Four Steps You Can’t Leave Out When Conducting an Event

There are a few steps that often get overlooked when conducting an event in a church or ministry. Many of the tasks involved with planning and promoting are well-known and are easy to remember, but be sure you don’t leave these four out.

1. Pray it Through

“Praying it through” is not just asking God to bless your event. Get specific. Talk to God about the details. Ask for His guidance in decisions. Share your ideas and your concerns. Pray through the entire plan and involve God in the whole process.

2. Walk it Through

One of the most neglected steps is also one of the most important ones. Too often, we schedule events and only think about the “big picture.” The only way to successfully lead others through a meaningful event is to focus on the details and know what you want the participants to experience. Therefore, once you make your plans, walk through the experience for yourself. If possible, actually walk into the venue. If that’s not possible, visualize it. Think of yourself as a participant. Picture yourself entering the room, going through each part of the event, and leaving when it’s over. Concentrate on the transitions. As a participant, how will you know what to do, where to go, etc.? What supplies will you need? What decorations, lighting, and audio would enhance your experience? Walk through the event before the event occurs, or you will stumble through it along with your participants.

3. Talk it Through

Once you have experienced the event in your imagination, you are ready to share the vision with the people who are going to help you run the event. Talk about it in great detail so each person understands what role they are to play, when they are to do their part, and how their work will enhance the overall experience of the participants.

4. See it Through

Participate fully in the event. You want to model participation and share the experience with the people who are attending. Then, even make their exit meaningful. You can do that by giving them “next steps” so they know how to apply what they have learned, or you can give them a small gift, or have people thank them on their way out. Once everyone has left, make sure someone cleans up and puts the venue back in order. Then, as soon as you can, invest some time in evaluating your event and debriefing with the people who helped you run it. Solidify any plans or assignments for follow up. In other words, see your event all the way through. It is not over just because the people leave. There is still work to be done until even after the lights have been turned off.

Obviously, these are not the only steps to conducting a successful event, but they are important steps that are often left out. Make sure you include them the next time you prepare for an event.