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    what should i speak on?
doug fields
i'm brand new to youth ministry and I'm having a hard time knowing what to speak about. i've used some of your messages but i feel like maybe i'm not doing my job. how important is it that i come up with my own creative stuff? is it wrong to use so much of other pastors work?Thanks for your honesty David. You ask great questions.
Obviously I don't think it's wrong to teach other people's stuff or I wouldn't
make it available. The youth worker who thinks he/she needs to be original
in order to be effective will find him/herself being neither. It's my opinion
that it's more important for you to be effective rather than being creative.
I do believe you should know how to put together a message, and if you taught
my messages every week, you wouldn't be helping yourself in developing the
craft of message development. But, occasionally using other people's material
isn't wrong. When you read a book, you'll use something from that book to teach--that's
using other people's material. Use whatever is most helpful to make you effective
and efficient. You probably don't have 10 hours a week to put messages together.
So, to be a good steward of your time and helpful to your students, you need
to learn to put messages together quickly so you can have time for people.
There are several different opinions on what to speak on during a given year.
Some denominations have 2, 4, and 6 year plans. Many youth ministry books give
samples of what they suggest you teach on during a course of a year (YouthBuilder,
Controlled Chaos). Don't feel guilty about not having a plan that is far reaching.
Many of us feel blessed to know what we are teaching on next week. I know some
who teach a book (Galatians, Mark, etc...) and then teach a topical series.
Others plan their teaching based on what's happening in their youth ministry
and/or community. All this to say, there is no way to do it. No one knows your
students like you do. Listen for needs, take surveys, and talk to students
about their spiritual journey and see what comes up. If this is too confusing
or you don't feel good about it, follow one of the many teaching plans that
are floating out there in youth ministry books.
Be true to teaching the whole counsel of God and keep students in mind and
you'll win. What a great privilege it is to teach God's Word.
http://www.simplyyouthministry.com/community-articles-doug-s-thoughts.html
doug fields
i'm brand new to youth ministry and I'm having a hard time knowing what to speak about. i've used some of your messages but i feel like maybe i'm not doing my job. how important is it that i come up with my own creative stuff? is it wrong to use so much of other pastors work?Thanks for your honesty David. You ask great questions.
Obviously I don't think it's wrong to teach other people's stuff or I wouldn't
make it available. The youth worker who thinks he/she needs to be original
in order to be effective will find him/herself being neither. It's my opinion
that it's more important for you to be effective rather than being creative.
I do believe you should know how to put together a message, and if you taught
my messages every week, you wouldn't be helping yourself in developing the
craft of message development. But, occasionally using other people's material
isn't wrong. When you read a book, you'll use something from that book to teach--that's
using other people's material. Use whatever is most helpful to make you effective
and efficient. You probably don't have 10 hours a week to put messages together.
So, to be a good steward of your time and helpful to your students, you need
to learn to put messages together quickly so you can have time for people.
There are several different opinions on what to speak on during a given year.
Some denominations have 2, 4, and 6 year plans. Many youth ministry books give
samples of what they suggest you teach on during a course of a year (YouthBuilder,
Controlled Chaos). Don't feel guilty about not having a plan that is far reaching.
Many of us feel blessed to know what we are teaching on next week. I know some
who teach a book (Galatians, Mark, etc...) and then teach a topical series.
Others plan their teaching based on what's happening in their youth ministry
and/or community. All this to say, there is no way to do it. No one knows your
students like you do. Listen for needs, take surveys, and talk to students
about their spiritual journey and see what comes up. If this is too confusing
or you don't feel good about it, follow one of the many teaching plans that
are floating out there in youth ministry books.
Be true to teaching the whole counsel of God and keep students in mind and
you'll win. What a great privilege it is to teach God's Word. |
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