leadership | More Than Dodgeball

Josh GriffinMore Posts Should We Wear Nametags at Youth Group?

Do we really need to wear nametags at youth group? We’re in the middle of refocusing on them right now in HSM so I say yes and here’s why:

Nametags say: you want to be introduced
Nametags say: everyone is equal
Nametages say: bring friends
Nametags say: I’m a leader
Nametags say: you can ask me a question
Nametags say: I know where the restrooms are
Nametags say: you expect people not to know you

What do you say about nametags?

JG

4 View Comments May 2, 2012

Geoff StewartMore Posts 7 Words You Don’t Want To Hear

I really enjoy conversations where we dream and strategize the future of our youth ministry and church. While many of them are positive and really encouraging there are of course few that can be challenging and at times frustrating to be a part of. What I find the most challenging is when we are talking about an element of our youth ministry, or a function of the church that I am wondering about changing so I start to dig in a little bit. Maybe you have moved into a new Youth Ministry or are just starting out, it’s important that we dig. So you have some context of what I am like, I was that kid that took everything apart to find out how it worked and why it did what it did, and I am no different as a Pastor. I am thirsty to understand the process behind the event.

Part of that need to know can be asking tough questions about what motivated a decision or program and there are few words that I don’t like hearing from someone explaining the rationale for a decision than “That’s the way we’ve always done it.” I don’t disagree that many of the things we do are proven best practices, but I worry sometimes that “the way we have always done it” is simply an excuse to avoid making difficult changes and potentially rocking the boat, when sometimes boat rocking can be a good thing. Doing things out of habit and not out of purpose is how we end up coasting and end up complacent to what God is wanting for our ministry. It’s a slow, steady march to irrelevance and ineffectiveness.

Challenging the status quo and the traditional ways of doing things allows us to understand:

If this truly a best practice: If this is the way its always been done, is that because it’s the best way of doing it? Best practices are just that, the best way of doing things. Is the way that we do outreach working, is the framework of our weekly youth gathering in fact that best way to reach and grow students. If it is working, that’s great, but if its not, am I willing to say its not and make the changes necessary? I have found the less time I spend in the word, praying and listening, the more willing I am to accept the status quo as good enough.

If this a change worth making now? There are some changes that need to be made right away, but for others it might be best to wait until we slow down for the summer before making non-critical changes. After all change nearly always has collateral damage. So discerning when the best time for change is part of good leadership and takes patience when sometimes you just want to pull the trigger. A Pastor here at my Church said it really well when he said, you can’t always fix a plane while its in the air, sometimes you need to land, fix it and fly higher afterward. I really like this idea, sure it needs to be fixed but does it need to be done immediately. I’m a sucker for a metaphor.

This year I have looked very objectively at the ministry I oversee and am sensing a few things that are being done simply because they are the way we have always done them and I don’t think that is good enough. We are actively searching for better ways to do things, are you? Is there something you are thinking about making a major overhaul on? Maybe you need to change something, but you are not sure to what. Post a question in the comments and we will put it out to the community.

GS

Add Comment May 1, 2012

Josh GriffinMore Posts Slant33: Leading from the Middle

I contribute occasionally to the Slant33 blog where they ask 3 youth ministry voices to chime in on the same topic. This week’s topic is leading from the middle and Kara Powell, Chris Folmsbee and I all discuss it. Here’s a clip from my section, head there for all three takes:

Leading up helps those above see a missing perspective. Here’s why you need to lead from the middle: Your senior pastor isn’t seeing the full picture. He or she has blind spots in areas that your perspective lets you see perfectly. How dare you let them fail while predicting the net failure quietly from the silent middle? I am fully aware of the problem of senior leaders who don’t listen to their people. They exist in every church, and I’m guilty of it too. But that doesn’t mean you should stop leading from the middle.

A few parting thoughts about leading from the middle: It may be interpreted as insubordination at first. In fact, it probably will be. Some people will wish you would take a rowboat back to Youth Ministry Island and never come back. If you bring up problems, you better have some ideas that may work as solutions. Your church will be healthier when you lead up.

JG

Add Comment April 27, 2012

Geoff StewartMore Posts Feeding The Monster

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to meet with a fellow youth pastor named Landry who works at a Church in downtown Vancouver. Above is a photo I took as we walked around talking about life and the complexities and challenges of being in ministry (Landry really suffers for the Kingdom as you can tell). While we walked he expressed some frustrations with the other parts of ministry that often take time away from serving Youth. He was frustrated with the amount of meetings, the amount of bureaucracy and other elements that someone who is new to Church ministry might not know are part of the gig and he was simply looking for a healthy perspective on how to embrace it.

A friend of mine once referred to this as “Feeding The Monster”. He expressed his begrudging acceptance of attending board meetings, all-staff lunches, health and safety committee get-togethers and taking tickets at the Children’s department nativity presentation. For my friend it was not that any of these events was bad or had no value, but for each of us, we recognize that an hour spent doing something other than focusing on our students and leaders is an hour that we might not get back. This past week, on top of leading our student ministry, I preached at our main services, taught at our local Christian school and then did two funerals. It was hectic and exhausting but as I reminded Landry, its part of the deal.

When I get frustrated about meetings and pastoral requirements I have to remind myself of this:

The Youth Group Exists To Serve The Church, not the other way around. If it were not for the loving and prayerful generosity of the rest of the Church, our youth group would look much different. We exist as a part of the body of the church, to serve, support, encourage and be a part of all other ministries.

I Am Not Building My Own Church. When I put my head down long enough and focus, I can easily get in the mindset that my ministry is the only one, and convince myself it is the most effective. What happens is that I lose sight of that we are building The Church and if our goal is to have students successfully assimilate into the body, I need to be working with other departments to collaboratively plan for this to .

We Are Called To Be Pastors To The Whole Church. It took me a while to grow in my comfort level to pastoring people 2-3 times my age but as I have grown in that, I have watch God grow me in my patience and love for the older people in our church. Sadly there are weeks like this week where pastoring them means leading a memorial for two of them. Funerals are never easy, but it’s a role that I have grown into as the Lord has shown me that my leadership is wider than just leading our High School students.

The responsibilities that each of us take on outside of our specific roles can be frustrating and can seem like we are simply feeding the Church monster. But in reality its fulfilling our role as a pastor, and reinforces that we are a part of a much bigger story that is unfolding each week at our churches. The key is that we need to see it as a blessing to be a part of and not a burden to endure.

GS – Twitter

1 View Comments April 24, 2012

Josh GriffinMore Posts Boundaries with Students in Your Youth Ministry

Was reading Walt Mueller’s blog this morning and loved his most recent post about boundaries with students in your youth ministry. Here’s a clip of it and would encourage you to put his recommendations into place immediately:

Over the course of my years in youth ministry I’ve learned many things the hard way. . . either by watching myself or observing friends One of the lessons I’ve learned is just how important it is for a youth worker to set boundaries. The fact is, we’re in a spiritual battle where the hearts and minds of kids are at stake. Consequently, the enemy wants to take us down. Add to that the fact that we’re all broken and sinful people trying to lead and minister to other broken and sinful people. And wherever one or more broken and sinful people are gathered together, there’s a need for boundaries. I’ve learned to appreciate boundaries. They aren’t confining. They’re life-giving. Boundaries protect us from harm and they provide for our well-being. They keep us out of trouble. And in today’s world, boundaries are more important than ever. Here are some boundaries I believe every youth worker should pursue, set, embrace, and live within.

First, don’t do youth ministry unless you have and are using an accountability network. People who decide to do youth ministry on their own without the benefit of others are usually the first to get in trouble. Find a couple of trusted friends who will engage with you in vulnerable conversation, asking the hard questions about your ministry motivations, about where you’re spending your time, and about your relationships with kids. The great benefit of this boundary is that it helps you figure out just what your weaknesses are, which then helps you set and keep other much-needed boundaries.

JG

Add Comment April 10, 2012

Geoff StewartMore Posts Weigh In: Volume 19 – To Build or Not to Build

We had a letter come in from a youth worker asking about building a youth room. Not every Youth Ministry has a dedicated youth space, like mine for example where we share common space with the Church, and Josh, well lets not go there! It would be great to hear what your perspective is on this question:

We are in the process of a transition and conversations are beginning about building a dedicated youth space. But is it worth the investment? Do we build it for the group we have or one much bigger? Are there negative aspects to having a dedicated student space that I have not thought of?

What do you think? Lets help this youth worker out, share your experiences, good or bad with building a dedicated youth room.

GS

8 View Comments April 10, 2012

Geoff StewartMore Posts GUEST POST: The Power of Presence

I just got done sitting in the cold rain watching a high school soccer game…and it was absolutely amazing! God taught me something tonight about ministry that I too often forget. The power of presence. Sometimes just being with a student or going to one of their games can be more impactful than anything you say. I watched 3 student’s faces light up tonight as they walked off the field and saw that I braved the cold to watch them play soccer. It was really the highlight of my day! Too often we as youth pastors can become “too busy” to attend events and games but really it’s just inconvenient because it’s in the evening. It’s worth every minute.

Here are some helpful hints for attending events:

1) Spring is a great time to attend because all events are outdoors and they’re FREE!

2) If you can’t be there the entire time, show up halfway through or when they compete.

3) Stay after and connect with the student encouraging them!

4) Take the opportunity to meet their parents and build relationships while in the stands.

Brian Dickison is the Youth Pastor at Gold Creek Community Church in Mill Creek Washington

1 View Comments April 7, 2012

Geoff StewartMore Posts Weigh In: Volume 18 – Navigating A Death With A Student

There are challenging situations that anyone working with students face and helping a student navigate through the confusion and pain of losing family member can be heart wrenching. For some of us, its not a scenario we have faced, and for others it might be something you have walked through before . So please let us know what advice you would give this youth worker:

Recently one of our student’s mother lost a long battle with cancer and I am curious how other youth workers have navigated situations like this with students in the past. How involved were you, for how long after were you working with the student and how did you love and support them through the loss?

Your thoughts on this are invaluable as there is no manual for this sort of situation.

GS

6 View Comments April 3, 2012

Josh GriffinMore Posts 10 Things That Will Cost You Your Youth Ministry Job

Really enjoyed a post by Len Evans over on his blog Looking Out From My Little Place. It had some great insight on things that youth workers do that usually end up costing them their position. Here’s a couple of the standouts to me, head over there for all 10:

4. Ignoring conflicting ministry philosophies.
Your theological imperatives will drive what you do in ministry, but your ministry philosophy will drive how you do it. So it’s crucial that you and your church agree on the how to’s of ministry. You and your church might both value evangelism, but if you don’t agree on how to do evangelism you’re sailing into a major storm. Also, if your church functionally defines “youth worker” as “events coordinator” but you see yourself as a pastor, you’d better spiff up your résumé because you’ll need it sooner than you expect.

6. Forgetting that perception is reality.
Whatever people think of you, good or bad, is real to them. Make sure they know the truth about you and your ministry, and make sure the truth about you and your ministry is good. If one person decides to believe something insidious about you or your ministry, then shares that belief with others as a “prayer request” or outright slander, you’ve got a battle to fight. And it’s amazing how battles can quickly get out of hand (if your name is Trent Lott, you understand this intimately). You’ll eventually lose the war, so make sure that perception is the truth by confronting misperceptions and “making peace with your enemies” (Luke 14:31-32). When a perception problem springs up, head directly to your senior pastor’s office first so you can clear it up before it gets to him.

8. Marginalizing powerful parents.
When Powerful Parents Attack—it could be a show on Fox, but it’s not entertaining when it happens to you. Your Church magazine ran a series about forced exits a few years ago. They found that it takes only 3 to 4 percent of a congregation to spark a staff member’s firing. Know who the “power parents” in your church are, and do your best to make sure they’re on your side. Don’t succumb to pressure or let them bully you, but bend to their desires when it’s a neutral preference issue, not a core principle.

JG