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22 Jan 2024

Nurturing Health in Youth Ministry Teams

By |2024-01-22T14:51:25-08:00January 22nd, 2024|Leadership|4 Comments


In the dynamic world of youth ministry, volunteers are the heartbeat that keeps the mission alive. It’s not merely about filling roles; it’s about finding the right individuals for specific roles, about how people “feel” when serving on our teams, and if they feel like they know what they are doing when they show up. The journey towards a vibrant and impactful ministry team starts with pursuing clarity before pursuing people.

1. Pursue Clarity Before Pursuing People

Effective leadership begins with a clear vision. Before diving into recruitment, take the time to define your mission, goals, and the specific needs of your youth ministry. When you have a crystal-clear vision you can make crystal-clear asks. You can identify the right volunteers who align with your objectives.

The adage “Leaders who know how to win, win” holds in youth ministry. Set clear targets for your team, outlining specific roles and responsibilities. This clarity not only guides your volunteers but also enhances the impact of your ministry.

2. Creating a Vibrant Team Culture

Beyond simply filling volunteer spots, creating a vibrant team culture is essential. It’s about fostering connections and building a sense of community among your volunteers. They become more committed and engaged when they feel connected to the mission and each other.

Host regular team-building activities, both within and outside of service hours. Encourage open communication and celebrate successes, big or small. A team that shares a strong sense of community is more likely to weather challenges and stay dedicated to the cause.

Here is an example of what I like to do:

  • Connect Weekly: Instead of trying to touch base with everyone every week, I encourage setting up weekly one-on-one sessions with leaders. Aim to connect with your crew individually every 4-6 weeks, fostering deeper relationships.

  • Gather Monthly: Designate a consistent date, perhaps the last Wednesday of the month, for a casual get-together. It could be a trip to In-N-Out or a similar outing after services. Initially, it may start slow, but as leaders engage, it will naturally grow into a valuable time for bonding. Informal ministry discussions are likely to occur in this relaxed setting.

  • Train Quarterly: Dedicate intentional quarterly sessions for training that focus on collective improvement. This includes team-building activities, learning sessions, and, of course, enjoying some good food together. Striking a balance between training and fun ensures growth and camaraderie within the team.

3. Effective Leadership: Being Available When It Counts

Leadership isn’t just about showing up; it’s about being available when it truly counts. Delegation and purpose are the cornerstones that empower leaders to be fully present during crucial moments. As a youth pastor, setting up your team for success is part of your leadership responsibility.

Delegate tasks based on individual strengths and skills. When your team feels equipped and confident in their roles, it frees you to be available for mentorship, guidance, and support during key moments. Successful leaders know how to empower their team, allowing everyone to contribute their best.

4. The Vital Elements of Health in Ministry Teams

In the pursuit of a thriving ministry team, focus on nurturing four vital elements: clarity, defined wins, community among leaders, and effective delegation.

Clarity: Clearly define your mission and communicate it consistently. This clarity guides your team’s efforts and fosters a shared sense of purpose.

Defined Wins: Establish clear goals and celebrate victories. Recognizing and appreciating your team’s accomplishments reinforces their commitment to the ministry.

Community Among Leaders: Build a supportive community among your leadership team. Encourage collaboration, open communication, and a sense of belonging.

Effective Delegation: Delegate tasks strategically, ensuring each team member plays to their strengths. This not only maximizes efficiency but also fosters a culture of trust and empowerment.

Youth pastors, remember that your volunteers are not just contributors; they are valuable partners in the ministry journey. By prioritizing clarity, building a vibrant team culture, and being available when it counts, you set the stage for a healthy and impactful ministry. Focus on these vital elements, and watch your youth ministry team thrive!

– Justin

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12 Jan 2024

Casting a Vision: Empowering Volunteers to Transform Young Lives

By |2024-01-08T08:41:30-08:00January 12th, 2024|Leadership|3 Comments

Casting vision for recruiting volunteers isn’t just about filling roles; it’s about painting a compelling picture of how their involvement can shape the destiny of young hearts. Often, younger leaders find themselves seeking guidance on how to effectively communicate this vision. Here are some practical strategies to cast a vision that inspires, empowers, and transforms within youth ministry:

Storytelling: Narrating Impact and Transformation

Stories resonate deeply. Sharing instances where volunteers impacted a young person’s life amplifies the tangible outcomes of their service. These stories bridge the present to a future where volunteers become catalysts for lasting change.

On weekends, as I engage in conversations with people, I make it a point to have a few ‘back pocket’ stories of leaders who have experienced life changes by serving themselves. These stories serve to help other adults realize the impact God can have on them as they endeavor to influence others. They’re quick anecdotes I can share amidst conversations.

Clarity of Purpose: Defining Goals and Objectives

A clear vision breeds commitment. Articulate the ministry’s purpose, goals, and the role of volunteers in realizing these objectives. Define how each individual contributes to the larger narrative of transformation.

One of the most significant mistakes we can make when addressing potential leaders is to say, ‘Just show up on Wednesday, and we’ll immediately get you involved.’ Unfortunately, I often witness this approach, and it’s truly alarming to me. It’s a disservice to those considering leadership roles. It’s crucial to properly prepare them, providing a clear understanding of what they’re committing to rather than throwing them in without guidance.

Vision Casting Events: Shaping the Bigger Picture

Events propel vision. Host gatherings solely dedicated to casting vision. Illustrate the impact of volunteering and showcase the opportunities available for those interested in joining.

One of our ministry practices involves hosting leader training nights wherein we cancel the ‘youth group’ session, giving the youth the night off. However, we extend invitations to all our leaders to join us for an evening of enjoyable activities, training sessions, and casting visions for the upcoming season. I appreciate this approach because it doesn’t add another night out for our leaders; it aligns with a night they’re already accustomed to attending.

Consistent Communication: Enabling Connection

Communication maintains enthusiasm. Regularly update volunteers on wins, challenges, and ongoing needs. Sharing success stories fosters motivation and a sense of belonging.

Involve Them in the Vision: Collaborative Leadership

Collaboration fosters ownership. Encourage volunteers to share their ideas and feedback. Involving them in decision-making processes strengthens their commitment. You can effectively address two needs by allocating time during leaders’ gatherings to plan for ongoing activities in your youth ministry, seeking their insights, and involving them in the planning process while they are all present.

Consistent Follow-Up: Sustaining Commitment

Consistency affirms dedication. After recruitment, maintain regular contact. Celebrate achievements, address concerns, and offer continuous support.

By integrating these strategies, youth leaders can effectively cast a vision that not only inspires volunteers but mobilizes them to actively engage in transforming young lives. It’s about creating a narrative where every volunteer becomes an integral part of the discipleship journey, influencing and changing eternity, one young heart at a time.

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8 Jan 2024

What to Do When Facing a Tough Meeting

By |2024-01-08T08:19:20-08:00January 8th, 2024|Leadership|2 Comments

We’ve all been there. Or we’re going to be there very soon. A situation comes up that we know will require a really tough meeting. Or we get the dreaded email to report to the pastor’s office without any context or warning. How do you deal with difficult meetings?

Pray

If you know that a tough meeting is coming up, spend some dedicated time in prayer about it. God knows our anxieties. He cares about them. He wants us to tell him what we’re anxious about because he cares for us. I find that to be incredibly comforting. Especially if I know I’m about to walk into a difficult meeting.

Focus on facts 

With really tough meetings, there can be a lot of emotions. Anger. Sadness. Confusion. Frustration. It can be really easy to get into the moment’s emotions and forget what is going on or what the meeting is about.

Do your best to focus on the facts of the meeting and refer back to them if you feel like you get off track. 

Listen more than you talk

Whether or not you called the meeting or are the subject of the meeting, it will be really important to listen. Even though it’s important to focus on facts, listening to the emotions and recognizing them will help you ensure the other party knows you are Listening to them and that you care for them.

If you are the source of the meeting, it can be tempting to defend yourself. Do your best to ask questions that show you are listening and want to understand what is happening.

Be clear

Don’t allow yourself to think that being vague will soften the blow of any tough news. It will only add to hurt feelings if you do not communicate clearly. Be concise and be very clear about what is happening. Asked to make sure you understand and are understood.

Make a plan

At the end of the meeting, make sure you create a concrete plan for moving forward or understand the plan. Repeat it back and write it down. Make sure everyone understands what the next steps are. If you leave tough meetings without knowing what’s next, it can create confusion.

If you write it down, you can send it in an email to everyone at the meeting to ensure there’s no confusion and that everyone knows what the next proper steps are.

Pray again

Meetings like these are always really tough. Invite God into every single moment! Thank him for the chance that you get to minister when things are tough and that he cares for you when ministry is really hard.

We’re praying for you here at DYM! Thank you for all that you do.

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5 Jan 2024

Shifting Focus in Youth Ministry: Prioritizing Discipleship Over Spectacle

By |2024-01-15T11:13:16-08:00January 5th, 2024|Leadership|4 Comments

In the world of youth ministry, we often find ourselves balancing between what seems spectacular on the surface and what truly fosters long-term spiritual growth in our students. It’s a delicate dance—one that involves reevaluating our strategies, being willing to shift gears, and prioritizing substance over spectacle.

Recently, we made a decision that might seem counterintuitive to some. We chose to cancel one of our biggest events, an event that seemed impressive, drew large crowds, and generated significant buzz. Yet, upon closer examination, we realized that the expected fruit, the lasting impact we envisioned, wasn’t materializing as we hoped.

Why did we choose to take this step? The answer lies in our deep commitment to discipleship.

As leaders in youth ministry, our ultimate goal is to nurture and equip young hearts to become lifelong disciples of Christ. While flashy events may draw attention, our core mission is to instill a genuine, lasting faith in our students—one that extends beyond momentary excitement and into a lifelong journey with Jesus.

Our decision to cancel the event isn’t a step backward; it’s a leap forward in our approach to discipleship. We’re making a deliberate shift toward a more intentional and impactful strategy: focusing on making disciples who make disciples.

Enter “Catalyst groups.” This 10-week strategy isn’t about grandiosity or outward showmanship. Instead, it’s about the heart transformation and equipping students to actively engage in the Great Commission—to go and make disciples of their peers.

The essence of these Catalyst groups lies in fostering deep, meaningful relationships among students. It’s about creating spaces where discipleship isn’t a one-time event but a continuous journey. Here, students learn to walk alongside one another, to wrestle with questions, to explore faith, and to ultimately share the love of Christ with their peers.

Our church has already implemented this approach with our core leaders, and we’re extending an invitation to our core students to engage in this curriculum, led by their youth leads. The curriculum is designed to equip them with the skills to ‘go and make disciples’ themselves covering the vision of disciple making, characteristics of a disciple maker, evangelizing, establishing relationships, equipping them how to share, exporting it into our lives and helping them make a plan and empowering them to take it to their friends. 

After completing this training (ideally in groups of 3-8 at each campus), we’ll provide three tangible and achievable next steps to support their efforts in doing just that. Currently, I have two steps finalized and am still refining the third: 1) Serve kids if you’re not already engaged in service. Take on leadership of a younger group and mentor them. 2) Initiate a Bible study before/after school/practice with friends who aren’t involved in church. And 3) To be announced.

These steps aim to empower students to embrace evangelism and discipleship personally, allowing them to take practical steps toward implementation.

While the decision to cancel a significant event may raise eyebrows, we firmly believe that the impact of empowering students to disciple their peers is immeasurable. It’s about equipping them with the tools, resources, and most importantly, the heart to genuinely reach out and share the Gospel within their spheres of influence.

We understand that this shift might not be as visually striking or immediately impressive as a big event. However, the true value lies in the lasting change it can bring about in the lives of our students and their peers.

As we embark on this new journey of prioritizing discipleship, we anticipate challenges. It won’t be a straightforward path, and the results might not be immediately apparent. But we’re willing to embrace this challenge, knowing that the investment in nurturing disciples who actively disciple others is worth far more than a momentary spectacle.

The decision to cancel a major event isn’t a setback—it’s a strategic move toward building a youth ministry centered on the core principles of discipleship. It’s a commitment to investing in the future, nurturing young leaders, and empowering them to impact their generation for Christ.

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20 Nov 2023

What to do when no one shows up for youth group?

By |2023-11-20T11:54:40-08:00November 20th, 2023|Leadership|5 Comments


I remember quite vividly the night it happened. We had planned for Youth Ministry to proceed as usual that Sunday evening. Even though it was a holiday and we expected our numbers to be low, we did our best to ensure there would be something for our students to do.

But nobody showed up.

It can definitely feel like the most defeating thing to experience in a new ministry. You make plans all week long, prepare a lesson, organize games, buy snacks, but what do you do when no students show up?

Check Your Communication: Did everyone know there was supposed to be a youth group? Did you ensure that both parents and students were informed? If there are any official communication channels in your church, such as the website or the bulletin, did all that information go out? We should communicate a lot. I know the most frustrated I’ve ever been as a parent is receiving a half sheet of paper from the school about an event in three days that I had no prior knowledge of.

Let’s be better about that in our communication!

Look at Church Patterns Outside of Youth Group: In my church, there are men’s and women’s Bible studies that meet at the same time as our youth group. We all coordinate when we are going to meet and when we are going to take a break. Every year on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, we don’t have any midweek Bible study. The main reason for this is because so many people weren’t coming. It was almost a wasteland at church. So instead of making a lot of people feel guilty about not coming to Wednesday night Bible study, we decided it would be better as a church if we didn’t meet.

If you don’t have any students showing up, is it because there are also no adults or kids who would naturally be coming during this time as well?

Pray: Either spend some time praying right then and there with your volunteers or try to get a few parents together to pray for your students sometime in the near future. It’s also a good moment to check your own heart and pray, asking God to show you what you need to learn from this.

Meet with Your Leadership: Definitely not a fun meeting to request, but it’s better to be proactive about letting your leadership or senior pastor know that you didn’t have any students show up. Maybe they know something going on that you aren’t aware of. Maybe they can offer you some tips or ideas. They might even be able to recommend whom to meet with to figure out what to do next. Be open during this meeting. It probably won’t be enjoyable, but it might be a productive time where you try to solve some real problems.

Watch for Opportunities: He walked in about 10 minutes late. The other adult volunteer who had shown up that night and I looked at each other and shrugged. He was new, but he was there. So we went on with the lesson and had youth group. Josh accepted Christ that night. He became a leader in our youth group, led worship, and became someone I could depend on for the next several years.

Sometimes God throws you a curveball. He takes what you thought might be a loss and turns it into a God story. Be faithful. Keep reaching out to students. Watch for what God is doing. You’ve got this. More importantly, God’s got you.

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16 Oct 2023

10 Tips For Your First Few Years in Youth Ministry

By |2023-10-16T07:04:15-07:00October 16th, 2023|Leadership|7 Comments

This week, DYM is hosting its amazing “First Few Years” conference!

This particular blog writer is NOT experiencing any FOMO. Not even the slightest bit. Promise. Ok maybe a little.

If you’re like me and couldn’t make it out to California, but are just starting out in ministry, here’s a blog just for you!

I know those early years can be both thrilling and challenging, so let’s dive into some tips and advice that’ll help you navigate this exciting journey.

  1. Stay Authentic: You’ve probably heard this a million times, but it’s worth repeating. Be yourself. Students can spot a fake from a mile away. Don’t try to be the “cool” youth pastor if that’s not who you are. Instead, be real, genuine, and relatable. Authenticity builds trust, and trust is the foundation of effective ministry.
  2. Build Relationships: Ministry is all about people, and that means building deep, meaningful relationships. Take time to get to know your students, their families, and your fellow church staff. The more you invest in relationships, the more impact you’ll have on their lives.
  3. Learn and Adapt: Youth culture is always changing, and you need to stay up-to-date. Engage with the latest trends, music, and technology. Be open to learning from your students and be willing to adapt your approach. The more relevant you are, the more you can connect with and influence young people.
  4. Listen More, Talk Less: We often think we need to have all the answers, but sometimes, the best thing you can do is listen. Be a good listener, and ask open-ended questions. When you truly hear their concerns, joys, and struggles, you can offer guidance that’s more meaningful and relevant.
  5. Set Boundaries: Ministry can be all-consuming, but it’s essential to set boundaries to maintain a healthy work-life balance. Take time for yourself and your family. Burnout won’t help anyone, and it certainly won’t help your students.
  6. Be Flexible: Plans will change. Events will be canceled. Volunteers won’t show up. That’s just part of youth ministry. Learn to roll with the punches and be flexible. A positive attitude in the face of adversity will inspire your students and fellow leaders.
  7. Seek Mentorship: Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Find a mentor or a more experienced youth pastor who can offer guidance and support. They’ve been through what you’re experiencing and can provide valuable insights.
  8. Pray Continuously: Remember that youth ministry is not a one-person show. Seek God’s guidance through prayer. Pray for your students, their families, and your ministry as a whole. The Holy Spirit is your ultimate guide, counselor, and source of strength.
  9. Celebrate Wins: In youth ministry, small victories matter. Celebrate the little moments of growth, connection, and transformation. These wins will keep you motivated and remind you why you’re in this role in the first place.
  10. Stay Humble: Finally, remember that you’re not perfect, and that’s okay. We all make mistakes, and ministry is a journey of growth. Stay humble, admit when you’re wrong, and learn from your experiences.

Welcome to the incredible world of youth ministry! It’s a place where you can make a lasting impact on young lives and grow in your own faith journey. These early years are a foundation for what’s to come, so embrace the adventure, and remember, you’re not alone on this exciting ride. If you ever need advice, support, or just someone to chat with, the youth ministry community is here for you. Find support on the DYM Facebook Community page or reach out directly!

Together, we’ll make a difference in the lives of our amazing students!

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12 Oct 2023

Sandals Church Youth Fall Leader Training

By |2023-10-12T12:58:25-07:00October 12th, 2023|Leadership|0 Comments

When Jesus first met His disciples, He invited them to “Come and see. 1 ” It was a simple invitation: “Let’s spend some time together.” They accepted. The disciples spent four months with Jesus. They watched, listened, and learned from Him. They experienced His first miracle, witnessed Him evangelize in a Samaritan city, challenged a curious pharisee, and so much more. 

Their hearts were stirred.

But afterward, the disciples returned to what they knew: fishing. Jesus seemed content to give them the space to consider all they had shared together. Not long after, Jesus approached them with another invitation, “Follow me and I will make you fish for people. 2” This time, they were ready. They left the comfortable and known and chose to follow Him. Over the next three years these ordinary guys came to believe Jesus was who He claimed to be as they grew in their faith and were equipped for a life greater than they could ever imagine.

Jesus kept His promise. He transformed them into fishers of people. Though they didn’t “feel” it at the time, Jesus knew they were ready to continue where He was about to leave off. They would be disciples who made disciples.

After His death and resurrection, Jesus placed the future of all that He started into the disciples’ hands. Imagine how you would feel in that moment.

 What would be on your mind? In your heart? 

On a mountain in Galilee, Jesus spoke words that launched a revolution that continues to this day: “Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 

When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:18–20 (NIV)

Because of this moment, you and I are here today. We are Jesus followers because the disciples followed first. Thousands of years have passed, but obedience to this command has continued. Jesus made disciples. His disciples made disciples. Their disciples made disciples, and so on for generations to come.

Now, here we are. Here you are. And in this moment, like all the moments in the past, it’s your turn to decide if you’ll accept Jesus’ invitation to become a fisher of people. In fact, if Jesus were standing in front of you right now and you asked Him: “What should I be doing with my life?” He would look you in the eye, smile and say: “Make disciples.” And get this: When you accept, and most of you have by serving in SCY,  Jesus gives you the absolute promise of His presence. Jesus is with you! And because of that, you can do this.

The question is, will you?

For some it might require a change of mindset going into this season:

MY GROUP IS NOT MY GROUP… IT’S GOD’S 

  • If we have the mindset of “my group” we will not grow. 
  • We want to disciple more kids than ever before and we have to understand that even though I might be leading a group, it’s not my group. We are leading disciples in the ways of Jesus and we don’t possess anything about the groups we lead because they are not ours. 

PACMAN NOT CIRCLES

  • Circle = closed off. “My group”. No room to be let in. 
  • PacMan = Open space for people to come in. There is always room for someone to come in and be a part of the group. 
  • It is a different mindset we all need to adopt within our groups and it begins with leaders first, and then it bleeds into students mindsets as well. 
  • If we begin to think of our group as a circle, we will believe that a new person is an inconvenience to the group because it will “mess up the group dynamics”. This is not what we want on Wednesday nights. 
  • If we look at our groups as pacman, there is always an open space for a new person. Just setting that expectation and tone with your students will help make a new person feel like they are supposed to be there, expected to be there and feel welcomed. 

BUILDING UP AND MULTIPLYING YOUR GROUP = SUCCESS 

  • Discipleship leads to multiplication. 
  • The expectation for every group should be to build up to a certain size and then create a new group so now the group is two pacmans with room to add and grow as more and more students come on Wednesday nights. 
  • Goal = 2 leaders with no more than 12 students on the roster 
  • Once a group hits that size, the goal and expectation is to multiply off and make another group so we can continue to expand.
  • Smaller campuses: We want to begin to work on more options for new students 
    • If you have one high school guys group and a new student doesn’t like it, where do they go? They don’t come back. 
    • Need to work on making lower class man/upperclassmen, or two high school guys groups for more options 

THE NEW STUDENT SHOULD BE THE PRIORITY

  • I know this sounds weird, because we want to disciple students, but when a new student is placed in your group, we need to bend over backwards in order to connect with that student and make sure they experience a group that is worth coming back to. 
  • A student’s first experience in a group on a Wednesday night makes or breaks them on deciding if they want to come back next week. 
  • If we are going to ask our students to invite “their one” we better be investing into the relational capital they have spent to invite them. 

MY GROUP NEEDS TO BECOME “STICKY” 

  • SCY has no problem on reaching new students
    • Could be good to share the whole total of new students from SCY AND how many students your campus has had this year. 
  • We have a “stickiness” problem. 
  • Students put themselves out there by inviting their one, they’ve done their job in the process. A Leader’s job is to create a space that new students want to come back to. Support your students who were bold enough to invite.
  • We are not retaining the ones coming for the first time. 
  • What are ways that you are making your group “sticky”?
    • Could be a good time for your group leaders to talk about practical ways to make this happen.
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9 Oct 2023

Encouragement for a Youth Pastor

By |2023-10-09T08:52:21-07:00October 9th, 2023|Leadership|1 Comment

October is a special month in the church calendar designated as Pastor Appreciation Month. This is a time when congregations express their gratitude and love for their pastors, and youth pastors play a vital role in the life of the church. As a youth pastor, you might wonder how to navigate this season with grace and humility. Here are four tips to encourage you during Pastor Appreciation Month:

  1. Embrace the Love and Recognition: It’s easy to underestimate the impact of your work as a youth pastor. However, during Pastor Appreciation Month, it’s essential to accept the love and recognition that your congregation wants to shower upon you. Embrace the kind words, gestures, and gifts with gratitude. Understand that you are making a difference in the lives of the youth you serve, and your congregation recognizes and appreciates your dedication. Even if they don’t recognize you, remember the impact you will have!
  2. Reflect on Your Ministry Journey: Take some time during this special month to reflect on your ministry journey. Consider how far you’ve come, the challenges you’ve overcome, and the growth you’ve experienced. Reflecting on your calling and your passion for youth ministry can rejuvenate your spirit and remind you of the reasons you chose this path in the first place.
  3. Connect with Your Youth Group: Pastor Appreciation Month can also be an opportunity to connect with your youth group on a deeper level. Encourage open and honest conversations about their spiritual journeys, challenges, and aspirations. Spend time in prayer with them and let them know that you appreciate their presence in your life as much as they appreciate yours.
  4. Seek Encouragement and Support: Being a youth pastor can be rewarding and challenging. During this special month, don’t hesitate to seek encouragement and support from your fellow pastors, mentors, or friends within the ministry. Share your joys and struggles with trusted individuals who can offer guidance, prayer, and a listening ear.

Pastor Appreciation Month is a time to remember that your congregation values and cherishes your role as a youth pastor. Or, at least we hope that’s the case! Embrace the love and recognition with humility, reflect on your journey, connect with your youth group, and seek the support you need to continue serving with passion and dedication. Your ministry is making a lasting impact on the lives of teenagers, and you deserve all the appreciation in the world.

Need some added encouragement and fun? Join Doug Fields and Josh Griffin as they unpack their week in youth ministry in real time! Learn from their mistakes and years of experience doing youth ministry. Fun, practical, and interactive!

Click here!

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28 Sep 2023

Creating a Website for Your Leaders

By |2023-09-21T08:36:49-07:00September 28th, 2023|Leadership|8 Comments

No matter the size of your church, we all have one thing in common – we want our small group leaders to win in discipling the youth in our churches!

Though there are many things that can get in the way of this, I want to highlight one: distributing valuable content to group leaders.

You can email a link to YouTube videos or podcasts on helping your leaders grow or engage student culture, share a quick blurb to them on Instagram about what God is doing in your ministry, or shoot them a text on what to expect that night. Let’s be honest though – the vast amount of information can become a tad overwhelming if everything was over email (Do your leaders even read those?), text, or social media.

Whether you have five volunteer leaders or have to manage a hundred plus leaders, we can all agree that we don’t want to overwhelm and overload our leaders. Rather, our job is to SIMPLIFY the process for them.

The way we decided to simplify the process for our youth leaders across our 9-campus youth ministry is to build a website that has everything a leader in our youth ministry may need.

Why A Website?

If your church utilizes G Suite (Google Suite) you can (and should) create a website for your leaders to be informed of what’s going on in your ministry. Here are three reasons why:

  1. It’s easy to set up.

Literally. I set it up in one day. Just make sure you’re logged into your Google account and go to https://sites.google.com/new to create a page.

  1. It’s easy to manage.

You can post YouTube videos, upload videos from your phone to encourage your group leaders, share documents from Google Drive, embed podcasts and Vimeo videos – and so much more!

  1. It’s adaptable.

Need a page with training videos? You can do that. Need to post some announcements with graphics? That’s possible, too. Need to have pre-registration for an upcoming event? It’s easily set up through Google Forms and posted to your website. Need a llama for tonight’s petting zoo? Sorry, you’re on your own for that…

Set-up and Managment

You may wonder – how do I do this? What does it take to do this? Glad you asked. Here’s what we’ve learned in setting ours up:

  1. Get G Suite.

https://gsuite.google.com/ – just do it! It’ll be worth it because it already includes so much such as email, sharable drive, webcasting, and so many other features that I have yet to use.

  1. Get a domain.

Honestly, this is what I know the LEAST about and in fact is OPTIONAL. For example, our church as a whole uses the shortlink “move.sc/” to easily move our people to certain things (marriage, men and women events, start a group, camp registration, etc.). We utilized this to easily send our group leaders to a website to access everything they need (see it at move.sc/scyleader). Again, this is optional and I know nothing about it – so have your tech-savvy communications director or website designer help you out. If you skip this step, simply send your leaders a “published link” provided from the G Suite Website application.

  1. Load everything into an organized, shareable folder.

Put everything you want on the website into one well-organized folder and make sure the sharing preferences are set to “anyone with the link can view.” Keeping it organized will help you in the long-run. Ours is organized by year and series (i.e. Website Folder > 2019 > Own It Series). The sharing preference mode makes your leaders able to view but not edit your file or access your drive. They’re still able to print and add it to their own Google Drive (if they want to).

  1. Prepare beforehand.

We currently organize our series into 3 weeks (typically). All content is prepared beforehand so that as we enter INTO the series everything is prepped and ready to go. We make discussion guides for JH and HS, a video with a preview of that week’s topic, a host guide and teaching video (see those at move.sc/youthhost). We clearly date everything (especially file names, i.e. “HS Guide_FOR_Love Your Enemies_8.28.19” which is “Guide Name_Series Name_Topic Name_Date of Teaching”) and have the topic of discussion clearly communicated. 

  1. Keep it up-to-date and with new content.

The most important thing you can do for your leaders is to keep the site up to date on events, teaching materials, and any other dated content. If it’s old, take it down. If it’s not a series you’ve begun, simply use the “Hide From Navigation” in the individual page’s side-panel menu. In fact, make it easy on yourself – find a page format that works for you and stick to it for every series. Simply “Duplicate Page” in the page’s side-panel menu and change the content.

In fact, challenge yourself to put up a new training video once a month (easily done via your phone, uploaded to your drive or YouTube) and utilize Google Forms to receive “graded answers” from your leaders based on the video’s content. This way you know if they may struggle to grasp a concept or perhaps you didn’t communicate the topic well enough (be humble enough to admit this).

  1. Get feedback.

If it’s hard to navigate, your leaders won’t want to use it. Get feedback from them as you’re getting it set up so that it can be an amazing tool for them to discipline their group. Don’t create it to the point that you think it’s awesome – create it to the point that your leaders think it is.

Other Uses

You could always use the website feature for other things, such as:

  • Parent website
  • Camp registration or interest list
  • Website for your youth to visit (dorky videos, memes, encouragement – whatever may gather them or their friends)
  • Personal blog or vlog

There are a ton more features and possibilities that are better left discovered by yourself.

The last thing I’ll say is this: When designing your site, always remember: simplify, simplify, SIMPLIFY. Your leaders will love you for it.

Justin

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