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14 Oct 2024

4 Things I Would Change if I Were Starting Today

By |2024-10-14T09:53:37-07:00October 14th, 2024|Youth Ministry Ideas|6 Comments

I’ve been in youth ministry for 16 years, which is wild—my youth ministry career could practically drive a car by now! Though, I’d probably need to take the test at least twice.

If I were starting at my very first church with all the experience, knowledge, and mistakes I’ve made along the way, what would I do differently? Or, if I were starting brand new at a church right now, what are the four things I would change?

Here they are!

  1. I’d Have More Fun

I’ve heard it said many times, “What you win them with is what you win them to!”—as if having fun and being joyful in ministry is a bad thing.

Maybe it was my youth and lack of experience, but when I started out, I wanted to make sure everyone knew how serious I was.

If I were starting today, I’d be more willing to have fun with students, volunteers, parents, and the church as a whole. I’ve learned there are plenty of ways to show people I’m mature and capable, but only one way to show them I can have fun!

What would that look like? I’d be more comfortable incorporating games into lessons. I’d enjoy having fun with students outside of youth group without needing to add a spiritual element to everything. I’d also be okay with having fun just for fun’s sake.

  1. I’d Focus More on Parents

This was definitely because of my youth, but I didn’t reach out to parents as much as I should have when I was starting out.

I was laser-focused on students, which is great—but now, if I were starting again, I’d make time for more coffees and lunches with parents. I’ve come to realize I didn’t need to have kids of my own to minister to parents effectively.

I’d take parents out to coffee and ask them about the challenges their families were facing. I’d ask how I could pray for them and find ways the ministry could better support them.

I’d listen a lot and communicate even more.

Speaking of…

  1. I’d Over-Communicate Everything

We live in a world where communication is easier than ever. We have free email services, free social media platforms, free texting services, and free graphics tools.

What a time to be alive!

I’d make sure I was sending out consistent and well-thought-out communication every week. For parents, that would be an email with what we studied that week and the details of our most recent event. For students, I’d post frequently on social media about upcoming events and ask questions related to what we studied in youth group.

  1. I’d Have an Easy-to-Communicate Vision

For both parents and students, I’d want them to clearly understand why we were doing what we were doing. I’d develop a ready-to-share “elevator pitch” to explain the purpose of our ministry.

At my last church, I communicated that we aimed for students to “Belong, Believe, and Become.” We wanted students to feel a sense of belonging at youth group, believe the Gospel, and become the people God created them to be by giving them opportunities to grow into that identity.

I also told parents that we’d focus on teaching students about the Attributes of God, the Gospel, Spiritual Disciplines, and Relationships. Could we cover more? Absolutely. But we wanted to ensure those four pillars were solid foundations for everything we did.

More than anything, I’d want parents to feel confident that I had a clear grasp of what we were doing and why.

Those are the four things I would change and focus on if I were just starting out today.

How about you? Any thoughts or suggestions? I’d love to hear them!


28 Sep 2023

Creating a Website for Your Leaders

By |2023-09-21T08:36:49-07:00September 28th, 2023|Leadership|14 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

11 Sep 2023

Winning Youth Ministry: Training Volunteers

By |2023-09-11T14:32:47-07:00September 11th, 2023|Youth Ministry Hacks|3 Comments

Volunteers are the unsung heroes who invest their time and hearts into shaping the spiritual growth of the next generation. In the world of youth ministry, nothing is as crucial as ensuring your volunteers are well-trained and fully equipped for the incredible task they’ve taken on. Let’s dive into the significance of training volunteers, how it benefits them, strengthens your ministry, and impacts your church.

Empowering Your Volunteers

Let’s start with the heart of it all: your volunteers. These are the individuals who selflessly give their time and passion to nurture the faith of the youth in your church. So, why is training them so important?

Through training, your volunteers acquire the necessary skills to engage with and make a meaningful impact on the lives of young people. This includes honing their communication skills, mastering conflict resolution, and becoming experts in lesson planning. Training often includes personal spiritual development, which allows your volunteers to deepen their own faith as they guide others on their spiritual journeys. When volunteers receive thorough training, they gain the confidence they need to tackle the challenges that come their way. A confident volunteer is an enthusiastic and dedicated one.

Strengthening Your Ministry

Having a standardized training program ensures that all your volunteers are on the same page, delivering a consistent message and experience to the youth in your ministry. Proper training encourages your volunteers to bring fresh ideas and innovative approaches to your ministry, fostering creativity and adaptability. Volunteers who know their roles and responsibilities well are more efficient in planning and executing activities, ultimately lightening the load on youth pastors.

Impacting Your Church

The positive effects of volunteer training don’t stop at your youth ministry’s doorstep—they have a wider impact on your church community. A vibrant and well-organized youth ministry can attract more families to your church, contributing to overall church growth. Volunteers who feel valued, equipped, and confident are more likely to stay committed to your church for the long term. A thriving youth ministry has the potential to engage the broader community and draw new members to your church family.

Hey! This is a great time to talk about training your volunteers!

Sign up for National Day of Volunteer Youth Ministry Training. This event is about to become your secret weapon for supercharging your volunteer training efforts and setting your youth ministry up for unprecedented success.

  • Date: September 23, 2023
  • Cost: Just $199 for your entire volunteer team
  • Location: Take your pick between hosting it at your church or attending one of our 300+ locations

Here’s the best part: the cost is per group, not per person. This means you can bring as many youth ministry volunteers as you can gather, making it the best deal in youth ministry.

On this special day, your volunteers will receive youth ministry-specific training from renowned speakers like Christine Caine, Albert Tate, Doug Fields, and more. It’s going to be a fun, helpful, and momentum-building experience that will leave your volunteers inspired and ready to make a profound impact on the lives of the youth in your community.

Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity to invest in your volunteers and, in turn, elevate your youth ministry and church. Mark your calendar for September 23, 2023, and get ready to equip your team for an amazing ministry year.

In conclusion, remember that your volunteers are the backbone of your youth ministry. By giving them the tools they need to succeed, you’re not only investing in their personal growth but also in the future of your ministry and church. So, gear up for the National Day of Volunteer Youth Ministry Training, and watch your volunteers soar to new heights.

Need something to start training your volunteers right now? Check these awesome resources out from DYM!

31 Jul 2023

Partnering with Other Ministries

By |2023-07-28T10:40:32-07:00July 31st, 2023|Youth Ministry Ideas|0 Comments

You know what’s awesome? When our student ministries don’t operate in isolation but are part of the bigger picture – the whole church! Let’s talk about how we can get our youth involved in other ministries within our church and create an environment of collaboration and support.

Youth ministry is all about growth, and that means welcoming new members from the children’s ministry. Let’s make their transition smooth and exciting. How about having our youth leaders help out during Vacation Bible School? It’s a great way for them to connect with the younger kids and become mentors. If you missed out on this summer, ask your children’s director how you can plan to have students involved next year!

We can also encourage our youth to be teacher assistants in Sunday School classes. That way, they build connections with the kids they’ll soon be leading. How great would it be to have a rotation of students helping out in kid’s Sunday School so your elementary director isn’t scrambling for volunteers each week?

Our youth might be the future leaders of the church, but they’re not alone on this journey. Let’s bring different generations together. Joint activities with adult small groups can be a blast! Discussions, games, and service projects can help everyone understand each other better and build lasting relationships. How about starting a mentorship program? Our older adults have so much wisdom to share, and our youth can benefit from their life experiences.

We’re a family, right? So let’s support and bless other church ministries. Partnering with service-oriented ministries like the lawn mowing crew or homeless outreach can teach our youth compassion and make a real impact in our community. Let’s be there for other ministries during their events and fundraisers. Our youth can lend a helping hand, set up stuff, or provide technical support – they’ve got talents to share! What if you didn’t have to worry about filling the youth calendar with as many events because you were partnering with events that OTHER ministries already have?

Hey, here’s the deal – we want to be the cool kids in the church, not the ones causing trouble! Here’s how we can build partnerships without giving others a headache. Communication is key. Talk to other ministry leaders, express your desire to collaborate, and find out how we can support each other. Flexibility rocks. When we join forces with other ministries, let’s be open to adjusting our schedule or activities. Teamwork makes the dream work!

So, fellow youth pastors, let’s remember that our youth ministry is part of something bigger – our church family! By collaborating with other ministries, we can create a strong and united community. Let’s welcome new members, connect with adult ministries, bless others, and avoid causing headaches. Together, we’ll raise up a generation of youth who love serving and supporting the body of Christ. Keep that youth ministry thriving!

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