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Practical
ways to discover if your ministry is making the grade
Contents:
This is a Test!
Why Evaluate
What to Evaluate
When to Evaluate
How to Evaluate using these evaluation tools
* Using a Rubic for Evaluation
* Ministry Reports
* Brainstorming Evaluations
* Round-Table Discussion Groups
* Parent Surveys
* Quarterly Purpose-Statement Evaluations
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THIS IS
A TEST!
By Debi
Nixon
"CLASS,
TAKE OUT A PIECE OF PAPER AND A PENCIL."
Remember
how your heart raced when a teacher blurted out those words? Pop quiz!
Ugh! You'd rather do anything than take a test. Right?
As painful
as tests were at times, they provided our teachers with a helpful way
of assessing how we were growing as students. In the same way, giving
your ministry periodic tests can also help you assess the growth of your
children, staff, ministry programs, and procedures.
When was
the last time your ministry had a checkup? Assessing the details of your
ministry will help guide your ministry as you seek to live out God's calling
to change children's lives for Christ. A ministry of excellence is clear
on its ministry progress and is continually adapting, changing, and growing
to meet the spiritual, emotional, and social needs of its children and
families. Where is your ministry? To find out, take out a piece of paper
and a pencil...
WHY
EVALUATE
Evaluation
is only effective if you have a clearly defined purpose or mission statement.
If not, do that first. How can you know if you've hit the target if you
don't know what the target is? Evaluation helps you know if you're achieving
what you've set out to accomplish.
Evaluation
helps your planning process; helps assess the progress of your children
and families in fulfilling your ministry's purpose statement; and also
helps you know what to communicate to children, parents, volunteers, and
your church family. Evaluation examines the difference between your vision
and what you're currently providing to help create new ministry goals
and plans.
WHAT TO
EVALUATE
Evaluating
or measuring your ministry results against your purpose may seem rudimentary,
but many churches make little or no effort to assess results, either in
terms of ministry program objectives, ministry procedures, or children's
and families satisfaction. To decide what to evaluate, begin with clear,
defined values, goals, and objectives that are consistent in fulfilling
your minstry's purpose. From your clearly defined goals or vision, evaluate
all that you offer. For example, does your curriculum meet all the objectives
as defined in the values you've established for your ministry? Is your
facility child-friendly, inviting, and representative of your ministry?
Do the programs you offer meet the spiritual, emotional, and social needs
of children? What is your parents' satisfaction level with the ministry
you offer to children?
It's easy
to place our primary focus of importance on the big picture. However,
it's in the details that the big picture is clearly brought into focus.
A great architect once said, "God is in the details." Evaluating
and paying atttention to all the details and aspects of your ministry
turns it into a ministry of excellence.
WHEN TO
EVALUATE
To improve
your ministry with children and families, evaluate the details of your
ministry daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annually - carefully examining
what you're doing and accomplishing.
For example,
you may assess your facility and what it communicates about your ministry
by doing a weekly walkthrough, taking note of the physical condition of
the rooms and equipment. From this evaluation, develop and implement goals
and plans to help with maintenance and improvement. At the United Methodist
Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas, we complete a weekly facility
maintenance report for each room, hallway, entranceway, and restroom in
the children's ministry area. Details of this evaluation tool include
equipment and facility repair needs, room cleanliness, and needed supplies.
From this report, we develop a weekly action plan with the church facility
ministry and the children's ministry team.
You, also,
could implement an evaluation tool after each weekend for your Sunday
school. What went well? What could be improved upon? Other evaluations
may be quarterly or yearly, based on the time and length of the minstry.
Of primary importance is that the details of your ministry are evaluated
on an ongoing basis throughout the year.
HOW TO EVALUATE
When deciding
how to evaluate, it's important to choose a variety of methods. By using
different tools, you'll have a more comprehensive review of your minstry.
The results of your evaluation should also be put in writing for future
review and use. The following are examples of evaluation tools.
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Using a Rubric for Evaluation - Carmen Kamrath
The use of rubrics has become a popular trend in the field of education
as a form of assessment and evaluation. A rubric is used in the education
world as not only an easy method for evaluation, but also as a way to
determine the quality standards of a particular assignment or program.
The rubric method can easily be used as an evaluation tool for ministry--to
help determine a program's effectiveness as well as standards for excellence.
A rubric
contains four basic componets: a benchmark or standard of performance;
a desired goal or result; elements that need to be performed to achieve
what's desired; and clear criteria of acceptable and unacceptable performance.
For example,
if you're trying to evaluate volunteer satisfaction, a helpful rubric
would begin like this.
* Benchmark:
Volunteer satisfaction
* Desired goal: Every volunteer position filled.
* Meeting that goal: Recruitment, training, affirmation, and retention
* Criteria of performance: 1=excellent, 2=acceptable, 3=improving,
and 4=not acceptable. (Each performance level should provide descriptive
criteria for every element measured)
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The
Sample Rubric
Please
rate each element in our children's ministry, according to
your level of satisfaction. (1=excellent, 2=acceptable, 3=improving,
and 4=not acceptable)
Volunteer
Recruitment
1...............2...............3...............4
Volunteer Training
1...............2...............3...............4
Volunteer Affirmation
1...............2...............3...............4
Volunteer Retention
1...............2...............3...............4
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| After
having volunteers complete this or any rubric, take the process
beyond the evaluation stage. A rubric enables you to not only
discover if your volunteers are satisfied overall, but also
to pinpoint weak and strong areas of satisfaction. In your weak
areas, set a standard and goal to work toward. Specific feedback
gives clear direction to leadership in how to make changes that'll
result in quality ministry. |
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For more
information about rubrics, log onto:
www.rubrics.com - explains the basics
of the rubrics method.
www.rubricbuilder.on.ca/links.shtml
- A site that is more in-depth in its explanation of rubrics and also
provides a variety of references.
www.ascd.org - Provides the benefits
of using a rubrics system along with a sample rubric.
www.middleweb.com/rubricsHG.html
- This site provides a variety of samples to follow when designing a rubric.
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MINISTRY
REPORTS
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Sample
Ministry Report for Each Team Member
Ministry Report for _________________
Week of _________________
Goals for the Month: (Please list)
Action Points for the Week: (Please list)
Minstry Progress Made: (What went well and
what you'd change)
Challenges, Thoughts, Dreams:
Prayer Needs:
Prayer List:
Time Away:
Reading:
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| Ministry
reports may include a weekly facility report as discussed above,
a monthly review of the financial report, a weekly review of
Sunday school or weekday programming, or an achievement report. |
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BRAINSTORMING EVALUATIONS
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Sample
Brainstorming List for "How Are Our Volunteers?"
1.
What are reasons people volunteer in children's ministry?
2. What are reasons people hesitate to volunteer in children's
ministry?
3. What's the #1 reason a person stops volunteering in children's
ministry?
4. What can we do as a team to ensure that our volunteers
are encouraged and excited about their ministry?
5. What aspects about volunteering in our children's ministry
are discouraging? How can we change this?
6. Do the volunteers in our children's ministry feel valued
and that they're making a difference for the kingdom of Christ?
Why or why not?
7. What can we do to encourage and show appreciation to our
volunteers?
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This is a great way to gather ideas, perceptions, and information
about your ministry. During a brainstorming session, no ideas
or thoughts are rejected; all ideas are discussed and evaluated.
This is an evaluation method that has been used effectively
at our church with our children's ministry volunteer leadership
team, staff, and children's volunteers. In these brainstorming
sessions, we've examined such topics as identifying the spiritual
and emotional needs of our children; answering the question
"Is our worship child-friendly?" or "What's
the state of our children's volunteers?" During a brainstorming
session, it's helpful to have a guided and specific list of
questions to keep the participants on track. From these brainstorming
evaluations, develop action plans to meet your ministry objectives.
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Round-Table
Discussion Groups
Round-table
evaluation involves meeting with selected focus groups of four to ten
people to discuss current ministry programs, issues, concerns, future
needs, hopes, or dreams. These people can be children, parents, volunteers,
or leadership teams.
For example,
to evaluate and collect information on a key issue, invite a selected
group of participants to a morning coffee or weeknight dessert. Children
would love to eat pizza or ice cream with you! Establish ongoing round-table
groups to evaluate the details of your ministry. By involving people in
the process, they'll take ownership of the ideas and be passionate about
seeing the vision realized. You can use the same format for the brainstorming
evaluations to guide your round-table discussions.
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Parent
Surveys
This method
of evaluation is important when you understand that part of your ministry
success depends on parents' and childrens' satisfaction with the programs
you're providing. You can conduct effective surveys on a quarterly, semiannual,
or annual basis. Parent surveys assist in collecting information about
perceived strenghts, weaknesses, and interests. Research recommends that
you survey all parents/children at the beginning of the Sunday school
year to collect bench-mark data and information to assist in planning.
By administering the same survey periodically over the course of the year,
you can measure, change, and redirect your course, if necessary. It's
also helpful to have parents and children provide feedback on special
programs immediately after the event.
The likihood
of a survey being returned depends on how easily understood the questions
are and how easy it is for the participant to complete the survey. It's
more likely that a participant will complete the survey when he or she
is able to choose a multiple-choice response with a clearly identified
value, such as 1=Needs to Improve; 2=Fair; 3=Good; 4=Excellent. A survey
response may be as simple as True or False. You may also want to allow
for brief comments and remarks at the end of the survey.
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Sample
Parent Survey
I am convinced that the children's ministry is committed
to children.
The children's ministry programs equip me to be a better
parent.
I feel that my child is safe in children's ministry
activities.
My child is excited about the Bible because of the way
it's presented.
I can tell that my child is applying biblical principles
to his or her life.
The children's ministry staff communicates regularly
and effectively.
There are adequate opportunities to volunteer in ministry
with children.
Comments:
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T........F
T........F
T........F
T........F
T........F
T........F
T........F
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QUARTERLY PURPOSE-STATEMENT EVALUATIONS
As a ministry
leader, it's critical to assess your current ministry offerings in relation
to your purpose statement. Using your purpose and value statement, make
a list of what programs and ministries you're offering to fulfill your
mission. What is it that you're offering to fulfill your mission. What
is it that you're offering that you want to keep? What needs to be improved
upon? What needs to change? What aspects of your ministry offerings aren't
consistent with your ministry values? What ministry programs for procedures
need to be added to help fulfill your purpose statement?
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In 2 Corinthians
13:5, Paul writes, "Examine yourselves to see whether you are in
the faith; test yourselves." Paul urged the Corinthians to examine
and test themselves to see if they were really growing as Christians and
actively seeking Christ's presence and power in their lives. We should
do the same with ourselves and the people in our ministries.
Debi Nixon
is the children's ministry director at United Methodist Church of the
Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas.
© 2000
Children's Ministry
Magazine. Used by permission. To learn more about Children's Ministry
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