How I Train My Ministry Team: 5 Things I Always Cover
Before a new season begins, I gather my student leadership team for a training. It’s one of the most important things I do all year—a team that’s trained together moves together. Without it, even gifted leaders tend to drift in their own directions. Here are the five things I always cover, in the order I cover them.
1. Set Clear Expectations
I start by making sure my leaders know what’s being asked of them. Rather than handing out a list of rules, I frame our expectations through their FIT qualities—the character I want to mark them as leaders. A faithful leader, for example, is someone the group can count on: we’re never left wondering whether they’ll show up. Naming expectations this way gives them something to aspire to, not just comply with. (More in F.I.T. Leadership Training.)
2. Cast the Vision
Next, I take a short, intentional time to cast the year’s vision—the theme everything else flows from. It doesn’t take long, but it gives the season direction and the team something to rally behind. (More in One Vision, One Direction: The Power of a Ministry Theme.)
3. Train Them in the Gospel
This is the part I care about most: I want every leader confident to know and share the gospel with the people they serve. I model sharing it using a visual, then have them partner up and practice themselves. There’s no substitute for saying it out loud—by the time we’re done, they are more confident with their ability to share the gospel message. (More in Start with the Gospel.)
4. Devote Time to Prayer
We pray to open and close, but I also set aside a special time of prayer for the ministry—often right before planning, so we seek God before mapping the season. I keep it active and shared: sometimes we popcorn pray through three movements—thanking God, worshiping Him for who He is, then requests for one another and the ministry—other times we partner pray or write prayers on a whiteboard to keep before us all season.
5. Plan the Season Together
Finally, we plan how to start the year—advertisements, special events, and the first few Bible study meetings—and note any other semester events that need a spot on the calendar, even ones we’re not ready to fully tackle yet. Everyone leaves knowing what’s next and who’s helping carry it.
A team that’s trained together moves together.
Quick Tips for Leading a Training
A few small things make the time run smoother and feel warmer:
- Give them an outline to follow along.
- Provide snacks and supplies—notebooks and pens so everyone’s ready to engage.
- Start with a fun icebreaker to warm up the room.
- Choose the format that fits your team. Decide whether one longer several-hour session works best, or whether to split the training across a few days.
- Balance pace with participation. Keep things moving, but don’t lecture the whole time—build in discussion and keep it interactive. (More in The Case for Discussion-Based Learning.)
Adapt It to Your Team
If you don’t lead students, this framework still works—it just flexes to your context. Expectations, vision, prayer, and planning belong in nearly any team training. Even gospel training applies; it may simply mean grounding your team in the gospel rather than teaching a presentation. Take what fits, shape it to your people, and make it your own.
A little intentionality up front shapes everything that follows. Train your team well—clearly, prayerfully, and warmly—and you’ll send them into the season unified and equipped.
