back to school basics, part 3
For most of us, the school year has started and we're beginning to settle into the next rhythm for ministry. Closing out the summer and launching into a new school year is often a time where youth workers get lost in the details. Because of that, we want to encourage you to not take your eye off the ball and allow important priorities to slip through the cracks.
Here are a few youth ministry basics we feel are worth keeping an eye on:
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Practical ideas and guidance on leadership for your student leaders.
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NEGLECT THE UNIMPORTANT
Every day, we face too many options that can keep us from achieving what’s really important. We can't afford to chase every shiny object down a rabbit trail. Healthy leadership determines what’s most important, and then ruthlessly says "no" to everything else. This is definitely a lot easier to write about than to do!
FOCUS ON RELATIONSHIPS
We know people are important, but it's easy to forget this simple truth as we get absorbed in details.
Ministry is about people helping people.
Dates, projects, deadlines, programs and rules are all important, but not as important as people. This stuff supports ministry, but people are the foundation of ministry. Don’t get it upside down by forgetting to invest in relationships.
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Practical ideas and guidance on leadership for your student leaders.
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FIND MORE LEADERS
A great ministry takes a many people working together to minister to teenagers. A healthy youth ministry has everyone looking for potential leaders. Discovering new leaders shouldn’t be just the responsibility for the point person—that’s not fair or effective. Every leader in a youth ministry most likely interacts in circles where the youth ministry point person may never go. So, as you go to those circles be on the look-out for leaders. Neither of us ever showed up to mothers of preschoolers meetings, but our wives did and met discovered some great volunteers for our ministry.
In your life and ministry:
...| WHAT is something you’re doing that is unimportant and threatening your focus?
...| WHO are the few that you will relationally invest in?
...| WHERE are you looking for new potential leaders?
