Introduction to the YFC National Program Self-Review Program

This YFC National Program Self-Review is designed to help National Boards and National Directors take an objective look at the health of their national ministry from various points of view.  This is an analysis program offered by Youth for Christ International to assist National Programs in assessing, evaluating, and progressing in the areas of: 

• National Prayer Strategy
• Planning Mechanisms
• Board Care and Development
• Staff Care and Development
• Administration and Finance
• Fundraising
• Partnerships
• Programs
• Ministry Models 

The use of this review is a deliberate, intentional and strategic approach to doing ministry.  We need constructive, contextualized times of self-reflection.  The completion of an Assessment, such as this one, offers opportunities to rejoice, to repair and to refocus. It is a chartering pre-requisitedesigned to help you determine which areas of your National Program are strong and which areas of your ministry are in need of improvement. 

The review will not be used to compare one National Program with another.  It is a diagnostic program that will help each nation ask key questions (self-review), identify issues (evaluation) and strategize for the future (progress). 

The National Board in conjunction with the National Director and key national staff should complete the YFC National Program Self-review. 

It is suggested that this review be used annually (However, nations are allowed to do this once every two years).  It is designed so that it can be completed quickly.  However, the objective is not just to diagnose, but also to take the time to answer the "NOW WHAT?" question.  It is best to set a goal and design an Action Plan for each area in which you want to make improvements.  The Action Plans should include dates when each task will be completed and identify who is responsible for each task.  Perhaps a two-day retreat could be scheduled in order to give adequate time for prayerful and constructive discussion, developing action plans, and of course, celebration! 

One of the key elements in the Area Director’s Job Description is “to assist the National Board in conducting an annual ministry review, jointly with the National Board and the National Director”.  This assessment can be done with the Area or Regional Director during a country visit, or it can be completed by the Board and National Director on their own and discussed with the Area or Regional Director during their next visit. 

Remember, we do this for God’s glory and for the benefit of the teenagers in our nations.  The hard work of seriously reviewing our ministries and making plans for positive change will result in more young people being brought to Christ and discipled.

Instructions for the YFC National Program Self-Review 

For the first 8 ministry areas: Prayer Strategy, Planning, Board, Staff, Administration, Funding, Partnerships and Programs, the review process is the same. (The last area: Ministry Models is done differently and will be explained later.)

The major area of ministry is listed at the top of the form.  In the first column is a set of sub-categories related to that major ministry.  For example, under the major area of “Planning” are the following sub-categories: Planning Process, Board and Staff Involvement, Written Form, Long Range Plan, Operational Plan. 

Listed to the right of each sub-category are qualitative criteria that fall in columns with a value of 5 to 1 assigned at the top of each column.  For each sub-category, determine which description best fits your ministry and give your ministry the score associated with that qualitative description.  For example, if under the sub-category of Board and Staff Involvement under the major area of “Planning”, the qualitative description that best fits your program was, ”Only Staff Plan”, you would award a score of “2” for that sub-category. 

The major area of “Programs” is intended to determine how effectively, in an overall sense, all of your ministry models, taken together, achieve the sub-categories of Evangelism, Godliness in lifestyle, etc. 

The final major area of “Ministry Model” does not generate a numeric score.  Rather, the intent is to help you evaluate each of your ministry models separately, to see to what extent each ministry model accomplishes YFC’s priorities of ministry to young people, and how many staff and volunteers are needed to accomplish that ministry.  A separate ministry model form should be completed for each ministry model your National Program uses.  

NOTE: Inevitably, because Youth for Christ is such a large and diverse global ministry, there may be portions of this Assessment that will seem to have no contextual bearing on your program.  This program has been designed to be both generic and specific, adaptable and pointed.   If you cannot score a sub-category because it does not apply in your context, just skip the sub-category, and go on to the next.   PLEASE feel free to offer your constructive critiques on how this Self-Review can be made more helpful to you.