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Suggestions for Youth Ministry Rookies
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I started doing youth ministry officially as a paid person back in the year of 2000. The picture above captures that year as a rookie and I remember each picture as if it were just one year ago.
When I first started out, I had a lot of things that I enjoyed: Hair, Hanging out late with students, spending time with students, and doing stuff with students. Do you see a repeating pattern?
Although I thoroughly enjoyed being that youth ministry rookie back then, I realize now that: I have no hair, Hanging out consists of until 8pm, less time with students, and doing less with students. Do you see some parallelism taking place?
So which Steve is a better youth pastor? The rookie 7 years ago or the balder, fatter, now has a wife and two kids going on 3 in the first week of December?
As I reflect upon this and remember back 7 years ago at how much fun I had, it is clear to me that now I’m a much better youth pastor then back then.
Why would I say such things when the rookie Steve sounded so much better-even more committed? I say this because now that I’ve been doing this for 7 years and have worked full-time in 3 different churches that their is nothing that can replace experience.
I can literally go to most youth groups in America and be perfectly fine leading it for the evening. I have lessons that are still in the brain, songs that I know without needing a music stand in front of me, and games that require no set up -but are still tons of fun.
I’m not saying these things because of or out of arrogance, but rather to give some insight and hope to that rookie youth pastor out there that is living from week to week, spending perhaps too much time with students, and is a little rough around the youth ministry edges when it comes to ability and knowledge.
Suggestions that I can say to you rookie youth pastors is this:
- Do it for the long haul, you begin to see results
- Connect yourself to other youth leaders for insight, sharing, and prayer
- Building and investing in a team of people is always better than doing it solo and it’s better for your ministry
- Have consistent Bible reading and prayer time - even if you gotta get away
- Make sure that you are putting back in as much as you are giving out
- Confront rumors and grumpy people right away before it gets worse
- Always, Always, Always remember that it’s about guiding a student so that they are stable with their walk in Christ when they go out into what they call, “the real world.”
There are other things too like, you must have command of your cabin on the first night of camp or the rest of the week is going to suck.
or
If Jr highers say that you are weird the translation there means that they like you.
or
If you don’t get any complaints after doing a youth group trip of any kind, then you didn’t do a youth group trip.
Got any more tips or suggestions old, fat, baldy, 10 children of your own youth pastors out there?
9 Comments on this post
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-Justin- said:
Wow, 3 churches in 7 years? That seems like a lot, even in the Youth Ministry world.
I took my first Youth Ministry job in 2001 and am still at the same church going strong, so I have yet to have an experience anything like that on my journey.
I’d be interested in hearing more of your story that has led you through these 3 different ministries.
Understand, I am not judging at all, just curious.
October 26th, 2007 at 4:02 pm -
steveblanchard said:
Justin - No problem explaining. My first position was a temporary one of 2 years (I knew that going into it). The second chuch split after I spent 3 and half years there. I resigned because I wasn’t going to play the pick which side game. The third church was the strangest experience as it just felt like we (my family and I) didn’t fit in the mix so after 3 months into it I realized this and by January (5 months since I started), I spoke with the elders of the church and we just mutually agreed to move on since it wasn’t jiving. I ended that position May of this year.
October 26th, 2007 at 4:14 pm -
grahame said:
Hi Steve,
Thanks for your post. I guess the first three apply to me - old, fat and almost baldy. I only have one child, just feels like 10 somtimes
Your points are all well made. I think connecting and networking with other youth workers is really important, especially if you’re going through a tough time, isolation is a killer. And yes, it’s all about discipleship ‘bringing each one into God’s presence as a mature individual in union with Christ (Col 1:28-29). Keep up the good work.October 26th, 2007 at 4:33 pm -
Christian du Plessis said:
Started the youth 1 month ago, so all your support and prayer appreciated.
Our church, The Kings Lighthouse has been operating for The Lord for 27 years. I am new here, but the response is great. A prophesy has already made about the youth, so God is good. Ant tips will be welcome.Lots of Godly love, your brother in Christ.
Christian
October 27th, 2007 at 2:40 am -
Luke said:
Alright, I don’t know how to say this without sounding judgmental, so we’ll just toss up a “it’s all in love brother” and hope that we land on our feet.
It appears you’ve decided that new Steve is a better youth pastor because he (you) can go into any room of teens and pull lessons, music, and games from your mental resources. Which is cool, but it just seems like a side effect of doing something for 7 years, not necessarily growth.
My main fear, though, is that you’ve traded programming for ministry.
I don’t remember the games we played, the songs we sang, or even the lessons that my youth pastor taught me. I remember that he let me sit in his office on weekday afternoons, that he liked giving me rides so we could talk, that I was worth his time.
Your 7 points are great, solid advice. But I think there’s something missing from the list because they are all somewhat self-focused points. Might I propose:8. Love your students out loud. If teens don’t know that they are loved by God through the youth staff, nothing else is worth your time.
Youth Pastors are Pastors before they are event coordinators, program directors, social planners, accountants, webmasters, graphic designers, cultural experts, recruiters, sales people, volunteer coordinators, A/V technician, food service reps, travel agents, and the myriad of other tasks that have ended up in our jobs.
Pastors are shepherds. Shepherds let the sheep know they are protected, cared for, loved, and led. When the pasture gets more attention than the sheep, we’ve gone wrong somewhere.
October 27th, 2007 at 12:56 pm -
steveblanchard said:
Luke thanks for adding # 8! as it’s very important. I hope to write a post soon about some of the job descriptions that are out there currently by churches that are looking for youth pastors. It seems to me that they are wanting SUPER Youth Pastor and it gets many youth pastors just to be the upfront guy and real personal ministry like the example you described gets put on the back burner when it’s time spent with a student that is the most valuable to them and probably the most effect as well.
I would love to see a youth ministry to pull off a 1 adult spiritual mentor/youth leader to every 1-2 students. Think about how huge that would be in those students’ lives.
October 27th, 2007 at 3:50 pm -
Brian said:
I agree with Luke that we’ve got to be careful not to just see youth ministry as a series of programs. But as I read what you’ve written Steve, I too hope I’m a better youth minister now than I was when I started. Like any type of ministry, much of it is on-the-job-training. I think one thing I’ve really learned over the years is just to relax. It’s easy to get caught up in playing the numbers game and worrying about entertaining the teens and wondering what the ministry down the street is doing. Your post, Steve, reminds us of the things that are important for our equipping ourselves for this ministry. THanks!
November 1st, 2007 at 11:19 am -
Lot Subeil said:
I have really been bless by this dialog and I feel compelled to interject. My problem is that Sr. Pastors expect growth in numbers and lots of biblically based activities and then the Youth Department is treated like the Department of Education. When the church goes to war the youth budget gets cut. I have really gotten to the point that I am functioning below potential. We can’t get funding and the church won’t let us raise money. I am at the point that I can’t say what is right I just have to go along with the system, even when it is not right. I really can’t wait to leave and start a community youth group. That way I don’t have to play church politics.
December 7th, 2007 at 10:52 am
[...] is a very great article and fits well with the post that I wrote HERE about being a rookie in youth [...]