We just finished our annual Disciple Now Retreat Weekend. It was an absolute blast and God did some big things! These weekends are always special.
Anytime students get away from the normal routine of life to seek and lift high the name of Jesus, big things happen. Students hear from Jesus in new and fresh ways as they seek Him in Gospel Community. Here is the recap video of Disciple Now 2016:
As youth workers, we should always be seeking to improve our “product.” When I say product, please don’t hear, “event void of Jesus.” Yes, our primary objective is to point people toward Jesus. Period. But this doesn’t mean we should get comfortable in how we engage students. Retreat weekends should call students into worship, Bible study, contemplation, community, and fun. How we execute these each year is our “product” and we should always be refining how we are engaging students. Being intentional and creative in this process both removes barriers and creates environments where student can encounter Jesus. With this in mind, here are my Disciple Now Musts:
You MUST put together a strategic team.
Administrative Team –> Team Leads –> Volunteers
Strategic Teams work smarter not harder. They do this by splitting the work load as much as possible. Our retreats are planned and organized by an Administrative Team that leads and coordinates Team Leads, who in turn coordinate and lead volunteers. Team Leads are in charge of college leaders, communication, drivers, food, host homes, sponsors, check-in, fun, service projects, stage design, etc.
This is really just a good rule for ministry and life, but it’s particularly helpful during events. Not only do you need to be communicating with students how awesome the weekend will be, but parents need to know dates and details as early as possible. Our communication and planning process begins about four months out.
Furthermore, communication just before and during a retreat weekend can be tricky. We have found REMIND to be a huge help. This is a FREE texting service that schools use to communicate with students and parents. You choose a code, parents text the code to a number to join, and boom, your line of communication is now open. We use four different text streams for parents, college leaders, drivers, and all volunteers. The unique thing about REMIND is that you can’t see any numbers, so do not technically own their information. While not needed for weekend events, there are probably better solutions for your primary/longterm texting service.
You MUST dream big.
What should be the theme or focus of your retreat? What would help solidify the message in the hearts of students? How many volunteers do you want? How many students do you expect to show up? What would encourage students to invite their friends? What will be what students talk about for years to come?
These are just a few of the questions you should ask when planning an event. Ask God not only for a big outcome, but for big dreams in the planning process. When you set your sights high you will work/pray your tail off to get there. When you set your sights low (intentionally or through lack of planning) you will get sub-par results/response.
You MUST pay attention to the details.
If you want your student ministry to seem faithful (or “professional” for that matter) you must pay attention to details. The earlier you jump into the planning process and actually begin to execute the plan, the better you will be able to pay attention to the details during crunch time. You should NEVER have to “wing it” during an event or retreat weekend.
When you have to pull off a game or service project at the last second students will know it. Worse, parents and volunteers will know it and form opinions about you and the ministry you run. These may be unfair and unwarranted opinions, but your church should expect the same level of professionalism they find in the business world. Yes, you might be part-time or volunteer, and yes, your budget is probably tiny, but don’t make excuses. Rather, set a high standard for yourself and the ministry and then watch what God will do with a faithful servant!
Want some help paying attention to the details? Like I already told you…go grab our FREE Retreat Planner! This Master DNOW Excel File has multiple tabs that will help you organize and plan your next retreat. It was created by one of my amazing leaders and will walk you step-by-step through event preparation and how we coordinated 301 students, 51 college leaders, 91 Host Home/Driver/Sponsors, and 58 general volunteers.
David Hanson: Texas native, Texas Tech Red Raider, M.Div. at Truett Seminary, husband to Ashley, father to Ava, Ben & Madelyn, Student Pastor at The Fellowship in Round Rock, Tx, table tennis (ping-pong) extraordinaire, addicted to coffee. For anything else…you’ll just have to ask.
Here’s what I know. I know that many students are engaged in sinful behavior that is crippling their joy and ministry. This lack of joy and effective ministry is a direct result of living a life void of self-control. In a society where truth is relative and parents aren’t parenting, students are drowning in self-gratification.
Their cell phones (Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, texting), Xbox, Netflix; more than ever, students have personal entertainment at their fingertips. Where many of us had parents regulating our use of media and what we could view/do, students today have parents who are either clueless as to what their teens are consuming or apathetic as a result of being addicted themselves.
Into this space, youth workers must preach and teach self-control. In Paul’s letter to Titus, who was dealing with the evil, lying, gluttons of Crete, Paul writes to help the believers see the connection between belief and action. Specifically, Paul is writing to raise the leadership bar and exhort the leaders of the church in Crete. A simple word study of the book of Titus reveals a unique connection between two words.
Self-controlled
Paul uses the word “self-controlled” five times in his letter to Titus (1:8, 2:2, 2:5, 2:6, 2:12). Like our students, the Cretan Christians also wrestled with impulse and self-gratification. This is usually the case when followers of Jesus fail to allow their faith in Him to affect the way they live, act, and interact with culture.
As youth workers, we must help students understand the correlation between mission and self-control. Paul says in Titus 2:6, “Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled.” If our students want to experience the fullness of Gods mission and purpose for their life, they will need to recognize that there will be some desires of the flesh that must be denied.
Denial of self, however, is pointless unless it is connected to joy in Christ. We don’t avoid sin to feel better about ourselves…that’s selfish. We deny self that we might better know Christ and be found in Him.
Good Works
Self-control, when done for the glorification of God, equips men and women of God to be ready and devoted to good works. While self-control is mentioned five times in Titus, “good works” is referenced six times throughout the book (1:16, 2:7, 2:14, 3:1, 3:8, 3:14). We would be wise to see the correlation between self-control and good works.
I believe that many students struggle to find joy in Christ, because they are ensnared in sin. This hold of sin produces guilt and shame that prevent students from finding joy and purpose in the works of Christ.
First Corinthians 9:27 states, “But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.” This disqualification happens not only after you have proven to be a sinful hypocrite, but also before. The pull of sin is so strong that for many it has crippled the joy found in living for Christ. Rather than seeing oneself as a tool in the hand God, many students, and adults for that matter, have a disqualified view of themselves despite knowing that in Christ there is no guilt or shame.
Conclusion
If we want students to walk in freedom, we must teach them that freedom comes from submission to Christ and living a self-controlled life. Romans 6:11 states, “So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.” When students fully embrace their life in Christ and continue in Him through self-control, they more readily carry out the missional works God prepared for them.
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David Hanson: Texas native, Texas Tech Red Raider, M.Div. at Truett Seminary, husband to Ashley, father to Ava, Ben & Madelyn, Student Pastor at The Fellowship in Round Rock, Tx, table tennis (ping-pong) extraordinaire, addicted to coffee. For anything else…you’ll just have to ask.
Disclaimer: This is a rant post. Don’t read this as me being unhappy or ungrateful, but rather as me being in a place where I am completely dependent upon the grace of God!
This last season of life has been one of the craziest seasons of life and ministry for my family. Not only has it been crazy but it has also been incredibly challenging and life-giving. While that seems like an oxy-moron it’s actually when you push yourself to rely fully on the presence of God that you find a strange sense of peace amidst the crazy. Let me just bullet point what the last season of life has looked like for me:
Got pregnant with our third child
Prayed through a new opportunity in Austin
Decided it was God’s will to join the mission at The Fellowship Round Rock
Faithfully transition the youth ministry I’d spent four years shepherding
Sold our Plano home
Moved into a friends place while house-hunting
Started new youth ministry role (building relationships & programming)
Bought a house and moved in…boxes, boxes, boxes
Started Summer in Youth Ministry
Summer Camp planning & execution
Summer College Interns
Mission Trip to Dominican Republic
Lot’s of awesome weekly relational ministry & programming
Still learning the people, programs, and processes of a new church
Found out our unborn baby will have clubbed feet or joint disorder
Started learning how to run multi-site youth ministry
Started recruiting new Small Group leaders & slightly altered SG model
Launched Small Groups
Wife went into pre-term labor…doctors got it stopped.
Transitioned youth pastors at our multi-site
STILL meeting new people and building relationships at a church of around 2k
Planned and executed Fall Retreat
Wife went back to hospital with pre-term labor during Fall Retreat…stopped again
Attended Middle School Ministry Campference…AWESOME!
Keying in on leader development and care
New College worship leader
New multi-site youth minister
Small Group Leaders
All of this plus the weekly Wednesday & Sunday routine
Needless to say, it’s been quite a ride! Despite the busyness, the Lord has been so gracious and kind. He has been my strength and the fact that things are going really well is testimony to His provision and plan. There have been low times, but He has seen me through. I’m tired, but He is my source of strength. Today, I hold onto the following passage. I hope it comforts you if the mountain ahead seems impassable.
Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
his understanding is unsearchable.
He gives power to the faint,
and to him who has no might he increases strength.
Even youths shall faint and be weary,
and young men shall fall exhausted;
but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint.
– Psalm 40:28-31
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David Hanson: Texas native, Texas Tech Red Raider, M.Div. at Truett Seminary, husband to Ashley, father to Ava & Ben, Student Pastor at The Fellowship in Round Rock, Tx, table tennis (ping-pong) extraordinaire, addicted to coffee. For anything else…you’ll just have to ask.
Reality Check: You cannot do youth ministry by yourself. You will never be able to do youth ministry by yourself. Your church, students, and community need more than you alone will ever be able to provide. You NEED a team.
Let’s break this down:
You simply can’t do it all.
If you have a large student ministry, it is impossible for you to disciple the masses. The more leaders you recruit and train up, the deeper the impact that your ministry will have. If you are a part-time youth pastor with only a handful of students, you still need to execute a professional full-time youth ministry through the strategic efforts of a passionate team.
You can’t be everywhere.
You might be able to make every game, small group, Sunday, lunch, coffee, etc., but it’ll cost you your sanity and family. As your ministry continues to grow, you will need leaders dedicated to being present in your student’s lives.
You’re just not good at everything.
If you are a visionary that tends to ignore the details (like permission slips, event registrations, weekly communication) then perhaps you would benefit from an administrative team who can help you carry out that grandiose vision. Or maybe you need a Small Groups team to help you recruit, train, and send out leaders. Strong leaders know themselves. This means they know their weaknesses and fill their gaps with qualified and passionate leaders. Where are you weak? Who can you recruit to take your ministry to the next level?
Want help building an All-Star Team?
If you are doing youth ministry alone, or if recruiting leaders feels like pulling teeth, then you need to check out Jody Livingston’s new online course, Building the All-Star Youth Ministry Team. I know you can relate to the following:
Have you ever…
✔felt guilty for just plugging warm bodies into spots in your Youth Ministry?
✔felt like a used car salesman when recruiting new volunteers?
✔found yourself on promotion Sunday still needing a ton of volunteers?
Have you ever had any of these thoughts?
✔“I feel like I’m begging people to serve in our Youth Ministry.”
✔“I wish I could have volunteers that are passionate about our Youth Ministry.”
✔“I’m tired of having to do it all alone, and am not sure how much longer I can do this.”
So…what would your ministry look like if you had a team of loving adults around you who are pouring into the teens in your ministry?
I’m so excited for this course and the way it will help youth workers, like you and I, be intentional. In Building an All-Star Youth Ministry Team, Jody will teach you:
✔ Why you need a team around you
✔ Where to find the volunteers you want and need
✔ How to approach and ask potential volunteers without begging
✔ How to keep the team you build
✔ What to do when you have to ask a volunteer to step out
Get after it! Leaders are learners and we all have a lot to learn about how to build an all-star team. I’ll see you inside the course!
David Hanson: Texas native, Texas Tech Red Raider, M.Div. at Truett Seminary, husband to Ashley, father to Ava & Ben, Student Pastor at The Fellowship in Round Rock, Tx, table tennis (ping-pong) extraordinaire, addicted to coffee. For anything else…you’ll just have to ask.
In episode 007 of Youth Ministry TV, David, Ben, and Kevin Libick discuss why Middle School Ministry is so unique and important. If you are a youth pastor overseeing 6-8 graders, this is a must watch!
We hope you enjoyed this episode of Youth Ministry TV! If you got something out of it, would you do us a favor and share this on your social media platform of choice? We desire to train, equip, and encourage youth workers just like you and this would further help us achieve that goal!
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