Archives For saddleback hsm

Stop: Have Fun With Your Students

March 13, 2013 — Leave a comment

When I am in the zone, I’m in the zone and there is no stopping me. When it comes to leading a small group or running an event sometimes I get so into it and want everything to go so smoothly and perfect that I am on such a mission I don’t even enjoy what is happening around me. I’m focused. But that is not a bad thing right? Maybe sometimes it is when we are not focusing on the right thing. Sometimes we just need to loosen our grab of our ministry, allow the Holy Spirit do what he does, and we need to have fun with our students. Enjoy the ride. Enjoy your job. Have a blast.

I cannot tell you how many times I have been so focused on having everything perfect that I missed out on having fun with the students who are there. I’m not saying, don’t be on top of things but when you plan something there is only so much you can do sometimes and you just need to step back and enjoy.

Having fun with your students is the quickest way to the best relationship with them. Having fun with your students is the best way to break down any walls that where once there. Having fun with your students is part of your job; not the only part, but a huge part. If we are not stepping back at some point and thinking to ourselves, “I can’t believe I get to do this for a job (or volunteer)” then you are too wrapped up with a tight grip on your ministry.

I truly believe I have the best job in the world. I cannot believe I get to do this for a living. It is so much fun. So let it be fun and go have fun with your students. This is something I have been trying to do more and more in my own life and ministry because I get so focused on “ministry” but lose focus on having fun with my students and having real, genuine relationships with them.

In Communication, high school ministry, Leadership, Youth Ministry , , , ,
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HSM Freshman Rap Music Video

November 30, 2012 — Leave a comment

 

A few weeks ago we had a huge competition between the classes of HSM. Whomever brought the most canned foods to services over 3 weeks would get to write and record an anthem for their grade and then shoot a video for it.

Our freshmen class won and this is their video! Enjoy!

In funny, high school ministry, Leadership, organization, service programing, student ministry, video, Youth Ministry , , , , , , , ,
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Group Atmosphere Makes A Huge Difference

November 27, 2012 — Leave a comment

The other day the HSM staff had a spiritual retreat day. This is a day in which our entire staff does not go into the office but instead we spend the entire day on our own reading and studying the Bible or any other books we want to which help us grow spiritually. There is no real structure, but our only restrictions are we take it seriously and we refrain rom social media and distractions as much as possible (which if you don’t do this regularly, you and your team should, its awesome). It is a great day to get away from the ministry norm and focus on you and God for an entire day with no distractions.

I started off my day in a Seattle’s Best Coffee place, which is weird for me because I’m a Starbuck’s junky, but I wanted to go to a place which was different to study and get out of my routine. I sat down, and I just was not feeling it. There was just something about the place that didn’t seem “right”. After some thinking, I realized it was the atmosphere. Nothing about it said, “This is a place to come hang and do work.” It was uncomfortable really. I realized I didn’t only like Starbucks for its coffee but I also loved it for the atmosphere they provide in the store to make you feel like you are supposed to be there and hang out for a while. So I left and went to a Starbucks to resume my day of Spiritual Retreat.

As I was driving to the Starbucks in which I usually post up at, the thought hit me, “Atmosphere makes a huge difference. In coffee places and in student ministries.” There is a reason why student flock to the Starbucks around their schools, because they feel like they are supposed to be there because the atmosphere tells them so. Same goes with our groups, the moment a new student walks through the door they will note the atmosphere around them and within seconds determine if they are “supposed” to be there or not. If Starbucks is intentional about creating an atmosphere then why shouldn’t we be doing the same thing? We are offering something way more important than coffee so we need to have the most inviting atmosphere which blows any organization out of the water.

When it comes to the weekends for HSM, our room is not the most inviting room to walk into as a newbie. It’s big, it’s crowded, and it’s designed to fit a ton of people in a small space. Outside is a narrow hallway which funnels right into the HSM Theater, again scary for a new person. But its how we make it look and feel out there, little subtle signs of invitation which makes you feel like it’s a place to hang out and feel welcomed. We have couches, coffee, chairs, music, leaders out talking to students, students welcoming students as they walk in, I myself stand right in the entry way to say hi or high five every student who walks in the doors. I can say our team tries our best to be intentional with atmosphere and making it feel welcome.

If someone does not FEEL the welcome the chances of them coming back is slim. Atmosphere makes a HUGE difference.

Some questions and suggestions when it comes to atmosphere at your group:

  • Go into a Starbucks (or some other place that makes you feel like you want to hang out there) and take note. The furniture is set up in a specific way for a reason. Take note.
  • Are you as intentional with your atmosphere as businesses are?
  • What music are you playing? Are you playing your favorite music, or your student’s favorite music? Music makes the MOOD.
  • Have you ever really looked at your meeting place as an “inviting” environment? Maybe you need to have a friend or even ask a new student how you can better the atmosphere as a first timer.

These are just some thoughts I am wrestling with and thinking through as well. Feel free to add anything or any other questions you might have so we al can figure this out together.

 

*There are some atmosphere related posts on new students, welcoming, greeting, etc. below:

2 Minute Greeting, How to Make a New or Outcast Student Feel Welcomed

In God, high school ministry, Leadership, Ministry Idea, organization, service programing, student ministry, Youth Ministry , , , , , , , ,
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When Students Are Being Butt-Heads

November 20, 2012 — Leave a comment

You think it sometimes, I just said it.

I do not really know how else to say it, but sometimes the only way to describe how we feel about some students: “You’re being a butt-head”. We love them to death. We pour our lives out to them and for them. We want nothing more to see them grow in their faith and walk closer with Jesus but their choices and attitude show otherwise. It can be tough because you know they have the capability to do amazing things but for some reason, they are doing dumb things, and as youth workers it breaks our hearts.

I just talked with a mom this week who’s son I am really close to and she was venting to me about how she wants her son to love Jesus so much and that he was doing so good in his walk with Jesus and then in one weekend everything changed and he made some pretty bold, not so smart moves and is slowly going down hill. She asked me if I can non chalantly spark up conversation with him and see what is going on in his life, which for me (I thought) would be no problem because we have done this numerous times while hanging out getting coffee or food. We have had a great, open, talks about anything and everything relationship. So I called him to see if he wanted to hang out and instead of jumping at the chance (like he normally does) he was short and rude with me and brushed me off. I tried to hang out with him a few more time and again, brushed off and more bad decisions.

So what do you do? What can you do? What do you do when your heart breaks for a student who has so much potential and they are not going that way at all? How can you minister to them even if they are pushing you away?

  • Dont stop trying- We might seem annoying, but it’s important for them to know you have not forgotten about them. If they don’t show up for a while or are out of communication, a simple text, voicemail, or note will let them know you are still there for them and they will know this. We never want the reason for them not coming back is because they felt we as their leader forgot about them when they were far away.
  • Dont stop praying- This sounds simple but it can get lost in the everyday business or ministry. Even just letting them know you are praying for them, and then actually pray for them will go further than you can ever imagine. Maybe God will work on their heart and prompt them to talk to you.
  • Talk to their friends- If they wont talk to you, they talk to friends. For the student above, I went to one of his best friends in our group and asked him to minister to him because he would not meet with me, and it seems to be working. (I only did this because I knew this student was mature enough to do this. Make sure that student wont do more damage than not).
  • Wait for them to come back- You can’t do much to help someone who does not want to be helped. So we wait. Like the prodigal son, we wait until they return and when they do, no matter how far they stepped away and what they did, you welcome them back with open arms and love on them. Hopefully they do come back, if not, repeat steps 1-3.

What are some other ways in which you communicate to students who all of the sudden want nothing to do with you or our group?

In Communication, God, high school ministry, Leadership, Relational, 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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Confrontation With Students: Calling Them Out In Love

October 16, 2012 — 5 Comments

As much fun as ministry is and can be there always is a time in which you need to confront a student with life choices they are making or they are being disruptive in service. Let’s be honest, no one loves confrontation. It can be very hard at times. Even though it’s tough it is important in ministry to handle conflict with students well. A confrontation handled well can help launch them into the next level of personal growth in life and with Jesus. A confrontation handled badly can cause way more damage to the situation than their was before you entered into the situation. Hence, the importance of handling conflict well.

I have had quite a few times where I have needed to confront and I thought I would write down some practical tips in doing so, and doing so well that is beneficial to both parties:

  • Pray before- Seems obvious but if I do forget to one thing the most, it’s this one. It’s so easily overlooked but it really is the most important. There is nothing better than going into what can be a very difficult conversation than going in knowing that you went before the King and gave Him the situation before you even began with the student. I pray that He gives me the correct words to say in ministering to the student and discernment when counseling them.
  • Be up front- There is no use to dancing around the situation. I would always try to “warm them up” before actually getting to the meat. As soon as they sit down, I lovingly let them know that I want to talk about something that can be hard to hear but it important because I love and care for them, then I go into it.
  • Be on their side- Confrontation is exactly that when two people are going head to head. If you can’t confront someone with love and with a positive end in mind for them (redemption, restoration, growth), you shouldn’t be confronting them in the first place.  Remind them of this as well—that you’re on their side—and that you want to see this issue resolved in a way that everyone learns and grows through it.
  • Go in private-  Go in private according to Matthew 18:15. A one-on-one conversation. If you cannot overlook the issue then attempt to resolve the conflict or misunderstanding by applying God’s principle of going one on one whenever possible. There is no benefit in calling them out in front of their friends after service or small group about something they have been doing (Finish reading Matthew 18 if one-on-one doesn’t get through).
  • When it gets heated, slow down -When things get heated it can be really easy  to get revved up with them. The other week a had a student sit all the way in the back of the room when their was plenty of seats closer. We had the entire back blocked off and I went over and kindly asked him if he would be willing to move up to join us. With a rude response back that took me off-guard I asked him again to come up just to the last row of the blocked off area at least. More disrespect back, yelling back at me at this point about how he did not want to be there and didn’t know anyone and to leave him alone. I didn’t. Instead, I took a breath, sat down next to him, eye level, calmly said, “Have you ever thought the reason why you don’t know anyone is because you sit all the way back here? If you want to know people, I know almost everyone here, I will literally walk around and introduce you to everyone we come in contact with. Then you will be the most popular guy here. Even more popular than me. I’m not trying to be “that guy” to make you do something but I’m just asking you to move up a few rows so you’re not the only one back here.” With a different attitude, he said, “My name is Even” shook my hand and moved up. And after service we went around meeting people. It was awesome.
  • Point Them To Jesus- Overall, you are to point them to Jesus. As ministers that is what we are supposed to do. We need to use these times of confrontation as teaching and learning for our students and for us as pastors as well. If we can leave the conversation with the students leaning on Jesus more, than it is a success.

What else would you put? Add to the list?

In Devotional, God, high school ministry, Leadership, Ministry Idea, personal growth, Relational, student ministry, Uncategorized, Youth Ministry , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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How to Make a New or Outcast Student Feel Welcomed

October 4, 2012 — 9 Comments

Making someone in your youth ministry who is new or is an “outcast’ is something no matter how big or small your ministry is, is a key issue to at least be aware of when it comes to your services. For a new student, it can determine whether or not they are going to come back or not or for the outcast it will determine whether or not they feel loved or not. So how do we make them feel like they are welcome and loved and be intentional about it?

For our ministry, we make it a point to connect with every single student who walks in our doors. Does it always happen? No, but we try to connect with as many as we can and be intentional about it. Here are some practical was that you and your ministry can work on and help new or outcast student feel welcomed in your ministry:

  • Never can have too many volunteers- The more quality volunteers you have the more ground you can cover. The better the student to leader ratio can be, the more likely you are going to make sure that every student feels connected with at your group. We recently recruited a ton of weekend leaders and this has helped us make sure that every student is talked to and greeted when they walk in.
  • Have “zones”- We have our leaders in zones. Each leader is given an area to sit in and hang out in the service. Their sole responsibility is to get to know every single student in their zone. Know their name, school, grade and a hobby. If you have every zone in your facility covered, then every new student and outcast student will be connected with and talked to and feel welcomed.
  • Look for the loners- Sounds sort of mean, but it helps! Chances are if they are sitting by themselves they are either new or they are an outcast. If you have student leaders or volunteers who are trained to specifically look for students sitting by themselves and have them go connect with them, every new student and outcast will feel welcomed.
  • Weed out the newbies- Don’t make them stand up in service or anything, that would terrify them. Give them an incentive to make themselves known. What we do is announce at the top of the service that if a new student fills out the little info card and turns it into one of the staff or volunteers, they will get a free gift from us (something like a Goldenspoon or Starbucks gift card). One, they turn in their info to get the gift and then you have their info to get in contact with them later that week. Two, they immediately make a connection and talk to whomever they turn the card into and it cause conversation with a new student.
  • Secretly play 20 questions- With new or outcast students, some of the toughest things to get them to do is open up and talk. So I like to play 20 questions with them without them knowing and just ask them questions until something finally sparks a conversation. There is this one outcast student in my ministry who loves hardcore music. That is the only thing he likes to talk about. I found that out just by asking him questions and I finally asked him about music and he went on and on about it. So that’s what we talk about and now when he gets to church he looks for me to talk about it. For now, that’s what we talk about and I hope later we can talk about more, but I got my foot in.

Making a new or outcast student feel welcomed and loved can be tough, but its essential. We just need to know what to look for and know how to create a connection to make them feel loved.

What are some other ways that you can add to make these students feel welcomed in your ministry?

In Devotional, God, high school ministry, personal growth, Relational, student ministry, Uncategorized, Youth Ministry , , , , , , , , ,
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HSM Gangnam Style Fall Kick-Off

September 24, 2012 — Leave a comment

If you have not seen the Korean music video “Gangnam Style“… you probably do not have a computer or a TV because it has over 200,000,000 views on Youtube, it has been on SNL, Ellen and probably has been played in every student ministry in the nation (I wouldn’t be surprised to be honest because it’s super catchy).

We just had our fall kick-off and our students wanted to do our opener with this song. They did a “translation” of the words as well. They went all out and it was so fun. So here it is:

 

In creativity, Free Stuff, funny, high school ministry, Ministry Idea, service programing, student ministry, video, Youth Ministry , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Missing Miracles

September 18, 2012 — Leave a comment

I have been reading through the Gospel of John lately, and in chapter two I found something that I never really noticed before that sort of stopped me in my tracks. John 2:1-7 says,

“On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, 2 and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.”4 “Woman,[a] why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.”5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”6 Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.[b] 7 Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim.”

We all have heard this story before. Jesus turns the water into wine. It is His first miracle that He does in public, but I do not want to focus on that. I want to focus on the servants who filled up the water jugs. Think about it, they were given the “blah” job. These were jars that held around 30 gallons of water EACH! It was heavy times six jars. Not a glorious job by any means but they did not say “This is not our job” or “This is not necessary”, they just simply obeyed and got to be apart of a miracle.

“His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”6 Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.[b] 7 Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim.”

By simply obeying Jesus by what seemed like a menial task the servants got to be apart of a huge miracle that launched Jesus into ministry and His name was spread. If we do what we feel Jesus is calling us to do, no matter how small and insignificant the task seems, we can have the opportunity to be apart of a miracle in someones life simply because we obeyed.

Doesn’t matter matter what it is, don’t miss out on a potential miracle because you thought yourself too good for a certain task. My prayer is that I always carry out what Jesus calls me to do, no matter the task, so that I may be able to be apart of the miracle to have His name spread like in John 2.

In Devotional, God, Leadership, personal growth, Uncategorized, worship , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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