by David Hanson | Jan 8, 2014 | The Youth Ministry Blog
image courtesy of: http://bit.ly/19TiXwO
Do you remember the instructions you got in elementary school about catching on fire?
Stop.
Drop.
Roll.
As much as we talked about that I really thought I’d be busting into flames a lot more often in my life.
On a drastically different note, the other day we were having our MS Christmas party. I was running around trying to get things set up and ready. A few students showed up early (happens at every event ever).
So as I was running around, there were about five to six students who were goofing off and playing around. One of the students told me about a surgery that was upcoming. I knew about it and so just asked how they were feeling about it.
“I’m kinda nervous. I don’t like surgery.”
My reply was to just say, “You’ll be fine!”
“You’ll be fine!?”
Seriously?
Youth ministry fail.
That was my moment to stop, drop what I was doing, and pray with that student who was nervous about an upcoming surgery. Instead I kept rushing around trying to get everything ready for…ministry?
In doing that, I forgot one very important part of ministering to students: praying with them in their time of need.
Don’t miss opportunities. When a student shares something with you, stop, drop what you’re doing, and pray with them right there.
That other stuff can wait.
Ronald is a follower of Jesus who’s married to Bekah, father to two beautiful girls and a chronic writer. He blogs at ronaldlong.org and tweets from @ronald_long. When’s he has free time, he plays with his kids, goes for a run, or plays video games. If you’re interested in some of his bible study material, check out
128ministries.org.
by David Hanson | Jan 7, 2014 | The Youth Ministry Blog
Leadership is a popular word swirling around the globe. Especially in churches. Leadership books are being printed now more than ever. With all the ideas floating around in leadership books, I wanted to write a quick post that highlights one of the most important parts of leadership and how it can help or deteriorate our longevity as strong, effective leaders.
Simply, leadership is being ahead of those you are leading in such a way that you realize that every decision is not isolated but connected. Strategy is thinking possible outcomes with a prayerful heart and asking the question, “What will be the wisest decision that will have the longest impact?”
Leaders are to always think about how decisions will affect those they lead. Will this decision trickle down as a clear process that followers can easily follow? Do the decisions we make as leaders help the ministry/organization?
Every person who likes change is the one bringing the change. Thinking through leadership isn’t executing decisions but learning how to answer the questions before they enter the picture.
What decisions have been made in the name of “leadership” that ultimately hurt the church and damage relationships? Leadership is servanthood. A servant thinks of others before themselves and this is what I hope to emulate in my life. I hope to pour out an attitude of leadership that empowers others to be excited, passionate and ready to fulfill God’s mission.
How to stop the trickle and pour leadership into those around us:
– Communicate, communicate and you guessed it… communicate.
Help people see how they fit into the ministry they are a part of.
– Ask for input from trusted advisors. It helps create a culture of feedback and support for the ministry.
– Communicate some more because vision leaks. As leaders, we might have spent weeks thinking about a decision but those we tell have heard it in seconds.
– Never assume everyone knows what is expected of them. Give people practical ways to help in ministry.
And the most important part of stopping the trickle down effect is…
– Do what you say you will do and if you forget, apologize. People remember what we say, so be sure to use words wisely on decisions. It might not mean much at the time, but every decision affects everyone.
What trickle down effect are your decisions making?
Trust me, knee-jerk decisions are decisions that do not last long and will leave our followers disconnected. People want to follow leaders who trickle down clear communication WITH strategic, wise decisions that help the organization move forward.
Josh is the student pastor at Church @ The Springs in Ocala, Florida
(www.thesprings.net). Josh has served in student ministry for 9+ years and has a passion to lead students to imitate Christ and influence the world! He has a personal blog at
http://joshrobinson.cc
by David Hanson | Jan 6, 2014 | The Youth Ministry Blog
Youth workers are great at managing our image. We are great at painting a public picture that everything is going great. Peruse the youth ministry blogs out there and many of them will offer lists and tips that promise to revitalize and revolutionize your ministry. I love how the youth ministry community shares thoughts and resources. I am thankful for the many women and men who are willing to bless others with their work, usually for free. But there is a dark side to this culture of tips and tricks. It comes when there is a deep divide between image and reality.
Do a google search of “Pinterest vs. Reality” and you’ll see tons of people who have attempted to do creative ideas from Pinterest and failed miserably (usually with the caption “Nailed It!”). The Pinterest community thrives on the idea that we can follow easy steps and create cool DIY crafts, art and meals. The reality doesn’t always work that way.
The youth ministry world works in a similar way. We read blogs where someone offers their tips and tricks. They sound promising, so you try them in your own context only to fail miserably.
Inadvertently, the youth ministry world has sent the message that there are some ministries out there that are “model” ministries and leaders that we should imitate. This has always been around. When I started in youth ministry every conference and book promised to offer the best model. The problem is that now it’s so not just in books or conferences. It’s podcasts, blogs, tweets, pins, and ‘grams. Because of our adoption of social media, the amount of tips and tricks overwhelm us by the hundred and thousands each day.
It’s like we’re taking ministries selfies where we suck in our stomach and photoshop the flab. We’ve become the supermodel that can’t even recognize herself by all the digital work that’s been done.
The reality is there is NO perfect ministry. For every tip that we have that works are dozens that fail. Every ministry has it’s weaknesses and that’s ok. Hiding our problems isn’t helping anyone.
I realize that I am part of the problem. I’m coming to realize that in my desire to bless others I may fudge the results to help me sound more authoritative or convincing. For that I’m sorry. We’ve had wins in our ministry this past year, we’ve also had flops (like our mega event where 6 kids showed up). I am sorry for being part of the culture that doesn’t give you the whole picture.
Can we resolve for 2014 to paint a more realistic picture of our ministries? Can we stop putting up the impression that we’ve got it all figured out. We can learn from each other and share resources, but let’s just be honest. None of us have it all figured out. As soon as we start being realistic we can actually help one another be healthy (instead of perfect).
Kevin Libick is a Middle School Pastor living in Fort Worth, TX with his wife Kara and her two cats. He is a novice banjo picker and expert Hawaiian food eater. Kevin loves to connect with other youth workers and equip them to live out their calling in God’s Kingdom. Connect with Kevin on Twitter: @kevinlibick
by David Hanson | Dec 20, 2013 | The Youth Ministry Blog
Yesterday I went to work. I’m a youth pastor, so I don’t have a real job, but my friend Russ does work. As I found out, he works real hard. He owns an A/V installation business and he’s also a ministry parent/volunteer.
For the past couple of years I’ve been asking him to take me to work with him so I could see what he does for a living. Spending the day with him I came away with an even greater appreciation for the men and women who serve in our ministry in addition to having families and careers. These people give selflessly to the cause of Christ without getting paid to do it.
As a kid I used to think that people didn’t really exist outside my presence. People just came in and out of my life like actors in a scene. When they were off stage they were waiting around for their next scene. I think we can view our volunteer leaders the same way. We forget that they have lives outside of your ministry and the church. Yesterday I got to see Russ have a really stressful day. I’m sure I didn’t help when I broke one of his brand new ladders. Seeing Russ in his world helped me appreciate his investment in the church all the more.
Your leaders are more than bit players in your ministry story. They are not here to fulfill your ministry desires. I appreciate and lead leaders better when I remember these two things:
Their presence is a valuable commodity. Even by being involved in your ministry they are sacrificing greatly. It’s no small thing for a mom to spend all day with a toddler and then lead a small group. Just showing up is a sacrifice. Honor that sacrifice by making their involvement worth their time. Give them meaningful responsibility and relationships instead of busy work.
They don’t have as much time to prep as you do. Chris, one of our leaders, is a dad, husband, has a career, and coaches his sons archery team. All this while trying to pour into his neighbors and our middle schoolers. He loves to teach the word of God to middle schoolers. He does his best, but he doesn’t have 20 hours each week to put together a super amazing Bible study. Bless them by giving them the resources they need to succeed instead of making them struggle to find it on their own.
You will be amazed what they can do. I saw Russ in his element making tough decisions and solving difficult problems. It made me wonder if maybe I had underestimated his gifts and abilities. When a leader is a bit player in my story I don’t get to see them as stars in their own right. How can you best equip your leaders if all you know about them is what you see for an hour on a Wednesday night?
You ask leaders to come to your job and help you out. Is there a leader or parent that could take you to work with them? Ask them if you can. Tell them it’s an assignment from your senior pastor. It will help you appreciate your leaders in a new way.
Kevin Libick is a Middle School Pastor living in Fort Worth, TX with his wife Kara and her two cats. He is a novice banjo picker and expert Hawaiian food eater. Kevin loves to connect with other youth workers and equip them to live out their calling in God’s Kingdom. Connect with Kevin on Twitter: @kevinlibick
by David Hanson | Dec 19, 2013 | The Youth Ministry Blog
Once time has ticked away, it is gone forever. Every second, minute, hour, day… you get the idea.
Time is always moving. We all have the same amount of time. The difference is how we spend it. What you and I do with our time shows what we value. I want to share a few tips I’ve learned about how to manage time.
1. If you don’t plan your time, someone else will plan it for you. Seek to think through what your priorities are in life. Try to block out certain time to complete the most important things. If you do not have a plan, the next person who wants to waste your time will be happy to.
2. Know what you value so you can decide if you should spend time upon it. If you value people and show love to them, you will value the time spent in conversation planned or unplanned. If the time helps move people closer to Jesus, it was meaningful time spent.
3. Block out time for what matters most during your week. I have times of my week that are blocked out to study for teaching and other time blocked out for quality time with my family. I try to make sure the most important relationships in my life get the best of my time.
Time is limited. We should continually spend it on what matters most.
What would you add to the conversation?
Josh is the student pastor at Church @ The Springs in Ocala, Florida
(www.thesprings.net). Josh has served in student ministry for 9+ years and has a passion to lead students to imitate Christ and influence the world! He has a personal blog at
http://joshrobinson.cc
