"We're better together" has been the slogan for the National Network of Youth Ministries for years.
Their heart is pretty simple, gather youthworkers (adults who love students) together in a local area for prayer, relationship, developing strategy and sharing resources.
The National Network exist to help youthworkers start and deepen local networks. If you care about kids and want to work together to reach and deepen them, someone from the NNYM staff would love to connect with you or you can check their web site for helpful information.
Getting Started
I have the privilege of serving on an advisory council for NNYM and just returned from our annual gathering in San Diego. The men and women on the ministry council are passionate about Jesus and the youth of our country. Spending time with ministry leaders from around the country is always personally encouraging and challenging. I grow as a leader when around great leadership and for that I'm grateful.
Of course I was challenged personally, but this year there were 3 themes I took away as it relates to student ministry nationally and the necessity for local networks.
We've lost our evangelistic edge
Ok, not everyone has, but it seems the drive to reach out to students on the middle school and high school campus has diminished. Personally I believe the best way to reach students far from God is to equip and inspire students who are close to God. As youth workers maybe we need to pull together and dream of how we can work together to see the gospel shared in word and deed.
Prayer is essential.
I heard someone say that prayerlessness is proclamation that we don't need God. We all know prayer is essential but do we make it priority? What might God do if we cried out to him on behalf of our students, schools and community? If youthworkers gathered in your area for no other reason than prayer that would be extraordinary.
Unity is important to Jesus
Jesus prayed for the unity of his people, that we may be one and he and the Father are one. I'm not sure what that may mean for you in your context but there really is no place for church or ministry competition. You battle and defeat ministry competition with relationship. Do you have it?
Recently several churches in our area gathered for worship. One of my favorite outcomes was the simple fact that students from my church saw me caring for and hanging with youthworkers from other churches. Who knows, maybe that night was a part of Jesus' prayer being answered.
Let me ask, are you in consistent relationship with other youthworkers in your area? I know you're busy and have so many parents and students to serve, but if you long to see the gospel go forth and transform the lives of students outside church walls in your area it just makes sense to connect with other adults who love Jesus and kids. And by the way, other youthworkers need you. (who knows, you may need them as well)
Maybe there's already a group meeting, if not create one, for the glory of God and the good of students.
Showing posts with label high school. Show all posts
Showing posts with label high school. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
3 Ways to Keep Upper Classmen in the Game
High school ministry attrition is so common in churches. Many times after students get car keys they become disinterested in the body of Christ.
To join the discussion on why high school attrition check out...
Why Attrition in High School Ministry
So the question becomes how do we provide an environment that encourages students to remain engaged as they reach those busy junior and senior years?
Provide Ownership
High school students have great ideas about student ministry. A few months ago I sat down with 17 students individually and asked their opinion about our high school ministry. You can learn so much by simply asking questions and listening. Asking and listening gives them true ownership in the ministry.
Right now our students are planning our first high school led worship experience. They're brainstorming the theme for the night, how to present it creatively and thinking through what it's going to take to pull it off. They own the night and they know they need Jesus to be effective in the planning process.
Provide Opportunity
Being unintentional about getting upper classmen hands on in ministry is like having a basketball team that practices but never plays a game. Many students have heard Bible stories their whole life. They've heard how others have been in dangerous situations when God came through in huge ways...but few of them have experienced it.
God has gifted student in remarkable ways, our job is to help them discover their gifts, develop these gifts and then provide opportunity for them to utilize their gifts. Sure, most the time it's easier to do ministry ourselves, but think about how powerful it would be if you sat down with a student and helped them learn how to study the scripture and write a talk. Think about how much they would need the power of God to come through when they stand up and deliver a message to their peers. This and other experiences like it keep students in the game.
From setting up chairs to praying to taking care of the tech needs, there are so many ways for students to minister. As they get older they don't simply want to be spectators, they want to be in the game.
Provide Ongoing Relationship
Youth staff will come and go. Yes, the average time a youth minister stays with a church has increased over the years, but making sure students connect with volunteer adult leaders is crucial. There's less chance volunteers move on.
Having a volunteer leader who has pastored a group of students since they were freshmen or earlier forges great relationships that grow through the junior and senior years of high school.
Sure, there are a lot of other issues to discuss, but if we as churches can focus on these 3 areas not only will our students stay in the game, their understanding of their role in the body of Christ and service to the world will increase.
God get's the glory and students get to enjoy what it's like to be used by God. Wouldn't we want that for all our students?
To join the discussion on why high school attrition check out...
Why Attrition in High School Ministry
So the question becomes how do we provide an environment that encourages students to remain engaged as they reach those busy junior and senior years?
Provide Ownership
High school students have great ideas about student ministry. A few months ago I sat down with 17 students individually and asked their opinion about our high school ministry. You can learn so much by simply asking questions and listening. Asking and listening gives them true ownership in the ministry.
Right now our students are planning our first high school led worship experience. They're brainstorming the theme for the night, how to present it creatively and thinking through what it's going to take to pull it off. They own the night and they know they need Jesus to be effective in the planning process.
Provide Opportunity
Being unintentional about getting upper classmen hands on in ministry is like having a basketball team that practices but never plays a game. Many students have heard Bible stories their whole life. They've heard how others have been in dangerous situations when God came through in huge ways...but few of them have experienced it.
God has gifted student in remarkable ways, our job is to help them discover their gifts, develop these gifts and then provide opportunity for them to utilize their gifts. Sure, most the time it's easier to do ministry ourselves, but think about how powerful it would be if you sat down with a student and helped them learn how to study the scripture and write a talk. Think about how much they would need the power of God to come through when they stand up and deliver a message to their peers. This and other experiences like it keep students in the game.
From setting up chairs to praying to taking care of the tech needs, there are so many ways for students to minister. As they get older they don't simply want to be spectators, they want to be in the game.
Provide Ongoing Relationship
Youth staff will come and go. Yes, the average time a youth minister stays with a church has increased over the years, but making sure students connect with volunteer adult leaders is crucial. There's less chance volunteers move on.
Having a volunteer leader who has pastored a group of students since they were freshmen or earlier forges great relationships that grow through the junior and senior years of high school.
Sure, there are a lot of other issues to discuss, but if we as churches can focus on these 3 areas not only will our students stay in the game, their understanding of their role in the body of Christ and service to the world will increase.
God get's the glory and students get to enjoy what it's like to be used by God. Wouldn't we want that for all our students?
Friday, June 11, 2010
Why Attrition in High School Ministry?
Yesterday afternoon I stepped into my executive pastor's office to say hi. Now, you need to understand that Steve is unlike any executive pastor I've ever met, heck, Steve is unlike any person I've met. He's passionate, aggressive, gentle (most the time), a servant and values out of the box thinking. All of this wrapped up with a shaved head and a huge heart.
As we were pontificating about ministry (good word, hugh) he asked a question that has me thinking. "Does anyone know how to do ministry to juniors and seniors"? Of course in my mind I'm thinking, well yes, I'm standing right here.
In reality our ministry has gone through major transition over the last 3 years. This transition has really hurt our ability to serve upper classmen. We're rebuilding.
Most student ministries struggle to influence students after they get their drivers license. We've heard a lot of statistics about young adults leaving the church, I believe they're leaving the church much earlier than college, they leave church when they're still in high school.
So why don't they hang around? Why do we typically have great attrition when students get older. Here's some thoughts.
They have greater freedom...
When they get car keys they all of a sudden have more options of how to spend their time. Also parents may stop making their kids come to church as they get older. In reality, when kids have keys they can vote about how they value the student ministry. Many of them vote "no".
They have greater responsibility...
You know the drill, jobs, sports, band, drama, college prep. All these opportunities get loyalty from upper classmen, and they should. The question is, why doesn't the church receive the same loyalty from students?
They have greater interests...
As students begin to see the world differently their interests sometimes mature. The church typically doesn't give context for them to develop and serve in a way that impacts the world around them. Students at some point think the church is irrelevant and they go elsewhere to have impact.
Some seem to have the view that if the church can get students through the high school years without getting pregnant smoking pot or getting drunk, the church has done a good job. If parents don't have to twist the arm of their kids to come to church that's a huge plus.
Shouldn't high school ministry be more than that? In the next couple of days I want to share some thoughts on how to keep high school students in the game.
BUT before, what are other reasons we loose high school students as they get older?
As we were pontificating about ministry (good word, hugh) he asked a question that has me thinking. "Does anyone know how to do ministry to juniors and seniors"? Of course in my mind I'm thinking, well yes, I'm standing right here.
In reality our ministry has gone through major transition over the last 3 years. This transition has really hurt our ability to serve upper classmen. We're rebuilding.
Most student ministries struggle to influence students after they get their drivers license. We've heard a lot of statistics about young adults leaving the church, I believe they're leaving the church much earlier than college, they leave church when they're still in high school.
So why don't they hang around? Why do we typically have great attrition when students get older. Here's some thoughts.
They have greater freedom...
When they get car keys they all of a sudden have more options of how to spend their time. Also parents may stop making their kids come to church as they get older. In reality, when kids have keys they can vote about how they value the student ministry. Many of them vote "no".
They have greater responsibility...
You know the drill, jobs, sports, band, drama, college prep. All these opportunities get loyalty from upper classmen, and they should. The question is, why doesn't the church receive the same loyalty from students?
They have greater interests...
As students begin to see the world differently their interests sometimes mature. The church typically doesn't give context for them to develop and serve in a way that impacts the world around them. Students at some point think the church is irrelevant and they go elsewhere to have impact.
Some seem to have the view that if the church can get students through the high school years without getting pregnant smoking pot or getting drunk, the church has done a good job. If parents don't have to twist the arm of their kids to come to church that's a huge plus.
Shouldn't high school ministry be more than that? In the next couple of days I want to share some thoughts on how to keep high school students in the game.
BUT before, what are other reasons we loose high school students as they get older?
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