Hidden Potential Kingdom Champions
As youth pastors, our time and attention is usually drawn towards the loud, the rebellious, the "cool" kid. There's nothing wrong with talking with and spending time with these kids. Regardless of whether we want to or not, they demand our attention. These outspoken, ornery teenagers have always captured my heart. For me, it's as if the rebel held a proverbial sign, reading, "Come after me!" My heart chases them, as should yours, simply because they will carry the influence of the group. Be careful, because it's best to go after these individuals one by one, not in front of everyone.
However, amidst all the finding and training solid kids who truly do multiply, it's the good and the average ones I work to consciously see as a great leader. I know exactly what it feels like to want to spend time with the most popular, most athletic, most accepted ones. I connect with them easily, and find it less than easy to connect with kids who aren't the loudest, sharpest of the group. I learned through loving kids one by one, to view every average teenager as a potential kingdom champion. There have been teenagers who the world might have considered just another good kid, that God allowed me to pour into and stand back and watch them do great things in the kingdom.
As you go after eagles, I urge you not to overlook the good and average kids. For when you connect with them, you do more for them than you will ever know and above all, you please the heart of God. And in return, I know the kingdom of God will receive countless princes and princesses as a result of your willingness to look beyond their not-so-great appearances, and view them through heaven's eyes.
As youth pastors, our time and attention is usually drawn towards the loud, the rebellious, the "cool" kid. There's nothing wrong with talking with and spending time with these kids. Regardless of whether we want to or not, they demand our attention. These outspoken, ornery teenagers have always captured my heart. For me, it's as if the rebel held a proverbial sign, reading, "Come after me!" My heart chases them, as should yours, simply because they will carry the influence of the group. Be careful, because it's best to go after these individuals one by one, not in front of everyone.
However, amidst all the finding and training solid kids who truly do multiply, it's the good and the average ones I work to consciously see as a great leader. I know exactly what it feels like to want to spend time with the most popular, most athletic, most accepted ones. I connect with them easily, and find it less than easy to connect with kids who aren't the loudest, sharpest of the group. I learned through loving kids one by one, to view every average teenager as a potential kingdom champion. There have been teenagers who the world might have considered just another good kid, that God allowed me to pour into and stand back and watch them do great things in the kingdom.
As you go after eagles, I urge you not to overlook the good and average kids. For when you connect with them, you do more for them than you will ever know and above all, you please the heart of God. And in return, I know the kingdom of God will receive countless princes and princesses as a result of your willingness to look beyond their not-so-great appearances, and view them through heaven's eyes.
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Only 10% of the church body has a functioning gift of evangelism. In fact the very vision of evangelism is made up of Superman stories of dramatic witnessing experiences that scare off the average Christian from making ANY efforts to share Christ. This Youth Leader's Coach, "Equipping Normal Teenagers To Do Evangelism," is geared to mobilizing the other 90% sitting in your youth group. So often we make evangelism a huge intimidating task that they look forward to as much as they do their speech class! Let me help break it down and guide you as you lead your students to say "Yeah, I can do that!"
Still reaching out,
Remember that old saying, "It's the squeaky wheel that gets the oil"? Sometimes that principle is even true in youth ministry. We find ourselves focusing much of our time and energy around our "problem kids." Somehow, our average students who don't have any big problems get lost in the mix.
That's what this Youth Leader's Coach deals with. I entitled it "Dealing With Potential; Not Just Problems." It's just a time to remind ourselves how to effectively help our average students to unlock their God-given potential. Like the father in the New Testament prodigal son account, we youth leaders find it easy to celebrate the "prodigal son" more than celebrating the "elder brother" who never left in the first place.
Lovingly admiring the Elder Brother,
This Source was such a key night in our own youth group and it is my gift to you, as we stir up a spirit of expectancy in our youth groups. I've entitled it "An Enemy Called Average." Use this message right before a key event to set the stage for spiritual explosion, as we did right before our Fall Retreat. It is an equally powerful message to stir up the mediocre and routine lulls that we sometimes find our group to be in.
Even we as leaders often face this enemy called average. My friend, let this message minister directly to you. Let expectancy grow in your heart as we explore the ingredients for spiritual explosion!
Still refusing to be average,
Don't you ever feel sorry for "the elder brother" in the prodigal son account? You know, he was the "good church kid" who never did drugs, never got drunk on the weekend and never got a girl pregnant out of wedlock. He stayed faithfully working in his father's house when his rebellious younger brother left home and caused all the stink. What was the elder brother's big issue? He just had to deal with feeling forgotten and lost in the crowd.
Guess what? You probably have several "elder brothers" in your local youth ministry. This Source, "The Church Guy," is a love note to them. I just wanted to take time to encourage the faithful ones and to celebrate them along the journey. I also wanted to give them a few gentle "kicks in the rear" to motivate them beyond their present spiritual walk.
All in all, it was a great night together. We even celebrated with a cake we dedicated to them at the end of the night. So go call the bakery and start listening. I guarantee that you have some "church guys" in your crowd too.
Still committed to the "Elder Brothers,"
You'll love this Source! It's the first night with my new youth group and my strategic announcement of launching small groups. You'll hear me take a run at what our youth ministry can look like over the next year and how the students can be involved in creating the next 8,760 hours together.
You don't have to be starting with a new ministry like I am to use this Source. It's a great message to use if you just want to "refresh" your youth ministry at any point in the journey. With some thought provoking monologues from both students and leaders, a few key Scriptures and some quotes, we saw the atmosphere of the room change as we built a dream for the future.
You may also want to listen to the Youth Leader's Coach that goes with this message, "Thoughts From The Starting Line."
Still Dreaming,
