Working on a Plan B

An unexpected lift situation that rises in your life that takes you out of ministry for a day, weekend or longer.

A tragic event that happens in one of the schools that you minister too (i.e. suicide or death) that throws the community in turmoil

A speaker for the Youth Group talk gets the flu and can’t make it

When these occurances happen, it is always best if you have a plan B in place so that you can adjust without causing a lot of unnecessary stress.  For example, if a speaker backs out at the last minute, if you have a plan B ready to go, you can have yourself or another just whip out his or her talk that they prepared well ahead of time and give it to the students.  But, if you don’t have a plan B in place, you will be overly stressed trying to prepare a talk at the last minute. Some common Plan Bs to be thinking through are these:

1. Who would take your place if you had to relieve your duties for a short period of time?  Do you have that leader who can step in and carry you through for a short period of time?  If it is longer term, do you have a few people who could come around the youth program and help?
2. Do you or another leader have a back-up talk ready to go just in case the speaker gets sick or cannot make it?  Do you have a program in place in case your skit or game people get sick?
3. Do you have an extra guy or girl leader ready to go on a trip if one of your leaders backs out.  For instance, one example I see regularly is if a woman is expecting a baby close to the same time she has to go on the trip.  If that happens and the husband has to rush out to be with his wife, do you have someone to fill in?  Or, if the trip was selected months ahead of time and the woman who is expecting has to drop out, do you have a replacement for her?

As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, I have learned a lot this year about Plan Bs.  I have literally experienced that when my leadership team and I do not think through what the Plan B will be, we end up frustrated very quickly.  It is when we plan out well ahead of time who will do what and what happens if, that we have a better understanding and are all on the same page. So, TAKE A MINUTE and think through some of the common Plan B scenarios above.  What will you do if those situations arise?  Also think through other potential Plan Bs so that you will be better prepared. 

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