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Ministry requires lots of planning and organization. Learn how to create a ministry team notebook to keep your team organized.
Are you an organized person? Do you want to be? Let me help. Ministry doesn’t just happen by the seat of your pants. It requires prayer, planning, and preparation.
Just because you’re in a small church doesn’t mean you don’t need to stay organized in ministry!
A ministry notebook will allow you and your team to stay organized and keep it moving forward. One way to do this is to create a ministry notebook for each of your team members.
Check out: Ministry Planning 101: Get Ahead Of The Game For Less Stress & More Impact
You’ll need:
- 3-ring pocketed binder with the clear window
- Tab dividers with pockets
- Zipper pencil holder (for colored pencils and post-it notes)
- Colored pencils
- Post-it notes
Label your tab dividers:
- Important information
- Calendar
- Events
- Ministry Team
- Budget
- Any areas of focus: Missions, Fellowship Events, Bible Study, Outreach, Service Projects, etc. (tailor to your specific ministry)
What To Include In A Ministry Notebook
Important Information Tab
Ministry Logo, Mission/Vision Statement
Print a copy of your ministry logo and place it in the front plastic sleeve of your notebook. Write out your mission statement so that you can make sure all your events fulfill that statement. Put that as the first page of your notebook.
Website, Email, Facebook Names, & Passwords
If your ministry has a social media page, a website, an email, or any internet platform, make sure you record this information in your notebook. Don’t rely on just saving them on your device. Electronics can fail, and you may be scrambling to retrieve this vital information.
Contact Information
You can gather all the focus group’s information in one place. This is a great way to keep names, addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses handy. When an event comes up that you want to promote, everything is in one place. If you have contact information for those outside your church that have helped with, partnered, donated, catered, or done events with you, you may want to keep their info here for handy reference.
Calendar Tab
Print out a yearly calendar. Things to decide: How many events do you want per month? Per year? Do you want a monthly craft night? A weekly Bible study? A quarterly mission event?
Fill out as much of the year as possible during your planning event. Keep in mind all your areas of focus, and make sure that all areas are covered. You could use a different colored pencil to delineate these focus events (e.g., red for missions, blue for Bible study, and green for fellowship).
See how to batch plan at Small Church Ministry Planning: 6 Steps For Your Best Year Ever!
Current Events Tab
This section will keep you focused on what’s happening now.
What to include:
- A copy of your advertisement with date, time, place, and fee
- The completed sign-up sheet with contact information
- Any ordering information
- A record of who is doing what job
- Supplies needed
- Speaker information
- A record of payment, if applicable
- Evaluation notes
After your event is completed, move the information to the specific ministry focus area tab (see below). This will help you keep track of all the information that you worked hard on. If an event suggestion comes up that you think has already been covered, you have a way to look back and assess.
Ministry Team Tab
Team Members’ Contact Information & Job Descriptions
Yes, everyone needs a job description. Check out Write Volunteer Job Descriptions For Better Ministry Results for tips on creating clear, well-written job descriptions.
Team Meeting Agendas
Keep all your team meeting agendas together. Agendas keep your team focused and can be used as a record of what was discussed.
Look back periodically to make sure that agenda items are moving forward as planned.
When you have the next team meeting, use the last meeting agenda notes to make sure that everything talked about is moving forward or completed.
Budget
Keep a copy of your ministry budget under this tab for reference. Get a printout from your church on a monthly or quarterly basis of your expenses and compare it with your records. This will help you keep track of your expenses and be sure all receipts are accounted for.
If you need more money in one area or have spent more on an event than expected, talk to your team or church finance committee about reallocating to see if you can get an increase to make up the difference.
Use a page protector to keep receipts in. For more permanency, make a copy of the receipt, punch holes, and keep it under a “receipt” tab in your binder.
Need help in ministry? Check out Ultimate Guide For Finding, Keeping, And Appreciating Volunteers.
Ministry Focus Areas Tab
Create sections for each ministry focus area. Make sure they reflect your mission statement.
These ministry focus areas are examples and can be used in any ministry area: community outreach, missions, Bible study, retreats, fellowship, service projects, discipleship, team building, crafts, or women’s ministry.
Keep any planning notes, advertisements, and sign-up sheets, and mark those who actually attended, how much money was received, and evaluation sheets within each category.
Some examples of ministry area events:
Outreach Events
Raise Up: A Community Outreach To Moms
Host A Community Yard Sale To Serve Your Neighbors
“Buy Nothing” Where Everything is Free: Outreach Event
Missions
The Difference Between Being A Missions Tourist And Making A Missional Impact
Bible Study
Free Bible Studies For Small Churches
Retreats
Hosting Your First Women’s Retreat
Your Favorite Icebreaker Games For Small Churches
Fellowship Events
Women’s Ministry Ideas To Build Community
How To Host A Women’s Tea Party In Your Small Church
Dinners For Six: Build Deeper Community
Crafts Event Ideas
Host A Women’s Ministry Paint Party At Your Small Church
12 Budget-Friendly Craft Night Ideas
Future Events
Keep a list of “dream events” here. For example, a community baby shower, a sportsman’s dinner, or an outside community praise night under the stars. Don’t just write the event down and forget it. Start making plans. Write out as many details that have been decided on. Make a list of action steps that need to happen.
Make It Your Own!
This is just a basic example of one type of ministry notebook and can be used in any area of ministry. Adjust your notebook to fit the needs of your ministry. Make it personal. Make it your own.
Let’s get organized!
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