Your schedule is packed. Your inbox is full. You can’t keep up with the Facebook messages. The busyness has shrouded your view and you are still met with the complaints:
“It would have been nice to know about this sooner.” “What are the details about that retreat?” “Didn’t you know that the seniors’ button club was using the auditorium this week?”
You can spend time blaming others for their lack of inquisitiveness or their inability to find the right answers… or you can take responsibility and send five regular emails this week to prove you are the premier communicator in your church.
Pre-Program Weekly Leader Email
This email is where you cast vision for what is coming up in your program. A weekly email keeps leaders in the loop and empowers them to prepare for the program. This should include: small group questions for their discussion, a program order for your night including game details and/or song choices, and anythings specific you want them promoting to students.
Post-Program Weekly Leader Email
This email is where you thank leaders and invite their feedback. You can use a Google Form to get the same feedback each week. You’ll also want to highlight and encourage any leaders that you saw doing great things at the program.
Weekly Parent Email
This email is similar to your pre-program leader email, except you’ll want to put the focus on what content you are covering at your program and how parents can take it further on the drive home or later that week. Also be sure to include any upcoming events that are out of the ordinary so that parents can plan their family calendars accordingly.
Bi-Monthly Boss Email
You should never be assuming that your boss knows what’s going on in your ministry. Take time consistently to update him/her with highlights, statistics, budget overviews, and ministry prayer requests/needs. The more you communicate the more your boss can be in your corner and support you.
Sowing Seeds Email
Keep yourself from getting desperate with the number of leaders you have by starting the recruiting process nice and early. Have a hit list and start to nudge people 6-9 months before you hope to onboard them. The advance planning will help you get the high capacity leaders that are drawn to organized ministries.
PRO TIP: Batch write these emails all at once and then schedule them to go out at the appropriate times throughout the week (use a program like Boomerang, Right Inbox, or Streak).