Life of a youth pastor .

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We got 180 campers to sign up in one day…here’s how.

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bait and switch

It’s all about deals…perhaps some would call a bait and switch, for which I don’t apologize. On September 1st we had 180 campers sign up for our Winter Camp in January! Yes, camp is still over 4 months away but we have almost 50% of our camp capacity filled…and here is how we did it.

It started a few years back with a desire to better partner with parents in my ministry. I wanted a place to bring together my parents, small group leaders and students to talk about our ministry philosophy of a small group culture and the events. So, first let’s answer this question: How do I get all of my parents, students and leaders/volunteers to one place? THE ANSWER for my first year of doing this was FOOD. Food brings people together, and in Texas there is no better way to do than offering a BBQ to families and leaders. Though this worked the first year, we needed a bigger reason to invite them back the following year…some parents may not seem willing to come to an event where “they already know what you are going to share” even if you have new content or vision for the year.

So, now let’s answer this question: How do I get all of my parents, students and leaders/volunteers to show up in one place year after year after year? …and not make it feel like pulling teeth?  I have used a phrase this year that seemed to go over well and somewhat contagious among my staff, “We bribe our parents/students to the BBQ, it is a bait and switch method and we don’t apologize for it, because in the end EVERYONE wins!” Let me explain in bullet points (to keep it brief) how this works.

THE BAIT AND SWITCH

  • Invite all parents/students to the annual BBQ.
  • REQUIRE that all small group leaders and volunteers attend.
  • Incentive: All who attend the BBQ will receive a promo code for $50 off camp registration. (Adjust your camp budgets accordingly so this doesn’t tank your budget, we plan to go into the hole a bit on the front end and compensate that with our “regular rate” and “late rate”)
  • Promo code can only be used by those that attended BBQ and must be used on opening day of registration.
  • On opening day we had 180 campers register for camp.

The other BAIT AND SWITCH

  • Remember the initial reason for the BBQ? We want parents to mingle with small group leaders.
  • After our large group program together, the parents must go meet and talk with the SGL for the meal ticket to get their BBQ.

Each year our NextGen team is refining this process but we have some BIG momentum from it. Don’t underestimate that there is a lot of planning for an event like this. However, it does generate lots of interest for your upcoming event or program along with creating a space for your audience to hear vision from your staff.

What kind of youth pastor do you think you are?

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youthpastortrend

Last week I found myself in a room of guys and gals from across the city of Austin who held the title of youth pastor, student director, high school pastor, etc. It has been neat to network with others that find themselves in my shoes and do the work that I do. We can exchange victories and failures in a safe place where we really understand the unique yet adverse opportunities we face on a weekly basis when working with students, parents and volunteers.

However, as I shook hands in this room full of 25 other youth pastors and started exchanging position titles, our job descriptions, and current goals I realized quickly that I’m a bit different than the majority. [Read more…]

5 reasons you should leave your church and go to another one.

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Different-Churches

Ever wonder what meetings are like on the other side? At a different church? How have they already solved the problems you are currently having in your church? Take a closer look at the churches around you. What appears the same on the outside could be very different on the inside. [Read more…]

#winning

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When your leaders win, you win. When you win, your church wins.

You want your leaders to feel like winners don’t you? They work with students every week for months and sometimes years at a time. This can be discouraging and feel more like a weekly task rather than an eternal investment. I want my leaders to feel like they have won each week. To do this I have developed a WIN calendar for them. Each week the WIN is a little bit different, they are made aware of the WIN earlier in the week through an email or our app. During our meeting (pre-game show) we discuss the WIN for the week and why it’s important.

Do you give your leaders a tangible WIN each week? Here are a few WINs that I rotate through:

  • Make contact with the parents, ask how you can be praying for them.
  • Attend your students lunch or extra-curricular activity.
  • Throw a small group party.
  • Tell a student how much you care about them.
  • Send an email home reminding parents of upcoming events.
  • Talk about camp in small group and how to sign up.

These wins are much more effective in and through small groups, more than they ever would be from the stage.

The pre-game show.

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pregame

The pre-game show could be the most important piece of information for the viewer, especially if you haven’t been keeping up with your team all week.  During the pre-game show you are filled in on all the facts, flaws, hopes and expectations for what you are about to watch. Whether it is tuning in 5 minutes before kick-off or an hour worth of discussing replays from last week and how the team hopes to overcome potential obstacles for this week, the pre-game show is a wealth of information.

Every student ministry has a pre-game show. How well are the leaders educated prior to the big game–the program or their small group? It has been my experience that much of the success of the program or small group will be determined by the quality of your pre-game show. Talking with other youth pastors I understand there are many different ways to run a pre-game show, that’s not the point right now, the point is to remember that you have a pre-game show whether you know it or not.

Last year I had the opportunity to observe another youth ministry, the youth pastor was a friend of mine. We were 15 minutes out from the program start time and I was in the back of the room chatting with some of his volunteers. The closer we got to program start time the more eyes of leaders would drift to the youth pastor looking for some sort of direction or instruction. Nothing happened. As students poured into the room the youth pastor went over the sound booth and grabbed the microphone, he was headed to the stage to kick-off a program the leaders knew nothing about. That was there pre-game show.

Every student ministry has a pre-game show. Your leader’s experience prior to your program or their small group can greatly benefit or unfortunately burden your ministry. Take a moment to evaluate your current pre-game show.

  • If I were a leader in my ministry, would I feel well equipped for my role?
  • Does our pre-game show (leaders meeting) feel rushed, do we need more time?
  • Is there a good relational and informational balance in my pre-game show?
  • Do my leaders understand what a clear WIN looks like for their small group on that specific day?

I’d like to take a closer look at these questions based upon my own experience in ministry over the next few days.

Take a brain dump!

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BrainDumpLogo2

Vocational ministry can be quite overwhelming at times, especially on top of family responsibilities and scheduling. This exercise is quite relieving, at least it was for me. I can’t promise it will make everything go away but perhaps make life a bit more enjoyable because you’re organized and your mind will be a little less… constipated.

Today amidst a busy schedule and to-dos that seemed to keep piling up I tried my hardest to collect and rationalize all my thoughts…but simply couldn’t, there was too much on my mind. What happened next was extremely satisfying. I took a brain dump.

  • Grab a stack of sticky notes and a pen.

  • Write down the first thing on your mind.

  • Take the next sticky note and write the next thing. Repeat, repeat, repeat.

  • Organize all sticky notes into 3 categories – work, home, personal.

  • Rank the sticky notes in each category and assign calendar due dates for each one.

When it was all said and done my brain had more than it could handle! I ended up with 62 post it notes in a matter of 15 minutes. Give it try!

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(My brain dump.)

 

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.

6 cities, 12 days, 1 mission.

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Screen Shot 2014-06-10 at 11.20.52 PM

This week we have students and kids serving both stateside and international. This is so cool to see 3rd graders all the way up through graduated seniors taking the love of Jesus to many around the world, it’s one of my favorite seasons of the year. I’ll be going to Haiti, leaving here in a few hours. A really neat last minute surprise, my dad will be going on the trip with me! Stay updated on all our trips by following our picture blog HERE!

“Did I win?”

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basketballhoop600x375

Believe it or not, your small group leaders ask this very question every single week. Often a small group will end with your leader feeling frustrated or defeated because they couldn’t get through all their questions or even end with a prayer because someone was laughing, the juicy gossip was flowing, or simply no one wanted to talk. The small group leader walks away feeling like they lost. The feeling of defeat is the last thing we want our leaders to experience.

It’s playoff season in the NBA and everyone wants to win. My favorite basketball games are the ones that are point for point back and forth across the court with only seconds to spare. Almost every team has the same end game in mind when mere seconds are left…do whatever it takes to get the ball in the hands of the best player to take the shot before the buzzer. There is not a doubt in that player’s mind – this shot will win or lose the game.

As a leader of leaders, it’s my job to set my small group leaders up for the game winning shot. As time dwindles on the clock in small group, our leaders need to know how to take the game winning shot. The win for a small group leader needs to be clearly defined each week.

If we want our small group leaders to walk away feeling as if they won, we need to set them up for the win. Tomorrow I will share some wins with you that I have implemented for my ministry. #winning!

 

#OC14 so far…

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oc14-sc-8-630x210                     Here are a few quick things I have learned and been processing thus far at #OC14:

  • God has a specific calling on my life and my ministry. Living out this calling should look different than everyone else. I should stop gauging success based my personal and ministry accomplishments compared to others. Success should be based on whether or not I have answered and stayed true to what God has asked me to do.
  • There are far more (in numbers and tenure) dedicated kids ministry volunteers and staff opposed to student ministry staff. C’mon student leaders! Step up your game, stay loyal to your church, raise up an army of great volunteers for students.
  • You need to know how to define a win for everything you do in your ministry. What does a win look like for the guest that attends camp? What does a win look like for my small group leader after a small group? What does a win look like after a staff meeting? Defining your wins will help you strive for excellence and celebrate what is most important.
  • Don’t let your budget determine your vision. Let your vision determine your budget.
  • Prayer. Not praying for your ministry/church on a regular basis is like trying to launch and navigate a rocket to the moon without NASA. Let’s stay closely in touch with our all-knowing Father.

JOIN FOR LIVE STREAMING THIS MORNING!