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    3 misconceptions about youth ministry leadership
vince beresford
I stood on the starting line thinking to myself why am I
doing this again? I was moments away from the sound of the starting
gun in my first competition of the 1500 meters a.k.a. the metric
mile. As a pole vaulter the longest I had ever run in a competition
was about 150 feet. However, I found myself in a long distance race to
help friends fulfill the requirement for the number of athletes to make
this race official. The atmosphere was intense because these decathletes
were trying to qualify for the upcoming USA Outdoor National Championships.
The term excruciating pain just begins to describe my experience.
Though I tried as hard as possible, I can confidently say that I did
not contribute in anyway, other than just being there. However, I am
still convinced that someone strapped a large appliance on my back for
the last lap of the race. In short, though I tried very hard my lack
of training was the key missing factor.
Many youth leaders today try very hard to serve God in youth ministry.
However, because of there lack of training, they end up feeling frustrated.
Thousands of youth workers give it their all every week and are left
feeling like they didn't impact or influence as much as they had
hoped. I tried just as hard as all of the other athletes in my race however;
they had a significant amount of training to accompany their effort.
Thus, the outcome of their race was MUCH more effective than mine. While
they focused on strategy and preparation, I focused on survival. I wonder
how many youth workers serve students week after week, trying as hard
as they know how, but ultimately they're just trying to survive.
I have the privilege to travel all over the US to work with youth leaders
and I have observed 3 major misconceptions in regard to youth workers trying to
serve rather than training to serve. The following 3 misconceptions
are not designed to be an either/or proposition but rather promote balance
and bring attention to following neglected areas of youth leadership.
1) Youth leadership is about trying to have all of the answers rather
than training to ask the right questions, in the right context at the
right time.
Through out the Gospels Jesus life and ministry were full of
answering questions with questions. In the Gospel of Mark Jesus asked
more than 50
questions during conversations. Jesus exemplifies the ministry of active
listening through probing questions that allowed/forced people to come
to their own conclusions. Rather than spoon feeding answers
Jesus shows us how to challenge peoples world view by going beyond the
easily articulated snap shot version and exploring the foundation and
ramifications of their belief system. Ron Martoia (pastor, author, speaker,
and my boss) said it this way Our leadership post is more agitant
and irritant than encyclopedic. He wrote an article on this subject
for Rev. Magazine in the 2003 Nov/Dec issue called From Gladiator to
Irritator.
It seems that youth leadership has embraced Jesus example of servant
leadership by washing feet however; has seemingly avoided Jesus' example of
going into the Temple and questioning what is being done, how it was being
done, and demanding that the Church return back to what it was designed for?
Don't most people in the Church view leaders as spiritual and biblical
answer people? Is this not why most phone calls and appointments involve the
leader being the answer person? Could this be why many leaders
are frustrated that the people around them don't take initiative and
think for themselves? Have you sought out people who will consistently ask
you the hard questions?
2) Youth leadership is about trying to complete goals
rather than training to be a cultural and environmental architect.
Very rarely did Jesus discuss strategic plans or objectives with his
disciples. Jesus seems much more concerned about the feel and acceptance
issues of the community. For example the Sermon on the Mount seems to
be much more focused on helping people change their focus and attitude
through character development and thus, creating a healthy community.
In comparison to setting organizational and systematic goals that he
was trying to propel people towards. While every healthy organization
must have vision and direction, this seems to be a secondary issue. Without
an environment where a team experiences loving, connective, intimate
relationships then hiking to the top of the mountain can become empty
and unsatisfying.
Could it be that God is looking for men and women youth leaders concerned
with creating environments where God can have some intimate time with
his students? In other words, youth leadership is about creating environments
to engage human beings rather than human doings. If
we allow God to intercede independent of us to deeply impact a student's
perception of being the motivation of the doing will
more naturally occur.
If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well
fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?
In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action,
is dead. But someone will say, You have faith; I have deeds. Show
me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. James
2:16-18
A youth leaders training regiment is to make sure that a life of loving
God and loving others flows in and around our teams. When it flows, motivation
and momentum create velocity for the team and the individuals toward
the summit.
3) Youth ministry is about trying to create a place where students fellowship
and are discipled rather than creating a place where students can belong
before they believe.
It seems that many youth groups are more concerned with what students
are not doing rather than what they are doing. In other words the practical
definition
of holiness is defined in terms of sin management and separation rather than
what they have committed to. There are no examples in the New Testament of
Jesus leading someone in a sinner's prayer to signify that
person being born again. Jesus primarily spoke in terms of lifestyle
and relationship and allowed people to be in the process of discipleship. Could
it be that the process of discipleship begins before and continues after evangelism?
The goal seems to be more of helping people take an honest inventory of where
they are and then encourage, equip and empower them to take the next step forward.
The goal then of teaching/preaching is not to say something novel, profound,
or has never been said before. Instead, it is to help students obey the things
Christ has commanded us. The intake of information does not necessarily equate
into transformation. The reality of our situation is that people want to sample
something before they buy it. This makes the authenticity and environment of
a youth ministry the utmost priority. I have done hundreds of surveys of visiting
students over the years and ask them to describe their experience with us.
In short, the majority of students describe their experience in terms of how
they felt during their visit and what they felt from others.
This who is in and who is out mentality was exactly what Jesus
constantly challenged the Pharisees with. There are churches in our area where
the youth pastor would be fired if he was caught smoking a cigar on the golf
course. However, his termination would be implemented by the Senior Pastor
that is 70 pounds overweight. Scripture is clear in regard to gluttony, but
I'm still searching for the cigar reference. Is it any wonder why so
many non-believers feel distant, unable to connect, and unworthy
to be a part of the community. We need to invite students onto the same path
that we are on. Students are looking to see if we are fellow travelers, if
our Christianity really works for us, and if we truly believe
and experience that in which we are inviting them into. Only this kind of authentic
training will help us in our efforts to try to include and invite students
into a community of believers.
Genuine transformation is what creates an environment where students can come
investigate and really see something happen in other student's lives.
If all we do flows from who we are, then this must be our starting point as
youth leaders. Ultimately we must remember that God is more concerned with
custom imprinting our souls as youth leaders rather than building a youth ministry
through us.
For further research Dr. Ron Martoia's book Morph! The Texture of Leadership
for Tomorrow's Church (Group Publishing, 2003) goes into detail on the
above topics and provides further insight into these misconceptions. Special
thanks to Dr. Martoia for teaching and mentoring me in the above concepts.
http://www.simplyyouthministry.com/community-articles-from-the-field.html
vince beresford
I stood on the starting line thinking to myself why am I
doing this again? I was moments away from the sound of the starting
gun in my first competition of the 1500 meters a.k.a. the metric
mile. As a pole vaulter the longest I had ever run in a competition
was about 150 feet. However, I found myself in a long distance race to
help friends fulfill the requirement for the number of athletes to make
this race official. The atmosphere was intense because these decathletes
were trying to qualify for the upcoming USA Outdoor National Championships.
The term excruciating pain just begins to describe my experience.
Though I tried as hard as possible, I can confidently say that I did
not contribute in anyway, other than just being there. However, I am
still convinced that someone strapped a large appliance on my back for
the last lap of the race. In short, though I tried very hard my lack
of training was the key missing factor.
Many youth leaders today try very hard to serve God in youth ministry.
However, because of there lack of training, they end up feeling frustrated.
Thousands of youth workers give it their all every week and are left
feeling like they didn't impact or influence as much as they had
hoped. I tried just as hard as all of the other athletes in my race however;
they had a significant amount of training to accompany their effort.
Thus, the outcome of their race was MUCH more effective than mine. While
they focused on strategy and preparation, I focused on survival. I wonder
how many youth workers serve students week after week, trying as hard
as they know how, but ultimately they're just trying to survive.
I have the privilege to travel all over the US to work with youth leaders
and I have observed 3 major misconceptions in regard to youth workers trying to
serve rather than training to serve. The following 3 misconceptions
are not designed to be an either/or proposition but rather promote balance
and bring attention to following neglected areas of youth leadership.
1) Youth leadership is about trying to have all of the answers rather
than training to ask the right questions, in the right context at the
right time.
Through out the Gospels Jesus life and ministry were full of
answering questions with questions. In the Gospel of Mark Jesus asked
more than 50
questions during conversations. Jesus exemplifies the ministry of active
listening through probing questions that allowed/forced people to come
to their own conclusions. Rather than spoon feeding answers
Jesus shows us how to challenge peoples world view by going beyond the
easily articulated snap shot version and exploring the foundation and
ramifications of their belief system. Ron Martoia (pastor, author, speaker,
and my boss) said it this way Our leadership post is more agitant
and irritant than encyclopedic. He wrote an article on this subject
for Rev. Magazine in the 2003 Nov/Dec issue called From Gladiator to
Irritator.
It seems that youth leadership has embraced Jesus example of servant
leadership by washing feet however; has seemingly avoided Jesus' example of
going into the Temple and questioning what is being done, how it was being
done, and demanding that the Church return back to what it was designed for?
Don't most people in the Church view leaders as spiritual and biblical
answer people? Is this not why most phone calls and appointments involve the
leader being the answer person? Could this be why many leaders
are frustrated that the people around them don't take initiative and
think for themselves? Have you sought out people who will consistently ask
you the hard questions?
2) Youth leadership is about trying to complete goals
rather than training to be a cultural and environmental architect.
Very rarely did Jesus discuss strategic plans or objectives with his
disciples. Jesus seems much more concerned about the feel and acceptance
issues of the community. For example the Sermon on the Mount seems to
be much more focused on helping people change their focus and attitude
through character development and thus, creating a healthy community.
In comparison to setting organizational and systematic goals that he
was trying to propel people towards. While every healthy organization
must have vision and direction, this seems to be a secondary issue. Without
an environment where a team experiences loving, connective, intimate
relationships then hiking to the top of the mountain can become empty
and unsatisfying.
Could it be that God is looking for men and women youth leaders concerned
with creating environments where God can have some intimate time with
his students? In other words, youth leadership is about creating environments
to engage human beings rather than human doings. If
we allow God to intercede independent of us to deeply impact a student's
perception of being the motivation of the doing will
more naturally occur.
If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well
fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?
In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action,
is dead. But someone will say, You have faith; I have deeds. Show
me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. James
2:16-18
A youth leaders training regiment is to make sure that a life of loving
God and loving others flows in and around our teams. When it flows, motivation
and momentum create velocity for the team and the individuals toward
the summit.
3) Youth ministry is about trying to create a place where students fellowship
and are discipled rather than creating a place where students can belong
before they believe.
It seems that many youth groups are more concerned with what students
are not doing rather than what they are doing. In other words the practical
definition
of holiness is defined in terms of sin management and separation rather than
what they have committed to. There are no examples in the New Testament of
Jesus leading someone in a sinner's prayer to signify that
person being born again. Jesus primarily spoke in terms of lifestyle
and relationship and allowed people to be in the process of discipleship. Could
it be that the process of discipleship begins before and continues after evangelism?
The goal seems to be more of helping people take an honest inventory of where
they are and then encourage, equip and empower them to take the next step forward.
The goal then of teaching/preaching is not to say something novel, profound,
or has never been said before. Instead, it is to help students obey the things
Christ has commanded us. The intake of information does not necessarily equate
into transformation. The reality of our situation is that people want to sample
something before they buy it. This makes the authenticity and environment of
a youth ministry the utmost priority. I have done hundreds of surveys of visiting
students over the years and ask them to describe their experience with us.
In short, the majority of students describe their experience in terms of how
they felt during their visit and what they felt from others.
This who is in and who is out mentality was exactly what Jesus
constantly challenged the Pharisees with. There are churches in our area where
the youth pastor would be fired if he was caught smoking a cigar on the golf
course. However, his termination would be implemented by the Senior Pastor
that is 70 pounds overweight. Scripture is clear in regard to gluttony, but
I'm still searching for the cigar reference. Is it any wonder why so
many non-believers feel distant, unable to connect, and unworthy
to be a part of the community. We need to invite students onto the same path
that we are on. Students are looking to see if we are fellow travelers, if
our Christianity really works for us, and if we truly believe
and experience that in which we are inviting them into. Only this kind of authentic
training will help us in our efforts to try to include and invite students
into a community of believers.
Genuine transformation is what creates an environment where students can come
investigate and really see something happen in other student's lives.
If all we do flows from who we are, then this must be our starting point as
youth leaders. Ultimately we must remember that God is more concerned with
custom imprinting our souls as youth leaders rather than building a youth ministry
through us.
For further research Dr. Ron Martoia's book Morph! The Texture of Leadership
for Tomorrow's Church (Group Publishing, 2003) goes into detail on the
above topics and provides further insight into these misconceptions. Special
thanks to Dr. Martoia for teaching and mentoring me in the above concepts.
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