Life of a youth pastor .

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Stop doing it all!

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A student ministry is not a student ministry until students start doing the ministry.

It was this philosophy of ministry that my youth pastor had. When he gave away leadership to me, I inherited numerous tasks and responsibilities. Through developmental leadership over the years I now find myself in the place of needing to give my leadership away to others.

What is holding back your ministry from growing deeper spiritually, growing bigger in numbers and overall richer in leadership? It’s probably your lack of empowering others, giving away responsibilities and allowing students to do the ministry that they are capable of doing. When a student has that “Aha!” moment and realizes that they are just as capable to minister to others like the youth pastor, they begin to look at their student ministry through a different lens. The student begins to own the ministry and operate not merely as an attender but as a contributor.

How do you empower your students?

Look over your weekly responsibilities, find tasks you can give to your students so that they have the opportunity to step up and do the ministry they are capable of doing.

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?

 

Naming your ministry…

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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.

#1 advice to youth pastors.

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advice

Last year I had the privilege of meeting Kevin Ragsdale and spending some time with him. Kevin is the director of high school ministry at NorthPoint and has been for many, many years. I toured the HS ministry and have implemented a few things learned, like providing dinner for students before the program. Kevin, full of experience, I knew I had one final question for him before ending our conversation, “What is the one piece of advice you would give to me as a youth pastor in a new church?” He quickly responded, “Don’t quit too soon.”

Those words have stuck with me over the past year, but I can’t imagine what those words will truly mean until years from now. As a youth pastor you will have too many “good” reasons to quit. Everything from budgets to a confrontation with your senior pastor. Did I mention that rally of leaders or parents that question you, or are against the way you are doing things? These are just a few reasons why we get tired in the game and giving up could be so enticing. Don’t do it.

Every hard conversation, budget dollar you spend, sermon you preach, leader you recruit, and vision casting moment… you are gaining ground and creating forward momentum. Don’t let that one thing that is currently bringing you down right now be the deciding factor in quitting your position and moving on to another church or ministry where you will face similar things. Learn to stick up for yourself, your ministry, your vision and put the time in. Keep short accounts and seek reconciliation.

What kind of student ministry would your church and families benefit from if you remained their leader for the next 5 years? 8 years? 15 years?

Marketing, have you lost the touch?

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Marketing

When it comes to marketing, know your audience. The same rule applies in ministry. If you are trying to get gobs of students or kids to sign up for a camp, don’t let them know about it just a few weeks before. If you want to specifically target students you shouldn’t write them an email and expect them to read it. It’s 2014 people, reach people where they are already at, or go the extra mile and make an effort to reach them personally.

I’ve mailed out postcards, created a Facebook page, post regularly on Instagram, email mom and dad, and the list goes on and on. Which one works the best for marketing a program, event, or just getting information out? I don’t know. I do know that the more you balance personally reaching out with social media, emails, newsletters, etc. the more responsive an individual will be to that piece of information.

Unfortunately, I believe we are relying far too much on the computer and the multiple platforms of social media. No longer do we meet the parents face to face, tell them about the awesome camp we would love Johnny or Suzie to sign up for, we expect a fun graphic and a few words hitting their inbox to do the trick. This can lend to a very corporate feeling ministry along with all the other competition you face in getting their attention. This week I’ve asked all my small group leaders to call the phone numbers of the parents on their roster and cast vision for our mission trip sign ups. I know it can only help, I believe in the personal touch…and yes, I’m calling students too!

Before you write another email to parents, leaders, or even reach out to a student via social media for marketing reasons, try one of these things:

  • Snail mail a handwritten letter.
  • Make a phone call.
  • Invite that student/parent/leader to have coffee.

What would you say is the most effective way to market your audience?

Empower them!

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A good leader demonstrates great abilities. A great leader empowers the abilities within others.

If you do not learn this and act upon it you will be consumed by details and will be stuck right where you are at. Once you have reached capacity of what you are able to handle and I’d argue well before that, you need to learn how to extend your ministry to others. Learn how to give it away.

I am fully capable of calling and talking with all the parents represented in my ministry, and perhaps once a year I may attempt to do that. With 17 small groups, and around 175 students representing 350 parents I cannot simply pick up the phone and make a personal phone call. This past weekend I passed out our current rosters and made the ask. I asked each small group leader to call down the list of names represented in their small group and help spread the word about our summer mission trip opportunities.

Instead of calling 350 parents this week I intend to send one email and let those closest to the students call the parents, the small group leaders. Yes, I am leveraging the leadership I have… so that my entire team can carry the weight of responsibility we have been given.

When you empower those around you, there is more buy-in to your mission, more attention given to where its currently needed and you are less likely to burn out! Work smarter not harder.

Your blueprint for student ministry.

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blueprint

By no means do I have the perfect student ministry, nor do I believe it exists. Each and every student pastor that is honest will say, “We have strengths and weaknesses.” I do believe there is a difference between an average operation and one that is really firing on all cylinders. The reason being is because the ministry leaders are working off a blueprint that has been set before them.

Whether you are in student ministry or not, I hope you are working off some kind of blueprint or plan in the project you have ahead of you. A blueprint keeps you on task, the must have factors, measurements, desired outcomes, it’s all there. If you are ever lost, just check the blueprint.

At Gateway Church we have a fairly simple blueprint in place for our student ministry. I believe a ministry designed the way we have it can work fairly well, we just need to stay committed to it and see it come to fruition. Like many other larger student ministries, we are somewhat of a small church plant. We have 3 programs to execute every week, a student band to improve, budgets to run, camps to plan, mission trips, volunteers to recruit, families to partner with… and the list goes on. But what does all of this amount to? How can we physically see it happening year in and out? What are we building?

We are building up a generation of students who will own their faith and make it known to others wherever they go in life. I have faith, that through this blueprint, we are equipping the next generation of both the churched and unchurched in what it means to accept God’s love on a daily basis. Not only identifying that relationship but also accepting the challenge to take it into their world and share it with others.

Here’s my blueprint:

Large Group. The weekly hangout. This involves a somewhat non-threatening environment to bring a friend to play some games, hear some music, listen to some funny stories, hear from the Word of God.

Small Groups. This happens every week directly following large group. Everything we do points back to connecting our students faith to an authentic community of peers around them. Students and adults they can explore doubts, ask questions, be real.

Winter Camp. Camp is full weekend of small group time. Long retreat time into teaching, personal reflection, worship…but also tons of FUN. Camp makes memories for our students, we get to help them make positive memories of their relationship with God and the church. A weekend camp vs. a summer camp allows more student participation (it’s cheaper) and more adult leader participation (don’t have to take off work).

GO! Teams. Our mission trips can be life changing moments for our students. Both those near and far from God come back from GO! Teams with new world views and a better understanding of how God’s love permeates the most unimaginable lifestyles and deepest needs.

All of this may sound familiar, because many churches take this same blueprint or concept and add a few tweaks to make it their own. What does your blueprint look like? What works well for you?

Project Planning (DIY10.10)

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project planning

This is in response to a former article I wrote on DIY Student Ministry. This is the final topic I’m covering in this series. After writing on numerous topics where it is much better to recruit, delegate, and empower others to come alongside you and do student ministry, I’m living in the middle of this one currently. This is a pioneer year for mission experiences with our students, we have three trips running this month – one middle school, and two high school trips. With over 80 students involved on trips with another 60 students back in Austin with regular programming, I could never do this alone.

When you delegate, you empower. When you empower, you give ownership. When you give ownership, someone will likely do it better than you and if they don’t, at least they will be invested in something that they are contributing to. When you empower a leader or volunteer with a task you are not just getting a task finished you are getting someone bought into the larger picture of what leadership is by helping them understand the smaller nuts and bolts of what holds this whole thing together we call student ministry.

With our experiences combined, my wife and I have collectively participated on well over 50 different short-term missions, along with leading a handful ourselves. Each experience whether easy, difficult, domestic or international has proven invaluable in how we design a trip for students. Everything from support raising, to travel/lodging details, and simple details that could be lost such as sensitivity to food allergies. A huge blessing for us was that Gateway saw my wife’s experience and needed a part-time Global Director – she helps organize and empower trip leaders during this season. While this is a huge blessing for me and by me I mean student ministry…it comes with its hurdles.  When you “know” how you want an event or trip to run sometimes it can be easier to just do it rather than explain your thoughts and bring others into the process.

This has been my challenge since coming on staff at a new church but I’m glad to see this weakness now and eager to explain more and give away more in the upcoming months. It was made very clear in my first few months here that I had an issue with delegating projects or tasks… because I felt things needed to be done in a particular way and I had little time to explain these philosophies or processes while doing them myself. While these moments could have their appropriate places – it won’t be very often that you are doing something that someone else couldn’t do.

For big event planning you must realize that there are many details to be considered. If you don’t think so, you probably shouldn’t be the project planner/manager. Just a snapshot of my recent project: rental vans, charter buses, lodging, showers, week-long schedule with every hour accounted for, expenses, reimbursements, trip leaders, adult leaders, kids club curriculum, kids club games, kids club music, kids club crafts, emergency response number, and the list goes on and on.

If you as the student pastor or project planner get sucked into any of these details and doing them yourself, the rest of the project could easily unravel and unfold in such a way that you wouldn’t have wished for. When it comes to project planning and pulling off the big event you should have one role and one role only…this actually sums up the entire DIY series. YOUR ROLE IS NOT – JUST DO IT, but rather JUST DELEGATE IT. Be sure to follow up with encouragement and constructive criticism, just because you delegate it doesn’t mean you’re off the hook.

This post goes out to all my volunteers and part-time staff that keep student ministry operating and firing on all cylinders. You are rockstars in my book and do so much more than most would ever credit you. Delegating to you is not a way for me to “get out of it”, delegating and empowering you all actually allows me to get more into it, helping me keep my eyes on the big picture. Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!

DIY SM – Do it yourself student ministry!

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DIYSMConfession, I’m guilty of reading Popular Mechanics magazine. I love to find articles on do-it-yourself (DIY) projects around the house. Whether its staining the wood trim around our windows or changing the oil on my motorcycle, I find it fascinating to learn and do things on my own.

While time alone and DIY projects are life giving to me…I know that doing student ministry alone is not! I hope you would agree with me that student ministry was not created for the student pastor. The student ministry is not a DIY project for one to carry all alone.

Student ministry is not about you! It is not about what you accomplish, it is not about the best message you ever gave, and it is certainly not about the youth space or branding that you have created for students. At the end of your term as student pastor, you will eventually be forgotten and replaced. That might seem a little harsh, but its the truth. Remembering that student ministry is not about you, and keeping that in front of you, will only benefit your ministry and expand its reach. Only when you have this mindset are you able to truly empower your volunteers and students do some ministry of their own.

You may be thinking, “If I want things done right, then I need to do it myself.” Get over it. When you empower others to do ministry you relinquish your rights to be the “do-er” but you don’t relinquish your rights to be the visionary. Practice painting the picture for people, and let them do it! It won’t be done the way you would do it, but more is being accomplished overall through others than if you run a DIY SM. Many times I have found that when I empower someone else…whether it be a mom, dad, student, or fellow staff member…they do a far better job than what I could have done myself! The best memories in student ministry are made when many hands work together, making the job light, everyone is participating by putting their best foot forward in an area that needs attention. Healthy teamwork within your ministry is necessary in moving things forward.

Here is a list of to-do’s that many student pastors (including myself) are guilty of when it comes down to a DIY SM:

  1. Readying the room. Setting out chairs, turning on lights, music, etc.
  2. Finding or creating a game and leading it.
  3. Stage design…hours can be spent doing this.
  4. Creating and maintaining a visitor followup process.
  5. Social media interaction – FB, Twitter, Instagram. Following & liking student posts.
  6. Trip/Retreat research. Lodging, meals, travel.
  7. Helping create or maintain a student band.
  8. Supply run. Need I say more?
  9. Liaisons between your church and local schools.
  10. Project planning and recruiting for the BIG event.

…and the list could go on and on. As the student pastor you can’t do it all on your own. Empower your people!

After writing this article I feel compelled to write out a few thoughts on each item listed above. Stay tuned.

Question for you: What has been your biggest mistake or learning point in a DIY project? Whether in ministry or personally?

My Youth Year Resolution: 2013

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New Year 2013Wishing I could have a friendship with each and every student in my ministry is not realistic. Youth pastors are sometimes accused of having a few favorites, taking a special interest in a handful of students and hanging out with them all the time. And while that may be true, the greater truth is that when it comes to 100+ students, you can hardly remember all the names and say “Hi” to each of them on a Sunday morning. Students need more than just a “Hi” each week. Students need someone that is intentionally and consistently investing in their life, taking special interest in their spiritual development as they explore God and mature in their faith journey. I suppose someone needs to play favorites after all, it shouldn’t be solely the role of the youth pastor.

Programs are great teaching moments and momentum boosters, but authentic relationships is the glue of ministry – it keeps people together.

What’s my youth year resolution? In 2013 I plan to launch a small group movement for both middle school and high school students at my church. Connecting a student to an adult that is demonstrating an authentic relationship with God will benefit a student’s growth far more than any program. Life on life discipleship is not a new invention nor will it expire, this is what Jesus displayed for us. He did life with 12 men. He traveled with them, stayed up late with them, explored cities with them, went on camping trips with them, went hiking with them, went sailing with them…talked life with them, spoke truth to them, asked them the hard questions. There is no doubt according to scripture that these were monumental moments for the 12, that’s why we have them in writing.

Your leaders/volunteers may not be Jesus, but they do have the time to spend with students. How will they spend this time? How will they lead their group? What kind of adventures will they go on? Imagine how much impact a Christ following adult could have on 12 teenage lives.

Though I aspire to launch a small group movement for students, it begins with my leaders. Offer a small group or multiple small groups for your leaders – period. This not only helps in laying a foundation for students, but you can better grasp understanding of where they are at in their relationship with God and others. Seeing your leadership in a small group setting on a regular basis will hopefully be reflected in the way that they lead their small group.

Equipping them is key, find multiple ways to make this happen:

  • Get personal. Spend time with each leader, cast vision for them, help them set goals.
  • Develop a small group survival kit for them. More on this later.
  • Take them to a conference or on a retreat. We are going to Orange in January.
  • Show up at small group, let them know in advance. Give them feedback, applause and constructive criticism.

A few books to consider when initiating or developing a small group movement:

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