9780310329091

Summary

If you're in the front lines of youth ministry -- as a leader, volunteer, pastor, parent -- you know that youth leadership can be tough. Teens are moving targets, congregations have high expectations, and sometimes even the most experienced youth leader can't shake the feeling that they really don't have a clue about what to do next.Life in Student Ministry offers more than a clue. Jammed packed with practical 'how-to' advice, this book is a must-read for any youth leader committed to building a thriving, long-lived ministry that impacts the spiritual lives of teenagers and their families.Based on a decade of youth leadership experience, author Tim Schmoyer provides on-target advice on everything from getting started, to recruiting and utilizing volunteers, to welcoming visitors, to dealing with lack of commitment from teens and parents. He also includes input, advice, suggestions, even disagreements from a host of experienced youth workers who discussed the book's overall content and weighed in with their own feedback. The result is a collection of many voices on the hurdles and frustrations common to many youth ministries.Life in Student Ministry encourages, challenges, and equips youth leaders to move through the barriers and thrive in their ministries.

Author Biography

Tim Schmoyer has served in youth ministry for over 10 years. He is a youth worker in Minnesota, where he resides with his beautiful wife and two children. He authors the web version of Life In Student Ministry at StudentMinistry.org, where he hosts a weekly live youth ministry talk show, runs Youth Ministry Mentorships, and provides many resources, ideas, training videos, advice, and more.

Introduction	p. 13
Are You Called to Be a Youth Worker?
Determine your call to youth ministry	p. 15
Three qualities every youth worker must have	p. 17
The ideal youth ministry	p. 19
Starting a Youth Ministry
Tips for starting out in vocational youth ministry	p. 21
Why teens come to youth group	p. 24
10 steps to starting a youth ministry in your church	p. 26
But what if my church has only one teenager?	p. 29
How to grow a youth group	p. 31
What to do during your first youth group meeting	p. 33
After the very first youth group meeting	p. 35
Once Your Youth Ministry is Up and Running
Where real ministry takes place	p. 37
How to do youth ministry all wrong	p. 38
Lies we believe in youth ministry	p. 41
Helping teens take ownership of youth group	p. 43
Five tips for making visitors feel welcome at youth group	p. 44
Two ideas for improving how teens welcome outsiders	p. 46
Sharing God's Word with Teens
10 reasons why you should do lesson preparation early	p. 49
Three ideas for making God's Word "sticky"	p. 51
How to push a spiritually apathetic teen to be spiritually passionate	p. 54
Three things teens should know before they graduate	p. 57
When Teens and Parents Won't Commit to the Youth Ministry
What teens and parents will and won't commit to	p. 61
Handling teenagers who don't want to participate in youth group activities	p. 62
Handing frustrations about low attendance	p. 65
Should you use a reward system for youth group attendance?	p. 66
Parents who ground their teens from youth group	p. 69
Communication
Five tips to remember when sharing youth group announcements	p. 73
Evaluating your ministry's communication methods	p. 76
Guidelines for youth pastors who text teens	p. 80
Managing Money
Writing a youth ministry budget	p. 83
Why volunteers should always go for free	p. 86
Investing in volunteers	p. 88
Finding Adult Volunteers
What to look for in a youth leader	p. 91
How to recruit ministry volunteers	p. 93
Addressing the four most common excuses potential leaders make	p. 95
The value of using retired adults	p. 97
Should you use unsaved adults as youth leaders?	p. 99
The process of initiating new leaders into the ministry	p. 101
Questions to ask a new youth leader	p. 104
What teens need from youth leaders	p. 107
Once Your Volunteers Are in Place
Expectations of youth leaders	p. 109
Boundaries for youth leaders	p. 112
Handling volunteers who are too busy for teenagers	p. 115
How to train leaders to be relational	p. 117
Signs that a youth leader is lacking maturity and healthy adult relationships	p. 119
10 ideas for keeping adult leaders on board long term	p. 123
Using interns	p. 125
Challenges You May Face in Youth Ministry
The hardest part of youth ministry	p. 129
The daunting job description of a youth worker	p. 130
Mistakes that can kill your ministry's growth	p. 131
Dealing with the pressures of church leadership	p. 135
Handling discipline as a young youth worker	p. 136
The difficult and disruptive teen	p. 139
Dealing with drama at youth group	p. 141
Ministry: grind or glamour?	p. 143
Ways to Make Youth Ministry Easier
11 ways to reduce stress in ministry	p. 145
Living with a spouse who serves in youth ministry	p. 148
Advantages of a local network of youth workers	p. 154
10 commandments for surviving in youth ministry	p. 156
Serving in Youth Ministry for the Long Haul
Being versus doing	p. 161
Youth pastor is more than a title	p. 162
How you will crash and burn(out) in ministry	p. 163
Avoiding burnout in ministry	p. 166
How to leave a youth ministry position well	p. 168
Conclusion	p. 171
Acknowledgments	p. 173
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.

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Life in Student Ministry: Practical Conversations on Thriving in Youth Ministry

0310329094

Supplemental Materials

Summary

Author Biography

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials

Rewards Program