2021

THE PASTOR'S PLANNER

F O R Y O U T H P A S T O R S

The Pastor's Planner. ©2020 Stuff You Can Use. All rights reserved. www.stuffyoucanuse.org
 THE PASTOR’S PLANNER
In ministry, it’s easy to let the urgent keep you from the important. How many times have
you started a week with intentionality, only to reach the week feeling unaccomplished
and still unprepared for your week of ministry?

That’s why we’ve partnered with Church Fuel to bring you this new planner! There’s one
page for each week of the year, with plenty of space for you to focus in on what matters
and insights about what’s coming in your church. You’ll learn a little and plan a lot!

Here’s a quick rundown of each section and how to use them:

KEY TAKEAWAY: This is a simple place for you to reflect on the previous week and
capture a lesson you learned.

THREE OUTCOMES: When you get to the end of the week, what results do you want to
celebrate? Remember, these outcomes aren’t tasks — they're achievements!

ACTION ITEMS: Jot down a few key tasks for the week, making sure they're clearly
connected to your desired outcomes for the week.

PEOPLE: Remember, ministry is about people, so ask God to bring three relationships
to mind — maybe a student, family, volunteer, or coworker.

THINK ABOUT THIS: This short challenge is time-sensitive. It’s meant to let you know
what’s coming up and give you something important to work on.

VERSE OF THE WEEK: Think and meditate on this verse as you move throughout your
week. (If you're following the Grow scope and sequence, it will align with what
you're teaching each week!)

Each page of The Pastor’s Planner is similar, but you’ll notice timely advice matched to
the season of ministry in your church. Print the entire packet or just the relevant page.
Either way, 15-30 minutes of focus can really help you focus on what’s most important
in your ministry.

Ke n ny & E lle
Kenny & Elle Campbell
Co-Founders of Stuff You Can Use
 THE PASTOR’S PLANNER
WEE K O F
JANUARY 3, 2021
JANUARY 4 I S
T RI VI A DAY

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3 M O S T I M PORTA NT OUTC OMES FO R THI S W E E K As you turn the page

on last year, it’s
time to revisit your
calendar to make
sure you’re prepared
for the year ahead. If
you’ve already created
an Annual Strategy
Calendar for your
ministry, take a look
ACTI O N IT E M S F OR THI S WEEK at it again. Make sure
you’re still on track, or
1 make adjustments if
2 needed.
3 If you haven’t
4 already planned the
upcoming year, it’s
5 not too late! Just visit
6 growcurriculum.org/
meeting for a free
7 video that will walk
you through how to
create your Annual
Strategy Calendar
P EO P L E MEET P HO N E TEXT EM AIL by breaking your
ministry activities and
initiatives into six key
categories:

• Discipleship
• Teaching
• Weekly Programming
• Events
• Volunteers
V E R S E O F T H E W E E K : M ARK 1 6 : 1 5 • Families

"He said to them, 'Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all
creation.'"
 THE PASTOR’S PLANNER
WEE K O F
JANUARY 10, 2021
NEXT WEEK I S ML K DAY

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FROM L AS T W EEK

3 M O S T I M PORTA NT OUTC OMES FO R THI S W E E K In ministry, just about

everything you need
to do can be broken
down into six areas:

• Discipleship
• Teaching
• Weekly Programming
• Events
• Volunteers
ACTI O N IT E M S F OR THI S WEEK • Families
1 So this year, what
2 could happen if
you decided to
3 strategically pursue
4 growth in just one
of those areas? We
5 don’t just mean higher
6 attendance numbers
— we mean greater
7 depth, health, and
effectiveness.

What would you want

P EO P L E MEET P HO N E TEXT EM AIL to see grow? Your
volunteer team? Your
parent engagement?
The effectiveness
of your teaching or
events? The quality
of your weekly
programming? Your
discipleship efforts?
Which area will you
V E R S E O F T H E W E E K : II PE TE R 1 : 3 choose?

"His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life
through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and
goodness."
 THE PASTOR’S PLANNER
WEE K O F
JANUARY 17, 2021
S END A VOLUNT EER
A T H ANK YOU NOT E

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FROM L AS T W EEK

3 M O S T I M PORTA NT OUTC OMES FO R THI S W E E K 2020 might be over,

but your attendance
numbers are probably
still feeling the impact
of the pandemic. Your
attendance isn’t the
most important (or
the most accurate)
indicator of your
success in ministry,
ACTI O N IT E M S F OR THI S WEEK but there are some
numbers that do
1 matter. This year,
2 ask yourself which
numbers you do need
3 to track, knowing
4 those numbers reflect
real lives that are
5 being either impacted
6 or overlooked. You
might be tracking
7 different numbers
than you tracked last
year, but do you know
if your ministry has
P EO P L E MEET P HO N E TEXT EM AIL grown or shrunk?
Do you know by
how much? Do you
know how to get in
touch with families
you haven't seen in
a while? If you need
a new attendance-
tracking tool, check
out grownumbers.
V E R S E O F T H E W E E K : II TI M OTHY 1 : 7 com.

"For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power,
love and self-discipline."
 THE PASTOR’S PLANNER
WEE K O F
JANUARY 24, 2021
WRIT E YOUR F EB RUARY
B I RT H DAY C ARDS

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3 M O S T I M PORTA NT OUTC OMES FO R THI S W E E K If you’re following

the Grow discipleship
strategy, February
marks the beginning
of our focus on
spending time with
God. This quarter,
we like to focus
on going deeper in
our teaching and
ACTI O N IT E M S F OR THI S WEEK discipleship efforts.
So as you shift from
1 January to February
2 this week, make this
shift in your focus
3 for both you and
4 your students. This
upcoming quarter is
5 a great opportunity
6 to challenge, inspire,
and guide your
7 students into deeper
relationships with
Jesus. Here are our
recommended Grow
P EO P L E MEET P HO N E TEXT EM AIL teaching series and
resources from
Volume 4 . . .

• Free People
• Lost & Found
• Forever
• Waitlisted
• Run/Rest, 40 days
of social media
V E R S E O F T H E W E E K : I THE S S ALO N I AN S 5 : 1 8 devotionals

"Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ
Jesus."
 THE PASTOR’S PLANNER
WEE K O F
JANUARY 31, 2021
F EB RUARY 2 I S
TAT ER TOT DAY

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3 M O S T I M PORTA NT OUTC OMES FO R THI S W E E K You're one month

into the year already!
Now's a great time
to revisit any goals
you set for this new
year — especially the
goals related to your
personal growth.

How's your physical

ACTI O N IT E M S F OR THI S WEEK health? Your
emotional health?
1 Your relational
2 health? What about
your spiritual health?
3
4 As you focus on
spending time with
5 God this quarter, get
6 curious about how
God wants to see
7 you grow in all of
these areas this year,
because they're all
connected.
P EO P L E MEET P HO N E TEXT EM AIL

It's not too late for

another new year's
resolution! One year
from today, what will
you be glad you did?
How do you want to
grow in the next 11
months of 2021?

V E R S E O F T H E W E E K : JA M E S 1 : 2 2

"Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it
says."
 THE PASTOR’S PLANNER
WEE K O F
FEBRUARY 7, 2021
S END A VOLUNT EER
A T H ANK YOU NOT E

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3 M O S T I M PORTA NT OUTC OMES FO R THI S W E E K Once or twice a

month, we’ll cue you
to send a thank you
note to a volunteer,
but this is actually
something that should
be on your calendar
every week.

When we send thank

ACTI O N IT E M S F OR THI S WEEK you notes (filled with
specific praise) to
1 volunteers on our
2 team, we accomplish
several important
3 things at once.
4
1. We care for the
5 hearts of our
6 volunteers, who
work so hard for our
7 churches and the
families they serve.

2. We reinforce the
P EO P L E MEET P HO N E TEXT EM AIL kind of ministry and
volunteer culture
we want to create,
because what we
celebrate is what
will be repeated.

3. We grow our
capacity to pay
attention and feel
V E R S E O F T H E W E E K : P ROV E RBS 2 7 : 1 2 more gratitude.

"The prudent see danger and take refuge,

but the simple keep going and pay the penalty."
 THE PASTOR’S PLANNER
WEE K O F
FEBRUARY 14, 2021
7 WEEKS UNT I L EAS T ER

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3 M O S T I M PORTA NT OUTC OMES FO R THI S W E E K This week, Lent

officially begins!
Whether your church
uses the language
of Lent or not, the
40 days leading
up to Easter are
opportunities for both
you and your students
to draw closer to
ACTI O N IT E M S F OR THI S WEEK Jesus.
1 So this week, what’s
2 something you can do
to help your students
3 spend more time
4 with God in the next
40 days? Is it a 40-
5 day devotional? Daily
6 one-minute sermons
posted on your social
7 media accounts?
A daily challenge
delivered through
texts? If you’re
P EO P L E MEET P HO N E TEXT EM AIL following along with
the Grow discipleship
strategy, we’ve already
provided a handy tool
for you. But whether
you’re using Grow’s
discipleship tools
or not, here’s the
question: what will
you do this Easter
V E R S E O F T H E W E E K : M ARK 1 0 : 4 5 season?

"For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to
give his life as a ransom for many."
 THE PASTOR’S PLANNER
WEE K O F
FEBRUARY 21, 2021
WRIT E YOUR M ARC H
B I RT H DAY C ARDS

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3 M O S T I M PORTA NT OUTC OMES FO R THI S W E E K The Grow discipleship

strategy is built
around four spiritual
habits: spending time
with God, spending
time with others,
using your gifts, and
sharing your story. But
these four spiritual
habits aren’t just
ACTI O N IT E M S F OR THI S WEEK designed for kids or
students — they’re the
1 same four spiritual
2 habits that help you
grow spiritually too.
3
4 So in preparation for
Easter this year, what
5 would it look like for
6 you to grow in one of
these four areas? Do
7 you need to grow your
intimacy with God? Do
you need to grow the
community of people
P EO P L E MEET P HO N E TEXT EM AIL with whom you have
safe and authentic
relationships? Could
you grow the ways
you serve God and
others through your
unique giftedness, or
the opportunities you
take to share God’s
story with others?
V E R S E O F T H E W E E K : I J O HN 3 : 1 6 Choose one.

"This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for
us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters."
 THE PASTOR’S PLANNER
WEE K O F
FEBRUARY 28, 2021
S END A VOLUNT EER A
T H ANK YOU NOT E

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3 M O S T I M PORTA NT OUTC OMES FO R THI S W E E K Of course, you want

students spend time
with God by reading
the Bible on their own,
but how?

Here’s a question to
think about this week:
do your students
truly have access to
ACTI O N IT E M S F OR THI S WEEK Scripture? “Access”
means more than just
1 having a copy of the
2 Bible in their home.
Do your students
3 know there are
4 different translations
of the Bible? Do they
5 know which ones are
6 easiest for them to
understand? Do they
7 know where to find
those translations for
free? Do they know
how to find resources
P EO P L E MEET P HO N E TEXT EM AIL to help them when
what they’re reading
doesn’t make sense?
This week, ask how
you can make the
Bible more accessible
to your students.
Then do something
about it!

V E R S E O F T H E W E E K : IS AI AH 5 3 : 6

"We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own
way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all."
 THE PASTOR’S PLANNER
WEE K O F
MARCH 7, 2021
M ARC H 1 0 I S T H E DAY
OF AWES OMENES S

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3 M O S T I M PORTA NT OUTC OMES FO R THI S W E E K Is helping students

memorize Scripture
part of your youth
ministry strategy?

Your students are

great at memorizing
movie quotes, song
lyrics, and TikToks,
but memorizing
ACTI O N IT E M S F OR THI S WEEK Scripture probably
doesn’t come quite
1 as naturally. That’s
2 why it’s so helpful for
us to give teenagers
3 simple, practical
4 tools for memorizing
Scripture, and the
5 Easter season is a
6 great time to do that!
Maybe that means . . .
7
• Starting a Scripture
memorization
texting or social
P EO P L E MEET P HO N E TEXT EM AIL media campaign.
• Creating Scripture
wallpaper for their
phone.
• Handing out good
old-fashioned
flash cards and
challenging
students to choose
a verse that matters
V E R S E O F T H E W E E K : P S AL M 1 0 3 : 8 to them.

"The Lord is compassionate and gracious,

slow to anger, abounding in love."
 THE PASTOR’S PLANNER
WEE K O F
MARCH 14, 2021
3 WEEKS UNT I L EAS T ER

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3 M O S T I M PORTA NT OUTC OMES FO R THI S W E E K How’s your Easter

planning coming
along? During Easter
week, some churches
have youth services
or special youth
events, but many
encourage teenagers
to spend Easter week
with their families.
ACTI O N IT E M S F OR THI S WEEK No matter how your
church approaches
1 Easter week, here are
2 a few questions to
think about this week,
3 now that you have
4 just three weeks to
prepare!
5
6 • What are you
teaching? What
7 activities, songs,
object lessons, and
other extra elements
can you incorporate?
P EO P L E MEET P HO N E TEXT EM AIL • How will you help
students connect
with their families
during Easter week?
• How will you
encourage students
to invite their friends
to Easter services?
• How will you help
students connect
V E R S E O F T H E W E E K : E PHE S I AN S 2 : 4 - 5 with God more
deeply this Easter?
"Because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us
alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions — it is by
grace you have been saved."
 THE PASTOR’S PLANNER
WEE K O F
MARCH 21, 2021
WRIT E YOUR APRI L
B I RT H DAY C ARDS

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3 M O S T I M PORTA NT OUTC OMES FO R THI S W E E K Gary Thomas’ book

Sacred Pathways
is one of many
resources designed
to help people identify
the unique ways they
are wired to connect
with God. Some of
your students will
connect with God by
ACTI O N IT E M S F OR THI S WEEK going outside. Others
will love to worship
1 through music, or
2 dance, or the arts.
Some will love to
3 learn, some will love
4 to serve, and some
will love to sit quietly
5 with God in solitude.
6 If we want to help
our students grow
7 spiritually, it’s so
important that we give
them opportunities
to connect with God
P EO P L E MEET P HO N E TEXT EM AIL in many diverse ways
– and not just in the
ways we prefer to
connect with God.

So this week, ask

yourself: how can you
grow your students’
awareness of the
many ways we can
V E R S E O F T H E W E E K : T ITU S 3 : 4 - 5 spend time with God?

"When the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved
us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his
mercy."
 THE PASTOR’S PLANNER
WEE K O F
MARCH 28, 2021
PAL M S UNDAY

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FROM L AS T W EEK

3 M O S T I M PORTA NT OUTC OMES FO R THI S W E E K Next week is Easter!

Do you have a plan for
connecting with the
teenagers who show
up to your church for
the very first time?

Hopefully, your
church already has a
church-wide plan in
ACTI O N IT E M S F OR THI S WEEK mind for welcoming
or following up with
1 new families, but
2 those plans are often
focused on parents
3 and care-givers,
4 rather than teenagers.
5 In this final week
6 before Easter, what
could you do to be
7 more intentional
about greeting and
caring for teenagers
who come to your
P EO P L E MEET P HO N E TEXT EM AIL church for the first
time next week? A
handwritten note? A
small gift? A goodie
bag? An invitation to
your next event?

V E R S E O F T H E W E E K : R O M AN S 8 : 3 4

"Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—
more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is
also interceding for us."
 THE PASTOR’S PLANNER
WEE K O F
APRIL 4, 2021
EAS T ER S UNDAY

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3 M O S T I M PORTA NT OUTC OMES FO R THI S W E E K Happy Easter! This

week, be a little
selfish. Take some
extra time for yourself
or your family. Use
that time to breathe
deeply, to rest, and to
let God fill you up.

As you rest, you

ACTI O N IT E M S F OR THI S WEEK might even realize
that you’ve been
1 neglecting your own
2 health for a little too
long. If that’s the
3 case, get out your
4 calendar and choose
specific days for the
5 rest of 2021 that will
6 be your days (or half-
days) of rest. You
7 might include . . .

• An annual personal
retreat.
P EO P L E MEET P HO N E TEXT EM AIL • Quarterly days of
solitude.
• Monthly days of
retreat.
• Weekly days (or a
couple of half-days)
of rest.
• Daily reminders to
stop and breathe,
pray, or simply take a
V E R S E O F T H E W E E K : HE BRE W S 4 : 1 6 break.

"Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we

may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."
 THE PASTOR’S PLANNER
WEE K O F
APRIL 11, 2021
APRI L 6 WAS WORL D
TAB L E T ENNI S DAY

THINK
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FROM L AS T W EEK

3 M O S T I M PORTA NT OUTC OMES FO R THI S W E E K If you’ve been talking

to God for a while, it’s
easy to forget how
strange prayer can
seem to someone
who hasn’t been
talking to God for an
entire lifetime.

Teenagers need us to
ACTI O N IT E M S F OR THI S WEEK model conversations
with God and teach
1 them how to have
2 conversations with
God of their own,
3 without our help.
4 So regularly pray
out loud with your
5 students, teach them
6 about prayer, and give
them opportunities to
7 talk to God alongside
you and other adult
leaders. You probably
do this already,
P EO P L E MEET P HO N E TEXT EM AIL but this week, ask
what you can do
be more strategic
about it. You might
even give students
simple strategies
to pray, like these
four favorite prayer
prompts, inspired by
Anne Lamott: Please,
V E R S E O F T H E W E E K : L AM E NTATI O N S 3 : 2 5 - 2 6 Thanks, Sorry, Wow.

"The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks
him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord."
 THE PASTOR’S PLANNER
WEE K O F
APRIL 18, 2021
S END A VOLUNT EER A
T H ANK YOU NOT E

THINK
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K E Y TA K E AWAY
FROM L AS T W EEK

3 M O S T I M PORTA NT OUTC OMES FO R THI S W E E K All quarter, we’ve been

talking about how to
help students spend
more time with God.
But what about you?
How are you doing?
How could you grow
in this area? What’s
one way you want
to see God help you
ACTI O N IT E M S F OR THI S WEEK grow right now?
1 This week, make a
2 decision. Decide to do
one thing differently
3 in order to spend
4 better time with God.
Choose one thing
5 you’re going to say no
6 to (like Netflix, a little
sleep, video games, or
7 mindlessly scrolling
Facebook) so that
you can say yes to
something better,
P EO P L E MEET P HO N E TEXT EM AIL like . . .

• More time to read

and meditate on
Scripture.
• More silence.
• More worship.
• More gratitude.
• More prayer.

V E R S E O F T H E W E E K : P S AL M 9 : 1 - 2

"I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your
wonderful deeds. I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing the praises
of your name, O Most High."
 THE PASTOR’S PLANNER
WEE K O F
APRIL 25, 2021
WRIT E YOUR M AY
B I RT H DAY C ARDS

THINK
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K E Y TA K E AWAY
FROM L AS T W EEK

3 M O S T I M PORTA NT OUTC OMES FO R THI S W E E K If you’re following

the Grow discipleship
strategy, May marks
the beginning of our
focus on sharing your
story. Throughout
May, June, and July,
we’ll focus on helping
students share their
faith stories through
ACTI O N IT E M S F OR THI S WEEK their words and
their actions. So as
1 you shift from April
2 to May this week,
make this shift in
3 your focus. This
4 upcoming quarter is
a great opportunity to
5 challenge, inspire, and
6 guide your students
to share who God
7 is to them and what
God is doing. Here
are our recommended
Grow teaching series
P EO P L E MEET P HO N E TEXT EM AIL and resources from
Volume 4 . . .

• Anthem
• Back to the Future
• Look & See
• The Follow
Challenge, for
small groups or
individuals
V E R S E O F T H E W E E K : P S AL M 6 6 : 1 6 & 2 0

"Come and hear, all you who fear God; let me tell you what he has done
for me . . . Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld
his love from me!"
 THE PASTOR’S PLANNER
WEE K O F
MAY 2, 2021
M AY 6 I S B EVERAGE DAY

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FROM L AS T W EEK

3 M O S T I M PORTA NT OUTC OMES FO R THI S W E E K As you end another

school year, it’s time
to think about your
volunteer needs for
next year. Take time
this week to write
down some goals
for your volunteer
team and recruiting
efforts. Here are some
ACTI O N IT E M S F OR THI S WEEK questions to get you
started . . .
1
2 • In a perfect
world, how many
3 volunteers would it
4 take to do everything
you want to do in
5 your ministry?
6 • How many types of
volunteer roles could
7 your ministry use?
What are they?
• What is the job
description (and
P EO P L E MEET P HO N E TEXT EM AIL schedule or serving
frequency) for each
volunteer role?
• Who will be
responsible for each
volunteer or team?

When you know

exactly what your
needs are, it’s so
V E R S E O F T H E W E E K : G AL ATI AN S 6 : 9 much easier to recruit
volunteers effectively!
"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will
reap a harvest if we do not give up."
 THE PASTOR’S PLANNER
WEE K O F
MAY 9, 2021
MOT H ER’S DAY

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FROM L AS T W EEK

3 M O S T I M PORTA NT OUTC OMES FO R THI S W E E K So have you started

recruiting volunteers
for next school year
yet? If not, it’s time
to get started! Here’s
one simple (but so
powerful) idea to help
make your recruiting
efforts more effective
this year: ask big.
ACTI O N IT E M S F OR THI S WEEK
When we’re desperate
1 for more volunteers,
2 we tend to ask for
less. We need warm
3 bodies, so we talk
4 about volunteering
as if it’s easy, simple,
5 or low-commitment.
6 But you don’t need
just anyone to serve.
7 You need people
who want to make
a difference. People
who want to make a
P EO P L E MEET P HO N E TEXT EM AIL difference don’t want
to do what’s easy or
simple. They want to
do something that
matters.

So when you recruit

volunteers, don’t tell
them their job will be
easy. Tell them their
V E R S E O F T H E W E E K : P S AL M 8 : 3 - 4 job will matter.

"When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and
the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are
mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?"
 THE PASTOR’S PLANNER
WEE K O F
MAY 16, 2021
S END A VOLUNT EER A
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3 M O S T I M PORTA NT OUTC OMES FO R THI S W E E K As the school year

ends, it’s time to
prepare all over again
for the new school
year ahead! Visit
growcurriculum.org/
meeting for a free
video that will walk
you through how to
create your Annual
ACTI O N IT E M S F OR THI S WEEK Strategy Calendar
by breaking your
1 ministry into six key
2 categories:
3 • Discipleship
4 • Teaching
• Weekly Programming
5 • Events
6 • Volunteers
• Families
7
If you’re following
along with the Grow
scope and sequence,
P EO P L E MEET P HO N E TEXT EM AIL this video will show
you what’s coming
up in the next year of
Grow Curriculum and
Strategy so you can
plug everything into
your calendar. And if
you’re not following
along with Grow,
that’s okay! Use our
V E R S E O F T H E W E E K : P S AL M 1 2 1 : 1 - 2 ideas as inspiration.

"I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? My

help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth."
 THE PASTOR’S PLANNER
WEE K O F
MAY 23, 2021
S END A VOLUNT EER A
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1
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3 M O S T I M PORTA NT OUTC OMES FO R THI S W E E K Think back on all of

the events you did
this school year. Were
they effective? Were
they strategic? Were
they well-executed
and well-promoted?
Events can be a
powerful tool, but
when they’re not done
ACTI O N IT E M S F OR THI S WEEK strategically, they
can be a big drain
1 on our time, budget,
2 and resources. They
can even distract
3 us from what’s
4 most important.
So next year, what
5 do you think the
6 perfect number of
events might be?
7 How many events
can you realistically
do well? Here’s our
recommendation:
P EO P L E MEET P HO N E TEXT EM AIL

• FALL: A big kick-off

event for students
and their friends.
• WINTER: A just-for-
fun event.
• SPRING: A retreat.
• SUMMER: A just-
for-fun event, plus a
mission experience
V E R S E O F T H E W E E K : P S AL M 2 3 : 1 - 3 and summer camp.

"The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in

green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake."
 THE PASTOR’S PLANNER
WEE K O F
MAY 30, 2021
WRIT E YOUR J UNE
B I RT H DAY C ARDS

THINK
1
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K E Y TA K E AWAY
FROM L AS T W EEK

3 M O S T I M PORTA NT OUTC OMES FO R THI S W E E K Think back on how

well you engaged
and partnered with
families this school
year. How well do
you think parents felt
supported? In the
loop? Well-resourced?
Included? It’s not easy
to know how best to
ACTI O N IT E M S F OR THI S WEEK serve the parents,
guardians, or care-
1 givers of teenagers,
2 but one of the best
ways we can learn is
3 by simply listening.
4
Toward the end of
5 each school year, we
6 suggest inviting 10-15
parents to a parent
7 discussion group —
an opportunity for
you to learn from
parents, and for
P EO P L E MEET P HO N E TEXT EM AIL parents to learn from
each other. Invite
parents, guardians,
and caregivers
from diverse
circumstances,
provide food and
coffee, and then
simply ask some
discussion-provoking
V E R S E O F T H E W E E K : C O LO S S I AN S 3 : 1 6 questions.

"Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and
admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and
songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts."
 THE PASTOR’S PLANNER
WEE K O F
JUNE 6, 2021
C EL EB RAT E T H E END
OF T H E S C H OOL YEAR

THINK
1
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FROM L AS T W EEK

3 M O S T I M PORTA NT OUTC OMES FO R THI S W E E K Mother’s Day just

happened and Father’s
Day is on the way!
What have you done
this year to leverage
these holidays? What
would you like to do
differently next year?

• Host events for

ACTI O N IT E M S F OR THI S WEEK students and their
parents. It can be
1 difficult for families
2 to know how to
spend quality time
3 together during the
4 teenage years, so try
offering experiences
5 that help bridge
6 the gap between
teenagers and the
7 adults who parent
them.
• Remember not
all “parents” are
P EO P L E MEET P HO N E TEXT EM AIL parents. Many
students are not
being cared for by
their actual parents,
but by caregivers,
guardians,
grandparents, and
more. Be careful
with your language
and assumptions!
V E R S E O F T H E W E E K : IS AI AH 6 1 : 1 - 2

“He has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent
me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the
blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
 THE PASTOR’S PLANNER
WEE K O F
JUNE 13, 2021
S END A VOLUNT EER A
T H ANK YOU NOT E

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1
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3 M O S T I M PORTA NT OUTC OMES FO R THI S W E E K How often did parents

hear from you last
school year? Was
it too infrequently?
Or was it so often
that they began to
tune you out? It can
be difficult to find
the right rhythm for
communicating with
ACTI O N IT E M S F OR THI S WEEK parents, so keep
tweaking your parent
1 communication
2 strategy and
listen for parents’
3 feedback. Here’s our
4 recommendation to at
least get you started:
5
6 • ANNUALLY: Give
parents a survey to
7 discover how they’d
like to hear from you
and what they need.
• MONTHLY: Send
P EO P L E MEET P HO N E TEXT EM AIL an email to parents
with all of the
information they’ll
need for the entire
month. Include a
feedback question
to see who’s reading
until the end!
• WEEKLY: Schedule
the week of posts
V E R S E O F T H E W E E K : J E RE M I AH 3 1 : 3 on social media.

"The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying: 'I have loved you with an
everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.'"
 THE PASTOR’S PLANNER
WEE K O F
JUNE 20, 2021
FAT H ER’S DAY

THINK
1
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K E Y TA K E AWAY
FROM L AS T W EEK

3 M O S T I M PORTA NT OUTC OMES FO R THI S W E E K If you’re like most

churches, you
probably have
some kind of big
trip happening
for students this
summer. Whether it’s
a mission experience,
a summer camp, a
just-for-fun trip, or all
ACTI O N IT E M S F OR THI S WEEK of the above, keep in
mind that parents are
1 trusting you in a big
2 way! If you want to
keep (or earn) their
3 trust, it’s so important
4 to keep parents in the
loop.
5
6 This week, make
a list of all trips or
7 big events you’re
planning. Then
make a list of every
question a parent
P EO P L E MEET P HO N E TEXT EM AIL might ask (or has
already asked).
Finally, make a
plan for how you’ll
communicate the
answers to those
questions clearly and
well in advance.

Oh, and one more

V E R S E O F T H E W E E K : AM O S 5 : 2 4 thing — actually do it!

"But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing

stream!"
 THE PASTOR’S PLANNER
WEE K O F
JUNE 27, 2021
WRIT E YOUR J ULY
B I RT H DAY C ARDS

THINK
1
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K E Y TA K E AWAY
FROM L AS T W EEK

3 M O S T I M PORTA NT OUTC OMES FO R THI S W E E K Do you hold parent

meetings? If you
do, you know that
parent meetings
can sometimes be
a challenge. It can
be difficult to get
parents to attend and,
when they do, it can
be difficult to make
ACTI O N IT E M S F OR THI S WEEK those meetings worth
everyone’s time. So
1 here are a few quick
2 tips for improving
your parent meetings:
3
4 • Only hold meetings
for topics parents
5 want and need to
6 discuss in person.
If it can be clearly
7 communicated in
an email or on a
flyer, don’t hold a
meeting!
P EO P L E MEET P HO N E TEXT EM AIL • When sharing
information, leave
plenty of time for
questions.
• When teaching
or training, leave
plenty of time for
conversation.
• Always ask for
feedback about your
V E R S E O F T H E W E E K : M AT THE W 6 : 1 parent meetings.

"Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be

seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in
heaven."
 THE PASTOR’S PLANNER
WEE K O F
JULY 5, 2021
S END A VOLUNT EER A
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3 M O S T I M PORTA NT OUTC OMES FO R THI S W E E K A new school year

is about to begin!
Do you have an
attendance-tracking
system or strategy
in place? Do you
know how you’ll take
attendance each
week? Register new
families? Identify
ACTI O N IT E M S F OR THI S WEEK and follow up with
students who’ve been
1 missing for a few
2 weeks? Remember
upcoming birthdays?
3
4 Attendance isn’t
the most important
5 (or even the most
6 accurate) indicator
of our success in
7 ministry, but it can
be one of many
indicators. Numbers
reflect real lives being
P EO P L E MEET P HO N E TEXT EM AIL impacted by our
church communities,
so get serious about
tracking not just
the numbers, but
the people those
numbers represent.
And if you need a new
attendance-tracking
tool, check out
V E R S E O F T H E W E E K : E PHE S I AN S 1 : 1 8 grownumbers.com.

"I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you
may know the hope to which he has called you."
 THE PASTOR’S PLANNER
WEE K O F
JULY 11, 2021
J ULY 1 3 I S
F RENC H F RI ES DAY

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1
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K E Y TA K E AWAY
FROM L AS T W EEK

3 M O S T I M PORTA NT OUTC OMES FO R THI S W E E K In ministry, it’s not our

job to do everything.
It’s our job to give
ministry away to
volunteers. We should
be giving away so
much ministry to our
teams that it puts a
strain on our egos.
Why? Because (spoiler
ACTI O N IT E M S F OR THI S WEEK alert) someday, you’re
going to move on, or
1 get fired, or . . . uh,
2 die. And when you do,
what will happen to
3 your ministry?
4
If you want our
5 ministry to outlive you,
6 it can’t depend on you.
You have a limited
7 capacity, but you can
multiply your influence
by empowering and
releasing volunteers.
P EO P L E MEET P HO N E TEXT EM AIL Don’t perpetuate the
idea that ministry
is best left with the
professionals. Give
away big, meaningful
ministry to your
volunteers, because
the Church is bigger
than us, and our
ministries need to
V E R S E O F T H E W E E K : J E RE M I AH 3 3 : 3 outlive us.

"Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable
things you do not know."
 THE PASTOR’S PLANNER
WEE K O F
JULY 18, 2021
S END A VOLUNT EER A
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3 M O S T I M PORTA NT OUTC OMES FO R THI S W E E K If you’re following

the Grow volunteer
strategy, you know
there are 7 ways we
suggest investing in
volunteers. Which do
you need to be more
strategic about?

• EVENTS: Once a
ACTI O N IT E M S F OR THI S WEEK year, cast vision
for your team at a
1 volunteer kick-off.
2 • MEETINGS: Train
your team regularly
3 (3-6 times per year).
4 • DISCUSSION
GROUPS: Give them
5 time to brainstorm
6 and problem solve
together.
7 • CONVERSATIONS:
Weekly or monthly,
invest in each
volunteer and invite
P EO P L E MEET P HO N E TEXT EM AIL their feedback, one-
on-one.
• TOOLS: Give them
resources to make
their jobs easier.
• COMMUNICATION:
Keep them in the
loop every week.
• CELEBRATION:
Honor them and
V E R S E O F T H E W E E K : P S AL M 1 0 5 : 1 - 2 their ministry wins!

"Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name; make known among the
nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his
wonderful acts."
 THE PASTOR’S PLANNER
WEE K O F
JULY 25, 2021
WRIT E YOUR AUGUS T
B I RT H DAY C ARDS

THINK
1
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K E Y TA K E AWAY
FROM L AS T W EEK

3 M O S T I M PORTA NT OUTC OMES FO R THI S W E E K If you’re following

the Grow discipleship
strategy, August
marks the beginning
of our focus on
spending time
with others in
healthy community
throughout August,
September, and
ACTI O N IT E M S F OR THI S WEEK October. So as you
shift from July to
1 August this week,
2 make this shift in
your focus. This
3 upcoming quarter is
4 a great opportunity
to challenge, inspire,
5 and guide your
6 students into deeper
relationships with
7 people who can help
grow their faith, and
whose faith they can
help grow. Here are
P EO P L E MEET P HO N E TEXT EM AIL our recommended
Grow teaching series
and resources from
Volume 5 . . .

• Royals
• Radical
• I Have Questions
• Small Group Party
Kits, for small group
V E R S E O F T H E W E E K : HE BRE W S 1 2 : 1 - 2 time or anytime

"Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily
entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,
fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith."
 THE PASTOR’S PLANNER
WEE K O F
AUGUST 1, 2021
AUGUS T 2 I S
C OLORI NG B OOK DAY

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1
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FROM L AS T W EEK

3 M O S T I M PORTA NT OUTC OMES FO R THI S W E E K Happy August! By

now, you’ve hopefully
created an Annual
Strategy Calendar for
the upcoming school
year — one that helps
you keep track of
what you’re doing in
six key areas:

ACTI O N IT E M S F OR THI S WEEK • Discipleship

• Teaching
1 • Weekly Programming
2 • Events
• Volunteers
3 • Parents
4
Once you’ve created
5 your Annual Strategy
6 Calendar, take a
picture and post it in
7 our Facebook group
(stuffyoucanuse.org/
community). There
are thousands of
P EO P L E MEET P HO N E TEXT EM AIL churches adapting the
Grow strategy for their
church contexts, so
go share your unique
take with the rest of
the Grow family —
and check out a few
others’ boards too.
Because swapping
ideas is fun, and it
V E R S E O F T H E W E E K : P S AL M 5 1 : 1 0 makes us better!

"Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within

me."
 THE PASTOR’S PLANNER
WEE K O F
AUGUST 8, 2021
M AKE A L I S T OF YOUR
VOLUNT EERS ' B I RT H DAYS

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1
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FROM L AS T W EEK

3 M O S T I M PORTA NT OUTC OMES FO R THI S W E E K At the beginning of a

school year, there is
so much to do that it
can be hard to know
what to focus on and
when. But there’s
one thing we believe
you absolutely must
prioritize: building
relationships. Your
ACTI O N IT E M S F OR THI S WEEK students need to build
relationships with
1 you, with their adult
2 leaders, and with
each other. If they
3 don’t build strong
4 relationships at the
beginning of the
5 school year . . .
6
• They may not open
7 up.
• They may not feel
connected.
• They may not come
P EO P L E MEET P HO N E TEXT EM AIL back.
• No one may notice
they’re missing.
• No one may reach
out.

It’s never too soon

to prioritize building
relationships. It will
set the tone of the
V E R S E O F T H E W E E K : M AT THE W 2 3 : 1 2 entire year!

"For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who
humble themselves will be exalted."
 THE PASTOR’S PLANNER
WEE K O F
AUGUST 15, 2021
S END A VOLUNT EER A
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1
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3 M O S T I M PORTA NT OUTC OMES FO R THI S W E E K Okay, be honest.

When you're preparing
for a week of youth
ministry, how much
time do you spend
on preparing your
discussion questions?
Do you throw a few
questions together
at the last minute or
ACTI O N IT E M S F OR THI S WEEK are your questions
carefully and
1 strategically crafted?
2 Do you have them at
all? The truth is, you
3 can’t afford to miss
4 out on creating quality
weekly discussion
5 times. No matter how
6 great your messages
are, your students
7 will never learn what
you want them to
learn without a time
of discussion. They
P EO P L E MEET P HO N E TEXT EM AIL need time to process,
debate, ask questions,
wrestle with the ideas,
and be challenged to
think for themselves.
So this week, do one
thing to make your
weekly discussions
more effective. (Or
add a discussion time
V E R S E O F T H E W E E K : JA M E S 1 : 5 for the very first time!)

"If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously
to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you."
 THE PASTOR’S PLANNER
WEE K O F
AUGUST 22, 2021
S END A VOLUNT EER A
T H ANK YOU NOT E

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1
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3 M O S T I M PORTA NT OUTC OMES FO R THI S W E E K Once or twice a

month, we cue you
to send a thank you
note to at least one
volunteer, but this is
actually something
that should be on your
calendar every week.

When we send thank

ACTI O N IT E M S F OR THI S WEEK you notes (filled with
specific praise) to
1 volunteers on our
2 team, we accomplish
several important
3 things at once.
4
1. We care for the
5 hearts of our
6 volunteers, who
work so hard for our
7 churches and the
families they serve.

2. We reinforce the
P EO P L E MEET P HO N E TEXT EM AIL kind of ministry and
volunteer culture
we want to create,
because what we
celebrate is what
will be repeated.

3. We grow our
capacity to pay
attention and feel
V E R S E O F T H E W E E K : J O HN 6 : 6 3 more gratitude.

"The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have
spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life."
 THE PASTOR’S PLANNER
WEE K O F
AUGUST 29, 2021
W RIT E YOUR S EP T EMB ER
B I RT H DAY C ARDS

THINK
1
ABO UT T H I S
K E Y TA K E AWAY
FROM L AS T W EEK

3 M O S T I M PORTA NT OUTC OMES FO R THI S W E E K When you teach,

do students seem
engaged, or is it a
struggle to hold their
attention? On one
hand, teenagers are
notorious for having
short attention spans.
But on the other hand,
as communicators,
ACTI O N IT E M S F OR THI S WEEK it’s our responsibility
to earn (and keep) our
1 students’ attention.
2 That’s why the Grow
teaching strategy
3 makes use of 11
4 different teaching
methods (besides
5 just talking) to help
6 students learn.
Choose one you don’t
7 typically use and try it
out this week!

• Story
P EO P L E MEET P HO N E TEXT EM AIL • Image
• Video
• Question
• Prop
• Activity
• Discussion
• Prayer
• Reflection
• Response
• Music
V E R S E O F T H E W E E K : JA M E S 1 : 1 9 • Poll

"My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be
quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry."
 THE PASTOR’S PLANNER
WEE K O F
SEPTEMBER 5, 2021
S EP T EMB ER I S
MI L KS H AKE MONT H

THINK
1
ABO UT T H I S
K E Y TA K E AWAY
FROM L AS T W EEK

3 M O S T I M PORTA NT OUTC OMES FO R THI S W E E K You’ve probably

noticed a weird
holiday in each month
of this planner. If
you’re using the Grow
volunteer strategy,
you’ve probably
seen them in your
downloads too. That’s
because we’re big
ACTI O N IT E M S F OR THI S WEEK fans of celebrations,
and there is always a
1 reason to celebrate
2 — especially when
it comes to your
3 volunteers. Each
4 month, you can
leverage a holiday
5 (weird or not-so-
6 weird) to celebrate
and honor your
7 volunteers. You might
celebrate by creating
a fun experience
that you share
P EO P L E MEET P HO N E TEXT EM AIL together (like a joke
competition), or by
treating them to some
fun themed snacks,
or by expressing
your appreciation in
a more tangible and
direct way. Whatever
you choose, just
remember to celebrate
V E R S E O F T H E W E E K : JA M E S 2 : 1 your team regularly!

"My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ
must not show favoritism."
 THE PASTOR’S PLANNER
WEE K O F
SEPTEMBER 13, 2021
S END A VOLUNT EER A
T H ANK YOU NOT E

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1
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K E Y TA K E AWAY
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3 M O S T I M PORTA NT OUTC OMES FO R THI S W E E K When you teach,

it’s so important to
ask questions! In
a discussion, you
probably already
ask questions that
are designed to help
students learn. But
that’s not the kind
of question we’re
ACTI O N IT E M S F OR THI S WEEK talking about. When
you teach, have you
1 made it a habit to ask
2 questions that help
you learn? Mental
3 health professionals
4 call these “orienting
questions.” They’re
5 questions that help
6 you learn something
about the people
7 you’re speaking to,
and we recommend
asking these types of
questions every time
P EO P L E MEET P HO N E TEXT EM AIL you teach. It might
be a silly question,
like, “Tell me about a
time you had to ask
for forgiveness,” or
a poll asking their
opinion, or an open-
ended question about
the topic at hand.
This week, ask more
V E R S E O F T H E W E E K : JA M E S 3 : 1 questions!

"Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because

you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly."
 THE PASTOR’S PLANNER
WEE K O F
SEPTEMBER 19, 2021
S END A VOLUNT EER A
T H ANK YOU NOT E

THINK
1
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3 M O S T I M PORTA NT OUTC OMES FO R THI S W E E K There are two types of

games that you might
want to try including
in your weekly
program this year.

The first type of game

is a just-for-fun game.
These games can
be literally anything
ACTI O N IT E M S F OR THI S WEEK that sounds fun to
your group, and they
1 don’t need to have
2 any purpose other
than to have fun.
3 These games break
4 down walls and help
students connect at
5 the very beginning of
6 your program.
7 But you can also play
games with a purpose
to introduce the
message or the idea
P EO P L E MEET P HO N E TEXT EM AIL you want to discuss
that week. But with
teenagers, you need
to be careful here,
because these games
can easily become
cheesy! Use them
sparingly, be a little
tongue-in-cheek, and
make sure they’re fun
V E R S E O F T H E W E E K : M AT THE W 5 : 9 to play and watch!

"Blessed are the peacemakers,

for they will be called children of God."
 THE PASTOR’S PLANNER
WEE K O F
SEPTEMBER 26, 2021
WRIT E YOUR OCTOB ER
B I RT H DAY C ARDS

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3 M O S T I M PORTA NT OUTC OMES FO R THI S W E E K If you want to have

an effective teaching
strategy for teenagers,
you need a scope and
sequence — a plan for
what you’ll teach and
when. Sure, you could
try and wing it each
week, but that’s risky.
By not planning ahead,
ACTI O N IT E M S F OR THI S WEEK you’ll be in danger of
drifting toward putting
1 too much emphasis
2 on the topics you like
to teach about, rather
3 than giving students
4 a truly holistic view of
Scripture. When you
5 plan ahead, you can
6 get strategic about the
subjects you want to
7 cover and when, the
Scripture you want to
cover and when, and
the frequency with
P EO P L E MEET P HO N E TEXT EM AIL which you want to
teach those things.

Grow offers a done-

for-you scope and
sequence, but we
hope you customize
what we offer for your
church’s calendar and
needs. You know your
V E R S E O F T H E W E E K : 2 C O RI NTHI A N S 1 : 3 - 4 students best!

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion
and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can
comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God."
 THE PASTOR’S PLANNER
WEE K O F
OCTOBER 3, 2021
S END A VOLUNT EER A
T H ANK YOU NOT E

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3 M O S T I M PORTA NT OUTC OMES FO R THI S W E E K Stories matter

because stories can
communicate truth in
ways that principles
never could. The
stories recorded in
Scripture matter, but
so do your stories and
the stories of your
students.
ACTI O N IT E M S F OR THI S WEEK
When you teach, be
1 intentional about
2 sharing stories from
our own life and
3 faith. In fact, you
4 probably want to tell
one personal story
5 in every message
6 you teach. When you
share your stories,
7 and how God used
those stories to help
you grow, you give
teenagers a model
P EO P L E MEET P HO N E TEXT EM AIL for how to find God
in their stories. And
when you share your
stories of failure,
disappointment, or
mistakes, you let
them know that God
can work even in the
toughest situations –
and that they’re not
V E R S E O F T H E W E E K : I PE TE R 5 : 7 alone.

"Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."

 THE PASTOR’S PLANNER
WEE K O F
OCTOBER 10, 2021
OCTOB ER 1 3 I S
TOP S P I NNI NG DAY

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3 M O S T I M PORTA NT OUTC OMES FO R THI S W E E K What are you doing to

connect parents with
the adult volunteers
in your ministry?
If you don't have a
clear answer to that
question, it's time to
try something new,
because parents and
volunteers need each
ACTI O N IT E M S F OR THI S WEEK other. Your volunteers
and parents have
1 the same mission: to
2 care for the students
in your ministry. So
3 doesn't it make sense
4 to help those people
find each other and
5 learn how to work
6 together effectively?
7 One of the best ways
we know to do this
is through a Parent
and Leader Breakfast
P EO P L E MEET P HO N E TEXT EM AIL — an opportunity for
those adults to meet
each other, have some
fun, and strategize
together how to
guide the teenagers
they all love. And if
you're using Grow,
you already have
everything you need to
V E R S E O F T H E W E E K : P S AL M 2 6 : 2 make it happen!

"Test me, Lord, and try me,

examine my heart and my mind;"
 THE PASTOR’S PLANNER
WEE K O F
OCTOBER 17, 2021
L ES S T H AN 1 0 WEEKS
UNT I L C H RI S T M AS

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1
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FROM L AS T W EEK

3 M O S T I M PORTA NT OUTC OMES FO R THI S W E E K Be honest. Is your

weekly youth ministry
environment visitor-
friendly?

Sure, we all say we

want visitors to show
up to our programs.
We all tell our
students to bring their
ACTI O N IT E M S F OR THI S WEEK friends to church. But
if we’re not working
1 behind the scenes to
2 create environments
that are welcoming to,
3 and mindful of, first-
4 time guests . . . well,
we can’t really expect
5 students to make the
6 invitation, or those
guests to show up, or
7 those guests to come
back

If you’re not sure if

P EO P L E MEET P HO N E TEXT EM AIL your environments
are visitor-friendly,
ask your students this
question: “What is it
about our church that
makes you not want
to invite your friends?”
Then take their
responses seriously
(and not personally).
V E R S E O F T H E W E E K : P S AL M 9 1 : 1 - 2

"Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow
of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, 'He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.'"
 THE PASTOR’S PLANNER
WEE K O F
OCTOBER 24, 2021
W RIT E YOUR NOVEMB ER
B I RT H DAY C ARDS

THINK
1
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K E Y TA K E AWAY
FROM L AS T W EEK

3 M O S T I M PORTA NT OUTC OMES FO R THI S W E E K Do you ever feel like

you're competing
for your students'
time? Sometimes we
make the mistake
of believing our
community is the
only community that
can help students
grow spiritually. But
ACTI O N IT E M S F OR THI S WEEK that’s not true, is it?
We might be youth
1 pastors, but we don’t
2 own the market when
it comes to healthy
3 community. In fact, if
4 the only community
our students see as
5 “healthy” community
6 is the community our
youth ministries offer,
7 we’ve done them a
disservice. If we really
want our students
to grow spiritually,
P EO P L E MEET P HO N E TEXT EM AIL we should probably
think of creative
ways to help them
build relationships
(with both Christians
and non-Christians)
in places outside
our church – like
their schools, their
neighborhoods, and
V E R S E O F T H E W E E K : M AT THE W 1 8 : 2 0 their sports teams.

"For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”

 THE PASTOR’S PLANNER
WEE K O F
OCTOBER 31, 2021
S END A VOLUNT EER A
T H ANK YOU NOT E

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1
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3 M O S T I M PORTA NT OUTC OMES FO R THI S W E E K If you’re following the

Grow discipleship
strategy, November
marks the beginning
of our focus on using
your gifts to serve. In
November, December,
and January, we’ll
focus on going deeper
with our teaching,
ACTI O N IT E M S F OR THI S WEEK discipleship efforts,
and personal growth.
1 So as you shift from
2 October to November
this week, make this
3 shift in your focus. This
4 upcoming quarter is
a great opportunity to
5 challenge, inspire, and
6 guide your students
into discovering how
7 they can use their
unique identities to
make a difference. Here
are our recommended
P EO P L E MEET P HO N E TEXT EM AIL Grow teaching series
and resources from
Volume 5 . . .

• With You
• Good Things
• Distinct
• The Distinct
Challenge, for
individuals or small
V E R S E O F T H E W E E K : I J O HN 4 : 1 3 groups

"This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us
of his Spirit."
 THE PASTOR’S PLANNER
WEE K O F
NOVEMBER 7, 2021
DAYL I GHT S AVI NGS
T I ME ENDS

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3 M O S T I M PORTA NT OUTC OMES FO R THI S W E E K What opportunities

have you created for
students to serve
others? It’s one thing
to tell students to use
their gifts to serve.
It’s another thing
entirely to create
opportunities where
they can actually
ACTI O N IT E M S F OR THI S WEEK do that. Maybe you
need to restructure
1 some things in your
2 church so that it’s
easier for teenagers
3 to serve. Maybe you
4 need to move away
from an adult-led
5 worship band so
6 more students can
help lead. Maybe
7 you even need to
let go of some of
your desire for
“excellence” in your
P EO P L E MEET P HO N E TEXT EM AIL programming so your
students can take
ownership of your
weekly environments.
Mission trips are a
great solution, but
if mission trips are
your only avenue for
students to serve, you
may want to rethink
V E R S E O F T H E W E E K : M AT THE W 2 5 : 4 0 your serving strategy.

"The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of
these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’"
 THE PASTOR’S PLANNER
WEE K O F
NOVEMBER 14, 2021
L ES S T H AN 6 WEEKS
UNT I L C H RI S T M AS

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3 M O S T I M PORTA NT OUTC OMES FO R THI S W E E K In ministry, we

often accidentally
communicate that
the only ways to
serve God in ministry
is from a platform.
Speaking and leading
worship are great
ways we can mobilize
our students to serve
ACTI O N IT E M S F OR THI S WEEK God and others, but
they’re not the only
1 gifts students have or
2 that God can use.
3 Whether it’s art, or
4 science, or baking, or
sports, your students
5 are overflowing with
6 talents. They may
just need your help
7 to discover how
those talents can be
used to love others
in new and creative
P EO P L E MEET P HO N E TEXT EM AIL ways. And whether
they’re extroverted
or introverted,
great in front of
a crowd or more
comfortable behind
the scenes, fun and
spontaneous or quiet
and contemplative,
students need to know
V E R S E O F T H E W E E K : R O M AN S 1 5 : 1 3 their voice matters.

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him,
so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."
 THE PASTOR’S PLANNER
WEE K O F
NOVEMBER 21, 2021
WRIT E YOUR DEC EMB ER
B I RT H DAY C ARDS

THINK
1
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K E Y TA K E AWAY
FROM L AS T W EEK

3 M O S T I M PORTA NT OUTC OMES FO R THI S W E E K The holidays are

almost here, which
might mean you're
seeing some drops
in attendance. Sound
familiar? If that's you,
here's a tip: don't
freak out!

Fluctuations in your
ACTI O N IT E M S F OR THI S WEEK attendance patterns
are completely
1 normal. Instead, pay
2 attention to those
patterns and try to
3 figure out when, and
4 why, they happen.
Because if you can
5 predict it, you won’t
6 be so surprised or
discouraged when it
7 happens next time –
plus, you’ll be able to
defend your numbers
if anyone asks. So
P EO P L E MEET P HO N E TEXT EM AIL expect fluctuations,
and prepare for them
too. And remember,
where attendance
is concerned, you’re
probably not as
awesome as your
best attendance day
and you’re definitely
not as bad as your
V E R S E O F T H E W E E K : I THE S S ALO N I AN S 5 : 1 7 - 1 9 worst attendance day.

"Pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will
for you in Christ Jesus."
 THE PASTOR’S PLANNER
WEE K O F
NOVEMBER 28, 2021
NOVEMB ER 2 9 I S
C H OC OL AT ES DAY

THINK
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3 M O S T I M PORTA NT OUTC OMES FO R THI S W E E K There's a mistake

some youth pastors
make: they see
discipleship as a
program, rather than
a process. When
you look at the way
Jesus discipled His
followers, you don’t
see them going
ACTI O N IT E M S F OR THI S WEEK through workbooks, or
attending a class, or
1 completing a How to
2 Be a Disciple course –
but sometimes, that’s
3 exactly our approach
4 when it comes to
discipling teenagers.
5 But discipleship isn't
6 a nice, neat program.
It's a journey that’s
7 going to take forever –
or, at least, our whole
lives. When we choose
to look at discipleship
P EO P L E MEET P HO N E TEXT EM AIL as a lifelong process
that’s never really
finished, that’s pretty
imperfect, and that
doesn’t always move
in a straight line,
we give teenagers a
healthier (and more
realistic) perspective
of what it means to
V E R S E O F T H E W E E K : J E RE M I AH 3 3 : 1 4 - 1 6 follow Jesus.

“‘The days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will fulfill the good
promise I made to the people of Israel and Judah.'"
 THE PASTOR’S PLANNER
WEE K O F
DECEMBER 5, 2021 P L AN A VOLUNT EER
C H RI S T M AS OR NEW
YEARS PART Y

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3 M O S T I M PORTA NT OUTC OMES FO R THI S W E E K A virgin birth?

Angels? A mysterious
star? Centuries-old
prophecies coming
true? Advent and
Christmas are
seasons of so much
wonder, but for some
students, they're also
seasons of difficult
ACTI O N IT E M S F OR THI S WEEK questions — and
that's okay.
1
2 Kara Powell once
said, “It’s not doubt
3 that is toxic to faith.
4 It’s silence.” If you
want teenagers to
5 get comfortable
6 having conversations
about their faith,
7 it is essential that
you help them have
healthy conversations
about their doubts,
P EO P L E MEET P HO N E TEXT EM AIL fears, and questions.
The truth is, your
students have doubts,
even if they’re not
expressing them.
So if you want them
to have a healthy
faith, give them the
opportunity to talk
about their questions
V E R S E O F T H E W E E K : M ARK 1 : 2 - 3 and doubts openly.

"As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: 'I will send my messenger

ahead of you, who will prepare your way, a voice of one calling in the
wilderness, "Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him."’”
 THE PASTOR’S PLANNER
WEE K O F
DECEMBER 12, 2021
S END A VOLUNT EER A
T H ANK YOU NOT E

THINK
1
ABO UT T H I S
K E Y TA K E AWAY
FROM L AS T W EEK

3 M O S T I M PORTA NT OUTC OMES FO R THI S W E E K The holidays are a

time for family, so
let's take a second
to think about how
well we're serving
and supporting
the families in our
ministries. There's a
big mistake a lot of
youth pastors make
ACTI O N IT E M S F OR THI S WEEK when it comes to
families: they expect
1 parents to trust them,
2 but don't actually
earn their trust. In
3 youth ministry, we can
4 get pretty frustrated
when parents don't
5 engage, support, or
6 stay in the know with
what we're up to. But
7 instead of expecting
parents to know, or
care, or support what
we're doing, what if
P EO P L E MEET P HO N E TEXT EM AIL we tried harder to
earn their attention,
care, and support?
This might be a big
shift in your mentality,
but it's so important!
Because when we
believe parents owe
us something, we'll
struggle to earn their
V E R S E O F T H E W E E K : ZE PH AN I AH 3 : 1 4 - 1 5 trust.

"Sing, Daughter Zion; shout aloud, Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart,
Daughter Jerusalem! The Lord has taken away your punishment, he has turned back
your enemy. The Lord, the King of Israel, is with you; never again will you fear any harm."
 THE PASTOR’S PLANNER
WEE K O F
DECEMBER 19, 2021
C H RI S T M AS I S T H I S
S AT URDAY!

THINK
1
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FROM L AS T W EEK

3 M O S T I M PORTA NT OUTC OMES FO R THI S W E E K Merry Christmas!

But wait — why are

you looking at your
planner? The only
things you should be
worrying about this
week are presents,
food, and cheesy
Christmas movies.
ACTI O N IT E M S F OR THI S WEEK Put this away. Now.
Come back next
1 week.
2
3
4
5
6
7

P EO P L E MEET P HO N E TEXT EM AIL

V E R S E O F T H E W E E K : LU K E 2 : 3 0 - 3 2

"And Mary said: 'My soul glorifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for
he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations
will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me—holy is his name.'"
 THE PASTOR’S PLANNER
WEE K O F
DECEMBER 26, 2021
WRIT E YOUR JANUARY
B I RT H DAY C ARDS

THINK
1
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K E Y TA K E AWAY
FROM L AS T W EEK

3 M O S T I M PORTA NT OUTC OMES FO R THI S W E E K Do you know what

your personal values
are? What about
your church’s and
ministry’s values? If
you’re not sure, it’s
time to get to work.
As you close out this
calendar year, write
down your values,
ACTI O N IT E M S F OR THI S WEEK define them, and talk
about them with key
1 voices who can help
2 you refine them into
a list of around 5
3 core values. Do you
4 value community?
Authenticity? Safety?
5 Service? Generosity?
6 Fun? Inclusion?
Diversity? Student
7 leadership? Family?

Identify your values,

but don’t stop there.
P EO P L E MEET P HO N E TEXT EM AIL As a new year begins,
commit to evaluating
your ministry in light
of your core values.
Do your programs,
events, strategies, and
systems align with
those values? Why or
why not? And how can
you bring things into
V E R S E O F T H E W E E K : IS AI AH 4 0 : 3 0 - 3 1 greater alignment?

"Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but
those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings
like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."