Philosophy Matters

#2: philosophy matters. In my first few years of student ministry, I quickly learned that the philosophy of a church ministry matters. In student ministry, we are under the authority of a church. Some view their students as a "mini church" but I believe that we need to be heading the same direction as the overall vision of the church. Now, it does not mean that we agree on every detail, but we cannot disagree upon why we do what we do in ministry. Many times, student pastors are looking for a place to serve and do not ask the right questions to find out the churches overall ministry philosophy. In conversations with a lot of my friends in student ministry, many have unreasonable expectations to live up to because of the churches philosophy of ministry. Philosophy of ministry is basically, why you do what you do and how you do it. I'm not talking about what you do (the mission and vision). It is looking at the heart motive of why we do ministry.

Why is philosophy important? Because you will have clarity! You will not bounce around to whatever is the new "hype" in ministry. If you view ministry through the lens of building relationships but you are being pressured about attendance, it is a question of philosophy. Yes, it is true that numbers represent people. But if our overall goal is to grow bigger, then having a "keg" party will definitely grow attendance right? I know that is an a bad example, but think about it. If the churches end goal is to fill up seats, then they are building attenders and not disciples. Why do I say this? The modern church movement has created a sub-culture of leaders and attenders who will do whatever it takes to limit commitment and make people comfortable (Read Luke 9:23).

Snapshot of my philosophy of ministry: In student ministry the goal is to build healthy relationships with others in order to share God’s grace and to equip the believers for the work of the ministry. I have been challenged to move away from a ministry built on programs and move toward a ministry developed around relationships. Jesus called a group of people to follow Him. He poured His heart and life into them throughout his ministry and prepared them to lead His church. Jesus left us with a calling and responsibility – to make disciples (Matthew 28:19-20).

Philosophy matters! If you haven't realized it, many churches have different ideas of what success is in ministry. This is all stems from "why" and "how" question of ministry.

A few questions to ask to discover a ministries philosophy:

Church questions:

• What is the vision of the church?
• Why do we have the student ministry at this church?
• What are your expectations of me as a student pastor?
• What does a mature, disciple of Christ look like?
• Does numbers represent growth alone or is there more to it?
• What is your theological view of salvation?

Pastor questions:

• What is your leadership style?
• What are your personality characteristics and attributes?
• How do you view a student minister? (Pastoral staff, activities director, etc)
• What frustrations have you had with past youth ministers?
• What are the expectations for my spouse?

What questions would you add to discover the "why" and "how" behind the ministry? 

Parents are Vital

#1: parents are vital. I remember coming out of college with a passion to lead and encourage students to pursue Christ. In my first few years of ministry I remember having a disdain towards some parents. I know this sounds horrible right? I equated their students decisions to their parenting. I actually thought I knew better than most parents. What I did not realize is that many parents are in dire need of encouragement, prayer and support. I quickly learned that my time with the students pales in comparison to their time at home. As I repented of my attitude, I quickly learned that ministry to students is only one half of the goal.

The family is the most influential aspect of a student's life. Leading students means ministering to them AND their families. Including and using parents in the ministry is crucial to building a healthy foundation. Over time I have realized that if we can impact parents with the gospel, we will in turn see a stronger growth in their students lives!

What I Wish I knew about parents in student ministry:

• Be an advocate. Teach students to fight FOR the relationship with their parents instead of fighting against them. Teach students on a regular basis the importance of being under the authority of their parents (as long as they are not being abused, etc).
• Admit when you are wrong. Admit you do not have all the answers. Ask forgiveness when you make a mistake.
• Resource parents to lead in the home. We offer a weekly email with the message outline and discussion questions for parents to use in the home.
• Hang out and listen. Parents appreciate sharing about their children. Listen to them without offering your ideas on, "10 steps to change your child." Listen with the heart. Listening will build trust and support from parents.
• Time Matters. Parents are working full-time jobs as well as raising a family. Start when you say you will start a meeting or event. End when you let them know you will end. Remember, they have a lot of responsibilities, so value their time.
• Communicate all the time. Maintain a healthy level of communication to parents on a regular basis. Just when you think you have communicated enough, do it again! I'd encourage you to cover all the bases (email, facebook, twitter, snail mail, bulletin inserts, parent newsletter and so forth).
• Find opportunities to get to know unchurched parents. Many times the only way you can talk to parents is when they come to pick up their student. In order to build a relationship, we must take the initiative. Sometimes it helps parents see that the church is there to support them as a family and not just provide a "free childcare" service.
• Champion parents. Let students know how much you appreciate their family. Praise their parents in front of the students. Share kind words to the students in front of their parents. Build a bridge between the student and their parent. Our goal is to help the family grow closer to each other and God.

What are some ways you have grown in ministering to parents? What tips do you have to share?

Protein for a Real Man

I enjoy hanging out with my brothers. Over Christmas break I spend time with my brothers, Jeff and Justin. We spent some time working out (with Jeff's navy seal candidate roommate) up in Virginia. I enjoy sports and exercise on a regular basis. Jeff has taken a new, radical approach to gaining muscle by drinking protein. He calls it. "poor man's protein." It is basically drinking as much protein a person can handle in one sitting.

It is simply gross.

I think I'll stick to drinking whey protein with a double chocolate flavor!