Life of a youth pastor .

Quick Tip: Clean out the inbox and keep it clean!

February 22, 2014 by Chris Parker Leave a Comment

spam

Here’s a spring cleaning idea everyone needs to take action on. The inbox. Why does it always seem full, overflowing, and feel like you can’t keep up? Because 1/2 of those emails are trash, they need to be thrown away. Only a few hours can save you tons of time in the upcoming year.

Last year I spent a few hours setting up filters for my gmail accounts. This has saved me from headache and all those emails I don’t want from a store I bought something at, or that website I thought I really loved until they emailed me every other day. Sure, you can go through and delete all those emails, or try and track down the mailer and “unsubscribe”, but I find another method extremely helpful. Quit playing defense and set up a spring cleaning system that will keep that mailbox clean year round.

Gmail filters are very easy to use once you get the hang of it.

1. Click on the check box of the email you don’t want.

2. Under the “More” tab click on “filter messages like these”

3. Click on “create a filter with this search”

4. Click on boxes you want to apply, in my case, “delete it” (I never want to see you again!)

5. You can also apply to other similar emails in your inbox, I usually click on “apply filter to current conversations”

6. Click on “create filter” – Boom. You’re done…with that filter, now go make another!

It’s tedious work, but well worth it.

Check out this video if the steps above weren’t clear enough for you, there are a few more ways you can use these filters. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2Bk1Q9OquU

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: cleaning, email, filters, spam, spring cleaning, student ministry, student pastor, trash, Youth Ministry, youth pastor

Spring clean your ministry space!

February 21, 2014 by Chris Parker Leave a Comment

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My house has been through a remodel this year along with trying to make a yard out of a previous overgrown jungle. It seems like we are always spring cleaning at our house, but it feels good. It feels good to donate items to the local goodwill, sell some stuff on craigslist for cash or get those six yard bags to the curb from of all the pruning that was needed.

This isn’t only happening at home but at church too. My first “assignment” in ministry as an intern was to spring clean the church shed. Since then, I do my best to get rid of the things that aren’t needed and avoid piling stuff up in the closets. Student ministries around the country are notorious for hoarding. Don’t be a hoarder! If you haven’t used it in a year, throw it away, sell it or donate it to another ministry. The most uninviting thing a guest or family could experience is your mess, clean it up. Perhaps you need a change of scenery in your space, or you are so used to your mess you don’t see it. Ask others for feedback. You will be amazed at how much easier ministry is when you know where things are at and they are easily accessible. So, what does your storage space look like? If you don’t have storage but need some, how can I help you solve that problem or brainstorm?

Now the hard part, go clean!

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: cleaning, ministry, room, space, spring cleaning, student ministry, student pastor, Youth Ministry, youth pastor

Can two baptize one?

February 20, 2014 by Chris Parker 1 Comment

baptism

Last night was awesome.

As stated in my previous post about Young Life and my desire to partner with them… I had texted a few of their leaders yesterday and one responded by saying he was attending our churches baptism last night. Arriving at church I was introduced by one of my students to the local high school’s YL leader. We chatted for a bit and then discovered that we together were baptizing the same student! It was beautiful picture of the church and campus ministry partnering together to invest in the life of the next generation.

Our students need more than one positive influence and voice in their life. How can you cheer on those other positive voices that are outside your own independent church.

I hope to see this happen many more times in “our” ministry together reaching students for Jesus. What’s holding you back? How can you partner with your local school’s campus ministries. Do you have similar experiences to share?

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: baptism, baptize, campus ministry, church, leader, nextgen, small group, student ministry, young life, Youth Ministry

Partner with a campus ministry.

February 19, 2014 by Chris Parker Leave a Comment

YL_9251_Logo_PrimaryALT

I am super excited about something that happened last week. I sat down with a a former youth worker from my church who also participated on staff with young life. As we chowed down on breakfast tacos I confessed my envy of young life and their fantastic contact work/ministry they do with high school students. I also confessed my frustrations of feeling like I had to compete with this ministry, wanting to see more of these kids plug into the local church, selfishly my local youth group and not just attend a YL club.

After feeling like I revealed my deepest and honest feelings, I then proceeded to share what God had been doing in my heart. I know at the end of the day I will have to give an account to my maker for what I have done with the time given to me, the resources entrusted to me, and the people put in my path. For this season, God has placed almost 2,500 students right down the road not only in the churches path but also young life. We will both stand side by side one day to give an account for the students on that campus. We serve the same God and are both trying to reach students with truth in a relevant way.

So, what is the best thing a local church can do for a campus ministry like young life, FCA, Cru? Find those who are doing the ministry and simply ask the questions, “How can I partner with you?” “How can I serve you?” “What do you need?”

I began this conversation today and already something amazing happened tonight… more to come.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: campus ministry, church, high school, middle school, parachurch, school, student ministry, student pastor, YL, young life, Youth Ministry, youth pastor

Will leadership sufferings expire you?

December 9, 2013 by Chris Parker Leave a Comment

Time-expired-by-Joel-PennerAfter being at my church now for just over 18 months as a youth pastor I have come to the realization that I have reached my expiration date. Yup, the average tenure of student pastors across the nation. But why? In comparison to other jobs and positions held both inside and outside of ministry why only 18 months? We can knock on leadership’s door and ask why and many times the excuses could vary from we can’t have more money for our ministry or more staff to help us do our job, perhaps we just feel like a step-child in the church at times, staff and parents patting us on the back thanking us for “dealing” with the teenagers. I don’t think a student pastor leaves a church or ministry because of the students, budget, or even staffing, it’s simply a leadership thing.

A nugget shared from J. Oswald Sanders in his book, “Spiritual Leadership”…

“True greatness, true leadership, is found in giving yourself in service to others, not in coaxing or inducing others to serve you. True service is never without cost. Often it comes with a bitter cup of challenges and a painful baptism of suffering. For genuine godly leadership weighs carefully Jesus’ question: “Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?” (Mark 10:38b). The real spiritual leader is focused on the service he and she can render to God and other people, not on the residuals and perks of high office or holy title. We must aim to put more into life than we take out.”

I inherited the leadership of a student ministry with a small handful of dedicated leaders knowing we needed many more to help develop authentic faith for our students… forgetting what was behind and pressing on toward the goal over the last 18 months we now have 45 leaders and volunteers serving in student ministry! And while many give the thumbs up and applaud the numbers, we know it wasn’t just handed us. Take a good hard look at any church or ministry in the world that is growing – growth didn’t happen without painful moments and suffering that cuts deep emotionally and spiritually. In my situation I would say for every one leader recruited there has been a difficult or bitter conversation to be had with another. If anything, I have learned that my leadership sufferings have made me stronger, allowed me to carry more and develop a higher capacity of compassion for others.

The next time a challenge is added to your bitter cup or you experience painful suffering, just know that it’s part of the job description. And if you think quitting your position will excuse you from that, you are simply wrong. Challenges and suffering live at the top of the list when it comes to following the way of Christ. Hang in there, work through the bitterness and find joy on the other side, don’t quit too soon.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: church, growing, J. Oswald Sanders, lead small, leadership, ministry, small group leader, spiritual leadership, student ministry, suffering, Youth Ministry, youth pastor

GroupMe – A safer way to text & communicate in groups.

August 28, 2013 by Chris Parker Leave a Comment

GroupMe_logo_lockup_horizontalI recently had a youth pastor (Marcus Linton) ask me, “I’m looking into getting an app or some sort of program of some sort that would allow me to send out mass/group SMS text messages to my students. Could you help?”

Many student pastors and small group leaders are looking for different ways to communicate with students. I have tried multiple social media methods including facebook, instagram, emails, phone calls, and at the end of the day…drumroll please…the most effective way to reach a student where they are at is through text messaging! 96% of the time a student will check their text message right away.

We live in an era that communication is unfolding at a rapid rate. Though I’m 26 and part of the Y generation where we think anything is possible, and the world is a smaller place due to Internet and communication, I have the hardest time keeping up with the birth rate of technology. There is a new way to communicate every day.

How does this benefit youth ministry? How can we leverage the technology that has been given to us? Well, I have been introduced to GroupMe a few times this past year and believe it is time for us in student ministry to take the dive and try this out. GroupMe is definitely safer than private text messaging, technology can be used for good and bad, especially when it comes to adults communicating with students. There are loopholes with any app, or piece of technology, this one not excused but is much more above reproach than private messaging via text, fb, email, etc. This could be the answer to your problems Marcus, give it a try and let me know if it helps. Here are a few quick facts…

  • It’s FREE! (However, regular text messaging rates apply. Most people have unlimited.)
  • Set up multiple groups (I will be setting up some for my different leader groups) Your small group leaders could set up a GroupMe for their students.
  • Collect money toward an event, project, or purchase – everyone can chip in!
  • MUTE notifications…beware, it will blow up your phone once tons of people start replying. There is a way to MUTE the group so your phone isn’t constantly beeping at you.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: communication, groupme, leaders, safety, social media, student ministry, student pastor, students, text messaging, Youth Ministry, youth pastor

Supply Run! (DIY8.10)

May 8, 2013 by Chris Parker 2 Comments

shopping-cartThis is in response to a former article I wrote on DIY Student Ministry. This is the eighth of ten areas that I’m covering in this series.

I’ll make this one short and sweet. You don’t need to do all of the shopping for your ministry. There are plenty of leaders and parents out there that are willing to swing by the store for you, just ask. Get away from do-it-yourself student ministry by delegating to others, allowing them to be a piece in the process of pulling your program or event together. Bringing others into your supply run outings can bring great benefits.

ALWAYS

  • Ask another leader or parent to do your supply run.
  • Encourage leaders to take students with them, it’s a great time to build community.
  • Have a supply list prepared, more time is wasted in the store if you don’t have a list.
  • Understand your method of payment and how reimbursements work at your church, be up front with your leaders/parents and make sure they get their reimbursement.

IDEAS

  • Amazon Prime – Free two day shipping on most items, delivered right to the church. Eliminates the time and money spent on an outing to the store.
  • The dollar store…hidden treasures await you and your students.
  • Old stuff in your youth storage space, you haven’t used this stuff in a year. Get creative with supplies you already have or bring back an old game.

Subscribe to lifeofayouthpastor in the top right corner of this page, pass the homelink on to friends that might benefit from these postings. Thanks for reading!

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: DIY, leader, list, parent, shop, shopping, student ministry, student pastor, stumin, supply run, volunteer, Youth Ministry, youth pastor

Geocaching – a small adventure paying huge dividends!

May 7, 2013 by Chris Parker Leave a Comment

geocache

Since coming on staff at Gateway, I have quickly discovered the inner adventure nerd of my boss Kenny. He has a slight fixation on something called “geocaching”. This is simply finding unique containers that have been hidden at specific coordinates that can only be found with a GPS. It’s like a treasure hunt! There are some destined to be within a mile or two of where you live, there are over 2 million world wide!!!

I have used geocaching to help build camaraderie among new friends, volunteers, students, and even family. It takes a great deal of teamwork and each find is unique, always presenting a new challenge. What’s in the container? Well, there aren’t bags of gold but there is always a log for the finder to write their name on, this is a must and will be found at every geocache site. Some containers are larger and hold items from other finders that have discovered the cache, I have found anything from a rubber ducky to a nickel…you just never know.

What I like most about Geocaching:

  • It’s nearly free & tons of fun!
  • Family friendly.
  • Memories are made.
  • It requires teamwork
  • Develops perseverance.
  • Nightcaching – these can only be found at night, usually using flashlights. It puts a spooky spin on the treasure hunt! I recently hid one near my house, my wife and I took some kids on the hunt, they loved it!

Needed items:

  • GPS Device: I use an iPhone 5 that has a log, or you can get a handheld device at your local sporting goods store.
  • Login/Subscription to Geocaching.com, it’s free – but the app cost if you are using a smartphone ($10 one time fee) – totally worth it!!!

Give it a try, find three geocaches and I almost guarantee you will be hooked!

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Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: family friendly, finding, geocaching, GPS, introduction to geocaching, new, student ministry, student pastor, stumin, teamwork, treasure, treasure hunt, Youth Ministry, youth pastor

Create or maintain a student worship band! (DIY7.10)

May 3, 2013 by Chris Parker 1 Comment

StudentBand-1This is in response to a former article I wrote on DIY Student Ministry. This is the seventh of ten areas that I’m covering in this series.

I’d be the first to say that I’m not a musician. I know some scales, a few chords on the guitar and have a singing voice that would scare young children. While I was in 7th grade, the best thing my youth pastor ever told me was, “Chris, you can’t sing – let’s find another area for you to serve.” I never again took the stage as a musician. Let’s face it, you have room full of students, who like me, want to be a part of something great like a worship band but should never make the cut. On the other hand, gifted and talented musicians are out there…perhaps they are students or maybe adults. Let’s explore some options together and weigh the pros & cons of arranging a band for your ministry.

The student band – When it comes down to strictly students you are in for a treat, potential student leadership, some drama and little bit of everything else. I have eye-witnessed amazing student bands that understand the heart of worship but lack musical ability. The opposite can also be true, amazing musical talent with a lack of reverence and understanding who we are singing to, these are the crowd pleasers. The turn over rate in a student band is almost unreasonable…students are graduating each year, a new sports season comes along, a student gets a job. There is always a position that needs to be filled, thus a tryout process is always being discussed. Some student pastors do their best to provide leadership or ownership in this area – it takes a lot of time, patience and can be distracting from the big picture of the program or ministry overall.

The student/adult band – This tends to be the most preferred and economical model for the student pastor and the church. You may still be dealing with some of the things same things from the ‘student band’ model mentioned above, but now you have an adult or a few adults involved as well – which are hopefully a bit more matured in their thinking and musicianship. Recruiting an adult volunteer(s) for this position get help maintain order, bring better organization, and overall develop better consistency for your students and your program. They may play/sing with the students or simply be there for practices and programs. This role can be a huge encourager for students and will allow the student pastor to be more hands off, giving attention and detail to other areas of the program and ministry. This is my current model.

The professional band – Make it a paid position. I was a bit uneasy when first hearing about this model, but then I saw the product and the results. Recently visiting NorthPoint church in Atlanta I discovered that they pay a group of rotating professional musicians to come and lead the music element of the program for both HS and MS students. They are never late, rarely cancel, and deliver an A+ performance for students and leaders. Two things happen here. One, the student’s primary aim is to participate by bringing their friends to a dynamic and engaging program. Secondly, you don’t have to worry about uneasy transitions, teen band drama, and wonder what the band will sound like this week. Perhaps you can’t afford to pay a whole band each week, but how about a few rotating lead vocalists?

If you aren’t musically gifted, surround yourself with people that are. If you are musically gifted, still – surround yourself with people who are also musically gifted. Get away from DIY student ministry by recruiting and budgeting for great musicians to better your program.

Final thoughts:

  • Help your students understand the aim, that its more than performance, they are playing for Jesus.
  • If the student or adult is not the grade musician you are looking for…be honest.
  • If your current band sounds bad to you, it sounds bad to others.
  • Partner with your worship/creative arts team at church, get their opinions.
  • Rotations are good! Get different people playing on a regular basis if you can. This prevents fallout.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: band, DIY, professional musician, sound, student band, student ministry, stumin, tech, vocalist, worship leader, Youth Ministry, youth pastor

Game Over! (DIY2.10)

April 17, 2013 by Chris Parker 3 Comments

gameover

This is in response to a former article I wrote on DIY Student Ministry. This is the second of ten areas that I’m covering in this series.

Once again you find yourself trying to transition from a messy game to a serious message. As you wipe the shaving cream off your hands you ask the student’s to bow their heads and pray with you. As you disconnect your mind from your prayer…you begin drifting into thinking about how much time you spent on that game, how hard it was to set up and realize that you invested so much more time into the fun factor of the program rather than preparing a message that students can relate to…as you say Amen, you think “Well, here goes nothing.”

I’m have been guilty of this more than once. Some could blame procrastination or a lack of creativity, but games for students can be down right hard! Planning, preparing and executing games for a program takes time, thought and energy. Though you can probably do both the teaching and games…DON’T DO IT! Sometimes this can come down to a trust issue, “They can’t do games the way I do games.” “They don’t understand all the logistics that go into a group game for 100 students.” “This volunteer is not capable of putting on the fun hat and really getting the students out of their comfort zone.” While all of this can be true, you need to teach them. Lead your leaders to be great at games. Share the burden of the program with other dedicated volunteers and get away from doing both games and teaching. You can be good at both, but better at one when you empower someone else to own the other. Doing this will only help you get away from a DIY student ministry.

With that being said, I’d ask you to consider your student ministry philosophy of the program. What’s the purpose of a program? What’s the purpose of the game? Is it essential that I have a game in every program? These are some good questions to ask.

A few ideas when it comes to games:

  • What leaders come to mind when you think games? Who can be recruited, trained, and own this?
  • Have a night without the game, do something different.
  • Flip that around and have a night of programming that is just fun and games.
  • Don’t give away a prize every time someone wins, this can get expensive! Let them just have the satisfaction of winning.
  • Do a current inventory on all supplies, what can you use for games, what needs to be tossed?
  • Have a healthy mix of both up front games and group games.
  • Messy games are memorable games.
  • Practice communicating the game with fellow staff members before an audience of students, asking them, “Does this make sense?”

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: DIY, empower, game over, games, leaders, messy games, program, student ministry, student pastor, students, teach, Youth Ministry

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Hey there, my name is Chris. I wake up every morning thinking youth ministry. If you are in the same boat, then I know you will identify with me, because you also live the life of a youth pastor .

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