Nonprofit Youth Outreach Ministry

BUSINESS PLAN LIFE WORKS CINCINNATI

4556 Colerain Avenue
Cincinnati, Ohio 45231

In 1996, a local Midwestern branch of this international Christian organization started "from scratch" with no donors and no revenue. The next year the still-struggling group commissioned this plan. By following its advice, five years later the youth ministry became highly solvent. More importantly, this plan has helped the organization easily meet or exceed its spiritual-based goals positively affecting thousands of young people's lives in the metropolitan region it serves. This plan was provided by Scott Lockett of Tindell Associates.

OUR MISSION
OUR GOALS
STRATEGIC PLAN HIGHLIGHTS

OUR MISSION

We are committed to following Jesus's commandment to go and spread His Gospel.

OUR GOALS

We have identified numerous goals and related action steps to take to help us achieve success in our Father's work.

Spread the Gospel to Youth

As a mission community of believers, Life Works Cincinnati is here to spread the Gospel to every teenager in the area. We can do this by:

1) Reaching all the high schools in the area by 2000.

Work with Martin Luther King High School to continue tutoring program for students in the fall of 1997.
Start a club at Martin Luther King High School and Thomas Edison in the fall of 1997.
Begin contact work and campaigners at Country Day and Episcopal in the spring of 1997.
Organize contact work at Bishop Ireton in the fall of 1998.
Initiate work at Catholic High School and Bryant in the fall of 1999.

2) Sending 200 kids to summer camp by 2000.

50 high school kids to Adirondacks in 1998.
200 high school kids to Colorado in 1999 and 50 junior high kids to North Carolina.
300 high school kids to Colorado and North Carolina in 2000.

3) Holding fall outreach camps and spring campaigner camps each year.

80 kids in fall 1997 to Shenandoah.
20 campaigners skiing and to Summit Lake in spring 1998.
150 kids in fall 1998 to Shenandoah.
40 campaigners skiing and to Summit Lake in spring 1999.

4) Implementing "Moms in Touch" by fall 1998.

Gather information during summer 1998.
Recruit prayer warriors summer 1998.
Begin fall 1998.

Support Our Ministry's Workers

We are committed to the welfare and spiritual health of those who do this ministry, that they may do it out of a consistent and growing relationship with Christ and His Church. We can do this by:

1) Recruiting and developing leaders.

Be Biblically based and Christ-centered as an organization and as individuals.
Contact churches and colleges for recruitment.
Require all leaders to attend two leadership conferences each year.
Ask leaders to attend weekly training and fellowship meetings.

2) Recruiting and developing new and old committee members.

Hold committee meetings once a month.
Contact churches and parents for interest.
Have members attend one committee conference.
Train committee in "Taking Donors Seriously."

3) Pursuing excellence in all we do.

Be wise stewards of the resources entrusted to us.
Strive for excellence in all services, programs, and activities.
Be unwilling to accept mediocrity.
Seek to improve our skills, techniques, materials, and approaches.

4) Nurturing and developing our human resources.

Cooperate with each other and become interdependent and mutually supportive.
Make honesty and integrity non-negotiable for all board, staff, and volunteers.
Build on our commitment to help our staff and volunteers spread the Gospel.
Assure that our staff and associates grow continually toward both their professional and spiritual goals.
Cultivate and respect diversity in attitude, denomination, and action insofar as it supports our vision and values.
Honoring the dignity of and respecting the value of each individual as an important contributor to the success of the organization.

Be Light for Christ

We are committed to being light for Christ in the greater Cincinnati community. We can do this by:

1) Forming long-term relationships with local churches.

Contact two new churches each month and provide them with Life Works information.
Hold a yearly pastor's lunch and invite all senior and youth pastors.
Invite churches to partner with Life Works by providing volunteer leaders, committee members, and financial support.
Attend church mission conferences.

2) Building bonds with parents.

Begin Caring Adult Fellowship (CAF) for parents of students.
Use CAF to serve as a core prayer and fellowship group for each school.
Hold parent nights for each school.
Invite parents to be adult guests at camp.
Encourage families to attend Life Works family camps in the area.

An Ongoing Commitment

We are committed to operating an ongoing and energizing ministry to Cincinnati and the metro area. We can do this by:

1) Ensuring that the area has adequate funds to carry out our mission.

Provide the fundraising necessary to meet the budget each year: 1997–$100,000; 1998–$150,000; 1999–$200,000.
Be a liaison between the community and Life Works.
Increase the number of churches giving each year until 2000 by 100 percent.
Secure 50 new individual donors each year.
Give businesses the opportunity to invest in the lives of young people.

2) Partnering with urban areas.

Raise support for inner city areas.
Hold joint events with areas in close proximity to Cincinnati.

STRATEGIC PLAN HIGHLIGHTS

The heart of our mission is reaching out to area youth and sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We can accomplish this if we follow a strategic plan which strives to meet the following goals over the next three years:

Year One Goals:

Life Works in five high schools
$105,000 budget
20 people on committee
25 leaders
two interns
one staff member

Year Two Goals:

Life Works in six high schools
$150,000 budget
30 people on committee
30 leaders
two interns
one staff member

Year Three Goals:

Life Works in every high school in the area
$200,000 budget
40 people on committee
50 leaders
two interns
two staff members