Focal Points of Youth Ministry

Dr. Max Sturdivant, Trinity’s Director of Youth Ministry,  is going to be writing a series of posts on the Focal Points of Youth Ministry.  The following topics will be addressed:

1. Servant Attitude
2. Relationships
3. Leadership
4. Ministry Outreach
5. Personal Wellness and Development
6. The HOLY SPIRIT

Servant Attitude

For me, having a servant attitude fundamentally means benefiting others; not yourself.  Giving not to gain but giving just to give.  It’s loving someone for who they are, no matter where they’re from or where they’ve been or where they are in life.  Paul asserts, “Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others (Rom 10:4).  He also admonishes, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves” (Phil 2:3).  Serving is simply helping others: helping their hearts.  Serving others serves Him.  Helping others’ hearts helps our hearts.  Prov 11:25 says, “He who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.”  The matter of impacting the heart, the seat of emotions and feelings, is critical in teaching students.  Our teaching should impact the intellectual domain of our students and their affective domain (feelings, attitudes) as well.  As I stated to a couple of student ministers recently, speaking about student missions: “Students not only need to do missions, they need to feel it.”  Such emotional or affective attachment to the event will make the experience stay with them for life.

For practical application to our leadership as student ministers, how can we show a servant attitude.  First, listen to people.  Listen to make the other feel heard.  Rick Howerton, Small Group Specialist with Lifeway Christian Resources, indicates that bearing one another’s burdens comes via conversations with people; conversations lift loads off people.  When one shares and feels he or she is being heard and understood, burdens can be lifted.  Lifting burdens is an act of servant-hood.

Second, be teachable.  Simply put, the people in your church want you to be teachable: to listen and learn from them.  As student ministers, we do not have it all figured out.  We are not the only ones with the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Third, admit when you’re wrong.  Youth need to see leaders model taking responsibility for their actions.  In my several years of experience as a student minister, one of the common issues I’ve observed related to parenting of students is parents being unwilling to admit to their kids they were wrong.  For a parent or leader to admit they were wrong is a big deal to kids.

Third, build others up.  You do this by giving God the glory and giving others credit for accomplishments and achievements in the student ministry.

Fourth, take the lead in serving while leading others to serve.  You do not bear the all the burden in doing ministry, but you do need to model ministry to others.  Leadership is guiding others by going first.  Go first in serving others.

Last, instill in the people around you a sense of voice and value. Students, parents, the elderly, everyone, want to be heard.  They want to feel that you really value them: not to get something from them or out of them but because they are an awesome creation of God, and therefore, special and significant.  I’ll expand this latter issue more when we talk about the focal point of Relationships.

Keep your focus on Him.

Max O. Sturdivant, Jr., EDD

Director of Youth Ministry

Trinity College of the Bible and Theological Seminary

Newburgh, IN

Sunday School Material

With the new year approaching you may be thinking about switching to different Sunday School material.  In the process, I wanted to point you in the direction of materials you might not think of.

1. Inquest Ministries
2. Teen Sunday School Place

These are both good resources full of Gospel/Scripture centered lessons.  Teen Sunday School has options where they lay out a plan for the whole year for you.  This plan has some lessons that are more topical and some that will walk the students through books of the Bible.  Inquest is great for anything small groups.  Their material is good for Sunday School, Disciple Now’s, and retreats.

Advent

The last post had several suggestions for family traditions during the Christmas season. One more that I would like to suggest is the tradition of Advent.  The Focus on the Family blog has a great post explaining the purpose of Advent.  Here is a calendar with the appropriate scriptures to read mapped out.  You can also double the readings up on certain days if you like.  In our first Christmas since being married my wife and I are starting our own Christmas family traditions and this is one that we have chosen to do together, and recommend to you.  It is a fun way to keep Jesus Christ at the center of your family’s Christmas celebrations.

First Week

Sun. Is. 40:1-5
Mon. Is. 52:7-10
Tue. Is. 40:9-11
Wed. Gen. 3:8-15
Thu. Gen. 15:1-6
Fri. Deut. 18:15-19
Sat. Ps. 89:1-4

Second Week

Sun. Is. 11:1-10
Mon. Zech. 6:12-13
Tue. Mic. 5:2-4
Wed. Mal. 3:1-6
Thu. John 1:1-8
Fri. John 1:9-18
Sat. Mark 1:1-3

Third Week

Sun. Luke 1:5-13
Mon. Luke 1:14-17
Tue. Luke 1:18-25
Wed. Luke 1:39-45
Thu. Luke 1:46-56
Fri. Luke 1:57-66
Sat. Luke 1:67-80

Fourth Week

Sun. Is. 7:10-14
Mon. Luke 1:26-35
Tue. Is. 9:2-7
Wed. Mt. 1:18-25
Thu. Luke 2:1-20
Fri. Mt. 2:1-2
Sat. Luke 2:21-35

When: Advent starts on the fourth Sunday before Christmas. Because Christmas falls on different days each year, Advent can last 22 to 28 days.

Prepare your family: Let your family or household know that this year you are going to start a new tradition to celebrate Jesus’ birthday. Whenever you can with children, refer to Christmas as Jesus’ birthday. Decide which time of the day will work best for your Advent time.

- Nathan Williams

Driscoll’s Christmas Daddy Tips

Christmas is almost here.  The Christmas season brings with it a new pace of business.  Pastor Mark Driscoll of Mars Hill in Seattle gives us men 16 Daddy Christmas Tips to help us out.  These are Good.

#1 – Dad needs a plan for the holidays to ensure his family is loved and memories are made. Dad, what’s your plan?

#2 – Dad needs to check the local guides for what’s going on to make fun holiday plans for the family.

#3 – Dad needs to carve out time for sacred events and experiences to build family traditions that are fun and point to Jesus. Dad, is your calendar ready for December?

#4 – Dad needs to not let the stress of the holidays, including money, cause him to be grumpy with Mom or the kids. Dad, how’s your joy?

#5 – Dad needs to give experiences and not just gifts. Dad, what special memories can you make this holiday season?

#6 – Dad needs to manage the extended family and friends during the holidays. Dad, who or what do you need to say “no” to?

#7 – Dad needs to ensure his family is giving generously during the holidays. Dad, who in need is your family going to adopt and bless?

#8 – Dad needs to schedule a big Christmas daddy date with his daughter. Dad, what’s your big plan for the fancy daddy date?

#9 – Dad needs to schedule guy time with his son. Dad, what are you and your son going to do that is active, outdoors, and fun?

#10 – Dad needs to help Mom get the house decorated. Dad, are you really a big help to Mom with getting things ready?

#11 – Dad needs to ensure some holiday smells and sounds. Dad, is Christmas music on the iPod, is the tree up, and can you smell cookies and cider in your house?

#12 – Dad needs to snuggle up and watch some fun shows with the kids, especially the little ones. Dad, is the DVR set?

#13 – Dad needs to take the family on a drive to see Christmas lights while listening to music and sipping cider. Dad, is it mapped out?

#14 – Dad needs to help Mom get the kids’ rooms decorated. Dad, do the little kids get lights or a small tree in their room?

#15 – Dad needs to read about Jesus and pray over his kids. Dad, how’s your pastoral work going with each of your kids?

#16 – Dad needs to repent of being lazy, selfish, grumpy, or just dumping the holidays on Mom. Dad, are you a servant like Jesus to your family?

The Smaller Church

Yesterday Tim Keller wrote a very encouraging blog post to young pastors as well as to the smaller church. He writes:

Some will be surprised to hear me say this, since they know my emphasis on ministry in the city. Yes, I believe firmly that the evangelical church has neglected the city. It still is difficult to get Christians and Christian leaders to make the sacrifices necessary to live their lives out in cities. However, the disdain many people have for urban areas is no worse than the condescending attitudes many have toward small towns and small churches.

Young pastors should not turn up their noses at such places, where they may learn the full spectrum of ministry tasks and skills as they will not in a large church. Nor should they go to small communities looking at them merely as stepping stones in a career. Why not? Your early ministry experience will only prepare you for ‘bigger things,’ if you don’t aspire for anything bigger than investment in the lives of the people around you. Wherever you serve, put your roots down, become a member of the community and do your ministry with all your heart and might. If God opens the door to go somewhere else, fine and good. But don’t go to such places looking at them only as training grounds for ‘real ministry.’

This is particularly encouraging mainly because most of the United States is made up of smaller churches.  I agree with Tim Keller when he says that these churches should not be viewed as merely stepping stones in a career.  He says, “Wherever you serve put your roots down, become a member of the community and do your ministry with all your heart and might.” Wherever you are put down your roots, know your community, and preach the Gospel with all your heart and might.  This is a very powerful challenge and encouragement to us.

Trinity College of the Bible and Theological  Seminary has a very strong desire to be an encouragement to those in ministry in the smaller churches as well as to provide an education that produces personal excellence in ministers called to these smaller churches.  This is a personal desire for our President, Vice President of Academic Affairs, as well as much of the Trinity faculty and staff, as many of us are or have served in the smaller local church.

Know Your Youth Group: Sunday School

I have found, through teaching youth Sunday School with my wife that it is important to have flexibility when teaching youth Sunday School and also it is important to be aware and know the needs and learning styles of your specific  group.

Sunday School or small groups, depending on what you call them or which format you use, are very important.  The environment of a smaller group provides an opportunity to not only teach the Word of God, but to have response time and conversation.  It gives the students an opportunity to ask questions.

Another great thing about Sunday school or small groups is the opportunity to build relationships with the students.  If you have youth interns or college students or parents that help out during youth group, small groups provide a great opportunity for them build relationships and trust with the students.

However you do it it is always important to be flexible and open to change with your curriculim.  As you start to use certian curriculim, however great it is, growth may not be happening spiritually for the students.  At this point it is good to evaluate what needs to change so that this growth can take place.

- Nathan Williams, Student Ministry Consultant

Books for the Youth Minister

The Resurgence Blog, a helpful resource out of Mars Hill Church in Seattle recommends these 5 books as essential reads for every Youth Minister.  Definitely check out their blog for other great book recommendations and helpful articles and a variety of different subjects.

1. Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers by Christian Smith and Melinda Lundquist Denton.
2. Hurt: Inside the World of Today’s Teenagers by Chap Clark
3. Fifty Reasons Why Jesus Came to Die by John Piper
4. On Being a Theologian of the Cross by Gerhard Forde
5. Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands: People in Need of Change Helping People in Need of Change by Paul D. Tripp

What books would you reccomend to Youth Ministers?

Feeding Shepherds – Night of Worship and Training

This past Thursday night (October 8,2009) a group of worship pastors, youth pastors, and others who work with youth or are on staff on various churches in the Evansville area gathered in the Thomas R. Rodgers Center here on the campus of Trinity College of the Bible and Theological Seminary.  It was an exciting night filled with worship lead by the Good Shepherd Band from Bloomington,IN and preaching of God’s Word by Braxton Hunter, and 3 breakout sessions in the areas of worship and youth ministry (lead by Pastor Marty Williams of Riverwind Church in Newburgh, the lead singer from the band, and Dr. Max Sturdivant from Trinity).

It was a pleasure to have area ministers on our campus and to worship the One True God with them!  Good reports have come back from the participants of the breakout sessions.  I know that everyone walked away having experience personal growth as well as growth in their ministry.  Check out some pictures from the night.

Excited about Feeding Shepherds

Here at Trinity College of the Bible and Theological Seminary we are having a pretty exciting week.  Today is day 2 of Regional Seminars this week, the last day being tomorrow.  It is always exciting when our students are on campus!

Another exciting thing happening on Trinity’s campus is the Feeding Shepherds Conference tomorrow night!  Our President, myself, and many other Trinity staff and Faculty are passionate about reaching the younger generations with the Gospel as well as aiding youth and college ministers in churches who are doing this on a weekly basis.  Tomorrow night is going to be a great night of worship and preaching as we hear from Braxton Hunter and The Good Shepherd Band.  It will also be a great night of training and learning in the areas of youth ministry and worship through the three breakout sessions that are being offered.  Come out and hear from Braxton, The Good Shepherd Band, Dr. Max Sturdivant, and Pastor Marty Williams.  Here is the link to more information.

Apologetics in a Nut Shell

Braxton Hunter, Trinity Crusades For Christ, is a humble servant who desires to share the truth of the Word of God, and make the mystery of the Gospel of Jesus Christ known to all. One of the ways that he does this is through apolgetics.

What is apologetics?  Dr. Edward Martin of Liberty University, in the forward to Blinding Lights (blog post on Blinding Lights) defines it this way, “Apologetics is precisely this: an attempt to lay out, in a rationally compelling, consistent, coherent, and comprehensive way, the ‘faith once delievered to the saints.’”

Apologetics, in a nut shell, is the defense the Gospel.   1 Peter 1:15 tells us “but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.”

You may already be following the debate between Braxton and Will at http://happyatheistforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=43&t=3820, but if you are not I encourage you to do so. This debate is a great example of apologetics.