FOR STARTERS from Doug Fields TRENCHES IN THE YOUTH LEADER TRAINING ON THE GO TRAINING on the GO What do you perceive as the three biggest needs in your youth ministry? What about your students’ needs? List three. What about three personal biggies—your own needs? A couple of years ago, some of my volunteers approached me about our monthly volunteer meetings. They were happy with the training but felt some of the other aspects of the meeting could be improved. Some of their ideas revealed issues I didn’t realize existed. For instance, they saw a need to make the meetings more enjoyable and encouraging for volunteers. I reluc- tantly agreed with their assessment (reluctantly, because it wounded me a little—sometimes truth does that). I was happy to have the input and gladly accepted their offer to take over the planning of our volunteer meetings. While I still continue to do the training, these leaders infuse fun into each meeting; they decorate to make a boring room warmer and create an overall wel- coming environment. And because these organizers also send creative reminders about the meeting by e-mail and follow up with phone calls, we’ve seen stronger atten- dance. All this because they took the initiative! In a lot of churches, the youth ministry is small enough to be run by one person. However, no matter what size your youth ministry might be, it’s important to understand how important other team members (volunteers like you) are. ey are crucial players in developing health beyond just what the lead youth worker can manage. In short: You’re essential! I’ve had many volunteers tell me they felt abandoned once they made the commitment to get involved in a youth ministry. e lead youth worker was excited to have them join the team and quickly gave them a place to serve. en the youth worker checked that task off the list and moved on to the next demand, leaving the volunteers to fend for themselves and figure out their own role. I know this can be discouraging. Volunteers like you have the power to take the initiative and make ministry happen through your giſts. You increase the value of the ministry to the students, church, and community. Increasing your value might require continually identifying your youth ministry’s needs. And some needs may not even be known by the youth worker, but that’s OK. at’s why you’re part of a team. When you pay close attention to your youth ministry and become personally invested in seeing lives changed, you’ll begin to identify needs and then look for ways to meet them, without specific instructions. A first step toward identifying your ministry’s needs is asking questions—a lot of them. Where is the youth ministry (or youth worker) struggling? Is there a problem with organizational skills (such as event registration, messy youth room or office, outdated publicity)? Or is he or she too busy (first to arrive/last to leave, has phone calls to make, needs help planning an event/scheduling a lobotomy, and so on)? Your offer to help in any of these areas can liſt a heavy burden that your youth worker may not know how to deal with. You could also be a direct answer to prayers of desperation (most youth pastors aren’t as organized as they would like to appear; I’ve known one for a long time—me!). I’ve also known a lot of youth workers who aren’t prone to ask for help. Delegation can be a frightening option. And some are simply afraid to impose on others. Whatever the reason, if you’re willing and eager to help, your initiative is needed and valued (even if it hasn’t been asked for). Be gentle and gracious as you offer to surround a weakness with your strength. Here’s a short list of ways you can offer help: IDENTIFY NEEDS...OFFER YOUR STRENGTHS > Affirmation/appreciation > Caring for parents > Decorating > Emotional support > Mentoring new leaders > Mentoring students > Planning > Preparation for events or messages > Promoting events and programs > Recreation > Relational help > Research > Teaching > Team building > Tech help: graphics, Web site, e-mails, audio/video, and so on > Transportation > Troubleshooting > Vision > Writing e-mails & notes
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F O R S T A R T E R S
f r o m D o u g F i e l d s
TRENCHE SI N T H E
YOU T H LE ADER T RAINING ON T HE GO
TRAINING on the GOWhat do you perceive as the
three biggest needs in your
youth ministry?
What about your students’
needs? List three.
What about three personal
biggies—your own needs?
A couple of years ago, some of my volunteers approached me about our monthly volunteer meetings. They were happy with the training but felt some of the other aspects of the meeting could be improved. Some of their ideas revealed issues I didn’t realize existed. For instance, they saw a need to make the meetings more enjoyable and encouraging for volunteers. I reluc-tantly agreed with their assessment (reluctantly, because it wounded me a little—sometimes truth does that).
I was happy to have the input and gladly accepted their offer to take over the planning of our volunteer meetings. While I still continue to do the training, these leaders infuse fun into each meeting; they decorate to make a boring room warmer and create an overall wel-coming environment. And because these organizers also send creative reminders about the meeting by e-mail and follow up with phone calls, we’ve seen stronger atten-dance. All this because they took the initiative!
In a lot of churches, the youth ministry is small enough to be run by one person. However, no matter what size your youth ministry might be, it’s important to understand how important other team members (volunteers like you) are. Th ey are crucial players in developing health beyond just what the lead youth worker can manage. In short: You’re essential!
I’ve had many volunteers tell me they felt abandoned once they made the commitment to get involved in a youth ministry. Th e lead youth worker was excited to have them join the team and quickly gave them a place to serve. Th en the youth worker checked that task off the list and moved on to the next demand, leaving the volunteers to fend for themselves and fi gure out their own role. I know this can be discouraging.
Volunteers like you have the power to take the initiative and make ministry happen through your gift s. You increase the value of the ministry to the students, church, and community.
Increasing your value might require continually identifying your youth ministry’s needs. And some needs may not even be known by the youth worker, but that’s OK. Th at’s why you’re part of a team. When you pay close attention to your youth ministry and become personally invested in seeing lives changed, you’ll begin to identify needs and then look for ways to meet them, without specifi c instructions.
A fi rst step toward identifying your ministry’s needs is asking questions—a lot of them. Where is the youth ministry (or youth worker) struggling? Is there a problem with organizational skills (such as event registration, messy youth room or offi ce, outdated publicity)? Or is he or she too busy (fi rst to arrive/last to leave, has phone calls to make, needs help planning an event/scheduling a lobotomy, and so on)? Your off er to help in any of these areas can lift a heavy burden that your youth worker may not know how to deal with.
You could also be a direct answer to prayers of desperation (most youth pastors aren’t as organized as they would like to appear; I’ve known one for a long time—me!). I’ve also known a lot of youth workers who aren’t prone to ask for help. Delegation can be a frightening option. And some are simply afraid to impose on others.
Whatever the reason, if you’re willing and eager to help, your initiative is needed and valued (even if it hasn’t been asked for). Be gentle and gracious as you off er to surround a weakness with your strength.
Here’s a short list of ways you can off er help:
I D E N T I F Y N E E D S . . . O F F E R Y O U R S T R E N G T H S
>Af f i rmat ion/apprec iat ion
>Car ing for parents
>Decorat ing
>Emot ional suppor t
>Mentor ing new leaders
>Mentor ing students
>Planning
>Preparat ion for events or messages
>Promot ing events and programs
>Recreat ion
>Relat ional he lp
>Research
>Teaching
>Team bui ld ing
>Tech he lp : graphics, Web s i te , e-mai ls , audio/v ideo, and so on
>Transpor tat ion
>Troubleshoot ing
>V is ion
>Wr i t ing e-mai ls & notes
MA K E I T P ER SONA L
CONNECT to God’s Word
Permission to photocopy this handout granted for local church use. Copyright © Doug Fields. Published in Youth Leader Training on the Go by Group Publishing, Inc., P.O. Box 481, Loveland, CO 80539. www.youthministry.com and www.simplyyouthministry.com
T O T H E PO IN T
T R Y I TAt your next youth group meeting, set up a video camera in the corner of the room (be sure to get permission from your lead youth work fi rst).
Without drawing attention to the camera, record every part of the meeting. For example, capture how students arrive, how they interact with other students and volunteers, how new students occupy themselves, what volunteers do, and so on.
After the meeting is over and all of the students are gone, watch the video as a leadership team. Look for needs that went unmet; you’ll be surprised at what you observe. Now, put together a plan to begin meeting the needs you observed.
• Observe your ministry with a critical mind, not a critical heart.
• Meet with the lead youth worker, and share observations of needs you believe you can meet.
• After permission, begin taking steps to meet the need.
“ We have dif ferent gif ts, according to the grace given us. I f a man’s gif t is prophesying, let him use it in propor tion to his faith. I f i t is ser ving, let him ser ve; i f i t is teaching, let him teach; i f i t is encouraging, let him encourage; i f i t is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; i f i t is leadership, let him govern di l igently; i f i t is showing mercy, let him do it cheer ful ly.” —Romans 12:6-9
• Which gifts from these verses stand out to you
most personally? Why?
• Thinking of your ministry to students, which of
these characteristics are strong? Which are weak?
Write a response and prayer to God here…
I D E N T I F Y N E E D S . . . O F F E R Y O U R S T R E N G T H S
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