Getting teens to start attending church is a challenge for me!  It has never been easy;  teens can be flakey agreeing to go but never follow through for various reasons. This one area of ministry has been difficult to accomplish . . .

. . .That was, until a couple of years ago.  We had a breakthrough that was unplanned but very exciting.  Tim and Justin are two youth pastors who partner with us in Campus Life at schools in close proximity to their churches.  They are passionate about serving the school community and seeing teens come to know Jesus.  They were not satisfied with kids who responded to Jesus but did not connect to the nearby churches.  Tim and Justin are not territorial in their view of church ministry to the community they serve.  On the contrary, they will encourage kids to attend a church where the kids will most likely connect!  Their encouragement to help kids to church was not just verbal.  They started picking kids up themselves and taking them to church.  It was a commitment that helped dozens of teens not only start attending church, but also open the door for them to serve in the church as well as introduce their families!

Tim shared with me his own observation: “when I started at Graham Covenant as the associate pastor a little over a year and a half ago I had no idea the impact Campus Life would have on our Church.   In the time I have been involved in Frontier Jr. High's CL ministry I have seen several young peoples’ lives transformed by the power of the Gospel!  Well over half of our youth group kids at Graham Covenant started coming because of their involvement first with Campus Life.  We have even seen a handful of these kids become Sunday school teachers, assistant teachers and leaders in the youth ministry.  I am so excited about the potential of all the lives that can be impacted through club.  By first introducing young people to Christ, then encouraging involvement with the local church, and ultimately seeing these young people on fire to serve Christ!”

What have we learned from this process?

1.       We need to be intentional with being the bridge to help teens who have no connection with church or even know the value of attending.  They will come because they trust us and we are willing to make the effort to pick them up week after week.

2.       We need to walk them through the process of what it is to be a part of the church.  Church is a foreign entity to an increasing segment of youth and their families.  We build the value in them because they see it in us.

3.       Let go of territorialism and embrace the larger view of the body of Christ.  It is exciting to see Tim and Justin develop trust between themselves and their respective churches and youth groups.  They exemplify the value of “oneness” in the body of Christ.  Their enthusiasm is growing to other youth pastors and pastors in the community, which in turn percolates into the school communities in which they are involved!

This is what we want to see develop: to see Campus Life youth and their begin to become a part of the local church community.  We have not arrived but I am excited by the direction that we are going! 

The last four weeks of club always seems to be a grind for me.  I can’t wait for summer to get here- a change of pace that is much needed for my Campus Life program AND my brain.  I love doing club and student leadership, but I am ready for a programming break. However, I know that ministry doesn’t end when the school year stops (just like ministry doesn’t stop when you get home).  My first couple of summers on staff were okay, but they were very unintentional. If something happened with kids, great; if nothing happened, well, maybe I’ll call a kid tomorrow.  I finally realized that if I wanted to have a great summer in which I spent lots of time investing into the lives of kids, and moving the mission forward, I needed to have a plan of action. With the help of another staff person, we began to put together a plan for what I wanted to see happen throughout the course of the summer, and this is what we came up with (I also included a brief survey to give to the kids to ask what they wanted to do during the summer. Goals & summer survey here.

When I finished creating my summer goals, it seemed extremely overwhelming.  How was I going to get all of that done in one summer, and not be a walking zombie going into a new school year in the fall?  Well, it turns out when I broke down the “overwhelming” summer goals into weekly chunks, it wasn’t bad at all.  I met with, hung out with, and had great conversations with tons of kids.  I had great community interaction because I was intentional about being at youth group and community events.  I was even prepared for the fall because I took time in the summer to plan and organize my clubs and student leadership meetings.  Now, I’m not saying that I hit every goal on my list, but when I looked back on the summer, I felt like I had accomplished a ton, moved the mission forward, and honored God in the process.   I don’t think you can have a great ministry summer without having a plan.  Take the time to strategize, think, and write out your plan of action for the summer.  You won’t regret it!

TOP FIVE Reasons to Never Scholarship a Summer Trip

  5.   Students need to earn their way or they won’t appreciate it.

  4.   It’s not fair to the students who pay their own way.

  3.   It takes away from raising your staff support.            

  2.   People are tired of you asking for money.     

  1.   The kid you scholarship will undoubtedly bring the most spending money.

JUST KIDDING 

There is some truth to the above statements, BUT… trips change lives.  In this economy, more than ever, it takes scholarships to make them happen.  Don’t settle for taking fewer students.  Set a worthy goal and go after it.  Here are five ideas:

                1.   Seek a matching gift for every student’s registration.  If your goal is 100 kids, a $10,000 gift is incentive for the first $100 kids to get their deposit in, and their trip is $100 cheaper. 

                2.   Transportation is usually the second biggest expense.  Seek an underwriter to provide it and significantly reduce the price to students.

                3.   If you use a fundraiser, sell something most people are going to buy anyway.  We’ve done three Little Caesar’s Pizzas for $15 (kids get $5 per sale).  That’s as cheap as the store and they are in your freezer!

               4.   Have students write a paragraph telling why a scholarship would help them go on the trip.

               5.   Post on Facebook a request for a $100 scholarship.  Ex-Campus Life students jump at the chance to give a kid the same experience they had.  If you have a good alumni group this could really take off.  I received $700 the first year, $900 the second year and $2,086 this year, including two fully paid trips from alumni.  In addition a student from about 15 years ago started a $100/month pledge to my supportJ

Trips change lives.  Change as many lives as possible!  Double the scholarships for your summer trip!           

Summer is almost here!  But before you slap a bunch of fun ideas for trips and events on the calendar, I’d like to challenge you to think purposefully about what you do this summer. Why do you do the trips you do?  Think specifically about your student leaders, kids in your ministry that don’t know Jesus yet, people in your community who don’t even know Campus Life yet… how can you purposefully connect with those people through different trips/events this summer? 

For your student leaders, consider taking a trip with them to serve at a YFCamp on Work Crew or on a Project Serve trip.  The program for these events has been developed for you to come alongside the disciples you are walking with.  If YFCamp or Project Serve don’t work in your calendar, intentionally plan a trip that is programmed for discipleship. 

For your students who don’t know Jesus yet, consider bringing them as campers to a YFCamp or check around your region for trips other chapters are leading that are programmed for evangelism.  Look for ways to partner within YFC – take advantage of the opportunity to spend your time doing relational ministry with your students, rather than spending time doing program or administrative work.

If you don’t have the time or funds to go away on a trip, plan day outings and target specific groups of kids to participate.  Talk with your volunteers about their availability to take a day off to spend with small groups of kids.  If you value developing relationships between volunteers and students, plan around your volunteer’s schedules to make sure you cater to the time they have.

The challenge for your ministry this summer is to do things that are fun AND purposeful. So before you throw a bunch of fun on the calendar, declare your values and ministry goals for the summer.  Everything you do should rotate around your values and help you accomplish your ministry goals.  If you value relational ministry, and one of your goals is to engage your volunteers in relationships with kids, plan trips/events that your volunteers can attend and create an environment that fosters relationships.  Don’t plan an event on a day your volunteers can’t be there, and don’t plan an event that requires your volunteers to do all the program/admin work. 

Summer is almost here… what’s your plan!?

Adam grew up in Campus Life; as a 6th grader his interaction every week at club was more of a forced response to keep his Grandma and mom off his back.  Yet as he got involved from week to week his involvement became his pleasure.  He was a natural leader and as he was promoted to subsequent grades he became a student leader and then a high school volunteer.  As God was transforming his heart he was also maturing as a leader.  He naturally wanted to do more.  Now as a college freshman, he is championing a ministry site with a team of volunteers.  He leads by example and pours into his team and student leaders as he has been empowered.
Adam is one of those guys who has natural leadership gifting and strengths.  He is one that his peers look up to and seek out.  He has made the time to be a leader and has willingly made himself available to serve.  He is a “go to” guy and as a result has increased ministry!  This process of developing Adam was also a learning curve for me. 

IDENTIFY THE APPROPRIATE PERSON – Not every volunteer wants or is qualified to do every task and role in Campus Life.  I am a firm adherent, however, of the idea that every volunteer CAN DO everything that I do as a leader Campus Life ministry.  I give volunteers new opportunities to grow in their role; letting leaders move from participating in crowd-breakers, to leading a leader who like background roles only, to leading the discussion or sharing the wrap-up.  As I give leaders new opportunities to serve I observe and ask about their experience and work with them to develop the new skills.  As a leader grows and excels in new ministry actions, I give them more freedom to move forward.

ACCOUNTABILITY AND ENCOURAGEMENT – As leaders are trained in the skills of ministry actions, I collaborate with them in ministry goals that they own.  It is a process of give and take: opening doors to new opportunities, discovering their gifting and celebrating their victories.

CAGE THE EGO – It is easy to let personal ego get in the way of effective growth in others.  We can undermine the increase in ministry by our own attitude and subsequently sabotage the process.  Our leaders can and should increase the ministry far beyond what we can do; and that is exactly what we want!

Adam is now spearheading a ministry with a team that he is developing.  He is on the campus 3 times a week; helping out at lunch, volunteering in the office, leading a small group of 8th grade boys that was instigated by the school counselor.  He has been given access to the school that is far greater than what I was given!  Adam has taken the charge.  It has been a process of give and take, failure and success.  I have given him the foundation and now I can step back to allow him to have greater ownership of his ministry as I continue to provide accountability and support.

BEFORE: It is important to create an environment for your volunteer staff team that is really is a community. Giving time to spend with each other before club, before a major event, or on a random night of the week will help foster a learning environment and foster a place for them to feel like they belong and they’re part of what God’s doing. This type of environment will help you teach and discuss the different RMA’s so your volunteer staff can become very familiar with what they are and what they look like.

DURING: Show don’t tell—take them with you (see blog from last week) and let them experience the RMA’s, even if they aren’t perfect in relational ministry (yet), let them do it. Help coach them while the game is going on. Don’t just be a coach on the sidelines, get in it with them.

When I was a volunteer I was my staff’s constant shadow. I watched her, I led her small group with her, I learned everything from her in the midst of doing ministry. It may have been a slower process, but it was a better process. I absorbed so much by doing it, making mistakes, talking through it with her, asking her questions along the way and all while actually engaging in ministry. Jesus doesn’t wait for us to be perfect, so why would we wait for our volunteer staff to be perfect in ministry?

AFTER: Take time after club, small group, or a contacting event to evaluate together. Allow your volunteer to ask questions, and ask them questions. Help foster an environment to learn and grow. Ask them what went well, what maybe could go better, what they liked, and what they didn’t like.  Help them see God in each ministry event and how He may want to use them in the life of a student.

Coaching our volunteer staff is really important. We are in this together just like Jesus- his team was important to his ministry. Help your team see their value and coach them along every step of the way. 

Here are some practical ideas for getting your volunteers to go with you to do ministry outside of club:

PLAN AHEAD: although we would love to have volunteers who have nothing else to do but Campus Life, that just isn’t reality. They have outside jobs, school, families, other obligations, so it is key to look at your school schedule and plan ahead when it comes to school events. Every school website has a calendar of events, so at the start of each month look at what is coming up at your school and communicate with your volunteers to see what works with their schedule.

CONSISTENCY WORKS: there are certain events that you do every week with students, i.e. going to lunch. If you have access to your campus for lunch and are there every single week invite your volunteers to go with you. That is something that happens consistently and even though they may not be able to go every week they know it’s going to happen. Remind them the day before and the day of that you’re going to lunch.

WORK WITH BREAKS: if you have a lot of college students involved in your ministry take advantage of their schedule. Set up extra stuff for them to go to when they’re on break. For example, college students generally get done with finals in December or May long before our middle/high schools get out. So once they’re done with finals, set up a time for them to go with you to a game, concert, or event.

EVERYONE GOES: set up a once a month event, concert, or game where everyone from your team goes together. Show them how much fun it can be for everyone to go together. Maybe go out for dinner or dessert before or after the event to build a sense of community with your team.

These are just a few ways you can help your team engage with students and empower them to do ministry outside of club. Remember multiplication is an essential part of ministry.

Have you ever looked around your volunteer team and realized that you are probably training your replacement? Don't freak out, your ExD isn't about to fire you, however someday your role will change or some other school in your area will need a new director and one of your staff may be ready to take that step...but only if you've prepared him or her.

How do we do that? How do we empower and develop our staff to the point where they could do this without us?  I recommend three ways: equip, include, encourage.

EQUIP:  This is the most difficult task, especially for newer staff.  All of us should make every effort to meet with our staff teams outside of the club setting, ideally once a week.  Meeting before club is fine IF students have yet to arrive.  Once they do the dynamic changes drastically.  So that might not be the best time to meet. 

Spend your meeting time praying for students and each other, prepare for the weekly club meeting or other events, and go over one nugget of training.  Focus on one RMA or one aspect of club.  In the very near future you’ll find staff training videos available for download on YFCimpact 2.0.  They are typically short, and will be a great place to start teaching and discussing challenges and best practices.

Focus on the social element of this “meeting.”   Make this time fun.  Your staff should look forward to getting together and spending time together just like the students do.

Meet as often as you can preferable weekly.  Create a small Facebook group just for them.  Use it to communicate everything from assignments and deadlines, to prayer requests and student stories.  Encourage them to interact as well.  Once the training videos are up, share the links and ask your staff to watch them and share insights and questions in the comment section.  Don’t give up on meeting face to face as a team, but use social media concepts like this to impact your team.

INCLUDE:  This one is easy.  Include your volunteers in everything you do.  Include them in every RMA possible from taking them to football games and plays, to paintball battles and appointments.  Try to identify RMA’s that each staff team member will enjoy and connect them with students they will or already “click.”  Go beyond traditional RMA’s too.  Include them in banquets and other fundraising events.  Take them to meet parents, administrators, and other key adults.  Make it a priority to take them to YFC training conferences and events.  Also include them in your life, be social!  Have your team over to watch the big game or go to a movie as a group.  Hang out with them individually as well.  Have lunch or coffee together.  Heck you can even double or triple date! 

ENCOURAGE:  This one is even easier.  You can’t tell your staff, “Good Job” or “Thank You” enough.  Take it a step further; show them how highly you value them by raising the funds for their trips with students, or training conferences.  Give students who you know love them a card on which they can write a note of appreciation, and then make sure it ends up in the hands of your staff.  You might be surprised how highly they value your praise and appreciation.

Empowering our staff multiplies our ministries and blesses our volunteers, our students, and us immensely.  It is more than worth the effort.  Some of my favorite moments in ministry have been watching staff I helped learn the ropes succeed on their own and then pass it on.  Do everything you can to help equip, include, and encourage your staff team corporately and individually.  

I will never forget the first time I went to a church in order to develop a partnership in reaching kids in middle school in their neighborhood. To say that the Pastor was a little suspicious of me was an understatement.

Sadly, I would be willing to bet I’m not the only one who has had this experience. From our side of the table partnering with churches and other like-minded collaborators is a no brainer. However, sometimes what we encounter when we meet with potential partners is reluctance, disinterest or fear.

So, how do we overcome these obstacles and develop kingdom partners so more kids are reached with the Gospel? Here are a few things that have worked for me:

Seek to learn not tell
When you first visit the potential partner seek to learn about them and their ministry instead of immediately launching into how revolutionary and amazing Campus Life is. A statement like “Tell me about the student ministry of this church…” will ease the fear that you are just there to take their volunteers and money. Asking good questions will help you determine whether this would be a wise partnership.

Position yourself and Campus Life as a servant
Ask not what the church (or partner) can do for you, but what you can do for them. I must confess that I am sometimes guilty of only considering my needs as a CL director. When we remember that we desire to serve the Church, partnership takes on a new meaning. Establishing a partnership with a spirit of humility can significantly impact the other party’s willingness to invest.

Be ready to share a story of a particular student whose life has been changed
If you haven’t figured out that stories are woven into the fabric of who we are I’m not sure where you’ve been. Helping people understand what’s really at stake takes the focus off YOUR needs and places it on what YOUR STUDENTS need- namely the opportunity to hear and respond to the Gospel.

Partnerships can be messy and take time to develop but they are essential to reaching every student on your campus. More partners mean more relationships. More relationships mean more avenues for Jesus to change a kid’s heart.

If you are like most Campus Life clubs in the universe, the section on your ministry report form (I hope you have one of those) for appointments is one of the emptiest. 

·         Contacts – automatic. 

·         Building Times – easy. 

·         Club – rocks. 

·         Small Groups – got one going. 

·         Student Leadership – lives are changing forever. 

·         Appointments – stupid kid didn’t show up again.  I might just give up! 

                DON’T give up.  It’s March.  You have ninety days left with some students.  Make appointments a focus – for your whole team.  If you have five staff and everyone did just one appointment a week the rest of the year that will be about 50 - 65 appointments depending on when you get out of school.  If you dis zero appointments each week that would translate into NO appointments; BIG difference.

                This week before club say “time to get some appointments done.  Don’t make it bigger than it is – just get together with a kid!” Have each staff person strategically select three or four students and encourage them not leave club without setting up an appointment.  You might even mention from the front during club that the staff team is going to try and take anyone who wants to out for ice cream before the end of the year. The personal attention of one appointment can make a HUGE difference.

                  What should you talk about at the appointment?

§  Ask them how it’s going. 

§  Ask them what they love about Campus Life. 

§  Ask them about their family. 

§  Ask them for something about their story that you don’t know. 

§  Ask them where a relationship with Jesus fits into their life right now.

§  Ask them about plans for next year (whether graduating or staying!)

                Just ask them.

                 Start THIS week - not next week. 

                Challenge the entire STAFF TEAM (those who are ready) - not just you.

                Offer to buy ice cream at the end of the year for any staff person who does at least 10 appointments.  If you have to pay for it yourself, send me the receipt.  I’ll split it with you!  

By: Kevin Becht

If we are really honest we all have our favorite RMAs that we naturally gravitate toward. For some of us it might be club. We love the upfront, high energy program side of the ministry. For others it might be contacting because we enjoy meeting new students. Building times seem to be different than any of the other RMAs because the purpose is really hidden from the surface. There is no agenda other than building relationships and modeling Christ-like behavior while spending time with students. It can be overwhelming at times, however, when we get serious about building times and start to wonder, “how can I ever spend time with every kid at this ministry site?” The answer is simple … we can’t! There aren’t enough hours in week, month, or year for one person to spend the time needed to build the kind of relationships with students we know need to happen. The answer to this dilemma is simple … don’t go alone! Consider these options to not only model Christ-like behavior for students, but to model effective building times with your leaders.

·         Set up a building time after club one week each month for your leaders and students.

·         Give building times away as prizes at club for a student and a few of their friends. Ask your adult volunteers who know the winning students the best to go with    you.

·         Survey your student leaders for what building times would be best for your ministry site. Then discuss the results with your leadership team. Ask volunteer leaders to take ownership of one building time each month that they are interested in.

·         Plan building times with only your leadership team. When they experience it themselves, they will remember how vital these times are for students as well.

Finally, remember that you aren’t in this alone. Talk with other Campus Life leaders in your area or look online to see what has worked for others. When it comes to building, the possibilities are endless and it’s so great to do them as a team.

When I was a sophomore in high school, I responded to the Spirit’s prompting by giving my life to Jesus!  My Campus Life director asked for those people that wanted to begin a relationship with Jesus to meet him in the next room.  For a shy, introverted kid, this was a huge leap; but now he wanted me to take another step . . . he wanted to meet with everyone that had committed their life to Christ.  He actually wanted to follow-up on what the decision I had just made at Campus Life. 

As I left the main meeting room and entered a small den, there were sign-up sheets with dates and times for students to sign for small groups.  As kids thought through their weeks and talked to their friends, they put their name and phone number in the time slot that worked best for them.  After talking with a few friends, I put my name down next to their . . . all of a sudden; I was part of a small group. 

A week later I sat around a table with my Campus Life director, Brian, and three of my friends; we talked about our decisions and the next steps that we wanted to take.  Over the next few weeks we met a few more times.   I really couldn’t tell you what we discussed, but I know that those meetings propelled my faith.

Two months later, one of my friends in this small group died in a car accident.  I am forever grateful for God’s timing and Brian’s attention to detail.  Brian trusted that God was going to work when he presented the gospel, so much so, that he put out sign-up sheets expecting God to move and life change to happen. 

Intentional.  Deliberate.  Purposeful.

Things that worked for me:

·         When my wife and I led follow-up small groups, we often did them before club.  We have our volunteer meeting and then about 25 minutes before club started, our small group would come.  It wasn’t the most ideal, but since most of the kids were coming to club anyway, it worked well.  (An added bonus was that our volunteers got to see and even participate in those groups). 

·         Just like Brian did for me, I have sign-up sheets ready for the kids after a gospel presentation.  It allows the kids to determine when and with whom they would like to meet.   (It may get a little tricky dealing with middle school kids, because you also have to figure out a time with their parents as well). 

These are just a couple practical ideas for getting a follow-up small group started after students commit their lives to Christ. 

Do you want to move through team? If you are a Campus Life site director and you are ready to push further into team ministry then take me up on a 90 day commitment. I am going to suggest a few very practical actions below and I think if you practice them all consistently over the next 90 days you will start to see some breakthrough. By the way, the goal is to commit to move in this ways often not just for 90 days.

First, commit to train your volunteer leaders every week. Some weeks this might mean a 15 minute nugget or other weeks it might be more than an hour. Either way, start to train your leaders weekly around the relational ministry actions. A few questions to ask yourself:

• Are we meeting weekly? If your team isn’t meeting weekly, when and where can you gather them together?
• What is the best way to train them? I suggest role plays, mock small groups, and practicing principles together not just talking about them.
• Can I use technology too? Yep, don’t be afraid to use Facebook, email, etc. to get training, reading material, etc. in front of your team. But don’t let it replace face to face training.
• Don’t know where to start for content?
  • CL 101 - http://www.yfc.net/resources/campus-life-101-starting-effective-ministry/
  • CL 101 Coaching - http://www.yfc.net/resources/campus-life-101-coaching/
  • Student2Staff Intern Leadership Section - http://www.yfc.net/resources/student-2-staff/

Second, commit to take volunteer leaders with you to do relational ministry actions with teens. Let me dial this in even tighter: If you are a full time site director, you spend half of your work hours with students (20 hours). Out of those 20 kid hours purpose to take a volunteer leader with you at least 75% of that time (15 hours). That means you are spending 20+ hours with lost teens a week and 15+ of those hours you are taking along other volunteer leaders. This is the “show me” factor. Take volunteers out and help them see how to participate in relational ministry actions. If you discipline yourself to this schedule with your team it will change your ministry – but beware it takes planning and intentionality to meet these goals. Most of your time with teens will be outside of programming and take initiative to set up (both with teens and adult leaders).

*Part-time site directors if you work 20 hours a week, try to get 75% of those hours with lost teens (15 hours). Out of those 15 hours try to spend 75% or more doing relational ministry actions by taking along volunteer leaders (12 hours).
**Volunteer site directors try to get 10 hours a week with lost teens and spend 75% of those hours doing relational ministry actions by taking along your volunteer leaders (7.5 hours).  

Third, regularly coach your leaders. After you train them and after you do relational ministry together stop for a few minutes and discuss what was learned. Unpack what happened, pray together, and make a plan for next steps. This will help your volunteer leaders make connections between the training and the actual practice of ministry with lost teens. This will also be the place where you will notice when certain leaders are ready to initiate ministry on their own and maybe even ready to teach others.

Oh yeah, try involving your Student Leaders in these three steps too! Train them, show them, and coach them. If you have a minute, make a comment below on how you see Jesus practice these principles in the Gospels.

One of the most difficult things I have found in ministry is to engage lost kids in a small group.  It’s awkward, initially uncomfortable, and most kids (outside of the church) have never been a part of one.  Why would they?  Outside of an athletic team, or a class project, most kids don’t intentionally say, “Hey, why don’t we get together and talk about life?” 

I have found that very few organizations and churches are trying to do small groups with lost people.  There is little curriculum and resources out there.  I think because of the lack of resources and familiarity, people are just plain scared to attempt them…I know I was.   A few years ago I intentionally sought out a young man named Jake, who I knew loved video games, and so did his friends.  His friends wouldn’t step foot into any program thing I had going on, so I decided to step into their world.  I asked Jake if he and some of his friends could teach me how to play their favorite video game.  Now I’m not a gamer at all; I have no clue about games, codes, or even what buttons do what.  But when I showed up at Jake’s house and three of his friends were there, I thanked God for the opportunity.  Over the next six weeks, I got killed in every game I played!  However, in between games, I was able to ask lots of questions, and God opened up doors almost every week to discuss some issue with which they were dealing.  Three months later, Jake committed his life to Jesus at camp! 

Reaching lost kids through small groups isn’t rocket science, but it is uncomfortable.  To enter a kid’s world on a surface level takes guts and effort, but you have to double your courage to enter a kids’ world through small groups. To enter a world in which I’m not familiar or comfortable with is always awkward; but when I go, God always seems to do incredible things!  How much do you love lost kids?  Just enough to attend an event at school or chaperone a dance (which are great ways to begin to enter a kid’s world), or do you have the courage to enter a kid’s world through a small group in something they love to do.  Here’s hoping one person loves lost kids enough to get killed in every video game they play!

Small group activities: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4GUZspslY0&feature=pyv&ad=7160678342

Jonathan, Brian, John and Kevin started a follow-up small group with me after they made the decision to become followers of Jesus.  We committed to meet weekly for 6 weeks; discussing the basics of our faith.  Each week they came with questions from their week of study on their own.  After we concluded the six weeks they wanted to continue meeting through the summer; every week for a couple of hours.  It was an enjoyable time that moved beyond my expectations into genuine friendship.

Small groups are defined as “a structured interactive meeting with 2 to 12 young people.”  Here are a couple ideas to help create an environment for small groups to grow for you and your team.

PLAN/BE INTENTIONAL – When you create a small group invite a volunteer to join with you during the process.  It is helpful for leaders to be encouraged to participate; having a leader join with you not only encourages them but helps a volunteer understand the power of this interaction.  Create opportunities within and outside club for small groups to be established.  One way opportunity for small groups we have seen be successful is to have small groups on early release days.  We plan small groups for each leader.  It is expected that they will take a group of kids to a nearby restaurant/coffee shop to lead a small group.  It has been very fruitful in developing further interaction.

BE FLEXIBLE – Begin small groups with a purpose.  Sometimes, however, I need to allow for modification as I interact with the group and they make their thoughts and needs known.  Listening to the group and clearly understanding their needs helps me navigate the group into meaningful discussions. 

Small groups have their frustrations and disappointments; but they also can be a remarkable time of deep interaction.  Lead by example, be intentional to include your team, allow for flexibility and ultimately depend on the work of the Holy Spirit.

By: Kevin Becht

What will it take for us to realize the importance and potential of a well-intended effort in the Essential we call “Widespread Prayer”? For me, personally, it took a journey that was far beyond my control to realize it’s not about being a good pray-er … it’s about realizing our need for prayer.  And that must stem from a desire for a life and ministry that is greater than anything we could dream or imagine. So how do we do this?

Allow me to suggest making it a goal to create three lists of folks with whom we communicate our prayer concerns on a regular basis.

Monthly – Include a prayer insert in our monthly communications with supporters. Consider creating a bookmark each month that can either be saved or printed for the prayer partner to keep as a handy reminder of when ministry events are happening for which they can pray.

Weekly – Each Monday we send out a reminder to those who have committed to pray for us on a weekly basis with a schedule of the week’s ministry activities. This team knows when our staff is stepping on campus for lunch or an event.  They know what topics are being discussed at club. They know when our small groups are meeting and where. While we are with students, they are praying.

As needed – we have created a list of folks who would prefer to receive a text message when something urgent or specific is going on. This list gets a quick text before an important meeting with a donor, student or volunteer.

These are just a few simple ideas to put our Essential of Widespread Prayer into action, as we engage lots of Christians to intercede on behalf of the ministry site. Start by adding just one of these options to your ministry routine and watch God work in amazing ways through prayer. 

“You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!” (Isaiah 26:3, NLT).

I’ve always taught contacting using Isaiah 26:3.  One of my former staff printed it on a 2 x 3 foot poster of a sunset and it hangs on the wall opposite my desk – I notice it nearly every day. Does “perfect peace” describe you as you walk into a contacting situation?  For most staff I’ve talked to it’s often the exact opposite – uncontrolled terror.  Write this verse on a note card and clip it to the visor in your car until it’s memorized. Then…start believing it!

God WILL keep in perfect peace all who trust in Him! IF your thoughts are fixed on HIM!  Next time you approach your school, remember:

                   1) You are NOT alone.  God is not afraid of high school cafeterias or basketball games.

                   2) It is NOT about you.  Are your thoughts fixed on God, or yourself?  Are you focused on what students are thinking about you?  (Even though they probably aren’t!)  OR, are you focused on the mission of pursuing lost kids God has called you to?

                   3) Every student will be better off if they get to know you!  Don’t let fear of the unknown keep you from meeting the student that desperately needs to meet you!

BETTER YET…Contacting is a great place to engage other staff on your team.  If your staff team gets connected to students on their turf, they will begin to own the mission with you.  “Never Contact Alone” would make a great Campus Life bumper sticker.  If you did that:

                  1) You would never BE alone! You would avoid the awkward, “why am I standing here alone moments!”

                  2) It would not be about YOU!  It would be about your team on a mission together. Include a challenge like “we each will meet three new kids today.”

                  3) If you are not the best person to connect with a certain student someone on your team probably is!

Do you have your notecard out?  Write after me: “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!” (Isaiah 26:3, NLT). 

                  Now…get out there…contact… in perfect peace!

By: Scott Sjoblom

School is back in session! That means we have a few short months before summer vacation. Because we know that reality, it’s easy to feel a tremendous pressure to try to squeeze 25 hours out of each day.

But is that really the best way to achieve “fruitful and sustainable ministry?”

If you keep that pace for the remainder of the school year I’m sure you’ll be FINE.

Freaked out

Insecure

Neurotic

Emotional

Instead, let’s adopt a different approach and take a few steps to help us maintain some balance in our life and ministry throughout the coming year.

Say No

If you find yourself continually running a day late and dollar short chances are you have a margin problem. We believe that because we can do something (physically, emotionally, socially, spiritually), we should do it. Instead of saying “no” we commit to something that erodes more of one of our most precious commodities- time.

This is tough because it is usually good things that we have to say “no” to. Take a look back at your work calendar through last semester. What were the top 5 things that occupied your time?

Were they missionally critical? Did they result in more kids hearing about Jesus?

If not, consider saying “no” to the things that don’t move the mission forward. The most difficult choices aren’t between good and bad but rather better and best.

Plan your work

Ministry work is filled with time wasters. (Honestly, most of you probably found this article while you really should have been doing something else. Am I right? Hello, Twitter? J)

To help with planning your work week well, create the list and then make decisions about what will occupy your time. Be sure to leave space in each day for the unexpected phone calls and appointments that are sure to come up. If you don’t begin to own your schedule it will eventually own you.

Infectious Discipline

Have you ever noticed that when you apply discipline in one area of your life, you become more disciplined in other areas as well? Some of the most spiritually enriching times for me have coincided with times I was eating healthy and getting some exercise.

So, if you find yourself struggling to maintain some spiritual disciplines maybe change your diet. Or, commit to walk with a friend a couple times a week and see if it helps. Sometimes simple changes in one area can lead to dramatic changes in others.

In a fallen world balance doesn’t happen naturally. It requires your attention and will power. Applying yourself now could mean the difference between finishing the school year with a full tank of energy or coasting in on fumes. 

It is a busy time of year, from Christmas cookies to Christmas shopping, family vacations to Campus Life trips. I could make a list a mile long of all the things a typical Campus Life leader has to do around Christmas (then add in time with family!) We are really busy people!

How do you make margin in your life for what God has for you… especially during Christmas?

If you are like me, you don’t. I routinely think to myself, “After Christmas, or after this trip, or that event, then I will have time, then I will make a routine, I will get back into the Word, I will spend time investing in healthy relationships with my peers.” The problem with this type of thinking is there will never be extra time; there will never be extra margin.

God asks us to make time and margin no matter what the season. (Jesus even went to lonely places and got away. Luke 5:16) It may be tougher during busy times of the year (and He understands that) BUT if we don’t create and stick to healthy balance in our busy schedules it won’t happen. Period. No matter what season of life.

Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Eph. 5:15-17

This is a big challenge so take it seriously:

Start now with creating margin for what God has for you each day. Fill your schedule to 80% full and see what He wants to do with the 20%, I bet you will be surprised and blessed. Make the time. Take the space.

And maybe, just maybe, you will be a little more rested and a little more full of Jesus this holiday season and throughout 2012. Enjoy family and friends this holiday season. Enjoy spending time with students that are on Christmas break. Enjoy time with our Lord, celebrate Him and get some rest (in Him) this season.

Christmas break is an excellent time to be with students.  Yes, it is important to be with your family during the holidays and for many of us (me included) that means taking some time off. I will, however, take some of this school vacation time for building time experiences.  Kids are available, and I am sure will be wanting something to do. Winter break is a perfect time for short or extended building time activities.

Building time is spending time in shared activities with young people in order to build new relationships and model Christ-like behavior through everyday shared experiences, trips and events.  Now it most likely is too late to plan an overnight trip or event, but there is still time to organize a day trip or local activity. 

One of my favorite activities is helping kids raise funds for spring break trips/events.  In the Pacific Northwest there are still plenty of yards needing spruced up from the autumn leaves.   I load up my car with kids and supplies for raking leaves and we walk different neighborhoods asking people to help send kids to camp by allowing them to do some work!  It is a memorable time being together working hard for a good cause.

An activity can be as simple as meeting up for coffee/hot chocolate at a local Starbuck’s, taking a group shopping at a local mall, building snow-people in a park or yard,  seeing the new movie, bowling, roller skating… the list goes on and on.  Just make sure you have the appropriate parent permission for the event!

It is not so much doing a certain kind of event or activity; it is just getting out with students, spending time together and interacting.  It is life-on-life ministry and it gives us, and them, the opportunity to discover new insights about one another.

So, have a Merry Christmas with your family and hopefully, enjoy the slower pace.  Also during the break, take advantage of the students’ vacation time with shared activities!

The enemy wants us to coast:  “You did a great job so now drift into 2012, you’ll be fine, your ministry will be fine.  No need to turn it up a notch, no need to push yourself.” Paul had a better perspective.  Check out 1 Corinthians 9:26-27 from The Message, “I don't know about you, but I'm running hard for the finish line. I'm giving it everything I've got. No sloppy living for me! I'm staying alert and in top condition. I'm not going to get caught napping, telling everyone else all about it and then missing out myself.”

As you prepare for December Club, here are some tips for leaving students “wanting more” as we head to break.

1)      Connect Fall Flyers – with fall sports over and musicals winding down make sure you find those kids who thought they were too busy to hit club.  Use student leaders to help.

2)      Maximize “The Costanza Rule” (Seinfeld reference for you guys under 30, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O27RzZEOkeA).  Go out on a high note, instead of ending club with announcements, move your best, most outrageous crowd breaker to the end, especially for the final meeting of 2011.  Leave them with a “that was amazing” feeling as they head to break.

3)      Maximize Monday Momentum – Plan and promote building times for the same times slot as club over break.  Keep students consistently associating Monday nights, or whatever night, with Campus Life. Base your Building Times on your kid’s interests and local opportunities.

4)      Acknowledge Leaders – Keep Student Leaders and volunteers excited about Campus Life.  Plan a Christmas party/event for them and recognize their efforts for the past few months. Leave them energized and ready for more Campus Life.

Employ these tips in your own style.  Stay focused and energized and you will truly make it a December to remember for your students.

By: Matt Coppess

Here are some helpful tips for a first-time follow-up appointment with a new believer:

·         Make sure to affirm and encourage your student in this first appointment about their recent decision to follow Christ. Students are potentially doubtful about their decision or, now after a few days, have many questions. Let them know you are excited about their decision and assure them in it.

·         Appointments with a Campus Life leader is probably very new for your student, so It is completely acceptable to take some time at the beginning of the first appointment to discuss what your meeting times will look like and why you want to meet regularly in the first place.

·         Pick a consistent public place to meet with your student. Remember, all appointments should be male: male or female: female.

·         Give them the opportunity to ask any questions along the way. Let them know that you are a safe person with whom to bring questions and life situations.

·         Start reading a book of the Bible together, such as John, to get them in the word and learning more about Jesus and His life.

·         Challenge your student to tell one person they trust about their decision to follow Christ.

·         Introduce them to the concept off accountability to encourage and guide them. Begin to ask a good balance of tough questions in order to have honest conversations about their lives.

Appointments will help develop and grow your student’s walk with Christ. Appointments are essential to going deeper with students. And remember, you may be the only trustworthy adult that your student knows, so this meeting space could be a very big deal for your student. God is going to use this time you spend with your student, so let Him move and watch him grow your student!

** There are resources for leading appointments at http://www.yfc.net/campuslife/resources/categories/202/ or check out the devotional book Living the Story, available on the 3story website (3story.org).

Planning: Jonathon McKee suggests that when you begin follow-up with a student, you should always “begin with the end in mind.^{” 1} Think about what the end goal is for your student; plan out what you would like them to understand by the end of your follow-up study. “Do [you] want them to just hear the Gospel? Or would [you] like to see their life changed and them fellowshipping in the church? ” ¹ Before you start meeting with a student for follow-up, make sure you come up with a plan of how you want your time to look.

·         Contact a student within 72 hours of their decision to connect and set up an appointment.

·         Have a plan that is fashioned around the basics of the faith (prayer, Bible, church, etc.)

·         Know how many weeks you are asking them to commit to up front.

Flexibility: Always remember that the relationship is the most important. If you don’t get to the material/curriculum you have planned for the first meeting time, don’t worry about it. Flexibility is a must when starting out on this adventure with students. Remember, they most likely have no idea what life is going to look like now that they’re a Christian. They may have tons of questions and you’re a safe place for them to find answers.

Collaboration: Follow-up meetings with a student are a great place to collaborate with other ministry team members. Don’t be afraid to take another volunteer with you, especially if you are meeting with a small group of students. There are probably team members in your ministry who are very passionate about discipleship.

Enjoy your time with your student! This is an exciting time in their life and God has given you the privilege of walking through it with them!

¹The Source for Youth Ministry, 1999-2011

Meeting kids in their world (Contacting)
-First conversations
-Remembering names
-Great venues to make connections

Shared experiences that matter (Building Times)
-Going from acquaintances to sharing experiences
-Designing experiences teens love
-Is it okay to just have fun?

One on one connections (Appointments)
-How much should I listen?
-Appointments 101
-Turning spiritual corners

Large Group Meetings (Club)
-Why don’t more teens show up?
-What is the line between chaos and control?
-Discussions that matter

Raising Up Leaders (Student Leadership)
-When should I start Student Leadership?
-How should I invest: abiding, leading up front, reaching out?
-Should a non-Christian teen be a Student Leader?

Small Groups
-Are they really necessary?
-Do lost teens like small groups?
-How do I facilitate instead of talk the whole time?

Empowerment
-I need more volunteers… help!
-How do I get my team to do more than show up to stuff?
-What if there is conflict on my team?

Prayer
-What are practical ways to get more people praying?
-Does anyone have ideas on ways to leverage technology to get people praying?
-Making space for personal prayer in ministry

Collaboration
-Creative ideas on working with local churches for the sake of teens
-When should I say “no” to collaboration?
-What are the first steps in healthy collaboration? 

Other Areas?

During this fall timeframe there are curriculum teams that are busy at work creating spring meetings. As you can imagine they use a lot of creative energy trying to come up with new relevant ideas for ministering with teenagers. Maybe you like to be creative? Maybe you have some fresh ideas?
If so, I encourage you to write your ideas below in the comment section. Your idea could be a video, illustration, teaching point, crowd breaker, or skit for club. Or your idea might be more focused on helping teens interact in deep ways around Scripture. All is welcome!

Thanks in advance, Dave Ramseyer