by Chase | Leadership, Student Min
Student leadership teams are awesome!
Tons of student ministries have student leadership teams, but few are utilizing the students’ gifts, talents, and abilities fully. Many ministries don’t encourage students to serve outside of the greeting time at midweek services. As a result, students don’t take ownership, get excited, or invite their friends like the student pastor wants them to.
Our student ministry has a student leadership team of seven students who are upperclassmen in high school.
I believe your student leadership team is one of the keys to building an effective student ministry. When you get students invested in serving, your student ministry will see incredible spiritual growth.
Here are 10 ideas that actually give students ownership in your ministry:
Plan Services
You aren’t 16 anymore. Your idea of awesome is different from the average middle and high school student. This is one area your student leadership team can help keep your student ministry engaged in youth culture. Give them the sermon outline and let them help the worship team create (with their guidance) engaging and creative midweek experiences.
Follow Up With Guests
Most student ministries gather contact information on visitors (if not, you need to start) and have adults send a card to visiting students. While students love getting mail, imagine the impact if an upperclassman sent a card! You can have the student write the card and you address them so there are no confidentiality breaches (students will be students).
Lead Games
I try to get our leadership team upfront as much as possible. Students need to see their peers on stage reading scripture, praying, and acting like fools. Give them some game resources, let them learn the rules, and schedule them in the worship set. For great game ideas check out FunNinja.org and DownloadYouthMinistry.com.
Lead Kids Worship
The high school leadership team is perfect to help with Kids Worship on Sunday mornings. We have two services, so I expect our student leaders to worship one and then help serve in Kids Worship. They lead songs, participate in skits, give devotions, and facilitate games. The kids love having high school students lead them (and our adults love that the high school students have as much energy as the kids)!
Plan Trips and Events
There have been times that I thought an event would be a sure-fire hit and found out that it was a flop. Pass event ideas by your leadership team (I use group texting for this) so you can get their honest feedback. They have awesome ideas! Remind them that you still have the final say on budget, safety, and logistics.
Create Theme Nights For Student Worship
Once a month we have theme nights for our student ministry. On that Wednesday our middle school and high school students are combined for one large group worship session. We use this to bring in new students and focus heavily on sharing the Gospel. (Blog post to come on how to utilize theme nights in your student and kid ministry.) Our least involved theme night is Flannel Night. The high school students came up with the idea and it amazes me how excited they get about flannel shirts.
Announcement Videos
This is an area I want to implement in our student ministry. Announcements can be boring and dry. Give your student leaders a list of announcements, a time limit (1 minute or so) and a GoPro camera and let them create something awesome!
T-Shirt Designs
Student pastors spend too much time trying to create T-shirt designs. You rarely know what is cool and are probably not a graphic designer. Let your team know the theme of your event and see what they can find or create. Send them links to CustomInk.com and FundTheNations.com, let them pick out a shirt, then order it. You will thank me later for saving you hours of design time.
Stage Designs
Each quarter we update our student ministry’s stage design. These updates are not expensive, but they are key to building ownership in the student center. Send a group text to your student leadership team with a link to ChurchStageDesignIdeas.com and let them help you create an awesome look for your space!
Ask Them Where They Want To Serve
Remember, your students are creative and intelligent. They will come up with ideas and ways to serve that you haven’t even thought about! Get their input. I can’t state that enough. Get their input. If you fail to get student’s input, they will not be invested.
Do you have any other ideas for getting your student leadership team mobilized for ministry?
by Chase | Student Min
A few weeks ago a student pastor asked me why it is important to bring in guest speakers for his students to hear.
It is a valid question.
Yes, guest speakers can be expensive.
Yes, you have been paid to lead midweek and/or weekend services.
But bringing in a guest speaker can serve as a catalyst for your group’s growth and spiritual depth.
Below are a few reasons I think every student ministry should bring in guest speakers.
Your team will have to decide how often you can utilize an outside source and what budgeted money you will be working with. I try to have a guest speaker at our retreats/camps and at least one during each big student ministry season: spring, summer, fall.
I utilize a guest speaker when I am out of town or on vacation, but I also schedule a few people to come in while I’m at service (especially when I ask a student to teach).
While I give you some of my thoughts, you can take these ideas and see how they fit for your ministry.
5 Reasons You Should Use Guest Speakers In Youth Ministry
New Voice
Does it drive you a little crazy when your students and leaders suddenly connect with the main point a guest speaker covers after you have been hitting on the same point for months? For most of us, we listen better when there is a new voice speaking. We can take advantage of this and strategically bring speakers in to help drive home truths, ideas, or concepts we have been covering. When your students see that you are not the only one who is teaching those concepts, they are more willing to grasp the vision.
New Perspective
Any guest speaker you invite in should have an unwavering commitment to Jesus and teach in accordance with your church’s statement of faith. They should also share their unique perspective based on their experiences and relationship with God. Some emphasize missions. Others have a heartbeat for discipleship groups. A new perspective awakens the passions already in people’s hearts.
New Style
It would be arrogant to think that you have the perfect preaching/teaching style to reach every student in your group. People have a variety of learning styles, so they naturally respond to a variety of styles and deliveries. You should be open to introducing new speakers and styles into your group so that you can reach those you may not yet have connected with on a personal level.
New Story
Some guests have a unique story to share about the redemptive power of Jesus. Aspects of their story may resonate with a student in your group. Inviting them to share their story with your people may connect on a deeper level with one of your students than you have been able to in the past.
New Opportunity
Do you have students who are interested in heading to a bible college or seminary? You should get them to teach! Your student may not be a “guest” in the traditional sense, but the main way you can develop leaders is to encourage them to explore how God has gifted them. This helps confirm a calling God may be placing on his/her life. Coach them before they teach and encourage them afterward.
Now What?
I would love to know how your student ministry incorporates guest speakers into the normal rotation and events. Comment below and let me know! How often do you bring in outside voices?
by Chase | Leadership
The Biggest Struggle Youth Ministers Face
– Christopher Wesley
The biggest struggle that youth ministers faces is that they don’t know when to stop.
Learning To Lead Your Team
– Jeff Pratt
To further your ministry you must be able to lead a team. Here are some helpful tips.
Teach Children To Be Strong In The Lord
– Rob Gallaty
Children can experience disappointment and frustrations just like adults. Rob explains how we can encourage them to stay strong in Jesus.
by Chase | Leadership
It is hard to imagine what life would be like in the first century.
How did student ministry thrive before Wal-Mart and smartphones??
Shoot, most regions of America have had indoor plumbing for less than 100 years!
Needless to say, the church has seen thousands of changes over the last 2,000 years. From church polity to buildings, and programs, churches have been no strangers to change. The mission of the church is eternal, but the methods are constantly changing!
But unfortunately, many local congregations struggle with implementing change.
When we make big things out of the small items we will never address the larger issues.
I am convinced that most churches do not grow because they are spinning their wheels on petty complaints and minor issues.
Just for fun here are a list of complaints early church members never said.
I need a reminder every now and again that our church gatherings are about making Jesus known in our hearts and in our communities. I need a reminder that our complaints are often foolish and 1st-world problems that typically show our lack of commitment to Jesus.
10 Things the Early Church Never Complained About
10. “The music is too loud.”
9. “I can’t believe the pastor preaches from an iPad!”
8. “I hope we can park our mule closer to the church this week.”
7. “The transition from songs to the offertory prayer was a bit awkward…”
6. “It appalls me that I would have to bring my child to service with me on the 5th Sunday.”
5. “Why can’t we adjust the thermostat? Do they not know it is summer?”
4. “Someone sat in my seat!”
3. “Student worship never ends on time.”
2. “They left my announcement out of the bulletin!”
1. “Are they really asking us to serve again? That is what we pay the staff to do!”
The book of Acts paints a picture of the JOY that came from a group that was largely persecuted. The early church didn’t complain about the petty issues, but pray about the larger situations. Their faith in Jesus overcame their need for control.
What complaints would you add to this list?
by Chase | How To, Student Min
I know…
If there was one thing you could do more each week it would be spend time with students. I’m not just talking to student pastors, but small group leaders and volunteers.
You serve in ministry because you want to impact lives.
But every week you end up feeling as if you have not spent enough time with students.
Things come up. Schedules are full. Goals of connecting with students turn into a distant hope.
The biggest challenge is to simply do something!
Students aren’t waiting on a grand gesture. They want continuous connection and communication.
Here are 7 ways you can connect with students this week:
- Brag on Them to Their Parents
Every student wants to know that he is on the right track. The next time you see his parent at a worship service or to pick the student up from bible study, spend a minute bragging on his behavior, leadership, or the way they are engaged during worship.
- Text Them
Students text constantly throughout the day. A simple text communicates that you are thinking and praying for them. Creating texting groups with the small group leader and students is a great way to start conversations without the awkwardness of texting a student one-on-one.
- Post a “Happy Birthday” Video or Picture On Social Media
Birthdays are essentially a personal national holiday for students! Show them that you are invested by posting a funny 15 second video or picture on their account.
- Prayer Before Service – Hangout after Service
Most students are dropped off early for midweek worship services. You can use that time to gather them for prayer before the service. Another key area is specifying a local restaurant of hangout that everyone is invited to after the service. I will say we are hanging out for 15-30 minutes and that parents are welcome to attend. This is low cost to the student ministry because kids pay for their own treat or just goof off with the rest of the group.
- Send a Prayer Card
Some small group leaders send cards to first time guests or when a student misses a bible study. Something that is just as effective is spending a few minutes praying for a specific student then sending him/her a card to let them know he/she has been prayed for.
- Maximize Your Time at Midweek
It is tempting to catch up with other adult leaders when you arrive for student worship services, but you must resist this temptation. How can you maximize your time and connect with students this week at your midweek service? Saying “Hey!” to every student is a great start, but think of some ways you can deeply connect with a few students.
- Personally Invite Them to the Next Student Event
Announcements do not work as well as personal invitations. Nothing communicates “We want you in our group” quite like personally inviting students to be involved in the group. This is not the sole responsibility of the student pastor – all leaders must spend time inviting students and informing parents when an event is coming up.
This list should give you some ideas to connect with your students this week.
How else are you connecting with students throughout the week?
