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Jim moving to the Stamford branch. Moses dying in the wilderness. Gordon Bombay not coaching the Mighty Ducks of district 5.  Your teacher of three years, the savior and messiah dying and then ascending to heaven. What do these all have in common? Though they are not equal in weight, they are each a moment of transition. Transition meaning, what once was is no longer.  Things have changed.  

As true with anything in our material life, things change.  Students graduate or move.  Volunteers will eventually decide that it is time for them to step away from serving in the same capacity they have served.  Team members will move on to their next job.  In any of these instances, you might find yourself amid such change and stress.  Depending on the level of relationships, these transitions can be less stressful and others very difficult.  With the foreknowledge that transitions happen and are a part of life, how can we be prepared to weather these types of seasons? 

Thoughts

There can be a multitude of reasons why those around us are moving from the ministry we serve.  The cause for the transition could be the result of personal reasons or part of the natural process like students aging or volunteers experiencing career changes in their lives.  Any of these reasons have nothing to do with you as a leader.  Still, easier said than done, this can be dangerous territory for our thoughts.  The time of transition can bring with it an opportunity for the adversary to work his way into our insecurities.  Remember, “Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour.”  Also remember that “When he lies, he speaks according to his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”  So, we need to be aware of our thoughts. Lies can creep in easily.  Internal conversations like  “That the transition is your fault,” “You are a horrible leader,”  “There could have been a way to not let this happen, and we missed it.”  If there is no direct evidence of these instances as you reflect during or after the transition, then do not allow the adversary to creep in with lies of shame or guilt.  As we address the lies, we can then substitute them with truth.  First and foremost, that no matter the circumstance of the transition, you are a Child of God (Galatians 4:4-7). Start with that truth and rely on the sword of the spirit to continue to combat the enemy.  

Time

Any of the emotions you may feel from the transition will take time to process.  It is important  not to rush this sort of season.  In rushing, we could make rash decisions that may make the situation of transition even more painful and potentially divisive.  There will be a period where students will ask about why that volunteer or staff member is not here anymore.  Time and time again, you will have to retell the story of why they are no longer with the ministry.  And this will take (here come that word again) time. The transition of the volunteer or staff member may be immediate, but the effects of this move will not be immediate.  Imagine being in the role of Joshua for a second.  You have been helping Moses lead the Nation of Israel.  And then the thing that you knew would happen, happens.  Moses passes on and triggers a big moment of transition for the nation of Israel, and you (Joshua).  Though God had promised to be with Joshua as God was with Moses, the nation would still have to reckon with the fact that Moses is just not there.  Joshua was not a bad leader, but it was clear that Moses was not there.  This would be a fact that would be with Joshua throughout his leadership.  Why?  Because a transition takes time. So, let it take time

Trust

Though transitions often feel turbulent, the moment presents a big opportunity to grow in and practice trust.  Primarily, trust in God is strengthened.  Here is the thing about times of transitions, if we are caught off guard, know that God is not caught off guard.  Not only is God not surprised, but God is also still present amid the transition. Remember, the God that we serve is a personal, all-knowing God who loves you.  So, if we know that God is with us, not caught off guard, and is for us, then there is but one thing we must do, trust in God

All of these suggestions are way easier to type than practice.  In some instances of transition,  we feel like this cannot certainly be what’s best for the ministry or for us as ministers. And it is in those moments that we need to remind ourselves, or have someone we trust to remind us, that we are not God.  Only God is able to see the full effect and impact of the transition we are currently experiencing.  Our role is to guard our thoughts, give time, and trust

It can not be stated enough how important the family is to the spiritual growth of our students. In the olden days (I’m 49), there was an expectation that the church was responsible for the entirety of spiritual training for the children and students within the church. We have realized over the years that we were all mistaken. Deuteronomy 6 gives us a clear understanding of the need for family involvement in the discipleship process. In verses four through nine, the Bible tells us

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.  And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.  You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” (ESV)

 With only one to three hours out of 168 each week given to youth ministry “programming,” there is no doubt that the family is going to have a far greater impact on our students. Our students live with them, eat with them, vacation with them, and endure the difficulties of life together. While student pastors can be an important part of their lives, we are not their parents or even members of their families. With that in mind, it is vital that we pour into the families of our congregations and give them opportunities to grow together in the relationship with Christ and their service in the church. Here are four ideas for promoting not just family time, but family ministry time.

Get them to serve together. 

Seek out opportunities for students and parents to serve together. It can be as simple as serving on a soup line together or providing mission trips in which the whole family can engage. We have seen the bond that is formed when students do something hard together. Our families deserve that type of opportunity as well. Plan service and ministry days for the whole family.

Get them playing together.

My wife is a licensed professional counselor and play therapist. If there is one thing that I have learned over the years with her, it is this. Play is a natural part of a child’s language. We tend to lose that pattern of communication as we grow older. Play can close the gap between parents and children. Let’s give our families every tool available to have great communication at home. I can tell you from personal experience that it is a blast to watch students and parents duke it out in a Nerf battle or water balloon war. Life at home can often be too serious. Let’s give our families the opportunity to play.

Get them talking together.

At our house, our children never stood a chance. I’m a youth pastor and my wife is a mental health therapist. We talk about it all. However, I have found out over the years that not every family talks about things with the same openness that we do in our home. In fact, communication is often stifled in the home. Consider having a family class for a summer or semester. Have your small groups consist of the parents and children in each home. Ask good questions and have fun activities. Challenge them to build cities out of popsicle sticks. Have them create a family crest with art supplies. Our families need to interact around concepts as units.

Get them discussing God’s Word together.

This is one step deeper than just talking. It is having them engage around God’s Word. Try sending a follow-up to the Sunday message to your parents. It can simply be a handful of questions that your families can talk about in the car on the way to school or the store. Listen to the Sunday message with purpose and then email or text your parents the two to five questions that can open the discussion of God’s Word. It can be deep and theological, or it can be about the pastor’s illustration. Just get them talking about the message.

If we want to see our students grow and have a lifetime of faith, then it is time to invest in more than just the student walking into our youth spaces each week. We need to see that student as part of a system. If we seek to impact that family system, our reach can be much further.

Let’s face it, one of the key skills needed in youth ministry is resourcefulness. Who else but youth workers can stand in the middle of a Dollar General with two empty carts and manage to use their creativity to resource 5 different games for less than $30? We are used to last-minute change and we are ready to adapt when the need arises. When COVID-19 hit, youth workers across the world created, adapted, and resourced their way through it all. Even though we can react and respond to different challenges, we really hit our stride when we step into being proactive and when we have taken the time to prepare for the road ahead. Even though we may have been stuck being reactive for so long, especially as we have navigated this pandemic, I want to encourage you to take a moment to think proactively about how you can build up your mental health resources for the year ahead.

Let’s stop for a moment and look at where we are and where we are going. Even before the pandemic, we were seeing a worrying rise in mental health issues in adolescents. We know that during the pandemic we have seen more and more teenagers experience mental health issues. According to the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, a majority of parents, 69%, have seen a change in the child’s mental health due to remote learning.  COVID restrictions have caused 59% of parents to witness their child become increasingly more socially isolated. 73% of parents also say there is an increased need for mental health support from their local school district. And about 43% of middle-schoolers are experiencing re-entry anxiety as they head back to school. What if youth ministries prepared themselves to respond to the need we know is coming up over the next year? 

I want to offer three specific categories of resources that you may find useful.

TRAINING

The first thing you may want to consider as a resource (not just for you but perhaps your whole team) is training to respond to youth experiencing a mental health crisis. You probably already invest in CPR training (if you don’t, you should!). It is no different when it comes to mental health. There are different training resources that you can work through with your team. One of the most comprehensive and recognized training courses is Youth Mental Health First Aid. This can often be found at discounted rates and sometimes free. It provides an overview of different mental health challenges and teaches you a 5-step action plan so you can respond to a youth in crisis with both care and practical next steps.

PROFESSIONALS

Next up is knowing that we are limited in the responses we can give. Unless you are a licensed mental health professional, then there will come a time when you should help a student and their family access the professional support they need. One great way is to build up your local connections with therapists. One thing I do to make connections is to head over to Psychology Today. They have a section of their website where you can find a local therapist. The great part of this search is that you can select filters to find what you are looking for. This includes ages served, location, types of therapy, faith background, and price.

I encourage you to contact some of them by email or phone. If you explain that you work in the area with youth and you are trying to build your network so you can refer students to people you know, then you can usually set up at least a video call, if not arrange to meet for coffee. When the time comes and you are faced with a student experiencing a mental health crisis, you will have contacts ready to go and can take the first steps to make an introduction.

RESOURCES

There are so many good resources out there, but I wanted to name a few that can be your first step in your own research. First up is Axis.org. They have downloadable parent guides, discussion kits, webinars and much more. You can get some of these resources for free and you can also become a member for access to a wider range of resources.

If you are wanting to explore the topic of suicide prevention, Download Youth Ministry has a free “DYMUniversity Course” that you can find here https://blog.downloadyouthministry.com/free-dymuniversity-course-suicide-prevention/

Fuller Youth Institute produced a 4-week curriculum that engages High School students in faith-filled conversations around the topic of anxiety and depression. This course includes videos, discussion guides, teaching scripts, media packs, and much more. You can find out more here https://fulleryouthinstitute.org/anxiousworld 

And finally, you can download a whole library of mental health resources by heading over to Orange and downloading their resource pack with links to multiple organizations, videos https://orangeleaders.com/resources/mental-health-resources/ 


ABOVE ALL, caring people are going to be your biggest resource. As students return to school, as relationships continue to struggle under the stress of the unknown, as students look for ways to release their pain, and as they look at ways to numb what they are feeling – I pray for you all, caring adults that choose to stand in the gap, who are willing to have the difficult conversations, to demonstrate God’s love in action, and to seek His wisdom in all thing. May some of the things above help you in what lies ahead.

Eating tide pods.

Nacho table.

Mustard on watermelon. 

Showing your goofy side.

Viral Trends are here to stay.

I realize that looks like an oxymoron. A trend that is here to stay? Well, yes and no. The specific trends will change. But I think the principle of the viral trend will stick around for quite awhile. It has become a mainstay on social media. And, since the majority of our students have smart devices and social media accounts, or friends with those things, viral trends will be something they will know about, participate in, and maybe want to try. 

The trend will ever change but there will always be a trend. Viral trends are here to stay.

Here are three ways to react to trends and how they can shape what you do in ministry

One, not every trend is a value add to your ministry

Sometimes we can try to be “too cool” in a disingenuous way. Remember “on fleek”? That was an odd one, huh? But wow, was it popular in a lot of areas! I’m not sure if you used that language at all in your ministry, but it would be hard to do that in a genuine way. It’s pretty obvious we would be trying to fit in, be cool, know our trends and try to speak their language. 

Don’t feel bad or left out if you miss a trend or don’t include it in what you do. Youth ministry is not meant to be trendy, but to disciple teenagers to build a faith that lasts. At times we can use trends, but not every trend is a value add to your ministry.

Sometimes trying to hop on a trend can fail pretty easily. Sometimes trying to hop on a trend can go over super well. Wisdom and discernment are needed. 

Quick discernment, though, because that specific trend won’t last long!

Two, know the trend well before you implement the trend

One other caution toward trends is to make sure you know the trend, where it came from, and it’s motivation before you use it. There are good trends that come from bad beginnings that have been co-opted for good; and there are bad trends that have come from good beginnings but have been co-opted for bad. There are some trendy words that can mean one thing in one context and something completely different, and derogatory, in a different context. For example, we had a group of middle school students (from a local Christian school) using a specific word at a Fall Retreat that, in certain contexts, was really a pretty harsh and negative word. When we asked them what they meant by that word, their definition and understanding was far different from what the broader understanding and definition was. So we had that conversation about language and using a trendy word can mean something different than intended depending on the context.

Knowing the trends is really helpful in understanding teenage culture at this time. Even if you don’t implement any trends or use them in your ministry, being aware of them is helpful in engaging conversations and knowing the world of the teenagers we serve and disciple. 

Three, have fun with it!

Some trends are just plain silly and fun. Get on board and have some fun!

If you are disgusted by mustard, your students may just love to see you do the mustard and watermelon trend because of the genuine reaction they would get from you! 

If you have a small group get together, your small group will long remember a huge table full of nachos. And even better, they will remember making it with you and the silliness and fun of the whole experience! 

Not every trend will be worth it, but sometimes using a new trend in your ministry can breathe a fresh breath of humor and enjoyment into the group that enhances relationships and builds bridges to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Teenagers like to have fun. Sometimes it can be exhausting trying to come up with group activities or games that are fresh and new…what if trends informed some of those activities? What if we became students of trends, discerning what trend we could follow with integrity and character; discerning what trend may work in our context; discerning what trend may have the biggest value add and just simply be fun to do together? 

We are back into the business of a new season of youth ministry. Keeping our spirituality healthy is vital. As youth workers pointing young people to God, we each want to pursue our own relationship with God. There are several key tenets to this pursuit, reading God’s Word, praying, being part of a community of faith. Yet there are so many more things which can encourage us and benefit our spiritual health! 

Below are a few things which have helped me enjoy and given me a different perspective to growing in my relationship with God. 

Enjoy My Calling

When I am most spiritually healthy, I realize that I am enjoying the work that God has called me to do. I am called to be a youth worker, to serve the young people of the church and support them in their discipleship. In the times where I am enjoying this service to God, I know I am closer to Him. There are moments where this feels like a challenge! Our work isn’t always enjoyable. But in those moments or seasons where it feels difficult, it is a great opportunity to take some time to notice how God is working in your context. Allowing these times of reflection can help us see how God has used us or is working in the spiritual lives of our young people. By creating space to notice how God is moving, we will enjoy our calling and stay spiritually healthy. 

Embrace Your Role

While I can enjoy my calling, it’s also important for my spiritual health to know my boundaries. Embracing my role means knowing what is mine to do and ultimately being confident because God is in control. Our theology plays out in our lived response to this truth. If we truly believe that God is in control, we can accept our boundaries and what our role is to play. However, if we think everything depends on us, including the faith of our young people, that will be too heavy a burden to carry. By embracing these truths about who God is, it will help us to live better and means we can generously give God the glory for all that he is doing. 

Enter Into Sabbath

Sabbath is the gift of rest from God. Peter Scazzero writes about Sabbath saying, “The Sabbath calls us to build the doing of nothing into our schedules each week. Nothing measurable is accomplished…We trust God to provide and care for us”. It’s counter to everything we see around us, and much of what we see in the church. Yet it is a beautiful gift to support our spiritual health. 

Scazzero goes on to give four qualities of a biblical Sabbath which I commend to you: 

Stop: Here is our permission to stop, cease the business and trust in God. “We stop on Sabbaths because God is on the throne, assuring us the world will not fall apart if we cease our activities.”

Rest: It allows us to detach from the things which consume our weeks. Time away from thinking about work, worry, the endless tasks around the house. 

Delight: This one is my favorite! Sabbath can be a space for delight! Do what you love and thank God for it!

Contemplate: Take time to enjoy God. “Pondering the love of God remains the central focus of our Sabbaths.”

I’ve recently used these to plan my vacation and it made me more grateful to God for the break. 

Wonder

Isn’t our God amazing!!! 

I have recently completed a Master’s in Theology and one of the best things was finding out more about God’s character. I saw something beautiful in God and couldn’t help but wonder. I wanted to know more, to see things I hadn’t noticed before and this brought me so much joy! For you, what is it about God that makes you gaze in wonder at Him? Whatever it is, embrace it, dive in! It’s a great way to invigorate your faith if you’re feeling spiritually stuck. 

Space For Spontaneity 

Most of us pack out our weeks. Our diaries have each moment scheduled. Time in between things is an opportunity to squeeze something else in. Yet I know this has an impact on my spiritual health and ability to live well as a Christian. 

If I live at a fast pace, I have no or limited opportunities for spontaneity. Let me share the value of spontaneity for our spiritual health. First, moments to love others often come without warning. Pastoral opportunities. Chance meetings in our community. Having space in our week allows us to practically respond and live out our faith without feeling overwhelmed. Second, having a margin in my week makes me more likely to notice God moving, speak with Him or allowing me the chance to reflect on his truth and goodness. Space for spontaneity often leads to holy moments, serving others or personally enjoying God. 

Why not share what you have been blessed by and different ways which have brought a benefit to your spiritual health? 

Let me get you to think about buying a car.  Actually going to the car dealership to buy a car. If you’re like me, before you’ve even walked in the door of the dealership, you’ve done some research online. Perhaps you went to Consumer Reports website or you looked at a copy of Car And Driver with a hope to educate yourself. 

And then, as you whittled through the options, you began to see certain models that impressed you or fit into your budget. And eventually you come to a place where you’ve done as much homework as you can and you’re ready to hit the dealership showroom. So, you make your way over to the showroom and deep down there is a hope inside of you that it might be possible to simply walk the showroom floor without a salesman coming over to pressure you into buying a car.

And then you find the car that you looked at online and it’s around the same price as what you saw and has many of the same features. 

And then it happens. Mr. Car Salesman hunts you down and he starts making small talk. And deep down you remain guarded and wished that he wasn’t there.

And then the salesman asks if you want to take the car for a test drive. Now, there’s a part of you that wants to and there is a part of you that wants to run out the door.

But you agree and soon you’re behind the wheel headed down the highway. And that’s when things switch into another gear. As you’re driving the salesman starts to tell you about all the features and as soon as he has won you over and he knows that you’re going to seriously consider buying this car, he starts telling you about the more upgraded version. 

That updated car has the back-up camera and is even able to “back it up.” It’s got the BOSE stereo system. The warranty is for an extra year and he names how all the reviews give it WAY more praise than the model you began looking at.

The sales tactic that the salesperson employed is called “bait and switch.” And the premise is to simply put something shiny in front of a prospective buyer, to real them in like a fish on a hook, and then to get them to buy something more than what they intended to buy.

Why did I take you through all that?

Because as we build relationships with students, it might be what we do.

Once I wrote to a number of parents and students who all went to the same school and told them I would be at their lunch hour with cupcakes. And just as I had hoped, a dozen Jr. Highers came, said hi, chatted, and got cupcakes. Then, 45 minutes later, another dozen high school students came, grabbed cupcakes, and a number even ate their lunch with me. 

So… Mission accomplished. Right?

But a part of me felt like I pulled off a “bait and switch” on those students because my gracious offer turned into a promo moment for our youth ministry. 

Well, let’s kick this conversation up a notch. Have you ever planned an event and cleverly found a way to insert some sort of message into that event? 

My answer – Yes I have. 

A few years back I hosted a Superbowl Party and I billed it as an event for friends to hang out, watch the game, eat food, and things like that. After the event a well-intentioned student told me that he had hoped I would have used the event to share the gospel with those there, but I told him that I wanted the event to be that which was advertised and not something that it wasn’t.

While I want to teach and model the gospel repeatedly, I have come to a place where I just don’t want to be a car salesman doing the good old “bait and switch.”

The gospel is not a gimmick and at this point in my life, while I want anyone that I come into contact with to know Jesus, I want it to happen as a result of either dialoguing with that person or because they willfully sat under some sort of teaching/preaching time.

As you process this here are some questions for your consideration:

  1. Have you ever used a “bait and switch” approach?
  2. As you read this post, how does the “bait and switch” premise strike you?
  3. If you disagree with my premise, would you be willing to contact me and share how you’ve come to your conclusions? 

Let me leave you with this final thought. As I was thinking about all of this, I couldn’t help but think about how Paul writes so many churches in the New Testament and as he does, he does so out of an authentic desire to care for them. As well, he is honest and up front. 

My point –There was no “bait and switch.”

If this gets you thinking or re-thinking about your methodology, then I am glad to have written this.

Parents are one of the greatest allies we have for the ministries we lead. It’s incredibly important that we have healthy connections with our parents because not only do they spend the most time with the students we lead, they hold the most influence with them.

Creating partnerships with parents goes a long way and they greatly appreciate any effort to include them in the ministry. Chances are, by not including parents we miss out on an entire aspect of ministry that could shape our ministries for the better. Here are 3 ways we can all be better at connecting with our student’s parents.

Monthly Parent Emails 

I know this one may sound like it won’t make a ton of impact, but if you’re not currently doing this, it’s something to highly consider. This practice is one that gives parents an opportunity to see what their student is being taught.

How it works is you send a monthly email with an outlined teaching schedule (this doesn’t have to be super detailed). All it needs is a series title and the weekly message main ideas in bullet points. Also, you could insert some follow up questions below the weekly main idea for the parent to ask their student which can help foster conversations.

When I started sending out my monthly teaching topics it equipped my parents to have better conversations with their students and that’s a win. I had parents telling me that it not only helped them know what was happening with the teaching schedule, It also gave them a heads up if we were going to be talking about dating, relationships or other sensitive topics. They’d rather know than be surprised by their student telling them when they get home. You can also add stories of how God is changing students’ lives through the ministry in these emails.

Small Group Leader Connection

This is one I’m learning a lot more about in my journey. From what I’ve experienced so far, this practice is extremely effective. I encourage my small group leaders to get to know the parents, even spend time with them, outside of the regular ministry time. 

The goal is for the small group leader to be the one building relationships that last. There are great benefits to such relationships. Communication improves because you can let information flow through the small group leader to the parents. Change is easier. The stronger the relationship the better and the easier it’ll be to navigate change. 

I try to think about these relationships like this, I would rather a student and their parents being way more excited to come every single week excited to see Rachel the small group leader than they are to see me. That’s a huge win!

Parent Roles

Don’t underestimate the value of having parents involved in the ministry. One way to make the most of parent involvement is to give them some roles. 

Gather parents that are invested and ready to serve and ask them for help. Giving parents some responsibility is a good thing and most of them appreciate the ask. I’ve found the more I fight to include and not exclude parents, the better my ministry to students is.

I guarantee you that you’ve got some parents that would love to serve.  They just need to be asked to help.  They are prepared to  help come up with event ideas, help you generate leads for volunteers, help write those parent emails, host a small group at their home, or even be willing to be drivers for the ministry. Parents have some great ideas and often just need to be asked to lead.

Going to the doctor is something everyone loves to do. Going to the dentist – even better! However, both fall short of the ultimate enjoyment, which is having a bowling ball repeatedly dropped on your foot.

In case the bowling ball wasn’t obvious enough, I’m being sarcastic.  Although, I have met people who genuinely love going to the dentist. It is truly baffling. My wife is one of those people, so we might qualify as being unequally yoked.

Why do you think many of us can’t stand going for health check-ups? Here’s my wild theory: We anticipate being told, in so many words, that we’re not healthy. 

Several of us have similar hesitancy about annual or semi-annual evaluations at work. Those of us in vocational ministry may feel even more pressure, especially if our church’s definition of success is rooted in attendance or a specific number of salvation decisions.

The point of this article isn’t necessarily to alleviate anxiety that results from evaluating the health of your ministry, but I want to emphasize how clear expectations, personal boundaries, and accountability can help that anxiety. It’s important for you to have clear communication with your leadership to confirm you’re on the same page regarding the definitions of health and growth. In addition to your spouse, if you’re married, regularly speak with wise friends who are further along in their ministry journey. Talking to a counselor is also an excellent way to evaluate and measure your ministry. 

The measurements laid out here are not meant to criticize the state of your ministry. My hope in suggesting these is to simply suggest them as a guide in your efforts to be faithful and invest in your students. The following are 3 ways to measure a healthy youth ministry.

Ask Yourself What The Ministry Would Look Like If You Weren’t There.

This is the indicator many of us have heard most, and while it’s a powerful metric, it needs to be understood in the proper context. Regardless of a ministry’s health, our absence will create an unmistakable impact. The reasoning behind this method isn’t to pat ourselves on the back for being awesome, nor to burden ourselves with the unrealistic expectation of keeping an entire ministry afloat by ourselves. 

This exercise allows you to gauge how well you delegate, train, and empower your leaders/students to function within the mission and vision of the ministry instead of simply following your instructions from the stage or watching eye around the room. More importantly, the hope would be that relationships grow tighter and more supportive as they depend on Christ and seek discernment from the Spirit. Think of it as an extended workshop exercise for your leaders, and a controlled pre-launch of your students before they actually launch into college or a career. 

Identify Your Core And Think About What A Visitor Would Experience.

Whether you’re in a new ministry, or there has been significant turnover due to students graduating and leaders rotating, it’s always good to have a sense of who comprises the core of the group. You should make sure the core is healthy (that could be its own blog post), so that you have a grasp on what a visiting student would experience. Social integration for teenagers can be complex, which means there isn’t a ministry with a 100% visitor retention rate. However, there are many ways to ensure a genuine and encouraging atmosphere for anyone who walks through your doors. 

What do students see and hear in their first 10 seconds? Does anyone greet them? Are they forced to immediately join in awkward conversation with a bunch of strangers, or is there space for them to observe and interact as they’re comfortable? These are just some of the elements to consider as you measure the experience for those visiting, especially if they don’t know Jesus.

Evaluate How Much You Focus On Evangelism And Discipleship.

This metric is interesting. I think you could have a large group of youth workers all agree that the correct ratio is obvious, but then hear them provide several different answers. Whether you focus on the Sermon on the Mount/Upper Room Discourse, Matthew 28/Acts 1, or the pastoral epistles, it’s clear that the Church needs to highly value both evangelism and discipleship.

Those who emphasize evangelism usually play the salvation trump card, and believe that aspect of youth ministry is what really matters most. I fully agree; however, solid discipleship can help those who haven’t truly trusted Christ realize it, shed their pride, and do so. I’ve seen many students in various settings over the years, and even some leaders, who responded to the Father drawing them to Himself to their own shock and the shock of many who thought they already had long ago. 

The tragically large percentage of students who walk away from their faith after high school can also be helped by discipleship. A throng of new decisions for Christ on a Wednesday night or at camp is fantastic, but if a large number of these end up considering it a vapid, irrational, meaningless decision they were “tricked” into…how does that honor Christ or edify His Bride?

We should never assume that everyone in our ministry is a believer, or that none of them can handle deep discussions. We should provide a healthy balance of milk and solid food (Hebrews 5).

I pray that this list helps as you depend on Christ and point your students to Him. Press on, brothers and sisters…

…and don’t forget to floss!

As we go into the Fall of 2021, many of us see that there are new trends growing in our ministries. You might have experienced something new with your students over the summer or you might have heard of something new and exciting another youth leader has been doing in a different city. While some teen culture trends might not translate well to our ministries, others might help us to reach students right where they are. Here are 3 trends that might help your ministry this season.

Un-Plan Your Events

Many students are excited to see what “normal” will look like this Fall as some return to school and other activities. While you might be considering planning the grandest event in town to welcome back your students this year, many students are looking for a more personal connection to our events. Some are calling this a focus on relationships rather than programming, but it is important to remember that programming and planning aren’t the enemy. Youth leaders may just have to learn how to include moments for deep connection between our students and volunteers in every worship service or event that we plan. 

You may need to learn how to un-plan times during events and create space for students to build face-to-face relationships again with their peers and trusted adults. For some, this might mean some intentional space during your gatherings where you purposefully create a time for students to be social with those around them. You might consider a time of sharing food together, trying something new as a group, or simply gathering with several students around some board game. 

Fine Tune Your Virtual Ministry

As you probably already know, students have developed a deep dislike for online meetings, especially the ones where their faces would be shown on a camera. If you have had any trouble connecting with students online, you may feel the sudden urge to drop online communication entirely since, in many places, people are beginning to come back together. However, our students aren’t retreating entirely from social media and other forms of communication; they are simply showing us what kind of online communication is still essential. Students across the country are finding new and meaningful ways to connect online that churches shouldn’t ignore.

Students are still online, social media apps are still growing in popularity, and we still have to find ways to communicate with students. It may be tempting to completely forget about the spaces that students currently inhabit online because youth leaders have had some bad experiences trying to connect with students. However,  this is the exact time that we should take what we have learned from the past year and apply those principles into our preparation for the Fall. While students are headed back into school structures, many of them will have less freedom to connect with us in-person during the upcoming months. Don’t forget about your students who might be excited to see you continue your creative video game ministry or social media posts throughout the upcoming months. 

Share in Difficult Conversations

Another trend, that is only growing in popularity, is that students want to discuss personal and social issues in public and private conversation now more than ever. Healthy and bold student ministries will cover difficult to discuss, relatable conversations, centered around faith, and explore practical ways to live out conclusions to these conversations. Students desire conversations about mental health, racial reconciliation, sexuality, political policies, practical ways to love others, and so much more. If you cringed at the thought of having those conversations with your youth, please know that if our churches cannot find space to host these conversations with love within the context of the church, we will soon be uninvited from these difficult conversations. 

Youth leaders everywhere need to lean into this trend and find space to hold empathy for the perspectives and experiences of our students. While we may find it hard to see where our students are coming from, we sometimes have to practice being a hearer as much as we are teachers. If we are willing to listen and sit with care in our hearts for our students, we will be able to hold Gospel centered conversations around the topics they are praying for us to address. 

Here’s a fun fact about me: I am a huge Marvel fan. While this might not be a blog post about my predictions for what’s coming next in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (you can DM me for those), this will be about a theme throughout the movies that immediately captured me: The power of a team. 

Who doesn’t love the idea of The Avengers? Assembling a team of people that are great at what they do sounds like a win for everybody involved. However, far too often, we don’t see this same idea lived out in youth ministry. Whether it’s getting caught up in the whirlwind of other day-to-day responsibilities, skepticism that a team can make a difference, or negative past experiences that have caused some pain, it’s not uncommon to see youth pastors trying to survive as heroic solo leaders without a great team around them.

Especially in these days of COVID and new realities of and for youth ministry, having a great team is more vital than ever before. According to The Barna Group, roughly 3 in 10 pastors have given serious consideration to quitting over the past year. These are tough times to do ministry in, and a great team of youth ministry “Avengers” can make all the difference.

Here are four simple things you can do with the team who are assembling around you now to make them better leaders: 

Care 

In the book The Anatomy of Peace, the authors describe how a person’s heart can be in two different states: A heart at peace or a heart at war. During stress or conflict, our hearts can turn from being at peace to being at war with a person, place, or thing in front of us. The major shift that they use to describe a heart at war is, “seeing others as objects.” 

Seeing people as people is a key to having a heart at peace, and it’s an important key in helping leaders reach their full potential. I’ve often heard the famous quote from Theodore Roosevelt about students in youth ministry: “Nobody cares how much you know, until they know how much you care.” The same is true for our leaders, they won’t care about how much we can teach them about students, until they know that we care about them as a person. 

Gut check question: Do you see that person as the “8th Grade Boys Small Group Leader,” or as Steve? Do you see them as the  “12th Grade Girls Small Group Leader,” or as Jessica? Do you know about their families, jobs, celebrations, struggles? Or, are you just asking about how the night went with their students? To make leaders better, it starts with caring about who they really are.

Check In

Let’s face it, sometimes it’s tough to have a meaningful conversation with a leader while a four-square ball is flying over your head. Our youth ministry program nights have a lot happening during them and might not be the most ideal time to talk with a leader. Instead of trying to rush everything on a single night, make it a priority to schedule time during the week for a  regular check in. This can happen a couple different ways.

First, there’s power in a weekly check-in. Much like we try our best as pastors and leaders to check in with students each week, we can check in with our leaders, too. Maybe you want to compliment them on something you saw them do well or you want to let them know you are praying for them. This helps build trust and lets them know you care.

In addition to weekly check-ins, there’s also the opportunity to check in with leaders in a deeper way every six months. This is a more focused time for you to dive deeper in any personal struggles or ministry obstacles that your leaders are facing. A few years ago, we started doing these check-ins with leaders by asking the same three questions: 

  • How is it with your soul?
  • How is it with your ministry?
  • Is there anything I can do to help make you a better leader?

These have been game changers for our leaders and I hope you experience the same!

Coach

Many of our leaders love Jesus and love students, but they might need some help in learning the tools to be a great youth leader. This is where we can be intentional about coaching leaders. Whether it’s sharing articles from the YS Blog, a video on volunteer training, or a great book, we have a role in being the coach to help leaders better their skills. 

So that coaching does not get lost in the whirlwind of your week, create a plan or schedule of what you can share with your team. For example, if you read a great blog online, save the article and set a reminder to share it with your team in a couple weeks. Being intentional about what tools and practices you share with leaders can make everyone better.

Celebrate

Everybody loves a reason to celebrate! Any chance you have to celebrate a leader, do it. Whether it’s a volunteering anniversary, the way they handled a crisis with a student, their tenure of service as they step away, or anything in-between, don’t be shy about being joyful as a team about it. A mentor once told me that what gets celebrated gets repeated. If we want healthy practices, behaviors, and culture to stick, then let’s celebrate well.

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