Archives For Guest Post

Guest Post: Capitalizing on Your Students Birthdays

April 3, 2013 — 2 Comments

Making good connections with the students in your ministry is vital. One thing every student in your ministry will have is a birthday. Birthdays are one of the most overlooked connection points with our students. Usually they get drowned out in the busyness of our ministry, but I believe they are a great way to connect and show students for a day that you appreciate them and enjoy having them in your ministry.

Honestly, I’m not the best person to be writing about this. This is an area I am trying to improve and get better at. I want to use birthdays to connect with students and show them I love them. So here are a few things I’m going to start doing in the future that may help you as you try and capitalize on your student’s birthdays.

Use Facebook! Let’s face it, most of your students are on Facebook and your friends with them. Facebook keeps track of your friend’s birthdays and notifies you when it’s their birthday. Keep an eye on this as a way to remember which student’s birthdays are coming up.

Don’t underestimate a card. Don’t overlook birthday cards because you think your students find them lame. A simple birthday card with a hand written note from you will go a long way with students. Buy a box of goofy (keep it appropriate of course!) birthdays cards and send them to students when it’s their birthday. We actually have cards made with our ministry logo. That helps students identify with our ministry and makes them feel like they are super important, because they are!

Stick a volunteer on it. Delegate this area to a volunteer. Have them keep track of birthdays and write cards to students from your ministry when it’s your birthday. I’d suggest having the volunteer keep track of the birthdays, but have you as the student pastor or head leader write the personal note inside. That will mean more to students.

Take them lunch. You may not want to do this for every student in your ministry, but at least the core ones.  Either take them their favorite fast food lunch to school or on the weekend take them to a fast food restaurant yourself. This will also give you some great one on one time with them.

Make a big deal in your service. This may not work for larger student ministries, but for smaller ones it works great. Bring the student up during your mid-week or weekend student gathering and make a big deal about their birthday. Embarrass them a bit (all in good fun) and make them feel like they have the spotlight for a minute.

I hope these simple ideas help you capitalize on your student’s birthdays. Again, I’m no expert in this area and trying to do better myself. Feel free to share your ideas and how you have done this in your ministry by leaving a comment below.

Austin is student ministries director at Christ Community Chapel (Stow Campus) in Northeast, OH. He enjoys reading, sports, spending time with his wife, and pointing students to Jesus. Follow him on Twitter @AusMcCann or check out his blog at http://www.austinmccann.com.

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Guest Post: Ain’t Nobody Got Time Fo Dat

December 6, 2012 — Leave a comment

What’s interesting about time is the fact that everyone has the same amount of it in any given day.  Oddly enough, it seems as if there are people who have all the time in the world and others seem as if they never get enough.  In youth ministry, we seem to get the second of the bunch.  When it comes to the weekly tasks, videos, curriculum and message prep there doesn’t seem to be enough time in the days or the weeks to actually put into practice the things Jesus asked us to do.

The other day, I realized something interesting about Jesus’ interactions with people.  Jesus had a lot to do.  Jesus had places to go.  But for some reason, whenever a person would approach Him, Jesus would make that person feel like there was nothing more important than whatever that person’s needs were.  He would stop what he was doing, address the situation and act compassionately towards that person.  Not only did that demonstrate an amazing ability to problem solve, it gave everyone around a snapshot of what the Kingdom mindset was all about.

If we do not do the same in our ministries with our parents, students and leaders, we are missing the boat.

With all the things on our plates, how is it possible to pour into people the way Jesus did?  We cannot forget that we are in the disciple making business.  Our goal ought to be to make sure when people approach us on the weekends or week days, that there is nothing more important to us than what is happening in the people’s lives we were called to serve.  How do we even begin to do that?

When we align ourselves with God’s will for us and our ministry, He will provide us efficient time to not only get our weekly tasks done, but to serve our people as well.  In Spiritual Leadership, J. Oswald Sanders says, “The secret of Jesus’ serenity lay in His assurance that He was working according to the Father’s plan for His life – a plan that embraced every hour and made provision for every need.  Through communion in prayer with His Father, Jesus received each day both the words He would say and the works He would do”.  We have access to this as well.  I am willing to bet that the majority of us younger pastors admit to the fact that we’d like to spend more time in the Word or in prayer.  In order to make sure He had the time to do other things, Jesus made daily conversation with God and submission to his authority a priority in His daily routine.  When we do the same, God will allow us the necessary time to do His will.

That seems like a good starting point to me.

Adam Knowles is the Junior High Director at Inland Hills Church in Chino, CA.  He is married to his wife Melissa and has a daughter named Scotti and a son named Hudson.  He loves Jesus a lot, too.  Follow him on Twitter + Instagram: @adam_knowles

In Devotional, God, Guest Post, high school ministry, Leadership, personal growth, student ministry, Youth Ministry
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Guest Post: Another Blog About Student Leadership

November 15, 2012 — Leave a comment

Student Leadership: It’s a popular buzzword in student ministry circles. Articles, books, videos, conferences and hours upon hours of seminary training have been devoted to teaching youth workers how to teach students…leadership.

Now, if you’re like me, you’ve sampled a few of those offerings, and maybe got lost in the process. Ministry suppliers like Simply Youth Ministry, LeaderTreks, and Student Leadership University have enough resources to overwhelm even the most seasoned student of leadership. The stuff is great and useful…but, they often  leave me (and my student leaders) wanting a bit more. It’s kind of like drinking one of those 8oz cans of Coke: tasty, but not satisfying.

So, I’m proposing an approach that works for our student ministry, and I think it can help yours as well. (yes, another blog entry on student leadership). This stuff isn’t original with us. We stole our framework from a great book: the Bible.

When you look at the strategy of Jesus, you find three main things he did with the disciples: He equipped. He guided. He sent. In our ministry we “theme” this process using the idea of a hunting or fishing outfitter, so our ministry is called OSM Outfitters. Here’s how it breaks down.

Equip: Throughout Jesus’s ministry, you see him training and teaching the disciples leadership principles. Think of him calming the waves and waiting for Lazarus to die before he goes to Bethany. These two episodes, among others, taught the disciples about integrating leadership and faith. In Outfitters, we do this part through guided studies and having them work alongside our adult volunteers in the student ministry and other ministries.

Guide: Jesus also gave his disciples “guided practice,” or opportunities to be a part of active ministry. Examples of this are their participation in the feeding the 5000 or their inability to cast out demons (assuming Jesus had given them the task of doing so). These were times when Jesus said, “Do X,” and then stepped back to see how they did, offering assistance where needed.

Send: Finally, Jesus gave the disciples chances to go it alone. The most obvious is when he sent out the seventy disciples to minister in the outlying towns. He gave them the chance to serve, and when they came back blown away by how God worked through them, Jesus was elated. For us, this is the fun part. We’ve had students tackle some big ministry dreams! Some failed miserably, and others succeeded, and BOTH results were learning experiences for all of our student leaders.

So, there it is. It’s nothing new or trendy, nothing super spiritual or mind-blowing. It’s just WWJD style ministry, but it has elevated those students in our student ministry who have chosen to step up to the plate and become leaders to a new level in their walk with Christ and their effectiveness for the Gospel. I think three things sum up why it’s been so successful.

1. Access: OSM Outfitters is open to anyone who is willing to make the commitments that we require of our leaders. We don’t pick them. They choose to step up. (Ownership)

2. Action: Get out of the youth room! Bible studies are great, but learning in the midst of the battle is so much more effective and life-changing. There’s a time for words. But we have to make more time for practice. We encourage our students to dream big, and we resource them to chase those God-given dreams.

3. Intentionality: Leadership development must be intentional. Just because ministry is taking place, DOES NOT mean leadership is being developed. We’ve got to figure out ways to draw the desire of leadership out in our students, and then feed that hunger. We give our students opportunities to serve alongside other leaders, observe leadership in action, and even see how poor leadership affects those who follow.

In a nutshell, that’s how we do student leadership in our student ministry, and I believe it is the best thing we do. I could go into a lot more detail, but you’re probably ready to move on to an actual Knowles blog entry. So, let me leave you with one challenge. Jesus ministry was wrapped up in two things: preaching the kingdom (Gospel) and building his church (leadership). I assume you’re doing one of those in your ministry already. Don’t you think it’s time to get serious about the other one too?

Dustin Slaton has been involved in student ministry for over ten years, and is currently Minister of Students & Recreation at First Baptist Church in Terrell, TX. He’s passionate about developing student leaders who will embrace the mission of the church and reach the lost generations. Please contact him if you’d like more info on starting your own student leadership initiative at @dustinslaton or http://www.overflowterrell.com.

In God, Guest Post, high school ministry, Leadership, Relational, Small Groups, student ministry, Uncategorized, Youth Ministry , , , , , , ,
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Guest Post: Three Vital Steps for Ministry Communication

November 14, 2012 — 2 Comments

We are forgetful people.  We always have been, ever since the Israelites left Egypt and continually fell into enemy hands because they had forgotten what God did for them, and we probably always will be, because with information swirling all around us in the form of the Internet, television, smart phones, etc., there’s no way we can remember it all.

That’s why in ministry, whether you are promoting the next youth ministry event or encouraging parents during the difficult task of raising teens, there are three things to remember in order for your message to be communicated effectively.

1.  Electronic communication is crucial.  For starters, it’s easy.  Well, at least it’s easy for those of us who grew up in the age of computers.  Sending an email reminder, setting up an e-newsletter, updating a website, and texting brief info are all simple and usually quick.  Not only does electronic communication save money on postage, it’s often FREE!  Set up a (free!) Facebook page for your ministry and update it daily, create a Mailchimp account to send (free!) e-newsletters and email blasts, create a (free!) stylish website with Weebly or one of many other easy to use website hosts, and start a web-based database using Simply Youth Ministry Tools (for free!).

Electronic communication gets your message to the people where they need it, on their phone, iPad, computer, etc., so they can save it how they want it and find it when they need it.  This is the way people’s minds are moving: don’t know the answer to something?  Google it!  It’s is all about making it easy for those you are communicating to, so do what you can to make sure you and your ministry are heard. 

2.  While communicating through new media is vital to any ministry, written communication is still not outdated.  Many have switched over to electronic-only communication, such as emailing newsletters, texting event details, and updating the website.  And as much as I would like to move to all web and email based communication, there are still people left in the “dark ages” of communication.  While not completely free, you can send home flyers or mail postcards with valuable information to parents and students.  Submit something to be printed in the church bulletin or pass out a half-sheet of information as people leave the service.

This is an important step for the dwindling population who prefer something to hold, put on the fridge, or file away for a later date, as it gives them something to refer back to in their preferred style.  By doing this, you’re making sure not to leave the paper-loving generation in the dark when it comes to information.  You are acknowledging where they are and walking alongside them, hoping to eventually show them the light of electronic communication.

3.  The one mode of communication that will probably never fall into a “dark age” is personal, face to face communication.  When getting a message across, face to face communication matters most, and it probably always will.  Catch a parent before they leave the building to check in, say hi, and ask them whether or not their teens will be attending the next big event.  Look for students while on their school campuses, meet their friends, and make connections.  Ask a parent face to face if they are finding the information in your e-newsletter helpful and get input to make you electronic communication even better.

Personal, face to face communication communicates value for the individual you are talking to and for the ministry.  You’ve taken time out of your day to connect with them and to better involve them in the process of seeing teens connect with God.  This speaks wonders to a parent worried about their children.

4.  And here’s a bonus forth tip for communicating a message in ministry…

DO ALL THREE!  Like a pine needle is made up of three separate needles, we need three forms of communication to have effective communication.  Don’t send an email and assume it didn’t get filtered to spam or deleted by accident.  Don’t just put an announcement in the bulletin and assume that everyone will be diligent about reading every word. Don’t tell someone about an event and not give them the resources to find the information later after they’ve forgotten what you said.  Communicate, communicate, communicate.  And if you think there’s a chance your message hasn’t gotten through, communicate again.  We’re called to make disciples of Christ, and effective communication to both students and parents is a vital organizational step so we can be freed up to see lives changed.

*Tim received his Bachelor of Arts in Youth Ministries and Master of Divinity from Azusa Pacific University.  Having never lived outside of California, Tim and his wife, Emily, have recently moved to Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, where Tim serves as the Pastor Pastor of Student Ministries at Coeur d’Alene Bible Church. You can follow Tim on Twitter @tgardner7

In Communication, Free Stuff, God, Guest Post, high school ministry, Leadership, organization, personal growth, service programing, student ministry, Uncategorized, Youth Ministry , , , , , , , ,
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Guest Post: How to Get Students to Serve

November 13, 2012 — 1 Comment

Recently, I was asked to teach our small group leaders a workshop on how to get students to serve. This topic is impossible to fully answer in a 15 minute workshop or 500 word blog, but here are my condensed thoughts on it. I believe that getting students to serve should make us focus on two parties:

On the Leaders - It is impossible to get students to serve if you, as their leader, don’t believe in them. We need to believe that, through the Lord, students can change the world. I was talking with a friend recently about a project that some of our student leaders did at their school and they were so surprised that high school students did it. In today’s society, people have such low expectations of what a high schooler is capable of, and that mentality has rubbed off on them. They hold themselves back from making an impact because they don’t believe they can. If we want to break that, we first need to REALLY care about seeing students serve and believe that it is important. Whether you are 14 or 40, God has called us ALL to serve. That needs to be evident in the way we shepherd our students. If we don’t care, we can’t expect them to care.

On the Students - The first, and most important, part of this process is prayer. Nothing is accomplishable without the Lord having His hand in the situation. We need to be praying that the Lord stirs up a passion for serving in our students and gives them the confidence that God has prepared them for that purpose. There are a lot of students out there who don’t know they are gifted. For these students, we need to be take every opportunity we can to point out areas in which they are talented. Be honest with them! The goal isn’t flattery; it’s helping them understand how they are created!

Some students already know that they are gifted but they aren’t using them for the purpose of serving. This comes from the lack of understanding that these gifts are created FOR serving. I think that students believe that their talents and abilities are their own, and that they choose to use them to serve God. They don’t know that those gifts were GIVEN to them for the purpose of serving. That can be a game-changing idea.

The last thought that I think students should learn is that serving isn’t boring and it isn’t a chore. Since they were designed for it, serving is something that they will find joy in! Think of it like a hobby. People like hobbies because they care about them and/or are good at them. Serving is the same way! As youth pastors, we know that serving isn’t always puppy dogs and fairytales, but at the end of the day we love what we do because we are fulfilling God’s purpose for our lives.

Again, I could write about this topic for days and still have so much to say. These are just a few of the actions and ideas that I’ve seen work in our ministry. How do you get students to serve?

*Colton Harker is the Student Leadership Director at Saddleback HSM.  If you have any questions or comments, feel free to contact him at coltonharker@gmail.com or on twitter at @ColtonHarker.

In Devotional, God, Guest Post, high school ministry, Leadership, student ministry, Youth Ministry , , , , , ,
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Guest Post: Learning to Say No

November 6, 2012 — 2 Comments

Recently I had a conversation with my pastor (Moses Camacho), where he said to me “you have to learn to say no”.

Anyone who has been in ministry long enough knows that regardless of whether you are a volunteer, part time, or full time staff that you spend more hours on your work than your time card says. 

Why? Because you love what you do. When you love what you do it doesn’t feel like work. 

The problem comes when you have a full plate and yet you still find yourself saying yes to any request that comes your way. Most of us say yes because we genuinely love to serve and help others. 

One of the biggest struggles I’ve seen with people in ministry is their inability to say NO. Unfortunately in most cases this leads to burn out. 

Last year I ended up in the emergency room multiple times for ongoing pain. Every time I went to the emergency room I was hooked up to an IV with some painkillers that would put me out for the rest of the day. One of the times that I went in I said to the nurse “would you mind not giving me so much of the pain killers, I have a lot of meetings to be at and I don’t want to be knocked out”.

The nurse’s jaw dropped. As did my heart when I heard the words I was saying. She leaned over to me and said “sweetie I don’t know what it is that you do, but I do know that if you don’t take care of yourself you can’t take care of anybody else”. Those words will forever be embedded in my mind.

A lot of times we get too caught up in the work of God and we put our relationship with Him on the back burner. We trick ourselves into thinking that if we are working for Him then it’s just the same as spending time with Him. It’s not. 

He wants you. Just you. Not your power point presentation. Not the curriculum you wrote for the new series. Not even the awesome sermon you wrote for Sunday. He just wants you. 

As people in ministry and as Christians we are called to be there for others. However, we aren’t called to lose sleep, get stressed out, or get sick from not resting. 

Saying no isn’t a bad thing. Saying no to something that isn’t right for you now, opens you up to say yes to something in the future. 

Saying no opens up the opportunity for someone else to rise to the occasion an serve. We have to remind ourselves that we are part of a body that needs each part to work. We cannot fill every role 100%. We weren’t built that way. We were built to need each other. Don’t rob someone the blessing of serving. You saying no could be an answered prayer to someone waiting for an opportunity to help out. 

Be encouraged that you’re not alone. I’m the biggest offender when it comes to wanting to say yes. But contrary to popular belief, I am not Wonder woman, and I can’t do it all. 

Brenda Medina. Student Ministries Director | Saddleback HB

T: @_Bren_

F: BrendaSays

B: BrendaSays.blogspot.com

In Devotional, God, Guest Post, high school ministry, personal growth, student ministry, Uncategorized, Youth Ministry , , , , , , , ,
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Guest Post: What Is Your Golden Calf In Ministry?

November 1, 2012 — Leave a comment

I think if we are honest with ourselves many of us have placed idols in our lives at some point or another. We may have not gone to the extreme of melting all our gold down and forming them into the form of a cow(Exodus 32), but if we are honest with ourselves there are things that we lift to the place of God in our lives. It may look different in your life than it does mine, but I have been very guilty of this myself.

A great example would be a few years ago when I was transitioning out of my position in the Chicago area and making the decision to move back home to northern Indiana. I knew I was going to be transitioning out of my position and had been looking for a full-time youth ministry gig. I’m not going to lie to you,  I was arrogant during that time and really believed that a church was going to be lucky to hire me. I knew that God had called me into youth ministry, so I had no doubt I would land a great gig soon and be ministering to students in no time.

Little did I know that I would be taking a break from ministry and that it would be the most fruitful time I’ve experienced in a long time. It turned out that I was not able to get into a church full-time and that I would be transitioning into working a full-time retail position. I had no clue the lessons that God was going to teach me through those 3 1/2 years were going to help equip me so much for ministry. I learned so much over those years and am so thankful for God directing me to walk that path.

See in my life, I had placed the “title” or “role” of youth pastor in Gods place. I let my title and my role define who I was in. If I’m honest I would also say that I elevated my position to a higher place of honor than God. I was more concerned with me “being a youth pastor” instead of being a follower of Christ. Instead of teaching out of the overflow of my life I was basing my whole relationship with God on the work that I was doing in ministry. It defined everything I was. I put the ministry before my family, friends, and even God.

When it came time to transition and I didn’t have a solid position nailed down, my world came crashing down. What defined me was quickly gone and I was left feeling empty, alone, and far away from God. I was bitter towards others and even more bitter towards God. I was angry with God that He didn’t provide a position for me. I was angry that I hadn’t landed a new position. It was during that time in my life I experienced so much pain, bitterness, anger, and even depression.

Eventually I realized that it was my heart and my own relationship with God that was the problem. I soon realized that I had a family I needed to restore. I had put my ministry at a higher importance than my family and wasn’t being the husband or father I should have been. I realized that my number one priority had to be my own relationship with God and ministering to my own family before I could ever think about getting back into ministry. It was once I realized this that God started doing a great work in my life and my heart.

At a point about 2 1/2 years into this journey I came to the place where I was ready to serve again. I knew God had placed a call on my life and I wanted to make sure I was being faithful to that call. I finally came to a place in my life where I just wanted to serve in ministry at whatever capacity I could. I started volunteering as a youth leader at our home church. I started living out my own faith and teaching from the overflow of my relationship with God.

It’s at that point that God started opening up doors for me to minister. When I didn’t let my role or my position define me is when God started opening doors for me to be able to serve him more and more effectively. Eventually he opened the door for me to become the youth pastor at my home church, but even then I was hesitant because I didn’t want that role to define me.

I did end up stepping into the role and this time it’s been different. I am protecting my family time more than ever. I am ministering first to my own family. I am concentrating on my own relationship with God and letting that define who I am rather than letting my role define me. So far…so good.

I am writing this to simply tell a little bit of my story and also encourage others. Guard your own heart and guard your family with everything that you have. Never let your role define who you are and never put anything over your relationship with God. No ministry, no person, no role, deserves more honor and more of you than your relationship with God does. For me my “golden calf”was full-time ministry. What is it for you? What could God be pointing out in your own heart? Also, for you volunteers out there. THANK YOU. I truly believe that God honors your role SO MUCH. Don’t think that you have to be a paid full-time position to be effective. Be faithful to the gifts that God has given you and be faithful to those He has called you to.

* Derek Coy blogs at http://derekcoy.blogspot.com, you should check him out.

In Devotional, God, Guest Post, high school ministry, personal growth, student ministry, sweet articles, Youth Ministry , , , , , ,
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Guest Post: What Do You Do When Nothing Goes “Right” in Your Small Group?

October 30, 2012 — 2 Comments

Small groups can be scary.  Every week you pray, prepare, and expect God to do great things.  But what happens when your 12 students become 3 students?  It is tremendously heart breaking.  We have all faced seasons in ministry when it seems like your students are completely indifferent about God, eternity, much less discipleship.  It would be easy to begin questioning what you are doing wrong?  Why aren’t the students’ families making this a priority?  Do I suck at this?

I have gone through this and there are times I have allowed these circumstances to harden my heart and take my focus off of God and turn that focus to “results”.  My goal is to love God and my family and invite students to be a part of our lives and journey.  I want students to be able to own their faith instead of borrowing from their parents or mine.  That can only be done by God and the student.  It doesn’t make it any easier when you see great potential get lost in an ungodly teenage romantic relationship.  Or the mysterious disappearing student that was always there and now won’t return your text.

I don’t have an answer for why this happens, but I do have a suggestion. Love your ONE and love your 3!  Go after God in ways you normally wouldn’t (i.e. fasting, thanking God instead of just asking, and taking time to just listen for His voice).  Pour into your 3 students and make sure they know you love them and you love being there.

This isn’t a quick fix that will get your group back to 12, but it is A way to stay spiritually healthy and hungry.  I love small groups.  They are honest, irreverent, and open for discussion.  And when everything goes wrong, just love your ONE and love your 3.

Jeremy Bloom is the Youth Ministry Director at Shoreline Church. He blogs at http://theymlife.blogspot.com/ and you can follow him on twitter @finding_jeremy.

In Devotional, Guest Post, high school ministry, Leadership, personal growth, Small Groups, student ministry, Youth Ministry , , , , , , ,
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Guest Post: Selecting New Volunteers Pt. 2

October 25, 2012 — 6 Comments

In part one of this series, I shared a few random thoughts to remember as you are on your search for new volunteers for your ministry. But that is the easiest part. The real work comes once you have a few potential volunteers that you feel may be a good for fit for your ministry. Once you have a few, the temptation will be to plug them in right away, but don’t get ahead of yourself. There are a few crucial steps that I would encourage you to take before you officially add these new volunteers to your team. Here are three things we do with our potential volunteers that may be good for you to do as well.

  • Application. We have a lengthy application we ask all potential leaders to fill out. It’s lengthy for a reason. We want people who are committed and are willing to take the necessary steps to joining our team. Also, it’s a great way for us to get to know important information about them before we put them on our team. We ask them to write out their testimony, ask them why they want to work with students, see if they are a member of our church, and other important information. If you don’t have an application you give to your potential volunteers I would encourage you to put one together. Once you have one made, keep it on file so you can send it to any potential volunteers that may be joining your team.
  • Background Check. This is huge don’t overlook this! I am always surprised at how many churches don’t require background checks of their potential volunteers. I have been guilty of this, but know always make sure every potential leader has one done. We must protect the students we work with and one way we do that is screening our potential volunteers. It’s an important step that we must never overlook. Before anyone can join our team, we do a background check on them. If you are not doing this I encourage you to start doing it now!
  • One on One Interview. Once a potential volunteers as filled out an application and passed a background check, I sit down with them one on one and do a casual interview with them. This gives me a chance to hear their story as well as hear their heart behind why they want to work with students. I will review their application beforehand and highlight any areas I want to discuss with them. This is a great way to put the paper work aside and hear the heart of a potential volunteer. During this interview, make sure to ask the right questions, but also share the vision and purpose of your ministry. Explain the commitment they will make as part of joining your team and make sure they know exactly what they are signing up for. Pray with them and tell them you will get back to them in a few days.

If you have done these three steps and feel like they are a good fit, add them to your team! Find out where they best fit and unleash them to serve the students in your ministry! You may have a few other steps, but I believe these are three important steps you must take when your selecting new volunteers.

*Austin McCann is the student ministries director at Christ Community Chapel-Stow Campus in Northeast Ohio. He enjoys reading, writing, spending time with his wife, and pointing students towards Jesus. You can check out more of his thoughts at www.austinmccann.com.

In God, Guest Post, high school ministry, Leadership, Ministry Idea, Small Groups, student ministry, Uncategorized, Youth Ministry , , , , , , , ,
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Guest Post: Selecting New Volunteers Pt. 1

October 23, 2012 — Leave a comment

Volunteers are the key to having an effective student ministry. A student ministry will not last long with a single student pastor; it needs a committed group of volunteers as well. Currently I am in search of some new volunteers in our ministry. We have growing small groups, which means we need more volunteer leaders! Many student pastors are in the same boat I am, on the hunt for more volunteers. I want to share a view thoughts on selecting new volunteers that I hope will help you as you look for new people to add to your team

  • Don’t post an ad. The last thing you want to do is post a “volunteers needed” in your churches bulletin or website. If you do this, you will get a ton of responses from people that may not be close to what you are looking for. You’re opening up yourself to too big of an audience. However, if you do open it up so people can “apply” to be volunteers, make sure they know it’s not something you offer to everyone that signs up. For example, we just did a serve push for our whole congregation. We encouraged everyone to find a place to serve in our church and put together a webpage for them to fill out areas they are interested in serving. I had multiple people express interest in working with students, but that doesn’t mean they will get that opportunity. We want to get the right people for the job when we think about volunteers in student ministry.
  • Intentionally search. Instead of posting an ad, I encourage you to intentionally seek out new volunteers within your congregation. Through relationships and community, look for potential volunteers that would be a good fit for your team. As I meet new people in our church I am always thinking in the back of my head if they would be a good fit for our student ministry. It wouldn’t hurt to always have that in the back of your head as well as you meet new people.
  • Be open to recommendations from your current volunteers. Some of the best people to recommend new volunteers are your current volunteers. Many times they will know people that have an interest in serving students in your ministry. Usually they know a current volunteer and have seen what they have been doing which gives them an idea if it is something they would like to do. Encourage your current volunteers to always be on the lookout for new volunteers.

These are just a few random thoughts on selecting new volunteers. Finding the right people for your team is important so take your time and get the right people. Don’t forget who is really in control when it comes to finding new volunteers. God will direct your path and will bring you the right people at the right time. Trust Him and do your best to follow His guidance as you look for new volunteers.

*Austin McCann is the student ministries director at Christ Community Chapel-Stow Campus in Northeast Ohio. He enjoys reading, writing, spending time with his wife, and pointing students towards Jesus. You can check out more of his thoughts at www.austinmccann.com.

In God, Guest Post, high school ministry, Leadership, Ministry Idea, personal growth, Small Groups, student ministry, Uncategorized, Youth Ministry , , , , , , , ,
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