Be sure to update these directories annually. Write job descriptions that clearly outline the scope of staff and volunteer position responsibilities. Then give people annual reviews and be willing to revise their job descriptions if necessary.
Build a master recruiting list by deciding how many volunteers the ministry needs for the coming year and who the most likely prospects are to call. Craft a mission statement for the ministry. List measurable goals to aim to achieve over three years.
Write a statement of values. Develop an organizational chart for the ministry. Change the vision. The best time to consider a new initiative or trajectory in youth ministry is just before the momentum of the current focus has peaked. Every five years or so, bring key stakeholders together to cast a fresh vision for the ministry. Dream boldly and ask God to breathe new life into the ministry.
Change the culture. First work to give stakeholders visible evidence that something good is actually happening in the ministry. Make one small change after another and trust that, slowly but surely, bigger changes will result.
Ask God to help you avoid anxiety and be joyful despite the problems around you. Your attitudes will help other people remain positive.
Use stories and metaphors to affirm the progress you see and to encourage others to notice God at work in the ministry. Use rituals, traditions, signs, and symbols to cultivate a positive sense of community identity within the ministry. Search with the right goal in mind.
When searching for the next youth pastor, focus on finding someone who can steward a vision much larger than himself or herself while serving at your church. Put the right system in place before looking for the right person to hire. Remember that the youth pastor and all other staff and volunteers are really just interim workers.
Hire wisely. Hire a youth pastor who naturally likes to do the tasks the job requires. Clearly communicate the direction in which the ministry is heading so your next youth pastor will help take it there instead of in another direction.
Emphasize two basic goals: growing the youth group to reach more students, and creating a ministry that the students will enjoy. It gives you opportunities to ask more personalized questions. It gives them the space to answer those questions and to ask their own.
This discipleship is an essential part of the ministry. When you engage with parents and guardians one on one, you become a parenting partner. You can encourage parents in this role, cheer them on as they do their best for their children. And you can give them insight into how they can connect what their teens are learning in youth group to family life.
This requires partnering with schools. Administrators and teachers need to see your presence as a benefit to the students. Your degree program will help you understand the reality of church partnerships and how it can make all the difference in how successful you are. Your youth ministry program will not be an island.
Youth ministry is an awesome calling from God. If you feel that call, consider yourself blessed! And a guide with a reliable compass to lead the way there? Let Clarks Summit University be your guide. Our youth-focused Christian ministries programs will give you a sense of what to expect, so you can go forward to serve young people confidently and competently.
Contact us now to begin your adventure in youth ministry! Consumer Info Core Values Jobs. Start your degree program. Learn about youth needs in your context. Prepare yourself. Lay the ground rules. Raise up leaders. Get creative. Go one on one. Be present in the schools. Partner with the church. This article is part of the 10 Things You Should Know series. Effective youth ministry means investing both in students and in parents. The church will never be nearly as entertaining as the world.
There is nothing wrong with fun at youth group. If we are a family in Christ, then we should enjoy our fellowship. At the same time, if youth ministries are trying to use fun and games as the primary attraction, Netflix, PlayStation, iPhones, sports, keg parties, etc. We can dominate the world in the realm of meaning, purpose, hope, peace, joy, and love in Christ, and should make those principles the attraction of our ministries. Kids are being challenged intellectually at school. Kids are capable of learning theology, biblical studies, and apologetics like adults.
Or, in other words, they need to know that Christianity is first about what God has done for them in Christ, and, secondly, about what we do for God in response. Some scholars would suggest that clarity on the gospel is the single strongest predictor of whether a child will stick with Christianity or not down the road.
In reality, kids trust, are attracted to, and listen to a person who is sincere. People who deeply internalize the gospel and understand just how much God loves them, often have an attractive level of comfort in their own skin. They also tend to listen well. These qualities transcend age, and are more important to kids than someone with a thousand great jokes. There are, of course, pedagogical techniques to develop, age-appropriate illustrations to be utilized, and contextualized language to employ.
At the root of youth ministry, though, one should find the same basic convictions about the importance of a steady diet of expository Bible teaching for conversion, spiritual growth, and equipping for ministry. Young people have much to offer to the wider church body right now, and youth ministers should be diligent in releasing them for ministry and service.
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