If I were starting over in youth ministry...
“Billy Graham was asked the question, “If you had to start over your ministry would you do it the same way again?” He answered, “No! I would do it like Jesus. I would look for 12 men and spend time with them, hoping that each one will become who I am and that each one will then find 12 men and do the same”
If I were starting over in youth ministry I would do several things differently. I know that life is not about regrets and wanting to relive the past, but I have had several things that I would change or be more aware of in my career in youth ministry. Looking at Billy Graham's response to the question, I feel the same. I would go back to my early years in youth ministry and spend more time on discipleship. Being part of the generation of youth workers that spent a lot of time in the late 90s and early 2000's doing many great events and outings, but failing to do as much follow-up. I had some great adults then, but did not train them in the ways of followup. I only could follow up on a few after each big great event, retreat, or fun outing. There were many students left in the shadow with no followup. But in the last year, with the great use of Facebook, I have been following up with these old students to check up on them and try to disciple where I failed to do so over a decade ago. But in my defense, I had no clue that I wasn't doing this. I was not taught that at the workshops and training I went to back then. Instead I learned how to make bigger and better retreats and events! It wasn't until I was in grad school and the last couple NYWC and Simply Youth Conference that I really understood the importance of raising leaders to help with discipling. During the past year I have been working on getting my adults and students in more of discipleship mode of thinking and away from event based with no follow-up.
If I were to start back over with this process of thinking, I think many problems and frustrations would have disappeared. It hurts to write this, but I knew no other way of doing it. I thought it would just "happen" after these events. I thought that if we put on a great retreat or great big event, that the students would just get it. What can I say...I was young and clueless.
But I can't go back, I can only change how I do things now and teach other young youth workers not fall into the same cycle that me and many youth workers have done for so long. It takes commitment to training your adults, but also training your student leaders who are ready to take the step in growing.
During this past year I have had the chance to put this in place and it has been amazing to see how things have changed. It was a slow change at first, because it has never been viewed like that here with me or any other youth worker.
Take the chance and start over in how you disciple your students. Make Disciples of all! Still do the big events, but have all your pieces in place to continue discipling when the event is over!
"I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
-Jeremiah 29:11
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