New Service Year, New Planner!

September 1 brings the start of a new service year, and it is a nice opportunity to give your spiritual routine a little refresh.

You may already have goals you want to work on this year. Perhaps there are people you want to follow up with in the ministry or an area of personal study you have been meaning to make time for.

A new ministry planner gives all of that somewhere to live.

Our 2026-2027 Ministry Planners begin September 1, 2026, so you can start the new service year with a fresh planner from the very first day. There are six covers to choose from, so you can pick the one you will enjoy carrying with you all year.

Start With the Dates You Already Know

Once you have your planner, start by adding the important dates you already know for the coming service year. Mark your circuit assembly and convention once the dates are available. Add any upcoming congregation events or other theocratic dates you need to remember.

Then add your regular meeting days and the times you usually set aside for the ministry. You do not have to fill the whole year at once. Start with what you know now and add the rest as the year unfolds.

Think About Your Ministry Routine

A new service year is a good time to look at how the ministry currently fits into your life.

Think about the days that usually work well for service and when you have time for return visits. If you conduct Bible studies, consider where preparation fits into your week too.

Put those plans into your planner so you can see how they fit with everything else you have going on.

You can always adjust them when your schedule changes.

Keep Track of People You Want to Visit

There is usually someone we mean to get back to.

Use your planner to keep track of return visits and people who have shown interest. Make a note when someone asks a question you want to research.

You can also write down friends in the congregation you have been meaning to check on or work with in the ministry.

Keeping those names somewhere you regularly look can help you remember to follow through.

Add Your Spiritual Goals

Think about one or two things you would like to work on during the new service year.

Maybe you want to improve your personal study routine or become more comfortable with a certain part of the ministry. You might have a goal connected to auxiliary pioneering or another area of service.

Write the goal somewhere you will see it regularly.

Then think about what you can do this month to begin working toward it. A goal feels much easier to approach when you know your next step.

Make Room for Personal Study

Personal study can easily get pushed into whatever time happens to be left in the week.

If there is a particular time that usually works for you, put it in your planner. You might also keep a running list of subjects you want to research so you already have ideas when your study time comes around.

Your list could include a Bible person you want to learn about or a question that came up during Bible reading. Add new ideas whenever they occur to you.

Then you will always have something waiting when you have time for deeper study.

Use Your Planner During the Week

A planner only helps when you actually look at it.

Keep yours with your meeting or ministry supplies so it is easy to grab. Take a minute at the beginning of the week to see what is coming up.

Add things as they happen. If someone asks you to return at a particular time, write it down while you are thinking about it.

Your planner does not need to look perfect. It needs to help you remember the things you care about.

Give Yourself a Fresh Start

There is something nice about opening a planner to September 1 and seeing an entire service year ahead.

You do not have to begin it with a long list of resolutions. Choose a few things you would like to give attention to and start there.

Maybe this is the year you finally get more consistent with return visits. Perhaps you want to protect your personal study time or make yourself more available for the ministry.

Whatever you are working toward, your planner can help you keep those intentions in front of you throughout the year.

Pick your favorite of the six covers, write your name inside, and start filling in September.

A whole new service year is ready for you.