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25 Oct 2021

7 Part Strategy To Recruit the Leaders You Need

By Justin Knowles|2021-10-25T09:03:57-07:00October 25th, 2021|Leadership, Volunteers|5 Comments

I don’t think I have ever heard of any leader say, “You know what, I think I have enough volunteers in my ministry.” If you have ever said that, you should write a blog instead of me. Ministry is only as effective as the leaders you have and we are in a season of needing to being intentional about recruiting them. This is something I have shared with our teams in practical things to think through in recruiting volunteers for ministry.

Pray – Sounds simple but it’s so important. Lot’s of times it’s when we are are desperate is when we go to prayer. The truth is God cares more about your ministry than you do and we need to go to Him to provide the people He wants to move the ministry forward. I have found when we need people without prayer we get warm bodies instead of called bodies.
Build a pipeline – How deep is your bench? In our ministry we have 4 volunteer positions. 1) Ministry lead 2) Coaches 3) Service Lead and 4) Team Member. Our teams should have each one based on how many spots they need to make ministry happen. We need to make sure we have it written out and filled up and start building a bench of leaders to call on and to call up.
How can we make it easy to join? – We need to try and make it as easy as possible for people to jump on the team. How can you remove any obstacle people might have to jump on the team. How are you making it easy for people to jump into your team on the weekend? How is your ministry noticeable? How do they know that there is a need? How is your on-boarding process? Not really answers but questions you need to work through yourself.
Cast compelling vision – We are inviting them into something bigger than just serving. Give them the bigger picture. We should have a few back pocket stories that are ready to share of life change in your ministry that you can share instantly. People love stories. People want to hear about how they can make a difference and hear stories of others doing so.
Don’t say “no” for them – How many people are not serving in your ministry because they never physically told you “no” but because you said “no” for them assuming they could not.Just ask, even if you assume they will say no, still ask because they could say “yes”.
Leaders recruiting leaders – One of the the best ways is to challenge existing leaders to recruit leaders. When I come, people duck out of the way because they know what I am going to ask them. But when leaders are excited about what they are doing, challenge each one to recruit one by a date you set.
What are you inviting them into? – What’s your strategy? What are you doing? How are your doing it? How are you planning to recruit? Nothing great just happens. There needs to be a strategy in order to carry it out. What would it look like if you spent some time working through this next few months?

This list is not exhaustive but they are some things I have seen over time work on the intentional work in recruiting leaders. Hope it’s helpful.

@justinknowles3

14 Oct 2021

Students, Pastors, and Cell Phones

By Ronald|2021-10-14T13:23:12-07:00October 14th, 2021|Leadership, Youth Ministry Hacks, Youth Pastor Life|8 Comments

Students have cell phones. If they don’t yet, they probably will by Christmas. It can be a great way to communicate with them directly, but it can also be an overwhelming tide of communication. 3 am memes, anyone?

Setting some ground rules and boundaries for how you reach out to students is a great way to put safeguards around yourself and the students you communicate with! Here are some suggestions:

Have designated “off” time! Set a 9 am to 9 pm boundary for replies. Did they text at 11 pm? Unless it’s a BIG emergency, it can wait until the morning.
No more than a few texts. Use only as a way to briefly check-in or ask about something. If the thread is turning into something they want to have a conversation about, find a time to meet in person to talk about it. See if they can come early or stay a little later after your usual meeting.
Avoid phone calls. Having a written record equates to the “have more than one person in the room while interacting” rule. It also helps to make sure you prioritize conversations for in-person times.
Make sure your phone number is accessible to everyone, not just a few. Be willing to give it out to anyone. Be clear with rule number one from the get-go.
Ask students for their numbers. If you need the student’s number but can’t find a good time to ask them, ask their parent so that they are in the loop. Parents should know that you are contacting the student! Another way is asking if another student can text a student about something. This could be a great way to serve!

Do you have any boundaries or ideas for contacting students? Let us know!

Kayla Feil

Kayla is the Director of Children, Youth and Family Ministry at Faith Lutheran Church in Glen Ellyn, IL. Along with her role, she is currently attending Luther Seminary to get her MA in Children, Youth and Family Ministry. When she isn’t at church or writing papers, you can find her practicing yoga, running, or adventuring around Chicago!

16 Sep 2021

Are You Proactive Or Reactive With Parents?

By Justin Knowles|2021-09-15T20:11:04-07:00September 16th, 2021|Leadership, Parents, Small Groups, Volunteers, Youth Ministry Hacks|13 Comments

It really is interesting how many parents drop off their students and never meet the people they are dropping off their student to be with for two hours a week. It’s also really interesting for how many leaders have not reached out to know parents of their students.

We have an incredible opportunity to not only minister to our students, but their families as well.

We all have heard stories of students who first started coming to church, got saved and then their families started to attend as well. When we are intentional with our students families, we can really partner with parents/guardians because they are with their students the other 166 hours during the week compared to our 2-3 hours.

This is why in this season we have been really challenging those who lead small groups to be intentional about reaching out to, not just the student, but their families as well. We should be making the first move. We want to be proactive in making the first connection.

Here is the ask of our leaders: Make one connection per week with one family.

If you go on Yelp and look at reviews, most of the time you will see the negative ones. Why? Because when things are good, people don’t really write reviews because they don’t think about it. No one talks to the manager at a store when things are going well. People only tend to write reviews when they have a bad experience. People only ask to speak to a manger when something is wrong.

Same with parents. It could be all good and no one will say anything but far too often we are reactive with parents. When something happens, thats when we make the first connection with them. We are already starting in the negative.

When we are proactive, we can start to build relational equity, build up the positive and IF something goes down, we already know the parents/guardians. It will not only set your ministry up better but your volunteers to win with the families as well.

What could this look like?

For some families, they might come to church, so just physically meeting them and knowing their name and getting their cell phone number would be a win.
For some, just letting their parents know how awesome their kid is after group or through email throughout the week. Parents love to hear how awesome their kids are.
For some, you might be close to their family and be invited to dinners. Do it. Any time you can be with the family, it’s a good thing.
Take 30 seconds and send them a text asking how they are and how you can pray for them specifically. You will be amazed how simple and powerful that is.
Shoot an email updating them on what conversations and group has been like (obviously keeping the confidence of your students) but parents love to be in the know.
Connect with the parents/guardians via social media. Most of GenZ parents have it. It could be an easy way to share a story or make a connection with them.

As we have been pushing this with our small group leaders it’s been awesome to see the proactive relationships blossoming.

@justinknowles3

9 Sep 2021

The Pressure Youth Pastors Face in the Fall

By Ronald|2021-09-09T12:33:47-07:00September 9th, 2021|Leadership|0 Comments

Have you ever felt the pressure of being a youth pastor? Every single day, right? As we head into the fall season, there are a lot of pressures that all youth pastors will feel.

Do any of these feel familiar to you?

Numbers

Everyone who has done youth ministry for two weeks feels the pressure of numbers. It’s as innocent as “How many did you have last week?” to as dire as your job depending on how many students showed up over the last month.

In the fall, the pressure of numbers may either feel really high or really low. If your group really sets off in the fall, then you may be feeling fine! Your group is full and leadership is happy. But if this fall the numbers don’t look as good as “they used to” then you may be feeling the very real pressure of getting students in the door.

While number pressure is very real (and if all of your students stop showing up, it may cause some very real soul searching) you can “get ahead” of the number pressure by learning how to present them.

Instead of comparing promotion Sunday to a three day weekend in February, let your leadership know how THIS Spring’s numbers compare to LAST Spring’s numbers and you’ll have a more researched conversation.

Conversations

Speaking of conversations, do you feel like you are having constant pastoral conversations wherever you go. Starbucks. Walmart. Taco Bell. They can happen everywhere!

If you live in a smaller community, you probably can’t go to a store without seeing at least one church member. And if you’re in a larger community, the reality is that word will get out that you’re a pastor. And people come to pastor’s for advice.

The constant pressure to “be on” can be tough! But it’s a part of taking on the mantle of being a pastor.

This can be cup filling, but also it can be really draining if you don’t take moment to recharge. Find yourself a safe place. Somewhere quiet or secluded where you can be by yourself and refill your cup. And if someone finds your safe spot, put on some big sunglasses and a hat and walk away very fast. Just kidding. Kind of.

Programing

You just finished this week’s youth group and it was epic! Your students laughed at your jokes, really got into your games, and even raised their hands in worship. It was an awesome night!

Now what are you going to do next week?

Yikes!

The weekly clock never stops ticking. Youth group is always just around the corner! Programming can be daunting. But that’s what DYM is here for. Not only are there resources for you to check out and use so that you don’t have to spend all of your work time messing with graphics or coming up with new game ideas, you can also steal what Josh did last week.

Just check out his blog posts!

Or, if you want to up your game, check out his training series “Becoming a Pro at Programming” to get some tips on how you can master this skill and not dread the day after youth group when you’ve got to come up with a whole new game plan.

Volunteers

Small churches like to think that big churches have all the volunteers because they have so many people! Big churches like to think that small churches are just like a family and pitch in whenever there’s a need.

The reality is that both big and small church youth ministries need volunteers. The big churches usually assume that they have plenty of people so obviously THEY don’t have to volunteer. And small churches usually think that they’re paying for a youth pastor, why should THEY have to volunteer?

It’s tough being a volunteer. They have jobs, families, hobbies, interests, and frankly lives outside of youth ministry.

But you need volunteers to make your ministry run. And there’s always turnover happening.

Sometimes the problem is that you need to train your volunteers really well to help them feel equipped for the task ahead. National Day of Volunteer Youth Ministry Training is just around the corner! You also need to make sure you’re not OVER taxing your volunteers so that it’s a joy to spend time at youth group.

What to do:

Feeling the pressure yet? Well, we can’t just put a nice bow on it and say “Alright, we’re all done here!” But what we can say is YOU’RE NOT ALONE!

Every youth pastor feels these very real pressures. And they are real! While DYM can help with some of these like training volunteers and showing you how to be a program ninja, the reality is you need to work towards remembering that no matter how heavy the weight of these pressures get, Jesus is there with you.

And also, reach out to some other youth pastors in the area. Or in the DYM Facebook Community Page. Find people who you can talk with, pray with, celebrate with, and yeah, sometimes complain to.

You’re not alone!

We’re in this together.

Josh, Doug, and Jess talked about these on the DYM Podcast. Check it out here.

2 Sep 2021

Helping Your Students Be Welcoming

By Ronald|2021-09-02T07:04:26-07:00September 2nd, 2021|Leadership|0 Comments

This Sunday, I watched as a now 8th grader who, let’s be honest, used to be a big turd, do something awesome. She invited a 6th-grade student up on stage with her to sing for the worship band. This 6th-grade student had arrived early and didn’t have a place to serve. The 8th-grade student saw that and made space for her up on stage. She coached her through signing: how to stand, what to do with the microphone, and how to have a good stage presence.

It was the most encouraging thing I’ve seen in a long time, and it made my heart so happy to see it!

After watching this, it got me thinking: How can we encourage students to be more welcoming and inviting? That’s what I want to break down today!

Make room for new Students

Consider your physical space. Are there enough chairs for new students, or are there only enough for the ones who are present? Are there couches that are reserved only for the “chosen few,” or are there spots for new faces?

Sometimes our students don’t see the need to include new students in things because there’s not any space for them. That can be physically, but it’s also a thing to remind students that a mindset of more space matters too!

Have you ever walked up to a circle of people in conversation, and they didn’t open up a spot for you to step in and begin talking? Man, that hurts! Encourage students to “open up their circles” for both new and current students so that there can be a more welcoming environment!

Create Opportunities for Current Students

I have one student who sits in a corner and draws. She’s not lonely. She has friends who hang with her. But she just chills and draws. In a youth group where only the extroverts get celebrated, she wouldn’t have a place to serve.

But I’m going to ask her to draw some things for our ministry. Like the logo in her own style. And something for the announcement board. Instead of just assuming that she doesn’t have a place because she isn’t bubbly and outgoing, I want to create an opportunity for her to be a part of the group in her own way!

Look at your students. Find their strengths. Then create opportunities for them to use those strengths within the group. Don’t pigeonhole your students. Once you start to do this, students will be able to see that every gift has a place and can be used for God’s glory!

See the Insider’s Value

Sometimes we rail against the Insider because we think it’s bad to have insiders—students who know every part of the ministry and could basically run the thing if we asked.

Instead of saying “THERE AREN’T ANY INSIDERS” until people think it’s wrong to have them, try to think of how to have insiders serve the ministry. They know just about everything, after all! Help them catch the vision. Let them see their value in bringing in new students or fixing something that’s broken.

These students might say, “You want this to happen, but it WON’T because…”

While their reasoning might not be thought out all the way through, you can create a starting point with their insider info and help to find things that aren’t working as you’d hope.

Connect the Outsider to Other Students

This is where we probably spend most of our time. We want the visitor to feel welcome. To find a group to hang out with. We can’t force them to fit into the group that’s already there. But we can encourage the students who are our regulars to find common ground.

That might be a shared interest, sport, activity, youtube binge, or just a love of coffee.

Encourage your students (and small group leaders!) to help outsiders find a point of connection. If you know your students, you can help them connect with a new student by finding the dots to connect. Your small group leaders can be great at this too! By asking a few questions like “What do you like to do in your free time?” or “What’s your favorite sport?” you can connect Outside students to Inside ones. It takes work, but once your students catch this vision, it’ll pay off in big ways!

Like an 8th grade student who used to be a turd becoming much less of one and inviting a new kid on stage.

Questions to consider:

Is your group insider focused or outsider focused?

Do you have a place for a new student to fit in?

Are there places for current students to step up?

26 Aug 2021

Prepare for Next Year’s Promotion Now!

By Ronald|2021-08-26T06:57:57-07:00August 26th, 2021|Leadership, Youth Ministry Hacks, Youth Ministry Ideas|1 Comment

I don’t know when you promote your students into the next grade. It may be right before summer starts so your new students get the “full on” summer ministry experience.

It may be right before school starts so that you can have students really dive into school with their new youth group buddies.

Or you may do it somewhere in the middle.

No matter what time you start your change over, you’re probably like me and notice a big student leadership vacuum during the first few months after the promotion happens.

Maybe your senior class was SUPER involved and heavily led the worship band. Maybe your eighth graders basically ran your tech booth for the middle school ministry, but now they’re high school students and oops, no one is there to run the computer.

This year things went smoother than in years past, so I wanted to take time to think about what led to that and how we can make this magical thing where students immediately step into leadership roles happen each year (or at least give it our best effort).

Give students SPECIFIC jobs.

Katie Edwards said she wanted to make sure everyone in her ministry had a clear, specific, one page job description. I spent some time looking over ours this year. They definitely needed some re-working!

Make sure your student leaders know EXACTLY what they are supposed to do. When should they show up? What should they do while they serve? How do they help at the end of the ministry time? What does a win look like?

If you can answer these questions, students will know their job and be able to do it well. This is HUGE for a student who will still be with you the year AFTER you promote. Even though they leaders ahead of them are gone, they know what their role is.

Show students their value.

I really tried this last year to highlight when our students were serving. This helped not only encourage the students who were doing a great job, but also showed students who WEREN’T serving that they could.

Do this from the stage. Do this with your emails. Show students after they serve how much you appreciate their service. Make a big deal out of it!

If students see serving as valuable, they’ll look at it as something worth their time.

Celebrate wins. Correct misses.

Whenever something goes right, we don’t hardly celebrate it. I’m trying to change that in our ministry. I want to let students know WHAT they did well and THAT they did well. I want to make a big deal out of things going right! I haven’t been great at this in the past, but I’m working on it.

Also, I really don’t like conflict or rocking the boat. So I really haven’t been great at showing students where they could improve when they “missed” during a service opportunity. Like showing up fifteen minutes late, or not cleaning up after the event.

I want students to know that they got it right and help them when they don’t. This way they can understand that they are doing their job how it needs to be done!

So here are some questions for you as you think about NEXT YEAR’S promotion season. It’s closer than you think!

Who are your leaders now that your leaders have moved up?

Who could be developed?

How can you identify new students to take on new roles?

How can you encourage students who have stepped into the vacuum?

What else could you add?

20 Apr 2021

One Main Reason Why We Doubled Last Year

By Justin Knowles|2021-05-17T16:41:34-07:00April 20th, 2021|Leadership, Podcast, student leadership, Youth Ministry Hacks|119 Comments

This is not a quick fix thing or something you do tomorrow and everything will change type thing. This is something we started in the fall fo 2019 and has taken a year to catch and we have seen it take off. It’s something we probably get asked about more than anything else.

And we saw our ministry doubled because of it. At least, this was what I think was one of the main reasons why.

If you talk with most students about the idea of what evangelism is, most students find it overwhelming. How do we go out and tell all of our friends about Jesus who don’t know who He is? Most students think they need to be bold and stand in the middle of their quad at school and start preaching the gospel in the middle of lunch. Or they think they need to be able to speak from stage. Or they believe they need to stand on a corner and do some street evangelism. Sounds overwhelming.

When it comes to this simple idea of “who is your one”? It breaks down this really big concept of evangelism for students into something way more doable and way more realistic in their minds… and let’s be honest, way more effective.

I would say, if I had to pick one thing to see the growth our ministry has seen over the last two years, the idea of “who is your one?” Has been one of the biggest keys.

What is it?

“Who is your one” is this idea that each student who believes in Jesus is really intentional about, caring for, reaching out to a friend they already have who they know does not believe in Jesus.

This is not original all to me, it’s Biblical and I even really started to grasp and implement it at my last church, but we have seen it take off at Sandals Church Youth.

Even if you think about your own friend group, you know someone you already have a relationship with and they don’t know Jesus. The idea is that you would spend time with them, be there for them, let them know you are praying for them, invite them to church, talk to them about faith or lack of faith and just be a good friend to them.

All in hopes they would know you and your faith and because of your relationship with them they see your relationship with Jesus and want it as well.

If you look at Jesus, there were many times he called out people and wanted to spend time with them one on one, inviting himself over to their house for food and just to be around people who were “not like him”. It’s a much more relational approach to evangelism that I believe students can get behind and function from.

This is way more doable when we can get students to understand that the best evangelism is done knee to knee and eye to eye in relationship. A student who has a friend they already know and are friends with with the intentionality of inviting them to a 1st Wednesday or a real community of a small group is a great combo and strategy to show who Jesus is about.

We have seen when students grasp this concept and have just one person they focus on loving and caring for and praying for all year in hopes they know Jesus and get involved in church, it’s been so effective.

How did we make this a thing in our ministry?

We did a few things to make this a big deal and I will let you know up front… it takes some time and it takes repetition.

We did a whole vision series at the beginning of the school year (you can go to move.sc/youth to SCY and We Are SCY to go back and watch) which set up these big concepts of why we want to focus on them this year and challenge our students what to do in regards to 1st Wednesdays and Who Is Your One?
At the end of that series we made little business cards with “My one is __________” on them so they filled it out and they got to keep it so they can see it every day and they gave another one to the small group leader for accountability.
We had training about those very things at the beginning of our school with our leaders to help them understand how they can help their students in their small groups.
We added an update of “How are you doing with your one?” In the curriculum that all small groups go through at least every other week for the first year.
We told and shared stories from all our campuses of someone’s “one” coming to church and getting involved in small groups and starting a relationship with Jesus. Stories are powerful and we should have back pocket stories ready to share at any moment.
Celebrate students and leaders who take this on and do it well. Celebrate them personally but also publicly. Everyone wants to be celebrated and what gets celebrated gets repeated.
At some point during every service, “Who is your one?” Needs to make an appearance. How you set culture is that everyone needs to hear it all the time and needs to be reinforced over and over for people to gab onto it and make it a part of the culture of your ministry.

I really do believe taking this concept and giving students a chance to really own it has changed the way we approach this idea of reaching students who don’t know Jesus. Because let’s face it, students are better at reaching other students. They are better at reaching their own friends then we are. But we can do our best to set them up well to do so and help them feel a burden for their un-churched friends in hopes they have a passion to reach them in the name of Jesus.

The cool thing about “who is your one” is that in reality, you don’t need a building, you don’t need a huge event, you don’t need to be cool or anything like that. You have a friend who is being intentional and has a burden and you provide a safe atmosphere where students feel comfortable to invite friends because they know it’s going to worth it if they show up. Community and relationship is powerful and we have the opportunity to show them the best relationship of all with Jesus.

@justinknowles3

Searching for Youth Group Games? Discover thousands of turn-key resources at Download Youth Ministry.

15 Apr 2021

Let’s Have the Swimsuit Debate

By Ronald|2021-05-17T16:42:58-07:00April 15th, 2021|Leadership|1 Comment

If there is one incredible gift last summer’s lockdowns gave us youth workers, it was a blessed reprieve from the annual swimsuit dress code debates. Things are starting to reopen, and we have less time this year for navel-gazing as things get back to full swing. Speaking of navels, can we just not this year? Can we not debate whether a young woman’s belly button is too sexy for our camp?

I get it, swimsuits equal sexy in our culture, and we youth workers want to avoid sexy like Jonah avoided Nineveh. But really, can’t we do better? This year, I implore all of youth workerdom to consider the following when drafting your packing list for camp.

1.Context matters.

Many people think their swimsuit rules are either Christian or not Christian, and that’s that. Can all of us grown-ups just go ahead and admit that we know that just isn’t true? If you do some searches through the social media debates, you will find churches in lake or beach towns that find the whole issue laughable. Once, someone from Australia chimed on to say, “everyone here wears bikinis…but everyone in Australia also wears a rash guard. Do American’s not wear rash guards?” There are some countries and cultures where walking anywhere but the actual beach without a cover-up or a shirt on is highly offensive. In some European countries, women are not allowed to enter a cathedral for a tour without their shoulders covered but might visit a topless beach on the very same trip. Sometimes, you may agree to rules for a mission trip that honor the culture you are serving, even if you don’t believe in those rules—culture and context matter. Swimwear is fashion, not a fruit of the Spirit. Covering your belly button is not a matter of loving Jesus or not loving Jesus.

2.Swimsuit rules drip of exclusivity.

Have you ever purchased a fully supportive one-piece woman’s swimsuit? They are expensive. Most young women have a cheap, cute swimsuit from a big box store. When Susie gets invited to the youth group pool party, she suddenly needs a one-piece to attend. Susie likely doesn’t have one, so she can’t go. Or worse, many of your students may not even invite someone because of the swimsuit rules. And if someone does come and she’s the only one wearing a two-piece, she is automatically an “other.” Consider allowing parents to choose swimwear with their children, and then let those choices stand. Because we are ultimately parent partners, and, no offense, but we moms don’t need to consult a 30-year-old bearded dude with tats and a creepy white van before purchasing swimwear for our daughters. We just don’t!

3.Okay, so you read the above, and you’re thinking nope, we’re a lusty bunch over here, and we gotta crackdown.

I’d say that’s fine, as long as you are policing the swimwear of both boys and girls. No bare chests for boys. This can obviously get VERY tricky due to cultural fashion. So, here’s a solution posted by some youth worker once that I thought was brilliant. I’m sorry I can’t remember who you are!!! He bought rash-guard style t-shirts as his official camp shirt. He required everyone to wear them in the pool. This solution is not only very fair but actually solves the deadly problem of teenagers who refuse to wear sunscreen. My point is, please don’t put this all on your girls. Don’t embarrass them with an oversized T-shirt of shame. Their bodies are 100 percent made in the image of GOD and should never be an object of shame.

So, what is my final recommendation?

Have a policy that encourages all students to wear appropriately fitted swimsuits for sports activities and to wear a rash guard for sun protection. Encourage parents to help their child choose a suit that will stay in place. Try to have students not pulling up shorts or falling out of their tops. Which, again, wouldn’t matter if everyone is wearing a rash guard! Safety first, everyone!

Ansley Higginbotham

Ansley has served in youth ministry for two decades and holds a certificate of Youth and Theology from Princeton Theological Seminary. She loves the relational aspect of youth ministry as well as helping equip adults and students to lead. Ansley lives on her family’s beef cattle farm in Virginia with her husband and two young sons (and, sadly, no llamas).

Searching for Youth Group Games? Discover thousands of turn-key resources at Download Youth Ministry.

30 Mar 2021

That Spring Slump Hits Different

By Ronald|2021-05-17T16:45:23-07:00March 30th, 2021|Leadership|0 Comments

Post-apocalypse life has meant that this year, the Spring Slump is hitting a little differently.

I don’t know about you, but every year we go through some type of slump in the spring. Maybe it’s because the school year is dragging on. Maybe it’s because we’re getting ready for big summer activities. Whatever the reason, our student ministry encounters a bit of a slump in the spring.

This year, it’s been a bit of a different feeling. While we do have students and families coming back to our in-person gatherings, which is exciting, there still is a bit of a slump feeling in the air. Leaders have it. Students have it. Heck, I’ve got it.

So what are we doing to combat the Spring Slump?

Fill Your Cup

Read the Bible. Sing worship songs. Take a day off to just experience God’s presence. Get somebody else to teach one week. Whatever it takes, make sure you’re not ministering from an empty cup. Work on your own spiritual health so you can lead through the slump!

Encourage Your Leaders

I’ve found that if I’m tired, more than likely my leaders are too! There are lots of ways to encourage your leaders. Take a picture of them with their students and put it in a frame. Write them a note to say specifically how they make your ministry better. Take them out to lunch and ask them how they are doing. Getting your leaders re-energized will help them make it through the low times!

Minister to Who Is Present

It can feel tough when the room isn’t as full as you’re used to. Just take it from Doug in this video! Smaller groups give you the opportunity to really pour into the students who show up! Don’t just wish that more had been a part of your evening. Play the game! Ask deep questions. Spend time really getting to know the students who are present with you in the slump!

What would you add to this list? How do you get through the summer slump? Let us know!

Ronald

Searching for Youth Group Games? Discover thousands of turn-key resources at Download Youth Ministry.

29 Mar 2021

GUEST POST: DEAR YOUTH WORKER, LIL NAS X SHOULDN’T BE A SHOCK

By Justin Knowles|2021-05-17T16:45:54-07:00March 29th, 2021|Leadership|0 Comments

If you have been keeping up, you will know that Lil Nas X plans to release a satanic shoe. He also released a new music video to get back at how the church counseled him as someone who opened up about being gay. I will be the first to admit that I did not initially respond well after seeing both of those things. I was personally offended and angry about what I saw. My natural tendency was wanting some righteous judgment in regards to what I was seeing.

After time processing and praying (let us not forget to pray), I realized that God is the one who judges. He will do what He will do with what we have been seeing. As I also took a step back and gained some perspective, I began to see Lil Nas X as a person. If you didn’t know, Lil Nas was hurt and burned by the church when he opened up about being gay. What we see today is a response to wounds that happened in the past. I want to be clear that I am in no way condoning his new shoes or music video. What I want to do is learn from this. As a follower of Jesus, I want to learn. As a representative of the church, I want to learn. I see this as an excellent opportunity for those who follow Jesus and the church. Here are some thoughts that I think we can learn and some ways we can begin to lead as youth workers.

The reality is our students listen to Lil Nas and watch his content. We can’t ignore that this is becoming more normalized in our culture. So as youth workers, we should be looking at this as an opportunity to point students to Jesus.

We have an opportunity to:

ACTUALLY HAVE REAL CONVERSATIONS

We should not shy away from talking about what we have seen. We should not shy away from having conversations with those who share the struggle with same-sex attraction. We should not shy away from those who struggle with identity. For so long, the church has mishandled these conversations and has hurt teens. That has led us to avoid and ignore engaging in these conversations.

We, as the church, should not shy away from having these conversations with students. We need to create safe environments and spaces where students can share openly and freely and not face rebuke in return. If we don’t have these conversations with students, the culture will continue to do so. We need to have these conversations and point them back to Jesus.

ACTUALLY EXTEND BOTH GRACE AND TRUTH

We have screwed this up. Typically we lean one way or the other. Some lead with just grace, and some lead with just truth. Both can be dangerous if they don’t work together. John chapter 1 says Jesus came in both grace and truth. Lil Nas X should experience grace because Jesus died for him. Just like Jesus died for both you and me. But we can’t just stop at grace. We also need to stand on the truth and lead from the truth.

This is such an excellent opportunity for our students to experience grace and truth. This does not mean you are condoning specific actions or behavior. It could resemble when Jesus looked out at the crowd, and he felt compassion. That is grace. So when we have students who express they are transitioning or are gay, we don’t just hit them with the truth. We extend grace and care for them as people whom Jesus loves dearly. Let us be youth workers who show students both grace and truth.

So wherever you find yourself in regard to these shoes or music videos, let us lead out in what it looks like to love people well and being led by truth. Don’t let our students see us kick someone while he is already down. Let’s use this as an opportunity to be the church for those who look and act differently than us.

Guest post by Scotty Keesee

Scotty has almost 10 years in the trenches in student ministry and is one of the youth leads at Sandals Church in Riverside, CA. He loves to lead leaders and talk culture, ministry, and strategy. He has a wonderful wife and 2 amazing boys.

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