“The students came on Sunday night with just the clothes on their back, a sleeping bag, and a cardboard box,” Houpt said. Then “after they got their home” (their box) “set up I gave each student $5 and sent them walking to Kroger to buy their food for the week. Some bought a box of cereal, some peanut butter and crackers, some ramen noodles, all with the knowledge they would have no way to heat it up, they would just have to eat it the way it was.”

Houpt had all the students’ journal about their experience. That night, Kristen Stephens, a senior at Christian County High School wrote, “Tonight we were given $5 to buy food to last till Wednesday night. Man did I find out what a dollar is really worth. I wanted to use every last cent. We had to walk to and from Kroger in the cold wet rain. But we came back to a warm fire! I felt so blessed; most homeless people don’t get that luxury.”

Houpt continued, “Monday through Wednesday we performed a variety of ministries, all connected with manual labor. This represented the day job atmosphere the homeless person lives in. At night we would have bible study and worship.”

Kristen’s account of the first day, included these notations; “I’m so tired. But I am ok! Today we were supposed to wake up at 8, but all of us were up and around the fire before 6:30! Today was a good day we went to the worksite and got most of the work done. We were working really hard. And MAN did we stink! All I can really think about is how we were only experiencing half of what real homeless people go through. They have to deal with so much more like getting mugged, actually sleeping outside without a box, and go days without food. I take so much for granted. I am really learning to appreciate what I have and what my parents do for me.”

“By Wednesday” Houpt said, “we were quite smelly and hungry but God had begun to do His work. The overriding empathy for what a homeless person's life is like was present. Many saw a new value of a dollar. Many had a new respect for what their family had provided. This has spawned a few student new ministries: collecting coats, feeding at the soup kitchen, just to name a few.”

Kristen’s final entry read: “Today was a no food day. We got breakfast and coffee that’s it. I’m hungry.” She continued “This week was amazing! I’ve learned so much. The main thing I got out of this week is, it’s not what you get out of an experience, it’s what you give. See we can get so much out of this like learning to appreciate things and really understand and be more compassionate about the homeless. That’s great and all except we don’t need God for that! We could be locked in a closet and get all th at. We would be just like the Pharisees in Luke 11: 37-54! We must give! And we can only do that with God.”

Houpt concluded, “The students are not the only ones that learned a lot.  We are definitely doing this again spring break. However; the students want it to be longer with less money. Go figure!”

To read all the students journal entries for the week go to http://xforce.tumblr.com/

And just recently 3 churches in Bullitt County: Victory Baptist, Vine Hill Baptist and Bardstown Baptist Church youth groups participated in a similar event.  For a report what they did click here.

1. They become a gossip group.

Small groups are not a place to talk about others; rather they should be a safe place that is free from gossip and condemnation. People who attend a small group should feel free to come as they are and share openly and honestly. If we are not careful, small groups can degenerate into a gossip group that will tear down instead of build up.

2. They become a one-man show.

The leader should not do all the talking. Encourage others to participate and share in the group discussions. I have been to some small groups where only one person does all the talking. When this happens no one wants to share, much less attend. An effective small group leader encourages everyone to participate in the times of discussion.

3. They become a place to complain about the church.

Small groups can become a sounding board for disgruntled people to complain about the church. This is not a place to complain and slander the church. If people have a problem with the church, they need to share it with the church’s leadership, which is biblical. Train your leaders to protect the unity of the church by not allowing upset people to use the small group as a place to complain about their problems.

4. They become a place for crazy people to take over.

Small groups can attract crazy people who will hijack the group if you let them. Do not allow people to get off the subject by chasing rabbit trails. Whenever people start getting off track in the discussions, bring them back quickly. This requires a lot of discernment and grace. A good leader can keep people on track and the discussion moving.

5. They become an end in themselves.

Sometimes small groups become merely a meeting place or a social club; rather small groups should reach out to new people in the community. Small groups can also serve the community. Encourage your people to reach out to others. Begin thinking of creative ways that you can serve together as a small group.

Read more here at The Resurgence... Or check out Winfield's church here...

Many churches today are having a very difficult time reaching teenagers with the message of Jesus Christ. Not only are the struggling to get teens from outside the church to discover Jesus, they are also not having much success keeping the teens who grew up in the church and should already be committed to Jesus. While the majority of churches are struggling to reach teens, some churches are succeeding in this area. What is the difference between those churches that are effectively reaching teens and those that are not? I have spent a lot of time reflecting on this question. Based on my experience in reaching teens and in working with a variety of churches, I have come up with these suggestions for how churches can reach teens more effectively.

1. Teens will attend a church that makes them feel loved.
This does not mean the church has to agree with everything teens do. Nor does it mean that churches cannot preach strong messages about sin that apply to teens. But it does mean that churches demonstrate love and acceptance to teens. Teens are struggling with a lot of issues. Their lack of emotional maturity will result in them doing things they should not do. Knowing there is a group of people that love them no matter what is very important to teens. They will go to a church that shows such love.

2. Teens will attend a church that proves love by its actions.
Teens are used to being told that someone loves them, but they see very little actual evidence of that love. Parents tell teens they love them, and then proceed to get a divorce because they love their new girlfriend or boyfriend more. Teens go too far sexually in a relationship because they are told they are loved, but once the other person gets what they want from the teen, the relationship ends and the teen is left wondering what happened to love. Churches say they love teens, but then fail to do anything that proves that love. If churches really love teens, they are going to have to put actions behind their words.

3. Teens will attend a church that speaks their “language.”
Teens have a number of ways in which they communicate, but the two that adults misunderstand most often is their love of music and their love of technology. Teens love music. Teens communicate in music. Teens use lyrics for their Facebook status and MySpace updates. Teens use music to communicate their feelings about relationships and events. Teens generally like music that is more upbeat than most adults, but more important than the beat is that music has deep meaning and communicates something important. In music, teens want to talk “to” God, not just “about” God. Churches that want to reach teens will probably need to speed the music tempo up, but they will also need to select songs that speak powerfully about how God can interact in daily lives.
Teens also love technology. They have been immersed in various video gadgets almost since birth. They have a hard time learning and communicating to others without the aid of technology. Churches that want to communicate with teens are going to have to learn to use technology both to reach out to teens and to help teens worship and learn.

4. Teens will attend a church that lets teens be involved in leading.
Teens are not interested in just sitting in the back pew and watching. Teens want to be involved in leading the music, taking the offering, saying the prayers and teaching the classes. Though they will need guidance in these types of leadership area s due to their maturity level, teens can lead effectively in the church. Churches that do not let teens lead will no t keep teens very long.

5. Teens will attend a church that makes sermons and Bible studies relevant to their real life experience.
People of all ages find it difficult to be faithful to church when the sermons and Bible studies do not seem relevant to real life. Teens find it almost impossible. This is why many churches cannot keep the teens that grew up in their churches. The topics covered during times of worship and Bible study seem to have little bearing on real life experiences. Pastors and Bible study leaders need to think carefully about how they teach the truth of the Word. They do need to give solid doctrine and historical Biblical context, but they also must have up to date applications of how that teaching impacts real life. Churches that fail to do this will not only lose their teens, but will eventually enter into a state of decline as people of all ages look for a church that is more relevant to life.

By following these principles, churches can reach out more effectively to teens and help them discover a life changing relationship with Jesus.

Dr. Terry Dorsett serves as a church planting missionary with the North American Mission Board of the SBC. He has a passion for helping young people discover a meaningful faith.

Not long ago, a movie hit the box offices around the U.S. It was called, "Defiance." The movie told the history of hundreds of Jewish refugees who avoided the capture of the Nazi's during World War II, in Belarus. It's a poignant true story of leadership during a time of chaos. Daniel Craig plays the role of Tuvia Bielski, and Live Schreiber plays the role of his brother, Zus. These men struggle with how best to navigate the future of this growing band of resistants. There were no titles, or badges naming who should be in charge-and the brothers' convictions were sharply different. The whole story got me thinking-how do leaders emerge? How do we spot them? On what path do they step forward for all to see? How do ordinary students become leaders that others will follow?  
 
Both you and your students are on a leadership journey. Let me suggest four paths that individuals take on their way to becoming a leader. Maybe you can spot these in your organization or campus.
 
1. Some are gifted to lead.
These are the easiest kind of emerging leaders to identify. They are people who are simply gifted to lead. Either because of their personality or because they have the ability to organize or plan a strategy, these people step up and find it natural to lead, regardless of the circumstance. Whatever team they are on, whatever group they are in-they seem to be the person that others look to for answers. They usually have a strong personality. They often are gifted at articulating key goals. They are almost always clear on what must happen to reach those goals.
 
I have worked alongside Dr. John C. Maxwell since 1983. John is this kind of leader. If you assembled a group of people in a room-and you placed Dr. Maxwell in that room with them, he would inevitably take charge. I don't mean this in a derogatory way. He is just gifted to lead. He does it naturally. He has the ability to quickly see what needs to happen to reach a target or make things run more efficiently, and he has the strength to attract people to his plan. He is magnetic. I have seen John organize travelers at an airport, when the flight was delayed and come up with a plan to get to their destination. I have watched him turn a chaotic situation at a restaurant into one of laughter and cooperation; he turns groups into teams. He steps up to lead because of his gift.
 
2. Some are situated to lead.
The gifted leader makes up, perhaps 10% of the population. If leading is reserved for gifted individuals-we will certainly experience more problems than solutions. There just aren't enough gifted leaders to go around. Fortunately, this isn't the case. I believe there are two kinds of leaders-and everyone fits into one of these two categories: habitual leaders and situational leaders. Habitual leaders are the ones we just discussed above. They lead out of habit. Situational leaders are the ones who don't believe they're a leader-but, put them in the right situation, and they lead. Find a situation that matches their strengths, their passion and abilities, and in that situation, they will know what to do. And they will influence others.
 
My daughter Bethany is a situational leader. She would be the first to admit she isn't the world's grea test leader. Her personality is very phlegmatic. She's laid back, casual and simply enjoys relationships. H owever, as a Resident Advisor at her university-she finds herself in a situation that matches her identity. She is natural at leading her floor of women. She has intuition about people, she is comfortable in meetings, she's confident, she's socially aware and she experiences her deepest influence in that situation. It's her sweet spot.
 
3. Some are positioned to lead.
There is a third path to leadership. This is where an organization has a role that needs to be filled and a positions person in that role, just to see what happens. Sometimes, they're merely looking for a warm body to meet a need, or a person to temporarily "plug a hole" in the boat. When the potential leader steps into the position-it brings the best out in them. A sense of initiative and responsibility surface and they rise to the occasion. Perhaps those virtues would have never been so visible had it not been for the new "title" and position. Although I do believe there are many people with leadership positions who are not fit to lead, and that a position does not automatically make a leader-still there are some that only lead well once they are given the authority to do so.
 
For years, I taught college students in San Diego. Richard was a student who entered our department as a quiet, assuming and shy young man. The last word you would use to describe him was the word: leader. However, as time went on, I noticed his high level of integrity and his follow through on every assignment. I felt he would make a great study group leader-and so I asked him to become one. He was reluctant. He didn't see himself as a leader at all. In fact, he called himself a "follower." I replied that following well was the first step on the leadership journey. Richard finally gave in a led a group. He was outstanding. The next year, he was leading three groups; by his final year in school, he was leading all the study group leaders. Even he was surprised. It was in him all the time-he just needed to be positioned correctly.
 
4. Some are summoned to lead.
This fourth pathway is most intriguing. I believe many potential leaders step into their primary means of influence because they are "summoned" by the circumstances around them. In other words, many people view themselves as quite "ordinary." It is only when a crisis occurs or a tragedy looms on the horizon, that we see what's really inside those ordinary people. They aren't seeking a title, nor are they seeking greatness or notoriety. When a problem emerges, however, they suddenly are clear on what must happen and they step up to the plate. They don't even think of themselves as a leader when they do. The just know someone has to do something, and instead of looking around them...they look inside and do it.
 
In his early days, Harry Truman was summoned to lead. As a kid, he was a geek. He worked on a farm, although he wasn't big or well built. He wore thick eye-glasses that resembled the bottom of a Coke bottle. While in college-his father became ill, so he returned home, and never completed his studies. It was while this nerdy young man served in the military during World War I that he saw who he was. His troop was marching through Europe when German artillery began dropping all around them. Nearly every soldier ran in retreat. Harry Truman's horse fell over almost killing him. But he slipped out from underneath, stood up and yelled for the men to get back in formation. They had a mission to fulfill. Those men were stunned to hear this quiet, li ttle "four-eyed" man calling them to finish what they'd started. They returned and did what Harr y said. Later in his diary, Harry wrote: "I learned two things about myself that night. First, I had a little courage. And, two, I liked to lead others." As president, he handled some of the toughest decisions every made by a leader.
 
Every person's life is an ongoing story. And everyone's life is a path to somewhere. May you be able to see your path and the paths of students around you clearly-and help them become the leader they were meant to become.                                                 
 

Some churches are trying to bridge the generation gap.  Bill Houpt the associate pastor of the Hillcrest Baptist Church in Hopkinsville has for the last 10 years has intentionally bridged this gap with an “adopt a grandparent” program. This “has changed the way I do youth ministry”, Houpt says.  “Every February, a youth adopts a secret grandparent.  They invite that grandparent to a Valentine Banquet.  At the banquet, we do various serious and fun activities for the purpose of the youth and senior adult getting to know each other.  Then in the summer, we have a picnic with the same group”, Houpt says.

This is more than a once a year event.  The relationship began in February extends through out the year “the youth support the senior adults by raking their leaves doing chores, etc. The senior adults support the youth … financially for trips and in prayer.  For many, who do not have extended families, the secret grandparents have become their grandparents” Houpt says.  For some he says, “This carries on even after they graduate high school.”

Summitt Hills Baptist Church is in northern Bullitt County.  According their pastor, Dr. Mike Wyndham, “it is in fact common, the norm, to have 15-20 youth on Wednesday night and very often less than that number of adults.” Wyndham says: “I think the relationships of our youth and seniors are more organic, less intentional.  On the first Sunday night of advent, we simply very informally met, pulled the Christmas stuff down from the attic, and decorated together while conversing, eating cookies, drinking cocoa, etc.  During that time, the kids were observed working alongside seniors.  I heard conversations that involved what Christmas was like years ago and what the kids were expecting for Christmas this year.  These were unprompted and natural.  This, I think, more characterizes the nature of these kinds of relationships at SHBC.”

So what can we learn?

Ignore the packaging. There are few places a teenager dressed all in black with dyed hair, multiple piercings and tattoos can sit beside an 80 year old and both and have a common ex perience.  Church should be one of these.

Life lessons.  There is a lot to be learned from both generations. Sometimes the only interaction students have with senior adults is when they do a missions experience in a retirement or nursing home facility.  There are plenty of vibrant seniors just waiting to share their stories and their lives with a younger generation.

Senior Adults can be your biggest asset. Houpt says, “What I have found is that a bond has been made between the two ministries.  The senior adults have become my greatest support.  I believe this has happen because the youth show they care instead of just talking about it”.

Friends on the other side. One of the most disturbing facts about youth ministry in the high percentage of students that graduate youth group and graduate the church.  Maybe with meaningful relationships with adults outside of the student ministry the transition to big church will be easier.

Purpose- Every program ought to have a purpose and that purpose should be tied to the process we have of developing students.  We need to ask ourselves as youth leaders and ask the parents of our students, what is it that we want our students to “look like” when they graduate from the youth ministry?  And not talking about how they look physically but what do they look like spiritually.  IF our goal is to develop young adults that are in love with Jesus or well informed responsible followers of Christ, then our programming should then be geared toward reaching that goal.  The programs we offer should be moving students toward that goal. It may require us to take a hard look at what we are currently doing and ask ourselves the tough questions related to why.  I may also give us the freedom to tweak or toss programs that don’t help us accomplish that purpose.  If the only reason we have for doing an event is that we always have….then it may be time for that event to go.

Age appropriate-Not everything we do has to be for the entire group.  State law in Kentucky says you have to be sixteen to drive, fuge says you have to have finished the sixth grade to go to camp and the U.S. Constitution says you have to be 35 to be president.  And as much as I may agree or disagree with those laws, there isn’t a whole lot I can do to change them.  But somewhere along the way we have decided that every event we offer in ministry has to be something we can take our entire group to or we are not going to go.  There are times when we need to all be together, that’s what families do.  But there are things that our juniors and seniors can experience, lead and discuss that our middle schoolers aren’t ready for.   And we need to honor those differences.

Quality-There are very few reasons for our programs to be ill planned.  I know a lot of us as youth pastor like to wing it.  Hey, I’ve even been referred to as “the king of wing”.  And there are times where winging it is necessary.  But our students deserve programs, be they Bible studies, retreats, hayrides or whatever, that are quality.  “Our” students will come to the events that we offer.  But we need to make sure that the events we offer are of enough quality that they won’t be embarrassed to invite their friends to them.

Relational-One of the beautiful things about youth ministry programs is that they offer a plethora of opportunities for us to build relationships with students.  But, it also provides those same opportunities for the adults in our church to build relationship with our students.  Chaperoning an event or helping with the Wednesday night meeting should not only be about crowd control.  They provide excellent opportunities fo r relationship building.  I still remember the time when I was in high school and our youth minister took Olan and Jewell Kerns to youth camp as chaperones.  They were a senior adult couple in our church.  They were ancient to us at the time (he had to be anyway-my dad had had him as a teacher!).  But what a wonderful experience that was as the Kern’s got to know us and we got to know them.

Posted on Sep 3, 2009 | by Kelly Shrout

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Young adults don't seem to have a problem with Jesus. In fact, they describe themselves as spiritual. But many of them are looking everywhere for spirituality except the church.

Such topics were at the forefront of a "Connect Conference" sponsored by the Threads young adult initiative of LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention in Nashville, Tenn.

Geared toward church leaders who work with young adults, the conference included sessions recapping recent statistics about why many 18-34-year-olds leave the church.

Sam Rainer, who co-authored "Essential Church: Reclaiming a Generation of Dropouts" with his father Thom Rainer, LifeWay's president, offered reasons for what some speakers describe as a "mass exodus."

"We find that the No. 1 reason young adults leave church is that they simply want a break from church," said Rainer, noting that 16 is the critical age when most students begin to drop out.

"Our research shows that at around the age of 16 many of the net gains for attendance switch and become net losses," Rainer said. "Spiritually, the problem begins earlier than young adulthood."

Rainer also offered solutions to the dropout problem.

"Churches must build a sense of community," he said, citing data that indicates 83 percent of young adults who have been active in a small group or Sunday School class remain in the church after five years.

"The younger generation goes to church because of the sense of purpose and mission," he said. "They value authenticity and depth."

Thom Rainer, also a featured speaker at the Aug. 20-21 conference, outlined three components of depth as discussed in Essential Church.

Depth begins with the pastor, he said. Depth also must come from small groups and Sunday School classes. Finally, depth must come from personal devotion and Bible study.

The Rainers also mentioned three characteristics of individuals who stay in church: Studies show that they come from families who regularly discuss spiritual matters, serve together on a mission trip or service project, and pray together consistently.

Ed Stetzer, director of LifeWay Research, reviewed data about how young adults view God and their beliefs about the church.

Stetzer noted that 81 percent of 20-29-year-olds believe that God, a higher or supreme being, actually exists.

He cautioned conference attendees about statistics that portray young adults as unspiritual.

"Don't believe that young adults, even unchurched young adults, are not interested in spiritual things," Stetzer said, noting that they are looking outside of the church.

According to a survey released in the book "Lost and Found" by Stetzer, Jason Hayes and Richie Stanley, 73 percent of unchurched 20- to 29-year-olds consider themselves "spiritual" because they want to know more about "God or a higher supreme being."

Further, 77 percent of 20-somethings believe Christianity today is more about organized religion than about loving God and loving people.

Yet this is a generation that God could use to change the course of history, said Jason Hayes, young adult ministry specialist at LifeWay.

"For both churched and unchurched young adults, we have found that they recognize that their choices make a difference, and they want to improve the world around them," Hayes said. "As a result of this heightened sense of responsibility, we can help create a door for service and evangelism."

Hayes said young adult leaders must teach the whole Bib le, foster discussion and answer the difficult questions of faith.

"Offer quality, exegetical Bible teaching and sing theologically sound music that accurately depicts the Word of God," he counseled.

Conference attendee John Oswald, assistant pastor at Grace Baptist Church in St. Louis where the young adult group has grown from four members to 30 in the past five years, attributed the increase to assimilating young adults into the life of the congregation.

"We raised the level of expectation of our young adults and became intentional about how we ministered to them," Oswald said. "We offered opportunities to go deeper into Scripture and began a mentoring program that paired young adults with seniors in our congregation."

Lee Saunders, associate pastor of Garden Oaks Baptist Church in Houston, credited the Connect Conference with offering information on the importance of dispelling the myths of the younger generation.

"We must correct those myths within our churches and realize that young adults are not hard to reach," Saunders said. "We have to let the Holy Spirit guide us. God ultimately has to be in what we are doing. It's not about us, but it is about reaching a generation for Christ and offering spiritual growth and development."

The Connect Conference included small-group discussions about leadership, the postmodern worldview and the importance of understanding the young adult context. The conference also offered a question-and-answer panel forum.
--30--
Kelly Shrout is the employee communications editor at LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. For more information about the young adult ministry at LifeWay, visit www.threadsmedia.com.

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Originally posted at Lifeway.com

Written by Sam S. Rainer III

Many people realize that the church is losing people. What is not realized is that the vast majority of people drop out as students and young adults. In fact, research reveals that seven out of 10 people who drop out of the church will do so between the ages of 18 and 22.

Instead of finding meaning in the church, students and young adults are finding it in the culture around them. Some blame resides with the students who don’t like the answers the church gives, but churches have done a poor job of demonstrating for students how believers are salt and light of culture, the flavor and guide of society.

Ultimately, church and culture don’t have to be mutually exclusive. The church should be the place where students learn how to interact with the culture without being swept into it. What are some practical ways churches and parents can help stem the tide of a young adult exodus?

1. Talk about your faith. The young generation not only wants to see faith in action, they desire for their parents to have a conversation with them about why their faith is important.
2. Give encouragement during life changes. Many dropouts we interviewed stated that a life change prompted their departure. One consistent way to help students through these life changes is to be a source of encouragement and support.
3. Empower students to serve. The more students serve in the church, the higher the likelihood that they’ll stay in the church. Don’t wait until students reach the age of 18 to ask them to serve. Find creative ways to get all ages involved in serving.
4. Surround students with mature adult believers. The greater the number of adults directly involved in a student’s life, the higher the probability that he or she will remain in the church. Conversely, our research also found that if students have few adults involved in their lives, the likelihood they drop out of church is greater. The heart of the church dropout problem exists within a short four-year window. If the dropout problem is solved with students in this age group, then the church dropout problem in general is remedied. I’m confident that parents, family members, friends, and other church members can rally behind students, connect with them, and model Jesus’ way of relating to the world.

Additional Suggestions for Parents of High School Graduates

• Before your student leaves for college, help him research area churches with effective college ministries.
• Encourage your student to visit several churches with collegiate ministries. Ask her about his visit and how the church compares to her home church.
• Discuss the possibilities of your student moving his church membership while away from home for four years. If might help him stay connected instead of constantly feeling like a visitor in someone else’s church.
• Help your student try to find campus ministries to join in an effort to find other believers who will hopefully be connected to and active in a local church while away at college.
• If your church is not currently ministering to collegiates, volunteer to begin a college ministry to not only help your student stay connected to your church during the collegiate years, but to help them find connections in their college town where they go to school.
• A care package mi nistry from your church can help your student know that your church continues to care even when he is away. If your church doesn’t have this ministry, volunteer to get the names of all the college students and find church members to adopt a collegiate for the year. Those connections with church members will build trust and give your students people to turn to back home regarding prayer requests and needs.

Sam S. Rainer III is pastor, co-author of Essential Church: Reclaiming a Generation of Dropouts (B&H), and president of Rainer Research. This article was adapted from an article that appeared in the February 2009 issue of Homelife. The research quoted is from the LifeWay Research of 1,023 Protestants, conducted April and May 2007. Margin of error plus or minus 3 percentage points.

Here are some administrative areas that youth ministers/workers need to pay attention to in order to have an effective youth ministry. 

Finances-The amount of money that passes through most youth programs every year is significant.  Our budgets may not be what we think they ought to be, but by the time our students pay for retreats, mission trips, camps and such a tremendous amount of dollars are entrusted to our ministries.  We need to have a system in place that has a line of check and balances in how the money flows from receipts to deposit to disbursement.  I would recommend that as the youth minister that you stay completely out of the handling of money.  Assign a volunteer to collect and record receipts and keep track of student accounts, another to make deposits.  It may seem like a lot of extra steps, but it keeps us above reproach.      

Calendaring- The sooner we can plan events and get them on the church calendar the least likely there is of a chance of a major conflict.  I hear plenty of stories of conflicts with the church calendar.   It also is a huge help to parents who, with an ever shrinking summer, can know what weeks camp and the mission trip are when planning their vacations.  You don’t have to know all the details of a trip or event, but a date on the calendar protects it from being planned over.  Don’t forget to reserve the church vans to lock them in as well.  It is also imperative that someone from the youth ministry attend the church council meetings or whatever organization meets to coordinate calendars from all ministries in the church.  It keeps the directors of other organization informed on what the youth ministry is doing.

Communication-One of the biggest concerns of youth ministry may be communicating with youth parents and the church about what is really happening in the youth program.  No matter how much information is sent home there are always the last minute calls about what time and how much.  Build a webpage and put all pertinent information there, make sure the church secretary and key youth leaders know as well.  Also post the information by the phone in your house.  That way if someone calls your house, your spouse or children are able to quickly relay the information.

Records and Prospects- There are several good computer programs to help with keeping track of student’s information (name, address, email, cell #, grade etc.)  Most will allow you to track attendance, generate reports and print birthday list.  Find one that is the “works” for you and use it.  You can be sure that somebody at church wants to know how many students were at the last event you did, and how “your numbers look”. 

Camp Reservations-preferred weeks at camps fill up fast.  Every year fuge, student life and Changers have weeks that close early.  In fact most camps will let you make a reservation for next year before you leave camp this year.  That is another reason we need to work through the calendaring process early.  A lot of camps and mission opp ortunities will let you register early (Oct/Nov) for the next year.  Make sure once you receive confirmation you place it on all calendars.

The areas of administration that we need to pay attention to as youth workers could be endless.  Coordinating fund raisers, enlisting volunteers, ordering teaching materials, finding resources, organize the youth room and storage areas. The list goes on and on.  Administration may not be our strength or gift but it is an area that needs our attention.

What does all this have to do with youth ministry?  I am glad you ask.  All across Kentucky students have started back to school and began the next leg of the journey to adulthood.  Some of these students are willing to step up and take the gospel to their friends and fellow students.  Most just do not know how or are afraid to venture there alone.  That is where we can help.  We can show them the way and assure them they are not alone.

Prayer.  The best thing we can do for our students is to pray for them.  Develop a systematic approach to pray for each student in your ministry.  That can be as simple as taking a blank calendar and writing a students name on every day and then praying for each particular student on that day of the month.  For a larger group more than one student could be on each day.  Distribute the calendars to the church and the entire church begins to pray for every student in your ministry by name.

Community Rallies. Gather the churches in your community together for a time of worship and fellowship. When we bring our students together to a community event it helps the students to see that they are not the only students in their schools that are Christian.  There is strength in numbers and also a built in accountability system as they notice and are noticed by other believers.  Incorporate into the service a time for students to gather by school and if necessary by grade to pray for the school and their awareness of other believers in their school intensifies.

Campus Clubs.  Picture this scene.  It is 7:30 in the morning and 90+ students are gathered in the school library for breakfast.  About half of those in attendance are on the football team. After breakfast as student stands and gives a gospel presentation and at the end of his time students are asked to pray to receive Christ as their Lord in Savior.  A couple of students do.  This scene is replayed over and over again all across Kentucky.   .  Whether you call them First Priority clubs, YES groups, FiSH clubs or prayer groups a network of students on each campus committed to reaching their school for Christ by living like Christ and carrying out a plan to share their faith can make an eternal difference in both students and their campus. In Hopkinsville alone over 100 students became Christians in their classrooms during the 2004-2005 school year

These groups meet during non-curricular times and are student lead, which makes them legal through the Equal Access Act that was passed by the United States Congress August 11, 1984.  Application of the Equal Access Act depends on three factors. When these factors are present, school officials are required by federal law to grant official recognition and equal treatment to religious student groups, such as prayer groups and Bible Clubs. Those factors are: (1) that the school involved is a secondary school under state law; (2) that the scho ol receives money from the federal government; and (3) that the school allows any other student club or group, not related to the school curriculum, to meet on campus.

Campus Missionaries at Steubenville Baptist Church in Monticello they commissioned their students as campus missionaries.  We all teach our students that as Christians we are on mission all the time and that their mission field is their school.  Students that took the challenge at Steubenville signed a covenant and meet regularly with the church staff.  At these meetings they were ask about whom they were sharing their faith with and were held accountable as missionaries.  It made the students more cognizant that they had a greater purpose in life.

Students will take the message to the campus, they just need to know the way to do that.

The following was taken from onlineprnews.com

An informal survey of a diverse group of youth pastors backs a common sentiment in youth ministry: Youth pastors receive little support from church leaders and parents, but they are hungry for it.

 

 Online PR News – 22-July-2009 – The results of a recent youth ministry survey are not surprising. Consistent with what many youth ministry champions have been telling us for years, a majority of youth pastors begged for support from the rest of the church.

 

As part of Called to Youth Ministry’s continuing effort to understand the changing contemporary needs of youth ministry, a survey was conducted with a diverse group of youth pastors across the country to identify their top needs in youth ministry.

 

Some youth pastors could ask for little more than a helping hand or an encouraging word once in a while. Others cried out for a more supportive church environment where the students and the youth ministry were acknowledged as an important part of the churches’ purpose and future.

 

Nathaniel Dame, founder and president of Called to Youth Ministry, encourages churches to take a closer look at their approach to youth ministry. "If student ministry is not a priority for your church, then you will miss those critical teen years that are so vital in the spiritual development of our children. If you have a youth pastor but still don’t prioritize students, you’re probably causing him or her a great deal of stress, too."

 

Author and youth ministry consultant Mark Riddle agrees. "To create a vibrant, growing student ministry, the entire church must be engaged and take the lead long before they have a staff person."

 

Tim Schmoyer, a youth ministry guru, suggests that there might be deeper systemic issues at work, too. "What if the root issue is that churches don’t see something worth encouraging in their youth ministry? What if youth pastors are particularly sensitive to criticism because of their own insecurities?"

 

In the survey, youth pastors also expressed a strong desire for more time to accomplish their priorities and fewer expectations so that they can actually spend time with their own families. They are hungry for mentorship and resources, and they often feel that they have very little training to do what they love. They also asked for the finances to fund their ministry and support their family.

 

Whatever the cause may be, it is clear that many youth pastors feel alone and underappreciated. Fortunately, everybody can be a part of the solution by sharing a kind word of thanks with their own youth pastor.

 

Called to Youth Ministry coaches youth pastors in effective youth ministry. By providing the coaching, community, and training youth pastors need, Called to Youth Ministry partners with youth pastors and churches to help them effectively disciple and mentor their teens in a life-long pursuit of Christ. Learn more at www.calledtoyouthministry.com.

 

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