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March 9, 2015 by Chris Parker Leave a Comment

Perhaps this is your first time to stop by lifeofayouthpastor.com or you have been here before. How about from now on you don’t need to “remember” to come back and check out new content, let me take care of that for you. Subscribe in the top right corner of this page and each new post will be delivered directly to your inbox for FREE. What kind of stuff will you get when you subscribe?

Content such as these articles & downloads:

A free download of my student ministry handbook.
For student pastors and youth workers that feel alone – DIY student ministry.
An important question for you to answer, “What kind of youth pastor do you think you are?”
Here’s a free and easy group game that students love!

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What kind of youth pastor do you think you are?

February 17, 2015 by Chris Parker 4 Comments

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.

January 28, 2015 by Chris Parker Leave a Comment

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…]

Are your leaders equipped?

December 17, 2014 by Chris Parker Leave a Comment

When we launch a new leader into a small group, it’s just another day in our world. We forget too often that this is not just another day for this new volunteer. For this new leader, it could be the equivalent of launching an astronaut into outer space, asking them to embark on a foreign journey. This journey will undoubtedly have unexpected turbulence and certainly new ideas and concepts never encountered before along the way.

A question I ask myself often, “If I were a leader or volunteer in my ministry, would I feel well equipped for my role?” And the answer I sadly give myself sometimes is, “no”. When this reality sinks in for any of your volunteer or leader roles you need to troubleshoot, problem solve and strive to equip or you are going to lose this volunteer you worked so hard to recruit.

Leaders and volunteers step out of youth ministry every year for various reasons, but a big reason that I continually hear from not just my own ministry at times but from others as well, “I just didn’t feel well equipped for my role.” Wow. We worked so hard as a church to recruit this person we just had to have in this serving role and now they are walking out the door after 6 months of volunteering their time. They head back to warming pews during sermons as we eagerly look to “fill the gap” that volunteer left behind.

It’s your fault. No, not all the time but most of the time you can attribute someone’s reason for leaving because they didn’t receive the continual training, encouragement, and guidance they needed during their season of serving. It may not be your role to do all the equipping but it is your responsibility if you are the leader of the ministry.

We are always refining and re-thinking the way we equip our leaders in my ministry. I want to make sure a new leader is very well equipped and educated before stepping into a small group setting, but it shouldn’t stop once they start serving…they equipping should be tailored to the leader.

In the same way an astronaut would use various equipment from mission to mission, your small group leaders need various means of support and tools for the various groups and ages that they work with. It starts simply with a conversation and a few questions for those you lead to see how you are doing in this area, starting with the one for yourself “If I were a leader or volunteer in my ministry, would I feel well equipped for my role?”

Your sign to get a new sign.

April 29, 2014 by Chris Parker Leave a Comment

If it’s not simple.
If it’s not short.
If it’s not synchronized.

SIMPLE – If you are running a program or ministry project that requires signs, directions, or logos, you want people to read it and read it correctly, right? So keep it simple, make sure it’s legible and not too crazy with unnecessary fluff. Remember, simple is clean, clean is attractive.

SHORT – I just finished visiting a church and walked through a 12,000 sq. ft. space of a church lobby. There was only ONE word on the giant wall as people left the auditorium. “CONNECTIONS” Simply one word says it all. There is not a question in anyone’s mind about where to go to get further connected to what is going on in that church. The more words, artwork, phrases, pictures, random, useless, meaningless…well you get the idea, people stop reading or lose interest. Keep it short. Whatever you desire to have the most attention in your space dial it down to one or two words.

SYNCHRONIZED – You might have the coolest sign ever, but if it doesn’t match anything else in the church you are sticking out like a sore thumb in a bad way. Figure out your churches style and fit into it, if you don’t like the style or the style is too outdated, sketch up some proposals and get some feedback before purchasing that big sign or multiple signs for your space.

Here is what I did with our student space at our church to communicate to the general public where students hang out on Sundays and the program times we offer.

If you are coming from the visitor parking lot and don’t see the doors, at least the 8ft. tall word STUDENTS will give it away.

Good signage following these three rules does not cost your church an arm and a leg, it just takes some brainstorming, creativity, and agreeing on next steps. The paint on the building and vinyl work on the doors gets complimented every other week. People share how helpful the signage was in directing them. It only cost a few hundred bucks, 3 sit down meetings and roughly 4 email threads. Small investments of budget and time can make a huge difference and leave a big impression to those visiting for the first time.

My Breakouts for OC 2014!

April 7, 2014 by Chris Parker Leave a Comment

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