary steps to ensure that happens.”

I don’t always get it right, but I will always seek to protect the people under my care and that informs how and when I make decisions to cancel.

Be intentional and clear with communication.

Whenever you decide to cancel, you must make sure you communicate that clearly and in a timely manner. We make our decisions by 2 p.m. so families and leaders see it well before youth group, they have time to switch their plans, and we have had time to track the storm and see what the weather is and will be doing.

We communicate through email and social media, and we text our leaders and ask them to communicate with their small groups because they all have different methods of doing so. We don’t simply say “youth group is cancelled, sorry,” we create intentional emails that do the following:

1. Clearly explain our decision and how we got there.

2. Provide resources and creative ways for families to spend time together including missional opportunities, fun recipes for cooking together, game ideas, and more.

3. We communicate upcoming dates for our ministry and any reminders that families need to know.

4. Recognize that this is a loss for students but also that God wasn’t surprised by this decision and it can be used for families and students to grow closer together.

Once you make a choice stick to it.

This is hugely important because it provides clarity and consistency for your families. Do not flip-flop on decisions and allow your policy to guide your decisions as you move forward each year. By doing this, families and leaders will come to expect consistent and reliable communication that strives to keep everyone safe.

At the end of the day, cancelling programming is a tough decision.

I always feel the pull of the “should I or shouldn’t I,” but at the end of the day, if I look at these steps, it helps me make the decision that keeps everyone safe and is highly intentional. My hope for you is that these steps help to alleviate some of the weight and burden that come with having to make these decisions and that it helps to shape how you do so in meaningful and thoughtful ways.

Trip Tricks: Treat Your Camp Hosts Well

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We love the camp we go to for our winter retreat and summer trips. Our group has been going to Camp Orchard Hill since before we started at our church and we are so grateful for the connection we have with them.

During our time at our church, we have seen our group grow in number as we head to Camp Orchard Hill (COH), especially when we go to winter camp. This has presented our group and COH staff with some unique challenges.

When our group signs up, we have crashed their registration system. We typically have to exchange camp t-shirts for different sizes. Trying to house our group all together presents challenges. There’s also unique hurdles that come with trying to get our group all fed at the same time along with all the churches at the camp. They have also walked through all of registration questions, changing of students who signed up, and of course all the financial questions.

Simply stated: COH has been nothing short of amazing in helping plan for our trip, organizing all of the necessary information for our group, and helping us prepare for our arrival. Then they have been awesome in helping us when we are on site. Their customer service is always next level and they consistently go above and beyond to help us.

Now here’s the thing: our team could simply say, “That’s how a camp is supposed to be and what they’re supposed to do.” Or we could understand that how they have loved and served us is an amazing gift and truly a reflection of their hearts for Jesus and people.

Over the years we have gotten to know our camp hosts incredibly well, and because of that we’ve gotten a peek behind the curtain to see just how much they do. And I’ll be frank: the extra mile they go to just for our group, let alone every group, is above and beyond what we had thought. They truly treat us as family and we want to make sure we are loving them just as well.

Now, regardless of whether your camp hosts go above and beyond, we have an obligation to treat them well. But how do we do that? Let me share with you a few quick ways I think we can treat our hosts well.

Refer new business to them.

Every time I talk to a camp or retreat center, they love to gain referrals because it means more business. So talk up your camp. Give out their contact information. Share the camp’s schedule with other youth leaders. Invite other groups on the retreat. Drumming up referrals and business will help to ensure your camp hosts stay in business and continue to do what they love to do.

Tell them you’re thankful.

Sometimes we assume that a “thank you” is understood even if it isn’t spoken. But that’s not true. Hearing someone say “thank you” means a lot and it shows that what you’ve been doing has been seen and appreciated. Telling the camp hosts you’re thankful for them and the ways they have served you goes a long way and carries a large amount of meaning.

Take them a gift.

A tangible way of thanking your hosts and showing appreciation is by taking them a gift. This doesn’t need to be something extravagant but it should be thoughtful and intentional.

It could be a t-shirt (in their size) from your student ministry with a handwritten card signed by your volunteers and students. It could be a gift basket of things from your town. Or maybe it’s a photo of your group and thank you cards from your students. These types of thoughtful and intentional gifts help your hosts to know they are loved, appreciated, and needed.

Encourage your students to serve.

Most camps and retreat centers have a need for summer counselors and interns. Encouraging your students to participate at a place they know and love is an easy way to help bless the camp because you are populating a needed resource for them. These intergenerational moments help camps to continue to do what they love, and it also allows your students to grow and mature as they serve in tangible ministry aspects.

What are some ways that you bless and treat your hosts well?

3 Keys to Giving Leader Christmas Gifts

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It’s that time of year: stores are beginning to put up Christmas displays, Christmas music is playing, and holiday commercials have begun popping up. And we haven’t even made it to November.

Now we could engage in the debate of when is it too early for playing Christmas music, but that’s a topic for another day. Today, I want to talk about gifts for your volunteers and some key things to consider when getting gifts for them. This post is not a list of gift ideas but rather one that provides insight on the key elements that should go into choosing the gifts you are giving to your team.

When it comes to giving gifts to leaders, we like to have our gifts meet three key elements which allow for the gifts to be more intentional:

1. Personal and thoughtful.

When it comes to gift-giving, what gift has made a significant impact in your life? We could think of the biggest, most expensive gift, but what I’m getting at is a personal and thoughtful gift resonates and impacts us at a deeper level.

I had a student who recently gave me a handwritten note and a stuffed monkey for pastor appreciation month and that gift is one I will remember for a long time over a monetary gift. Why? Because it was the heart and thoughtfulness that meant so much to me.

The same is true for our leaders. When we make the gift personal and thoughtful it means so much more to our leaders. This isn’t an excuse to be cheap just to be cheap, nor am I saying that we need to break the bank. Instead, we need to find a balance within the confines of our budget to give a gift that is from the heart and is personal and thoughtful.

2. Practical.

This is another key element of our gift-giving. We want all of our gifts to be practical along with being personal and thoughtful. I’ll admit that this does get a little difficult the more leaders you have because what may be practical for some may not be practical for others.

When you’re thinking about a gift, ask yourself, “Is this practical and will our people use it?” When we’ve looked at gifts we have always thought about the usefulness and practicality because we want it to be a gift that our leaders would appreciate and could utilize in the their daily lives.

3. Edible.

This one is listed last, but if I had my way I’d list it first (mostly because I love food). This element is intentionally listed last because out of the three elements, this is the one that if the other two are met, isn’t vital to have. That isn’t to say don’t incorporate this element, but realize it doesn’t have to be the priority of the three.

When you provide an edible gift, it is imprtant to incorporate the other two elements of gift-giving. Is it a thoughtful gift and practical? Did you simply grab something from Costco or is it handmade? Did you attach a personal note? Is it something everyone can have (think about food allergies)?

Edible gifts are some of my favorite because it means someone knows me and most of us love food. So to provide something to your leaders that is edible is a great gift to bless them with.

At the end of the day, there’s no magic formula to gift-giving. These elements have served our ministry well and have helped us to truly bless our leaders. There may be times our gifts don’t hit the mark, but this method helps us to think through the gifts we are giving and how they will be received by the people who get them.

When you give gifts to your leaders, how do you make sure they are well-received and intentional?

Trip Tricks: Make Sign-ups Simple

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Have you ever had to fill out a form for the doctor before? What about an online survey to get a free Chick-fil-A sandwich by telling them all about your last order? Have you had to purchase airline tickets where they try to get you to purchase all the add-ons that take you through a variety of screens when all you want to do is purchase your tickets? Or should we even mention taxes?

How did you feel after completing these forms? Probably a little tired. You maybe be contemplating if that chicken sandwich is worth the time it took (come on, we know it is). You might even promise yourself to never do it again. You might feel overwhelmed, irritated, and ready to send an email to their help center.

But let me ask you another question: did you ever have questions when trying to fill out these forms? Maybe because you didn’t know the answer or perhaps because the wording of the question made it unclear? Maybe you didn’t know you needed certain information for the airline and the hold on your seats went away while you foraged for your passport number.

Now put yourself in your students and their parents’ shoes. How do they feel signing up for your camp, trips, or retreats? Do your forms and processes make sense? How clear and simple are the forms?

How you register and where you go can affect the sign-up process. If a camp or retreat center wants their own processes used, you probably have limited, if any, control over said process. But you do have control over helping to prepare your people for the sign-up. The question we are faced with regardless of the process, is how do we make signing up the easiest and smoothest for our people?

First, give clear guidance well ahead of time.

Sign-ups are always “fun” because there are always questions, speed bumps, system errors, and human error throughout the process. But the more guidance and information you are able to provide on the processes ahead of time, the more you can help guide your people in the sign-up process.

The clearer the information and guidance, the better prepared your people will be to sign up. Communicate expectations and requirements so your people know what will be needed and when signups will launch.

Second, try keep your forms as simple as possible when you are able to do so.

I know this isn’t always in our control, but when you’re able to, keep the signups as simple as possible to allow for an easier experience overall. Do this for yourself, your team, and your students and families.

Simplifying and streamlining the process allows your people to sign up quicker and easier and it means less issues for you overall. That is not to say we sacrifice important and necessary information for ease of sign-up. We still need to obtain all pertinent information but also seek to make the process simple.

Third, be available to help when signups are opened.

There are always questions and issues that arise when signups are launched. Whenever we open our winter retreat signups I know my email and phone will be going off and our social media channels will be abuzz with questions.

Being available to answer questions at the opening of signups particularly is very important. It brings peace of mind for students and parents. It helps circumvent additional issues. And it highlights the value you are placing on the sign-up and the trip you are going on.

These are not the only trip tricks for signups, but they will help make your signup process easier and smoother in the long run.

Quick Tip: Recruiting Leaders Early

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How do your volunteer numbers look for this year? Are you full or do you still have some gaps?

What about next year? Have you thought about recruiting leaders yet? Now I know what you’re thinking. Either, “It’s October and the school year just started…why would I be thinking about next year?” or “I haven’t even filled all the gaps this year, so I can’t begin to think about next year.”

I understand both perspectives. In fact this year we have multiple gaps that we are still trying to fill. But in the same breath, I’m also beginning to think about next year and recruiting specifically for our incoming classes of sixth and ninth graders.

Throughout my time serving in ministry I have grown to understand and appreciate the ability to start early on tasks. More importantly, I have seen the blessing of starting volunteer recruitment well before it is needed as it helps to set your ministry up for long term success.

It is the mentality of being proactive instead of reactive. Rather than reacting to not having enough leaders to start off programming, be proactive and recruit early to set your ministry up for success.

In order to do this well, I’d recommend first assessing where you are at for this current academic year and how your current leaders are feeling about returning for the next year. Now I understand that some of your leaders may be surprised by this question but if you are casting the vision of leaders journeying in discipleship-oriented relationships with their students, this will not catch them off guard. Here are some of our recommendations for beginning early recruitment.

Take a temperature check of your current leaders and their status for next year which will then help you to see where you will be to start the next year. Once you know your needs, you can begin to address how to meet them and how quickly to begin the recruitment of more leaders.

Cast vision often. The more you talk about the vision of your ministry and your desire for leaders to journey with students, the greater your retention rate will be. This will help with recruitment as you will, prayerfully, have less leaders to recruit as more of your current leaders buy into the vision and process of discipleship.

Keep a running list of future leaders. I often get responses like, “This year doesn’t work, but talk to me sometime next year.” I’ll be honest: I can be super forgetful, so having a running list of potential leaders helps me to remember who I talked to, when I talked to them, and their responses. That helps shape future conversations and follow up.

Begin conversations with potential future leaders in the fall of the current year. This may seem excessive and presumptuous, but I can assure you that the sooner you start planning the better off your ministry will be. It will also reduce stress on your end as you aren’t frantically trying to find leaders the month before fall programming kicks off. It will also allow future leaders to think about the commitment they are stepping into and to begin shaping and adjusting their schedule accordingly.

Spend time in prayer. Asking God for discernment, wisdom, guidance, and peace is key. Running a ministry means we remember that we are not the one in ultimate control but simply the one stewarded to shepherd and disciple the people of God. Trusting that He is in control takes the pressure off of our shoulders and allows us to trust that He has it all figured out. That doesn’t mean we don’t bear responsibility or shouldn’t put in the legwork, but instead we remember who we are doing this for and trusting that He has everything in control.

Preparing for the future and starting to recruit leaders earlier allows for the longevity and continued success of your ministry and shows the value you give to your leaders. Our leaders allow our ministry to succeed and are needed to love, care for, and disciple our students.

What are you tips for recruiting leaders into your ministry?

Trip Tricks: Leader Training for Winter Trips

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It’s the middle of September and we are already planning out our winter retreat. If your youth group is anything like ours, your students are amped to go away together during the winter and may already be talking about it. But in order for our winter retreat to be a success, we need the majority of our leaders to sign up to go.

Typically we take about two thirds of our leaders with us and most of them have been on a winter retreat with us at some point in their career. But the reality is that things change year to year. Whether it’s simple things like the speaker or band, maybe the schedule is tweaked a little, or perhaps it’s a bigger change like the location or expectations, there is always some change that happens.

That means we should be seeking to equip, prepare, train, and bless our leaders as we get ready to go on our winter retreat. First things first, you need to recruit your leaders to go on the trip. That should be something that is done well before you start to sign up students in order to make sure you have the proper leader-to-student ratio and can adequately care for and shepherd your students.

Once you have recruited all of your leaders you will need to start thinking through training and equipping them for the trip. Now I will say this: depending on how many of your leaders have been on your winter trip will determine how long and in-depth this training needs to be.

If the majority of your leaders have gone on the trip before, then you can keep the training shorter. If you have a large number of leaders who haven’t been to the retreat, take extra time to ensure they are adequately prepared and their questions are answered.

Regardless of what your timing looks like, here are some essential elements to include in your training:

A leader packet.

This should contain all the pertinent information that your leaders need including a camp map, a schedule, packing list, small group information, small group meeting locations, expectations and rules, cabin information, travel information, and whatever else you deem necessary for your team.

A thank you card.

Your leaders are giving up a ton of time to be present on this retreat. So a handwritten and personal card from you will speak volumes.

Talk through expectations, camp layout, and schedule.

Making sure everyone is on the same page, knows what to expect, and has an understanding of the schedule means everyone is prepared. Helping your leaders understand what is expected and what the camp will be like allows them to lead better and care for their students.

Pray together.

This is key for any trip you take. Preparing your hearts and minds for the trip by bringing everything to the Savior allows your team to be centered and ready for what will happen.

Gifts.

Your leaders are giving up their time, energy, and rest to pour into your students. Many of them will spend the weekend away from their families, others may have to take PTO to attend, and others may be sacrificing study time.

An easy way to encourage and bless your leaders is to thank them with a tangible gift. This doesn’t have to be something that breaks the budget but instead something intentional and fun.

Q&A.

A key part of ensuring a successful training is making sure you’ve answered all of your leader’s questions. So make sure to have a time where your leaders can ask questions to ensure they feel comfortable and prepared.

Be Willing to Change

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Let me start by saying this: if you know the DISC Assessment, I am a high C/I. That means I love lists, organization, and structure but I also love people and relationships. Now think about that personality as a leader and you can understand that there are things I struggle with because I’m trying to balance between focusing on the tasks or focusing on the people.

In order to try and balance those two things, I tend to hold to well established rhythms, functions, and structures. What I am getting at is this: it’s hard for me to change and it’s harder still to add change into a ministry that has been doing well. The old adage holds true for me: if it ain’t broke don’t fix it.

But pause and consider this with me: is that actually true? Just because something “isn’t broke,” should we not attempt something new? I mean we could hold to the status quo and keep going. We could look at our ministries and say, “this is fine, we don’t need to change.” But does that allow for growth, change, and development? Or are we simply staying put because it’s safe and it’s what we know and are comfortable with.

Last year I did something that pushed me out of my comfort zone. At our last leader training I asked all of my leaders to do a modified SWOT Analysis of the ministry. It was incredibly encouraging and humbling all at the same time. I was able to understand how they saw the ministry, what was working and what wasn’t, and better understand what they needed in order for them and our ministry to succeed.

One of the things they brought up had to do with our trainings, specifically our big fall training that leads into the school year. They explained it felt like an information dump rather than any type of equipping and that it was the same thing year in and year out, which made them not want to come. They desired community, collaboration, and training and they felt like they were not receiving it.

I’ll be honest and share that I didn’t like their response. I had put a lot of time, thought, and effort into crafting the training and thought it was beneficial. I also saw it from the standpoint of having to cover all the necessary items for the year and these were things we needed to tackle.

But after stepping back for a few days, consulting with peers and mentors in my life, and allowing my pride to subside, I began to see that they were right. For the last seven years our fall trainings were all the same and I could understand why they said what they did. My leaders were right. So I pulled our staff team together and we began to brainstorm on what we could do differently.

We came up with a ton of creative ideas and opportunities to invest in our team and to help them grow as leaders. In looking at our leaders we realized that the majority of them have been through our trainings at least two times and know the logistical information inside and out. So we trimmed that part of training down and utilized our informational packet to give them all the intricate information.

We also incorporated team building, spiritual formation, worship, and collaborative training and team work. We themed the training, cut back on the timing, added creative food options and unique favors, and made sure to laugh and play together.

The result: a whole new training that our leaders enjoyed and we excited about. Honestly, this has set a whole new precedent for how our trainings are curated going forward. But the reality is this would not have happened if we didn’t take a risk and implement changes.

Change isn’t something we should do “just because,” but it should be an intentional step to better serve and care for your communities. Change can radically alter and benefit our communities if we are willing to listen, adapt, and be stretched together. The results will be beneficial for all parties.

So, what can you intentionally change to benefit your communities? Are you willing to take a risk and listen to what needs to be changed?