We have all been to a meeting. Some of us feel like we have been in meetings our whole lives. Have you ever been to a meeting that was boring and unproductive?
We all have. I believe meetings should be fun, informative and inspirational. You should leave with more passion than when you entered the meeting!
Tips on leading effective meetings:
- Know where you are going. If you don't know as the leader, you are leaving the ball to fly up in the air for whoever has the nearest bat of opinion to hit it!
- Have a clear schedule for the meeting. A clear starting and end time. It gives each person time to prepare for each meeting.
Here's an example of my meeting schedule with my student staff:
Monday morning from 9:30-10:30am
9:30-9:40am: Opening prayer. Use this time to pray for each other. Encourage each person to share something in their life that we can pray about as a team.
9:40-9:55am: Leader talk. I will share tips on leadership and ways to handle what is happening in the ministry. It gives us time to learn together and grow together.
9:55-10:05am: Wins (share stories of life change).
10:05-10:30am: I always ask each person what are three things they are working on. We will discuss each of them and redirect if we need to as a team. Once we communicate what we are working on we make a plan to get after it!
10:30am - End and pray.
What tips would you add to lead effective meetings? Share your thoughts below!
Adult volunteers are the foundation of the student ministry. They are the heroes I work with each week who pour God's love into the hearts of students. I am always praying and looking for leaders each week who have a heart for this generation.
But the process of finding, discovering and connecting leaders can be a confusing process for youth workers and the volunteers. I don't know about you, but it can be hard to know where to place people and help them be equipped to serve long-term.
I've been searching and learning from other leaders on how they find and equip new volunteers. My friend Matt from LCBC shared this with me and I thought I'd share it with you. We have adopted the term, "TACO!"
TACO: verbage we use with prospective adult volunteers on how to get involved.
T- test drive. We invite new prospective leaders to attend the student ministry for a week. I always let them know that we want them to test drive what it looks like to be a part of the student ministry before applying.
A- application. The next step in the process is for leaders to apply. We use the application to get to know the leader's passion and story. It is important to help leaders process through some important questions to find out how they can be used in the student ministry. It also helps leaders commit to moving forward to becoming an adult volunteer.
C- conversation: I will meet with the volunteers at lunch or in my office and talk through their application and background. Suggested questions: "are they a part of the church? Goal is at least 6 months. Why do you want to serve? What is your experience? What is your story? It is important to talk through their life and how they can influence students for Christ.
O-orientation. Goal is for them to go through the Source handbook and become acclimated to the vision and structure of the ministry. We will plug them into the different areas of service (guest services, cafe, host home, small group leader, small group co-leader).
How do you recruit and process leaders into committed volunteers in your ministry? What tips have you learned to help plug-in adult volunteers?
My good friend Ronald Long wrote a Bible study highlighting what Jesus said about hypocrites or "fakers." One of the main questions of the book is for those without Christ asking the question, “Why should I become a Christian? All I see are a bunch of hypocrites!”
I think this is a huge question to answer. Students will learn a lot of important aspects of cutting through the truth of living an authentic life for Christ. It is a part of being human beings. We struggle with being fake. It takes a heart change that only Jesus can begin through His power.
If you are looking for a resource to lead your students, this is a good 5 week study.
Here is an overview of the Bible study:
Chapter One: Fakers Love Easy.
It is easy to be fake. The first chapter helps set up the need for a change in how we view God and others with the story of the Good Samaritan.
Chapter Two: Fakers Polish Exteriors.
Fakers are all about the outward appearance. This chapter talks mainly about the pharisees cleaning on the outside. God wants to clean us up on the inside which will in turn result in how we live.
Chapter Three: Fakers Have Hard Hearts
Our true character will eventually come out in the open. The humble heart is open to God's leading. This chapter explains the importance of living for Christ and not becoming selfish towards others.
Chapter Four: Fakers Satisfy Themselves.
Fakers seek to find satisfaction in what they want in life. A follower of Christ seeks to be satisfied in Jesus. This chapter lays down the truth and the heart of serving Christ.
Chapter Five: Fakers Build Houses
This chapter lays down the truth on what foundation we use to build our lives upon. Are we seeking to build it on the sand or the rock? Fakers build a house but followers of Christ survive the storm through Him.
The devotional guides and small group discussion that follow each chapter are great follow-up to the teaching. If we only teach students then it can go in their ears and not stick in their minds. It is a great resource to have to give students to grow on their own.
Overall, this is a solid book resource for your ministry. Ronald has a heart to help students grow into mature followers of Christ. I look forward to all that he will continue to do for Christ!
We have all been to a meeting. Some of us feel like we have been in meetings our whole lives. Have you ever been to a meeting that was boring and unproductive?
