Contact lists

An accurate list of every possible youth and contact information for each is essential to a healthy program. I have found, when I arrived at a new church, that if there was a list at all it was only the most active youths. That is much too limited. Create lists, by grade, of everyone vaguely related to the church. My slogan was” a youth goes on the list if they walk slowly by the church and go off if they die.” A bit of an exaggeration but an important mindset. In short, if you don't know a youth exists, they don't know you exist and can never become interested.
Many people strive for “clean lists” with no inactives on it. You want lists as dirty as possible.
Reasons for moving someone off a list:

• They move out of the area. Leave them on the list until you are positive they are not moving back, ever (and think about referring them to a comparable church near where they have moved – our responsibility is to the youth and the Body of Christ, not church our local church.)
• They (or their parents) specifically ask to have them removed
• You get confirmed information that they are attending (actively) another church. Always be cautious on this one – sometimes the information is wrong (the youth simply visited that church with a friend), is simply an experiment and they'll be back.
• They die