Lately, I have really been wrestling with the reality that most youth ministries in most areas of the country operate almost entirely in silos. If we are honest, most of us have no idea of the “goings on” of our fellow youth pastors and their churches in our respected neighborhoods. We all seem to share in the common goal of “loving God and loving others”, but only as it pertains to our individual student ministries. Now this might sound negative, but trust me when I say that I am pointing the biggest finger at myself. Over the last five years I have been as guilty as anyone of buying into the silo mentality that student ministry seems to perpetuate. It is easy to buy into the numbers game. Trust me!
With that said, I believe that God is desperately trying to communicate something to student pastors, leaders, and even students around the world. WE ARE STRONGER TOGETHER THAN WE ARE APART. Do you believe this? This is the question that I have really been wrestling with. What can student ministries do in partnership that they could never do on their own? In reality, we are all united in the same cause. We want to partner with God in making disciples who will make disciples. Jesus was head and shoulders above anyone else who has ever tried to live out this notion. Did he go at it alone? Absolutely not! He surrounded himself with a team of people who were united for the same cause.
Where does this start? I believe that this type of movement or whatever you want to call it begins at the leadership level. What would it look like for area student ministry leaders to “love God and love others” side by side? How powerful would it be for our students if they could see their leaders on the front lines serving together? What if student ministry was described as a cooperation instead of a competition?
How does this start? It starts with you and me. I believe that this process begins and ends with humility. Are we willing to humble ourselves and our individual ministries? Are we willing to stop listening to the lies of the enemy whose goal is to keep student ministries from uniting? If so, pick up the phone and start calling your student ministry neighbors. Set up a lunch. Set up a service opportunity. WE ARE STRONGER TOGETHER THAN WE ARE APART.
Kyle Morris is the Pastor of Student Ministries at warehouse 180 in Arvada, Colorado. www.warehouse180.com
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Josh Griffin has been in youth ministry for 15+ years and serves as the High School Pastor at Saddleback Church. [
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Geoff Stewart serves the Jr / Sr High School Pastor at Peace Portal Alliance Church in Surrey B.C.
Amen Kyle!!!!! I’ve been sitting here thinking the same thoughts! I believe that we need to set aside our pride and seek each other out! How amazing would it be if all the youth ministries in a community worked together rather then against each other? I think we should get some of us together and brainstorm this idea! Great thoughts! Hope to meet you someday!
Great post Mr. Kyle! So what are you doing with this? One question I have is how can we spread this to our leaders? Our Senior and Executive Pastor who want to see our numbers. Not that I am blaming them, but so often we feel pressure to have a ministry they can point to and say “look at what our youth ministry is doing.” This is operating very much from the Christian and church perspective. The problem is this perspective is often different than the non Christian perspective. We want those who do not know Christ to look at students who do and say “look what God is doing.”
So what are you doing to partner with other churches in your neighbor? Also what would you suggest to a church that is not centered in a neighborhood but has students in variety of schools and locations. Chose a couple of partners, get as many as you can?
Keep up the good work!