by Chase | Leadership, Ministry
One of the most difficult areas of family ministry is volunteer management.
Sermon preparation is awesome. Events are exciting and energizing. But there is just something draining about volunteer management.
That “something” can simply be identified as human nature. We are all imperfect people serving a perfect God which means that we will come up short more times than not.
This is an important truth to remember as you lead your teams. You cannot expect your volunteers to be perfect – only Jesus is. How frustrating is that! That means that people will miss important appointments, fail to fully invest in a student’s life, and cling to half-baked ideas that go against the mission and vision of the church.
There will always be tension when you work with people. But out of our frustrations we can begin to sabotage our own ministries if we are harsh with our words.
With your words you have the power to encourage your volunteers or crush their passion for serving Jesus.
Here are three statements that you should avoid saying to those who are giving their free-time to help you do ministry.
3 Things You Should Never Say To A Volunteer
“I’m Busier But Some How I Can Do This”
Humble much? Demotivating comments never motivate people. Obviously this is a redundant statement, but we can occasionally forget that hurtful words hurt people. Your volunteer may not have the best time management skills, but putting yourself (or another volunteer) on a platform will kill their passion for serving others.
“You Are Too Old To Serve”
There should be a spot in your ministry for every volunteer, regardless of their age. You need a diverse team of doers and managers. Some leaders can’t attend a lock-in, but they can mentor other leaders. There is nothing more devastating than hearing that you are irrelevant. Trust me, your older leaders are struggling with this statement. Don’t encourage the lie and cause them to think that there isn’t room for them in the body of Christ.
“We Don’t Need Any Volunteers Right Now”
Believe it or not, I have been told this when I was attending a church. Most of us would love to live this existence! I’m sure you are thinking “Too many leaders?!? Who are those lucky people!” Well, apparently they exist out there. Never turn away a willing worker even if you have all of your small groups covered and a good amount of people in your ministry. If not your ministry, perhaps another team needs some help in the greater context of your church.
Now What?
Church ministry is never US (pastors/staff) versus THEM (volunteers/congregation). Ministry is always WE serving JESUS. Your words will either build unity or bring division.
We must lead with a tender heart and soft words. That doesn’t mean that we overlook sin or avoid correction. It simply means that we speak the truth in love.
by Chase | Leadership, Ministry
Don’t worry about getting bigger; strive to get better.
Andy Stanley tells a story about Truett Cathy, the founder of Chick-Fil-A, during an intense leadership team meeting. At a time when Boston Market started to move into Chick-Fil-A’s territory, everyone was concerned about how they could get bigger and out-size the competition.
In the middle of the discussion, Andy Stanley says that Cathy started banding his fists onto the table and said these words,
“If we get better our customers will demand we get bigger!”
Leading a student ministry isn’t the same as leading a fast-food joint, but the truth here holds up: You need to focus on getting better, not getting bigger.
If we are all honest we would admit that the glamor of being a bigger ministry has intoxicated us at some point. We chalk it up as having a greater reach for Jesus, but we know that we selfishly driven by our own definition of success.
As student leaders, why should we be concerned with getting better? Simple: That means that more students are becoming Christians, being discipled, and developing other disciples. Yup, you read that correctly. The more deeply we are rooted in Jesus the more fruit the student ministry will produce.
Below are 5 areas that you should strive to get better at student ministry.
5 Ways You Can Get Better At Student Ministry
Become Better At Equipping Your Team
Ministry happens with teams. To become better at student ministry you need to be spiritually investing and pastorally leading your leadership team. These adult leaders will be an extension of your ministry. If they are spiritually dry your students will be dry. If they lack excitement, your students will lack excitement.
Become Better At Helping Students Own Their Faith
Your students have been gifted by God to do good works and further the Kingdom of God. How are you leading students to own their faith? Personally I believe that this is done through service and leading and not inside of a bible study. Students need a space to learn how God has gifted them and to start using those gifts. Getting students to serve in the kid’s ministry is a perfect fit.
Become Better At Pastoral Ministry
The key here is getting leaders to help share the load of ministry. How well are you ministering to families in the ups and downs of life? Are you equipping your leaders to make this an emphasis in their role in your ministry?
Become Better At Small Groups
Small groups, discipleship groups, Sunday school, or whatever you call them needs to be an open group where students can develop friendships and develop their relationship with Jesus. How well are you encouraging leaders, providing spaces for spiritual growth, and resourcing students to learn more about Jesus?
Become Better At Encouraging Parents
Parents are doing the best that they know how to do. You must remember that you work with the specific phase as a calling. Parents are walking into a new phase every few years. How can you encourage your parents to latch onto their role as the primary spiritual leader?
Now What?
In what other ways can you get better at student ministry?
