Life of a youth pastor .

Stop what you are doing and start preparing right now.

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plan-ahead

I can’t stand something not being done with excellence. Whether it be a t-shirt design, advertisement, an event, or a church service. I hate sloppy stuff. It shows that someone didn’t care enough to put the right amount of time into the project or they cared too late in the game.

In the church world Sunday is always coming and time doesn’t seem to be slowing down for any of us to accomplish more during the week. If you are stuck in a week to week schedule (only setting sights on this coming Sunday) then you will miss the greatest potential for your leadership and your ministry. Being a church or ministry that is prepared for it’s future will determine not only how successful this coming Sunday is, but how you actually spend your time to prepare for this coming Sunday.

I sometimes fool myself to thinking I work harder or smarter under pressure. Fast approaching deadlines seem to light a fire underneath me. When I kick into hyper-speed or try to accomplish too much in a small window I can be laser focused on my big project but small details can be missed. Sure, we can accomplish the task at hand on time and say it’s done, but is it finished with excellence?

Allow extra time to complete the project. You are bound to produce a better product.

Here are a few personal examples:

  • My team starts planning for our upcoming Winter Camp 5 months out.
  • We begin discussing sites and doing pre-trips for mission trips 5 months out.
  • I try to line up guest speakers for Sundays 1 month out.
  • I have had multiple series and small group questions set for every Sunday 6 months ahead.
  • Ideally, I have my message done one week before and already looking ahead to the next one.
  • Set monthly reminders on my phone for what I should be thinking about for the next month.

Work ahead, it pays off. If you are behind, what can you stop doing and start preparing for now?

Challenge: Don’t pick up the microphone.

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mixboard

Last night for our high school programming was a first for me and my volunteer team. It was a regularly scheduled program for our HS students: dinner together, large group game, announcements, teaching, worship, small groups. For many it was just another night… but not for me.

On top of two middle school programs and a mission trips training, I was pretty spent. Here’s the cool part, I never picked up a microphone, clicked a button, or flipped a light switch for last night’s program. How? I empowered my leaders, volunteers and students. And it went much better than if I would have tried to pull it off on my own.

Our food coordinators had a new batch of volunteers they were training, my only part-time staff took care of the speaking part, I had a senior high school guy that’s been itching for leadership take care of announcements and the game (he did a fantastic job!), and all our small group leaders were connecting with students. What did that leave me with? The guest group! Simply sitting down and enjoying some cookie cake with two new students. It allowed me to give all my attention and energy to them. They said that they loved our hangout and were excited to get involved, taking the next step of attending a small group after Easter.

To build a team you must give away your leadership to others. You would be surprised at what could happen if you accept this challenge at one of your next programs: don’t pick up the microphone.

Try it out and let me know how it goes!

My Breakouts for OC 2014!

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oc14-sc-8-630x210

I’m super excited about Orange Conference this year! I always appreciate the main sessions but LOVE the breakouts. I like hearing about the niche things in ministry, but love seeing the dozens of others in ministry struggling through the same things. It’s places like this that a mere conversation can totally alter the state of your ministry or vision. I’m not completely sure what I will walk away with this year but ready to find out.

Here are the breakouts I have chosen to attend. Hope to see you there!

  • MEASURING WHAT’S IMPORTANT IN FAMILY MINISTRY (Next Gen)
  • UNDERSTANDING THE EFFECTS OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON KIDS AND STUDENTS
  • LEADING THROUGH CRISIS, TRAGEDY AND TRAUMA (STUDENTS)
  • ORANGE STRATEGY TO BUILD AND ALIGN MULTI-SITE CAMPUSES
  • STARTING A CHURCH FOR UNCHURCHED FAMILIES
  • ORANGE INTERACTIVE: STUDENT MINISTRY

The College Life.

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I came across a video that EVERY high school senior should watch before applying to colleges. I have run into too many college grads with no job, tons of debt, and still unsure what they want to do in life. This isn’t a knock on not going to college, just make sure you have thought it through and have a plan in place.

My college experience was not quite like this… but there are some things I can identify with. I know life has many turns and we all make choices that impact our circumstances later in life. One of the hardest things I did in college was work part-time and even sometimes full-time jobs to pay my school bills. Sure, I got help from family and even some scholarship money, but never took out a school loan, I graduated debt free.

I have another friend that waited to go college once he knew exactly what he wanted to do in life. All along he had worked a full-time job and saved money, he then paid for his education in cash.

It is society that tells high school seniors that the next step is yet even more education, one that comes at a higher price with no job to pay it off. It works for those that have a plan and know what they want to do, and even then sometimes it doesn’t. Here’s the only thing I’m getting at, if you are a high school senior, college is not your only option. Unsure if college is for you? Go to the local community college and give it a try. If you do go to college, pursue a field and degree you are passionate about.

Here’s the only option I absolutely loathe: Sit at home in your parents house and do nothing like you are still in high school. Go get a job. Pay rent. Be responsible. Master a trade.

And the winner is…

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winner

In my last post I posed this question, “If you had to choose between large group or small groups, which one would you choose, and why?”

The reality is so many times we do in fact choose one over the other. We give more resources, time, thought, planning, and staff toward one rather than the other.

It is easier to staff, budget and run a weekly large group program… and there are some fantastic large group programs out there for both students and adults. The large group has become a formula that we plug people into and expect a certain outcome. During the 60 minutes they sit in that seat we hope to present and accomplish church for them. We hope to provide the opportunity of what could seem to many like a one stop shop for Jesus. I know this isn’t the heart intention of our churches or youth groups, but it’s the way it comes across to many. How did I come to that conclusion? Because they show up for the large group but won’t get involved in a small group or take next steps to serve in the church.

If I had to choose, and I do… the winner in my book is small groups. I will not deny that large group has a very important role and without it many would not attend church, hear truth, or perhaps even be challenged to get more involved by plugging into a small group or serving. I have a feeling this is backwards, we have detoured from how the church initially expanded–through smaller groups, church planting, the sending out of disciples.

There needs to be a healthier relationship between the large group and small group planning. For me and my ministry, the large group exists to support our small groups. My actual “large group time” is cut in half… half of the program time is actually given to small groups and their small group leaders to connect, have conversations, ask questions, and enjoy relationships with the students they meet with every week.

What are your thoughts on this?

 

Large Group vs. Small Group

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tug of war

Let’s play out a mock scenario. You are alone in ministry and are presented with the option to provide a dynamic large group program that dozens of students enjoy attending OR recruit and equip other leaders to provide small groups for the same group of students.

Large Group or Small Groups? And you can only choose one.

This may not be the current reality of your leadership position or church, but depending which one you choose in this mock scenario says a lot about your ministry philosophy and how you will execute that philosophy.

Perhaps you do offer both the large group program and the small group model. One of these will receive more planning this week than the other. One of these has a larger budget. One of gets more time and attention.

Why did I create a mock scenario for you? Because it’s easier to think that this is a pretend situation rather than a reality that happens every single week. Every week you will choose as the ministry leader whether large group or small group is more important. You will program for one better than the other, you will put more time and effort into one rather than the other. It may be time for you to re-evaluate your priority of large group vs. small group.

I’ve got more to say about this in my next post and announce the winner.

Give them time.

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loveovertime

My most repeated request from small group leaders over the past month has been, “Can we get more time for small group?”

I love what the ReThink groups states: Love over time matters. If that’s the case, here is what I would say to all the youth pastors out there, “QUIT TAKING ALL THE TIME.” If you have an opportunity to put another leader in the spotlight, do it. Make small groups a reality.

With our student programs being scheduled to include both large group and small group time, the large group time can easily trump the small group time–but it shouldn’t. The large group time has many moving elements–games, announcements, message and worship. Just because it has more moving parts, doesn’t give it a more dominant position. When we weigh the importance of small group time vs. large group time, the actual amount of time given is your measurement. Small group leaders need time to build trust. When trust is built then students open up and relationships happen. Relationships matter the most. Relationships are the glue of our ministry.

I have been guilty of hijacking the time of my small group leaders during our large group time. Leaving your leaders just enough time to get into a quick discussion before closing in prayer is like giving them a cake and not enough time to eat it.

Give them time.

Let them lead, it’ your missing puzzle piece.

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puzzle piece

I strongly believe that I lead where I do today because someone let me lead way back when. If you don’t have students leading in your ministry or another ministry in your church–it’s the missing puzzle piece.

One of my first leading experiences was to help lead a team of 3 other students as we did backyard bible clubs for kids in neighborhoods around our church. This leading experience had its ups and downs, but I was learning and someone entrusted that leadership to me. I was a freshman in high school.

I know that one of the best ways to get our students involved, engaged and keep them connected to the church is through serving and leading opportunities. These students are the future leaders, volunteers, and staff of our church. How will you empower them? What kind of opportunities will you give them? What kind of risks are you willing to take?

Let them lead.

Leading your leaders.

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 multiply

Perhaps the best thing you can do for your students is understand that you simply cannot lead them all. Whether your youth group size is 30 or 300, you need to inherit this mindset if you don’t already have it. An authentic relationship is hardly possible with 30, let alone 300.

Do you want to offer the very best to the students and make sure they are connected to great leadership? The answer isn’t you, at least not for all of them. Offer the best through your leaders. Recruit them. Develop them. Get them connected to students. Focus your leadership on the leaders, in turn you will multiply your leadership beyond what you could have ever offered students on your own.

If it weren’t for the 35-40 leaders that were investing into our students, the students would not be truly connected to the church body… they would be connected to just a building, just a program, just another student function.

My goal is to get a Christ-following adult into the life of every student that walks through that door, and I have to be okay with it not being me… but only because I recruited, developed and am in touch with those that are leading the students.

Naming your ministry…

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hello

Starting a ministry? Did you change the name of your ministry? Do you want to?

Ministry names are important. A ministry name will even identify you as a ministry leader alongside your ministry, both your successes and your failures. There is so much that can be communicated in a mere word. This word isn’t the only thing that will define your program or ministry but it will be used a whole heck of a lot.

My current situation is unique in that I inherited a ministry with a particular name, but it’s not sticking. Sure, that’s partially my own fault and I will take the brunt of that. I don’t call the ministry what it used to be called but also don’t make a big deal out of calling it something new. I simply didn’t want my current ministry to be tied to something of the past. We operate and function in a different way now and I don’t want the current ministry to be confused with the way things used to be.

I think the idea of naming my ministry something new is furthest from importance right now, we are still trying to learn process, programs and procedures. Sometimes it is easier to name or re-name a ministry once it really starts establishing itself rather than putting a name to something that doesn’t really exist yet.

Let your passion, desires and goals drive you to a name…don’t let just a cool or catchy name drive you to your passion or the kind of ministry you desire for yourself and others.