Developing Leaders & Building a Legacy
  • Blog
  • About
  • Contact
  • Other Works

Seven suggestions to new student ministers

12/14/2015

13 Comments

 
Picture
This month back in 2007 I drove to Memphis to meet with a church that I'd been talking with for a few weeks. During that weekend I met with church leadership, the student ministry, and got a lay of the land. It all capped with a "trial sermon" where I shared my vision and dream for the student ministry. I was 25, inexperienced, and really hoping things went well (this was the position I'd prayed for so Carrie and I could finally live in the same city!) to start a new chapter in God's work in my life.

Reflecting back on that 8 years later, there's so much I wish I could tell young dumb 25 year old me what 33 year old slightly-graying me has learned over the years. These 7 suggestions are more than that, I really believe these are helpful for anyone getting a start in student ministry.

Hold tightly your convictions, loosely your methods - Your convictions are your deeply held beliefs that ground the philosophy of your ministry. Stick to those, because they are your rudder to keep your ministry going towards what God has called you to. For our student ministry, they have shaped our core values: We teach the Bible systematically, we raise leaders, we develop a culture of missions, and we build Gospel-focused relationships. Methods are how you get to your convictions, and those change. I think student ministry has an 18-month shelf life on methods. What worked 10 years ago probably won't work now. I saw that play out on a college campus, where free food wasn't enough to draw a crowd. I remember commenting that in 2000 when I was a college freshman you could've gotten me to show up to anything with food. Always evaluate the effectiveness of your methods. And don't love them enough that you keep doing the same thing and expect different results. Be open to change, and don't be scared to revise and change what you're doing--so long as your end game is the same.

Be comfortable saying no - I wrote on this earlier. You can't do everything, be everywhere, or try everything. You have to know the difference between what's good and what's great, and be willing to say no to the good so you can say yes to the great. One pastor I served under said after his retirement "I wish I'd done less so I could have accomplished more." It also matters how you calendar and plan things, which is an important step in learning the difference between good and great.

Pick your battles - Not everything is worth stirring up a stink for. Sometimes you have to let things slide and let time work its problems out. I have a few things I'll fight for: sound theology, purity, and missions. When The Shack came out, I came out strongly opposed to it because of its heretical portrayal of God. I remember the disappointment and some anger when I announced we'd no longer use NOOMA videos in our student ministry. Those were worth fighting over because there were major doctrinal elements involved. It's not always worth it though. I almost got fired for making a statement against teenage dating. Probably not worth fighting over in hindsight. So choose wisely, and lean on your parents, volunteers, and pastor for wisdom to know what's worth it and what's not.

Be the champion for parents - "Mom and dad say I shouldn't listen to this CD, what do you think?" I remember that question clearly, and I remember my response as clear "As long as you live under their roof and they're paying your bills, do what they say. I'm not ever going to go against your parents, unless they want you sacrificing cats or something." Parents, especially of teenagers, do not have an easy job. You were a teenager once, remember all you put your parents through? Build a library of resources and communicate that to them regularly (I use our email newsletter to send links to articles on marriage, parenting, technology, trends, etc.), pray for them, and give them encouragement or affirmation.

Support your pastor - Your pastor is dealing with stuff you can't even imagine. When you're over every ministry area, there's no one else to pass the buck to. Chances are he's fighting discouragement, he's stressed, and he's feeling overwhelmed. Make it a point to pray for him on a regular basis, and occasionally with him. Be his champion to critics. Don't even entertain gossip or dissension. And if you hear it, rebuke it. It won't be fun, but your pastor needs it. Be available to make hospital visits and the other daily activity in ministry. I did my doctoral work on the pastor/associate dynamic, and the healthiest and most effective leadership teams were the ones that had a solid foundation with the pastor.

Keep reading - Finishing seminary isn't an excuse to quit reading. You need to keep yourself in the literature, attend professional growth experiences, and network. Find out what other student pastors and church leaders are reading, and keep sharpening your mind and heart to be a more effective pastor. Revisit the books you once read that really shaped you (Desiring God and Knowing God are two of mine), and ask your church if they would pay for you to subscribe to journals/magazines on student ministry (Youth Worker Journal is a great one).

Remember to keep your family first - I'm going to be blunt. You're not that important to your church, your students, or your ministry calendar. You are that important to your spouse and kids. The church can always find another student minister, but your kids can't find another mom/dad, and your spouse can't replace you. Don't sacrifice your family on the altar of ministry. Two things I've learned to do on this are 1) Let my wife take the last look at the quarterly schedule, 2) Involve my boys in student ministry activities. I want my wife to see the schedule to catch any blind spots, over-extensions, or to catch any dates we may be double booked! And I want my boys involved because I want them to love ministry and see why Daddy does what he does--to tell the "Big Kids" about Jesus.

13 Comments
explore more link
9/26/2017 07:36:18 pm

People need to consider that they don’t need to follow other customs and tradition in their life but they only need to do things by their own and what is right and what is wrong or what to do or what to k now such kind of answer our education gives to us.

Reply
uk best dissertation link
10/15/2017 06:41:00 pm

The student ministry is looking so young and this achievement is so great for this man. I know this seat is full of responsible but these seven tips are wonderful and helpful for this man. I really like this article and you did a good job.

Reply
essay on trading link
11/14/2017 08:54:47 am

This is good news for the students and the people who are working in the field of news or telecommunication. Sometimes they need to edit something for the people and these features are so great. Thank you for sharing this info.

Reply
click it link
11/21/2017 02:31:58 am

Wow! This is great post and this is so helpful site also. I think everyone should follow this kind of blog. Thanks for share this post.

Reply
more information link
12/20/2017 10:34:55 am

Very informative post. I’m looking for this kind of post. I suggest one thing more that you should visit this site too.

Reply
useful site link
12/20/2017 11:21:16 pm

The suggestions that you give in this article are very important. I love to read this type of content and you share the important medium.

Reply
good statement of purpose link
12/29/2017 03:42:34 am

New Students want entertainment because they just bored daily routine of the life. I really appreciate the company of those schools and affecting the wonderful job.

Reply
html color codesl link
8/19/2018 07:14:34 pm

Very informative post. I’m looking for this kind of post. I suggest one thing more that you should visit this site too

Reply
sims 4 cheats link
5/16/2019 12:01:44 am

Long time no see your article. I am very glad when see your post. Click here to take part in the games. Thank you.

Reply
Rosemary
9/9/2023 09:50:03 am

If you need a genuine hacker who can recover stolen or scam*ed Cryptocurrency HACK JUDAS got you covered, they're secured Hacker from USA who deal with cyber issues of all kind, such as WhatsApp hack, Facebook hack, Gmail hack, mobile phone hack, accounts hack, erase criminal records, websites hack, Bitcoin Trade recovery, and other hack relating to cyber issues. Contact them at Mail info: ([email protected] or [email protected]) or Instagram handle: hackjudas_recovery

Reply
Washgin Gemz
1/20/2025 10:48:53 am

When the man I love broke my heart, I felt something did left me because I wasn't myself anymore. I had gone to several places for help and counseling yet, I got no results. Until I found [email protected] and I was introduced to Dr Muna by text +2347035449257. I explained my marriage issues with Dr Muna. I’m glad I trusted him by doing all he requested. He performed a spiritual cleansing to banish negative energies that was battling against the joy in my home and then casted a love spell. After 72 hours, the man I was missing began to call and after our conversation, he texted how much he badly misses me too. He apologized for leaving me in the dark and we got back together again.

Reply
Manuel Franco
5/12/2025 05:40:06 am


I promised Great Dr. Odunga to post this testimony and I really want to say "Thank You" to everyone who supported me through the years. My name is Manuel Franco, New Berlin, Wisconsin. My story of how I won the Powerball lottery of $768.4M is a bit of a tale. I was feeling very lucky that day because I had contacted Great Odunga to help me with the winning Powerball numbers. I really had that great great feeling that I looked at the camera wanting to wink at it. I only did a tiny part of it when he told me he would give me the numbers and trusted him. He gave me the numbers after I played a couple other tickets along with it for $10. I checked my ticket after the winnings came online and saw the numbers were correct including the Power play. I screamed for about 10 minutes because it felt like a dream coming into reality. I had won $768.4M. Thank you Great Odunga. Well, his emails are [email protected] and [email protected] You can also call or Whats-app him at +2348167159012 so you guys can contact him


HE CAN ALSO FIX THE FOLLOWING PROBLEMS. RELIABLE AND TRUSTED

Lottery Spell
Love/Reunion Spell
Pregnancy Spell
Protection Spell
Marriage spell
Healing/Cure spell


Contact him for any of these today:
EMAIL: [email protected] OR [email protected] also Call and WHATS-APP HIM +2348167159012.

Reply
Patricia Lovick
5/31/2025 01:54:17 pm

How To Recover Your Bitcoin Without Falling Victim To Scams: A  Testimony Experience With Capital Crypto Recover Services, Contact Telegram: @Capitalcryptorecover

Dear Everyone,

I would like to take a moment to share my positive experience with Capital Crypto Recover Services. Initially, I was unsure if it would be possible to recover my stolen bitcoins. However, with their expertise and professionalism, I was able to fully recover my funds. Unfortunately, many individuals fall victim to scams in the cryptocurrency space, especially those involving fraudulent investment platforms. However, I advise caution, as not all recovery services are legitimate. I personally lost $273,000 worth of Bitcoin from my Binance account due to a deceptive platform. If you have suffered a similar loss, you may be considering crypto recovery, The Capital Crypto Recover is the most knowledgeable and effective Capital Crypto Recovery Services assisted me in recovering my stolen funds within 24 hours, after getting access to my wallet. Their service was not only prompt but also highly professional and effective, and many recovery services may not be trustworthy. Therefore, I highly recommend Capital Crypto Recover to you. i do always research and see reviews about their service, For assistance finding your misplaced cryptocurrency, get in touch with them, They do their jobs quickly and excellently, Stay safe and vigilant in the crypto world.
You can reach them via email at [email protected] OR Call/Text Number +1 (336)390-6684 his contact: [email protected] His website: https://recovercapital.wixsite.com/capital-crypto-rec-1

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Scott M. Douglas

    A blog about leadership and the lasting legacy of family ministry. ​

    Archives

    August 2023
    July 2023
    April 2023
    June 2022
    May 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    November 2021
    September 2021
    April 2021
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015

    Categories

    All
    Book Review
    Burnout
    Change
    Crisis
    Delegation
    Digital Presence
    Family
    Family Ministry
    Finances
    Goals
    Leadership
    Legacy
    Manhood
    Networking
    Parenting
    Personality
    Planning
    Relationships
    Salary
    Social Media
    Starting Well
    Student Ministry
    Teaching
    Team Leadership
    Team Ministry
    Time Management
    Vision

    RSS Feed

    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Blog
  • About
  • Contact
  • Other Works