One of the things I love to see is a blank calendar. They look great. Crowded calendars stress me out. I'd blame it on OCD, but my office makes it obvious that that's not the case at all. It's that I just don't know how students are expected to do it all.
We often try to plan things out according to our vision, which is also good. But what winds up happening is that we have a bunch of programs we expect students to be a part of so that our vision can be filled. Is that really good? When do they get a chance to build community with friends and hang out with unchurched people?
Maybe it's time to start looking at the youth ministry calendar and the church calendar as one. Use a normal weeknight/weekend program for whatever you may normally use it for (community, evangelism, etc.). Then take into account things like church services, churchwide outreaches, children's ministries as a place to serve...they're all part of your program, and part of the church as well. It frees you up, frees up your students, and fosters churchwide partnership.
