A New Year's Look Back & Forward

A lot happened at the Church I work at this year. I made small but concrete steps to continue to grow as a youth minister. I instituted regular contact via mail on birthdays, I started using new texting tools and worked to create a true young adult group.

The young adult group is so very active now, and we have a large group with a committed core and some more in and out people, much like the youth group. The youth group has grown considerably this year, and I have other duties as well, helping out with the larger worship of the church, and adult Christian Education on Mondays and Thursdays.  In the coming year I plan to continue my focuses on both youth and young adults, expand my social media presence, reach out to families through 'Dinners With The Youth Minister', continue to find new ways to raise funds (I've done quite a bit in December that has gotten the youth group in a very, very good place, and I am looking to do more), to look to start a relationship with Gloria Dei as we have with Nassau Bay Baptist Church, start using postcards for advertising and reminding, and will continue the momentum in every direction.

We have two full mission trips coming up in 2015 and an exploratory mission trip that will help discern God's overall plan concerning future possibilities in foreign missions. I hope to attend at least two school-related functions in the Spring and hopefully more in the Fall, and at the same time I seek to increase balance in my personal life. This year I had a 120 hours of unused holiday, comp and vacation days. That may seem like a lot, but it is half of what I had unused the year before. That is progress, any way you slice it, and I think I can find a way to do more even as I find more ways to increase my focus on my wife and home life.

I have set some tightly defined by attainable goals for my work and my home life. I believe that everything that has happened, happened because of an ever-increasing focus on Jesus Christ, a little luck, and the raw blessings of God's Grace. I will keep trying to do what He is calling me to do, and I believe that 2015 has the potential to be a banner year. I hope you all feel the same way, and I know many of you will be a part of God's work to make everything He wants to happen, happen.

God bless you all and have a Happy New Year!