Necessary, Needed, Notable or Nice?

The Necessary, Needed, Notable, or Nice? Better Planning for a NEW YEAR!

If you’ve ever stared at a church calendar and felt like it was staring back—judging you, mocking you, threatening to multiply like ministry gremlins—you’re not alone. Most churches don’t suffer from a lack of good ideas; they suffer from a lack of margin to make those ideas actually mean something.

And the truth is: not everything we think we CAN do is something we SHOULD do.

But how do you decide? How do you separate the things that matter from the things that simply… materialized because someone suggested them loudly enough in the hallway? The things that have lived on as Sacred Cows, but are no longer giving milk?

Enter What I Call “The Four N’s” of Ministry Planning
(*A system equally helpful for discerning ministry strategy and cleaning out the youth closet!?)

THE NECESSARY (*If we don’t do this, we stop being the church)

These ministries and rhythms are tied directly to your mission, theology, and identity. They’re the non-negotiables—the things that, if you dropped them, people would rightfully ask, “Umm… are we still a church?”

Think:

• Weekly worship

• Prayer

• Teaching Scripture

• Pastoral care

• Discipleship

• Sacraments

• Safety protocols (No one’s nostalgic for “The Great Unlabeled Cleaning Supply Incident of 2019.”)

Necessary items should get your first energy, clearest communication, and best leaders. If these things are weak, no amount of “fun extras” will save you.

Planning questions:

• What must we do to be faithful to our mission?

• What would be spiritually irresponsible to cut?

• What is essential for our people to grow in Christ?

THE NEEDED (*If we don’t do this, discipleship suffers… but we won’t lose our tax-exempt status.)

These are ministries that aren’t mission-defining but are mission-supporting. They strengthen faith formation, build community, help families, and foster belonging.

Think:

• Small groups

• Youth gatherings

• Parent training One Nights

• Volunteer training

• Communication rhythms

• Service opportunities

Needed ministries add depth and structure. They are good and important—but they’re not gospel-defining.

Planning questions:

• Does this meaningfully help people grow?

• Does it support or multiply something necessary?

• Is this the best use of our limited hours, or is there a simpler way?

THE NOTABLE (*These make people say, “That was great!” but no one’s spiritual life unravels if we skip them.)

These are the events that build community, offer momentum, or create shared memories—annual traditions, outreach events, retreats, special Sundays, and that one chili cook-off where one guy always brings a secret-recipe suspiciously named “Beelzebub’s Belly” 

Think:

• Fall festivals

• Youth retreats

• Worship nights

• VBS (yes, I said it) 

• Holiday parties

• Volunteer appreciation events

Notable events can be incredible catalysts—but they are also the sneaky culprits of calendar bloat.

Planning questions:

• Does this event create momentum toward discipleship?

• Could we scale it back without losing impact?

• Are we doing this because it’s fruitful… or because it’s tradition?

THE NICE (*Things that sound good but may only serve to keep Grandma Jones happy)

These are the ministries and events that are genuinely lovely—but don’t move the mission forward in any significant way. These are the events, activities, and programming that people walk away and LITERALLY say, “Well, that was nice”. 

Think:

• The 1980s tradition event that is no longer cutting edge is now pretty dull.

• A committee to discuss forming a task force to discuss future committees

• Events that only three people attend

• The annual Trunk or Treat, which every church, school, park, and community center in a 10-mile radius is also doing?

• A night out at the baseball game, where nothing spiritual can be discussed over the roar of the crowd, and it is simply fun for fun’s sake.

Nice things aren’t bad. But too many “nice” things create noise that smothers what’s necessary.

Planning questions:

• What would actually happen if this disappeared?

• Is this for the mission or someone’s personal nostalgia?

• Are we keeping this because we’re afraid to disappoint someone?

How to Decide What Stays, What Goes: 

1. Start with Mission, Not Memory

Before you pencil in a single event, ask: “What is God actually calling us to do this year?” If an activity doesn’t clearly serve that calling… it goes in the “nice” pile until further notice.

2. Audit the Calendar with Brutal Kindness

Gather your staff or core leaders. Make a chart with all four N’s. Then—deep breath—sort every program, event, and idea. Yes, feelings will surface. Yes, someone will say, “But we’ve always done it!” Yes, it’s okay to lovingly retire things.

3. Cap the Notables and Nice

Limit notable events (2–4 per year is usually plenty). Limit nice ideas to what your leaders actually have capacity for (which is almost always less than they think).

4. Choose One Area to Simplify Each Quarter

Cut, combine, scale down, or rotate:

• Merge two small groups.

• Hold training twice a year instead of four times.

• Move events to a shared day (“Super Sunday”) instead of three separate nights.

• Replace a giant outreach with a simple hands-on experience.

5. Celebrate the Cuts

Seriously. Throw a little celebration for giving your people time back. “Congrats everyone—we just cancelled an event! Dessert is on me.” Margin is ministry.

Final Encouragement: Simplicity Serves the Soul

A full calendar is not a faithful church. An intentional calendar is. Your congregation—and your staff—deserve rhythms that feel sustainable, purposeful, and human. When you sort ministry through the lens of necessary → needed → notable → nice, you create space for the Spirit to work, leaders to thrive, and people to actually rest.