Milestones are a marker for how far we’ve gone and how much further we need to go. You can call them goals, or behaviors, or events, but they’re things that we celebrate as the people we minister to develop an authentic faith that lasts a lifetime.

I track these milestones for each person, and they’re what I report and celebrate at volunteer and parent meetings. These are how I show that the ministry is successful and mean so much more than having a big event or a great service.

I originally wrote and used these for my children’s ministry, but now that I’m working youth and adults, I can see how they also apply to these age groups as well. The biggest difference is that the older demographics may not be starting at square one, while kids most likely are.

Here are the four milestones I think every person attending church needs to mark.

1. Salvation

This is what it’s all about, but more than that, it’s what Jesus has commanded us to do. We want to see people accept Jesus as their savior and turn from their sins.

We should all have unsaved people in our churches, but if they attend for any length of time, they shouldn’t stay that way.  Without this step, we can't really move on to anything else.  Unfortunately, many believers do, that's why I push them to the next milestone.

2. Baptism in Water

Salvation is a great first step, but that’s all it is, a first step. I believe that every believer should be baptized in water as a public proclamation of their faith.

Working in kidmin, it’s not unusual for kids to raise their hands every time there is a salvation call. 

One year, I led an after-school program at a local elementary school. There were consistently 35 kids in the program, and I gave a salvation call at the end of every class. By the end of two months, I had 120 salvations. Even if you don’t like math, I hope you see that this doesn’t work.

This is why, even though I track salvations, I get really excited about water baptism. It’s my favorite thing to do.

For kids I hold a baptism class they have to attend before getting baptized where they hear the Gospel presented for an hour with their parents. By the time they finish, I know they understand what God has done for them.

I write more about my baptism classes here.

These next two milestones don’t necessarily have to be done in sequence, but it works well for explaining them.

3. Serving

Jesus said that "the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few."  He also said for us to "go out into all the world and make disciples."  Now that we have a person saved and baptized, it’s time for them to start serving somewhere.

For youth and adults, Growth Track, or whatever your church calls their assimilation process, is a great jumping off point. For kids, it’s a little more complicated, but can be done.

No matter what our age or maturity, we can play a role in serving the Church whether out front or behind the scenes, in our homes, or out on the streets. It’s our job as leaders to help those we lead to find their place in the Body of Christ and invite them to serve.

I find that those that serve are far more likely to stay and continue their discipleship on their own. It also helps them grow and discover who God made them to be.

For kids I have a fourth and fifth grade leadership class, which gives kids the opportunity to serve in different areas in kidmin. I’ll talk about that in a later post.

4. Baptism in the Holy Spirit

I’m Pentecostal, so this final step may not apply to you, but as a lifetime AG pastor, it’s a big one. I’m not going to debate all the theology of this. That’s for other scholars a lot smarter than me.

I will say that I believe the Baptism in the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues is not necessary for salvation or nor will every believer experience it. It's in the same category as baptism in water. However, I do believe speaking in tongues is a great spiritual practice and brings depth to my walk with God.

Over the years, I’ve found that while it’s possible for kids to be baptized in the Holy Spirit and speak in other tongues, it’s not common. So, what I really try to do for fourth and fifth graders is expose them the gift and teach them about it. Then when they attend summer camp, I lean in and give them the opportunity to receive. It doesn’t always happen, but at least they’re seeking.

Ultimately, by regularly praying the spirit they’ll live out Jude 20 which says

20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit,

Whether they’re serving or praying or being baptized, I want to build their faith. I want to make an authentic faith that lasts a lifetime. I’ve found that if people mark these four milestones, they’re far more likely to “run the race as to win the prize.” And you have four goals to guide everything else you do in your ministry.

I originally got the idea for milestones from a post by Dale Hudson. 

His post is excellent and worth a read.

What milestones do you mark in your ministry? Let me know in the comments.