10 Quick Ideas for Connecting with Students
8 Comments Published by Terrace Crawford on 3/14/12 at 7:17 AM.
I'm always encouraging youth workers to build into students and find ways to connect with teens. In the past week I've thought a lot more about how important it is for me to set staff up for success. If I don't properly coach volunteers, and share practical ways to do ministry, I'm inevitably setting them up to fail. With that in mind, I thought I'd jot down a number of quick ideas I had for developing relationships with students and share them with leaders.
Disclaimer: This list was written exclusively for small group leaders, but these tips could really apply to anyone who is looking to connect with teenagers.
2. Mentor them
3. Post regularly (or even periodically) to the wall of your official Student Ministry Facebook page
4. Host a "girls only" or "guys only" (whichever applies to your group) event and get them to invite friends
5. Each lunch with students (at school, on weeekend, etc.) or meet them for coffee or ice cream after school
6. Have dinner with their family
7. Attend their extra-curricular activities (sports, dance, etc.)Students love when you support their interests. This is a great way to show you care... and let's face it, sometimes you might be filling in the gap for their parent by sitting on the sidelines when the parent can't make it to cheer on their child!
8. Send them text messages throughout the week (between Sundays\Wednesdays) to check-in and encourage them
9. Work on a service project together
What other great tips & ideas would you add to this list?
Disclaimer: This list was written exclusively for small group leaders, but these tips could really apply to anyone who is looking to connect with teenagers.
10 Quick Ideas for Connecting with Students (in Your Small Group):
1. Start a Facebook Group for your small group only
Start a Facebook Group and change the privacy settings to make it a closed group ("secret group"), which will allow you to share prayer requests, etc and it will keep things private. Just keep close watch on your group and moderate what is posted.
2. Mentor them
Each student really needs a mentor. Why not spend an hour with a student each week? (or even 30 minutes!) It's really the best investment you could make with teens.
3. Post regularly (or even periodically) to the wall of your official Student Ministry Facebook page
Sharing a brief message on the Student Ministry Facebook wall shows the excitement you have for your group and also may appeal to other students outside your small group that you might not otherwise reach.
4. Host a "girls only" or "guys only" (whichever applies to your group) event and get them to invite friends
Hosting an event for your small group is a great way to build into your students.
5. Each lunch with students (at school, on weeekend, etc.) or meet them for coffee or ice cream after school
There is nothing like getting on their turf! Meeting up with students to grab a bite to eat or treat them goes a long way. (I've heard youth pastors like this too. ;-)
6. Have dinner with their family
This is a wonderful idea -- if you can secure an invite from the family to come over for dinner. You get to see what life is like for the student (at home) and get to build into their parents too!
7. Attend their extra-curricular activities (sports, dance, etc.)Students love when you support their interests. This is a great way to show you care... and let's face it, sometimes you might be filling in the gap for their parent by sitting on the sidelines when the parent can't make it to cheer on their child!
8. Send them text messages throughout the week (between Sundays\Wednesdays) to check-in and encourage them
Students really need to hear from caring adults throughout the week. Sending them a text or tweet during the week is a great way to show you are interested in them. Otherwise, your communication with them sounds like just a plea to get them to your event.
9. Work on a service project together
Working a project together really helps create community within your group and will help you connect with students individually too!
10. Attend student events\programs you might not otherwise attend
Don't be content to limit your interaction with students to the one or two events or programs you are normally a part of. Why not surprise them by showing up to other youth ministry events to participate?
What other great tips & ideas would you add to this list?
Labels: ideas, Leadership, Resources, youth ministry, Youth Pastors, Youth workers
Here are some great highlights from the National Simply Youth Ministry Conference in Louisville! [Click here] to check out the new website and to register for next year!
Labels: Conferences, Video, youth ministry, Youth Pastors, Youth workers
10 Trends That Will Reshape Youth Ministry
0 Comments Published by Terrace Crawford on 2/24/12 at 7:59 AM.
There was more talk this week online about the future of Youth Ministry. I really liked Jim Candy's post on 10 Trends that will Reshape Youth Ministry. I'll list a few of his points here, and you can go [here] for the rest.
3. Sunday morning programs will become history
4. Same sex conversations will reach a fever pitch
5. Professional youth ministry positions will become more rare
6. Youth workers will be older
You may also be interested in one of my prior posts: 5 Glimpses into the Future of Youth Ministry.
3. Sunday morning programs will become history
Congregations will become increasingly dissatisfied with the separation between adults and its young people at their weekend services. Worship services will change to accommodate younger people and those congregations that do not, will continue to disappear.
4. Same sex conversations will reach a fever pitch
Homosexuality, and the church's view on that topic, will be a lightning rod for middle and high school kids in considering faith in Jesus. Youth Ministries will increasingly need to lovingly converse with kids and the broader culture about its viewpoint - whatever it may be.
5. Professional youth ministry positions will become more rare
Churches will increasingly after structures so that entire congregations and caring for young people and will rely less on paid staff than in previous decades. This will also be financially driven as more congregations will be forced to have a leaner staff.
6. Youth workers will be older
The stereotype of the youth worker as someone in their early 20s who views youth work as a stepping stone to another pastoral position will continue to fade away.
You may also be interested in one of my prior posts: 5 Glimpses into the Future of Youth Ministry.
Labels: Church, Hot Topics, Leadership, Resources, youth ministry, Youth workers
10 Ways to Get Teens to Own the Youth Ministry
4 Comments Published by Terrace Crawford on 6/9/11 at 8:47 AM.
One of the most amazing things you'll ever do in youth ministry is empowering your students to take ownership of the youth ministry. After all, it's their ministry (or should be, if its not).
I'll certainly never forget my youth pastor allowing me to serve and empowering me to do so. It all started with just letting me make the announcements and emcee youth group... and 18 years later I'm a youth worker myself and I'm not only empowering teens to take ownership of the ministry but I'm coaching other youth workers to follow some of the same steps I learned from my youth pastor!
I want to share with you 10 ways you can get teens to own the youth ministry:
1. Announcements! I couldn't help but put this one on the list since it was my first role in youth group. Give up the mic to a teenager!
2. Games - If you plan to do a game (or two) during the course of your meeting together have one of your students plan for the game and then allow them to run it!
3. Greeting - Have students be the first contact when someone walks through the doors of your facility. Prepare a welcome table and get a few students to welcome guests.
4. Snacks - I don't know about students in your ministry but we have a few students who are really great bakers! They can whip up a batch of cookies in no time too. Get a few teens who like baking (or maybe like eating?) prepare the snacks for your youth group!
5. Photographer - We've got a few students who are amazing photographers. Because of their heart for ministry and their creative eye we've made them our resident photographers! It may be easy to find out who these folks are... just check out their facebook photos er notice the camera in their hand!
6. Prayer - I love when students lead our meetings in prayer. Solicit teens (ahead of time) who feel comfortable praying in front of your group and give them the mic!
7. Social media - Encourage your teens to take ownership of your youth group's facebook page, twitter, or whatever social medium you use. Have students update your social media platforms (under your direction) and share your ministry with the world!
8. Connecting with other teens - Teens can come up with great ways to reach out to their peers. Allow your students to lead your group in connecting with new students and with those who might be missing in action too.
9. Lead mission & serve projects - Pull together students who are excited about missions or serving and empower them to lead a project for your youth ministry. Help coach them through all the logistics but let them coordinate the projects!
10. Sharing - One of the best decisions I ever made was giving up the mic to allow teens to share talks or stories with the group. You should coach teens who plan to share ahead of time, but empower them to teach or preach.
Encouraging and empowering your students to do the work of the ministry will go a long way in helping steer them away from being consumers and help them become life-long participants in the Kingdom.
What might you add to this list? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments.
Labels: Leadership, Resources, youth ministry, Youth Pastors
