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How to Create a Student Leadership Team with a Small Youth Ministry · Ministry Coach: Youth Ministry Tips & Resources

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_01: What you would observe from the user experience would be wow, students who are highly engaged, students that are serving have a purpose, students who are friendly and have a vision for visitors and know how to include people.
• 0:15
  SPEAKER_01: That is such a highly attractive youth group because it's healthy, because people are doing what they're made to do.
• 0:22
  SPEAKER_01: If you have a small youth group and are wondering if you can pull off a student leadership team, then stick around because this episode is perfect for you.
• 0:42
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome to the Ministry Coach podcast, where we give you weekly tips and tactics to help you fast-track the growth and most importantly, the health of your youth ministry.
• 0:49
  SPEAKER_00: My name is Jeff Lascola, and this is Kristen Lascola.
• 0:53
  SPEAKER_01: And today we are talking about how to have a student leadership team specifically for smaller youth groups.
• 1:01
  SPEAKER_01: So we get this question a lot because people with smaller youth groups get a little afraid of that term student leadership.
• 1:08
  SPEAKER_01: Like, how can I do that?
• 1:10
  SPEAKER_01: Like my group feels too small to have like the youth group and then a leadership team.
• 1:15
  SPEAKER_01: Like, how does that exactly work?
• 1:18
  SPEAKER_01: And I'm here to tell you today that you can do this with a very small youth group.
• 1:23
  SPEAKER_01: In fact, I encourage it and I think it makes even more of an impact in a small youth group than a large youth group because a smaller youth group, the culture can be experienced by someone who walks in the door for the first time, like immediately.
• 1:40
  SPEAKER_01: So a big youth group is maybe fun and exciting and like that critical mass of like people.
• 1:48
  SPEAKER_01: However, the culture can get diluted and there could be pockets of culture, you know, like for a student experiencing for your experiencing your youth group for the first time.
• 2:01
  SPEAKER_01: But if you have a small youth group, you can really leverage the power of student leaders to set a culture and it's in an it's like in a very concentrated environment.
• 2:13
  SPEAKER_01: And so it's very exciting.
• 2:15
  SPEAKER_01: So we're gonna start with the most frequently asked question.
• 2:19
  SPEAKER_01: And I think this is where everyone stalls out.
• 2:21
  SPEAKER_01: And if you can't make it past this, you're just like, I guess we're not doing it because I I don't know the answer.
• 2:27
  SPEAKER_01: So everyone always asks me, what like do I have everyone apply?
• 2:32
  SPEAKER_01: And then what if everyone signs up?
• 2:36
  SPEAKER_01: Like if I have 10 students in my youth group and all 10 want to do leadership, do I just like hello?
• 2:42
  SPEAKER_01: We're all leading each other.
• 2:44
  SPEAKER_01: Okay.
• 2:45
  SPEAKER_01: Number the short answer is yes, you do.
• 2:48
  SPEAKER_01: Everyone has the opportunity to apply, and I'm gonna explain why in just a second.
• 2:53
  SPEAKER_01: But I would say don't gatekeep this opportunity because even if every single one of them filled out an application, which I think is actually kind of rare, you know, I've had small youth groups, large youth groups, and everything in between.
• 3:10
  SPEAKER_01: And even when we were really small, I didn't get 100% participation.
• 3:15
  SPEAKER_01: I remember like having one boy and like three girls sitting at our kitchen table writing cards to people and eating lasagna and playing a game.
• 3:27
  SPEAKER_01: Like that was our student leadership team.
• 3:30
  SPEAKER_01: So it was a percentage.
• 3:32
  SPEAKER_01: So I think number one, your fear is very unfounded.
• 3:37
  SPEAKER_01: I doubt every single person did, but say they did, say your fear came true, and every single kid.
• 3:45
  SPEAKER_00: Every kid wants to be deepened their relationship and leadership and discipleship.
• 3:49
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, so I think that's what it is.
• 3:52
  SPEAKER_01: They only see the leadership part and they think so.
• 3:55
  SPEAKER_01: Everyone's a leader, then there's no one to lead.
• 3:57
  SPEAKER_01: But here's the the actual heart of a student leadership team is discipleship and serving.
• 4:04
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 4:05
  SPEAKER_01: Oh no, everyone's serving, yeah, that would be absolutely wonderful.
• 4:10
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, everyone's being discipled and signing up to be challenged in a new way with a different focus.
• 4:16
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, that would actually be wonderful.
• 4:19
  SPEAKER_01: So it is like you can't lose here.
• 4:22
  SPEAKER_01: Just yes, like spread the net wide, give the opportunity to everyone and see what comes up.
• 4:29
  SPEAKER_01: You know, I think sometimes youth pastors will typecast their students.
• 4:34
  SPEAKER_01: I'm very guilty of this, where you're like, you, I don't think you're what we're looking for for this team.
• 4:41
  SPEAKER_01: But the crazy thing is like kids sometimes that you wouldn't expect to want to serve or be on a leadership team, they'll fill out an application and it ends up being what gives them that 180 or that rocket boost of what they needed in their faith because likely they were bored and they were not engaged and they didn't really want to just be a face in the crowd.
• 5:03
  SPEAKER_01: Have you ever noticed kids that kind of give you a little bit of a problem always need a job to do to like settle themselves down?
• 5:12
  SPEAKER_01: Like sometimes that personality is just they malfunction when they feel purposeless and they will turn their, they'll find a purpose, and it's probably not the purpose you want for them.
• 5:25
  SPEAKER_01: So if you give them a purpose, you'll be surprised.
• 5:27
  SPEAKER_01: Like, wait a minute, you weren't a bad kid, you were just trying to create a purpose, and in your 12-year-old brain, your purpose was destroy things, and I'm gonna harness that energy into something else.
• 5:43
  SPEAKER_01: So here's the thing if everyone did it, or even if the majority of people did it, your youth group, here would be my guess, would become so healthy that it couldn't help but attract visitors.
• 5:58
  SPEAKER_01: So imagine this your new student and you walk into a youth group, and you're not like, oh, leader, leader, leader, wait, am I the only non-leader?
• 6:07
  SPEAKER_01: You don't really know, right?
• 6:09
  SPEAKER_01: Like it's just you see what you would observe from the user experience would be wow, students who are highly engaged, students that are serving have a purpose, students who are friendly and have a vision for visitors and know how to include people.
• 6:28
  SPEAKER_01: That is such a highly attractive youth group because it's healthy, because people are doing what they're made to do.
• 6:35
  SPEAKER_01: And so I think that fear is completely unfounded.
• 6:40
  SPEAKER_01: And like if you say it, have you ever noticed, like sometimes when you say things out loud, you come up with the answer like, so what are you afraid of?
• 6:50
  SPEAKER_01: Everyone wanting to be discipled and serve the Lord.
• 6:54
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, so tell me about that fear, you know, and that's probably why therapy is therapy, right?
• 6:59
  SPEAKER_00: And the other side of it would be like, is this just I'm duplicating my youth group?
• 7:04
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, any student leadership team you're gonna have, you're gonna be having a separate youth group, essentially.
• 7:09
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 7:10
  SPEAKER_00: But I feel like if it's like everybody, the thought or the fear might be this is 10 kids over here at youth group, this is 10 kids over here at student leadership.
• 7:18
  SPEAKER_00: And is it just I'm doing multiple youth groups with the exact same kids?
• 7:22
  SPEAKER_01: And well, it's a totally different focus.
• 7:25
  SPEAKER_01: It's a totally different, like it's all about serving, it's all about discipleship, and it's all about learning the definition of biblical leadership and how do we live that out?
• 7:36
  SPEAKER_01: So, whereas youth group is more of attractional, like anyone should be able to show up to your youth group and keep pace.
• 7:44
  SPEAKER_01: Not everyone should be able to show up to your student leadership team, be like, easy peasy, I'm a leader.
• 7:49
  SPEAKER_01: It should challenge them, it's a different tempo.
• 7:52
  SPEAKER_01: It's like, okay, this is meant now for the core, the nucleus of the group.
• 7:58
  SPEAKER_01: It is, it should feel different.
• 8:01
  SPEAKER_01: So it isn't just a carbon copy.
• 8:03
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, I still play game with them, and yes, we still eat and do fun things, but the focus of what I'm asking them to do, it's all very leadership action serving oriented.
• 8:15
  SPEAKER_01: You know, like I had mentioned, hey, how do we treat a new person?
• 8:19
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, let's simulate that.
• 8:20
  SPEAKER_01: I'm new.
• 8:22
  SPEAKER_01: Fire at me a few questions that would help me to maybe feel comfortable.
• 8:26
  SPEAKER_01: Like, I'm not gonna do that at youth group, like, hey, got, you know, that's like insider language stuff.
• 8:34
  SPEAKER_01: So it is different.
• 8:35
  SPEAKER_01: And yeah, it does feel like I'm running another youth group in a sense.
• 8:39
  SPEAKER_01: You have a whole other program, but the focus is so different, it's instructional.
• 8:45
  SPEAKER_01: Like your teaching has a different aim, you know what I mean?
• 8:49
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 8:50
  SPEAKER_01: So, okay, number two, that's a good point though.
• 8:53
  SPEAKER_01: So actually, you have even kind of along what we were just saying, you have even more of an opportunity to form this healthy core um through discipleship.
• 9:06
  SPEAKER_01: So, first of all, you can really get to know these students if there's only a few.
• 9:11
  SPEAKER_01: I feel like now I'm managing this large mass.
• 9:16
  SPEAKER_01: And oh my gosh, did someone not show up for their job?
• 9:19
  SPEAKER_01: I don't know.
• 9:20
  SPEAKER_01: Like, I wasn't even in the snack shack.
• 9:22
  SPEAKER_01: I was way over here dealing with this and who's showing up.
• 9:25
  SPEAKER_01: Like you lose the ability to laser focus and disciple because there it's so many of them.
• 9:32
  SPEAKER_01: But when you have a smaller youth group, student leadership can take on this whole other thing where you can really get to know where are students gifted?
• 9:41
  SPEAKER_01: Where are they passionate?
• 9:42
  SPEAKER_01: How did God design them and what is the best place to put them?
• 9:46
  SPEAKER_01: And you can even follow up with their jobs, you know.
• 9:49
  SPEAKER_01: Like, I don't have the bandwidth to follow up, but you can follow up of like, hey, how's you know, worship going?
• 9:57
  SPEAKER_01: Are you feeling like that's a good fit for you?
• 9:59
  SPEAKER_01: And you could even disciple them through, like, hey, here's what a worship person like does, and here's what the Bible talks about.
• 10:06
  SPEAKER_01: And like my mind goes a million different directions.
• 10:09
  SPEAKER_01: Like, our I am lucky enough to have one of my guys who run our media team that's part of our student leadership, and he will do devotionals with them of like, hey, like, why do we do what we do?
• 10:22
  SPEAKER_01: What's the point of capturing these moments?
• 10:25
  SPEAKER_01: What are we trying to accomplish?
• 10:26
  SPEAKER_01: And he turns it into a devo and it's beautiful, but you can really disciple kids through, like, it's not just make sure you show up, but what is this about?
• 10:38
  SPEAKER_01: And let me walk you through that.
• 10:39
  SPEAKER_01: Hey, when you're a friendly face at the Snack Shack, you know, and I do that in a general blanket thing, but it's not like I'm like, hey, Dylan, like I just want you to know tonight you made a difference because that girl who was new and she looked confused, you went up and you blah, blah, blah, or gave her a free item from the Snack Shack because she was a visitor, and you know, uh introduced yourself.
• 11:01
  SPEAKER_01: Like that was amazing, you know.
• 11:04
  SPEAKER_01: So you can notice them more, you can place them more, you can be a little more present as they do their jobs and challenge them.
• 11:13
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, I want you tonight to meet three new people that you've never met, or depending on the how many visitors you're getting at your youth group, I just want you to meet one new person tonight.
• 11:23
  SPEAKER_01: All right, then let's talk about it at our next meeting.
• 11:26
  SPEAKER_01: There can just be dripping in these challenges, and you can be talking to them and discipling them in their roles, and it's just so an opportunity just for so much more hands-on attention for these students.
• 11:40
  SPEAKER_01: And then within that, like sometimes pastors will be a little nervous, like, well, then it's just a click.
• 11:46
  SPEAKER_01: Well, it's your job, right?
• 11:48
  SPEAKER_01: To teach them the difference between being close and being clicky, right?
• 11:53
  SPEAKER_01: Close is like good and healthy.
• 11:56
  SPEAKER_01: We want people to say, like, wow, they seem to really like each other.
• 11:59
  SPEAKER_01: I want to be a part of that.
• 12:00
  SPEAKER_01: And that is when closeness is healthy.
• 12:03
  SPEAKER_01: But if they say, I want to be a part of that, and I just cannot get in there, they're so close that I don't feel like I think here's the thing, and this is a great thing to teach student leaders, especially in a smaller youth group.
• 12:19
  SPEAKER_01: Being close is great, but think of the need dynamic, right?
• 12:27
  SPEAKER_01: When you are comfortable and you're close with everyone, you have zero need.
• 12:32
  SPEAKER_01: So you're not looking at a new person of like, oh, thank God, I just wanted a friend.
• 12:36
  SPEAKER_01: You're like, I'm taken care of.
• 12:39
  SPEAKER_01: My needs are met.
• 12:40
  SPEAKER_01: I am comfortable.
• 12:41
  SPEAKER_01: On the flip side, the dynamic of them is high need.
• 12:45
  SPEAKER_01: So I don't know anyone.
• 12:46
  SPEAKER_01: I want to get in a group, I want to have a place to sit and feel comfortable and maybe meet a couple people and know their names or like be on the group text or you know, whatever.
• 12:58
  SPEAKER_01: So you have to get students to think outside their own need and look at the need of somebody else.
• 13:05
  SPEAKER_01: Because when closeness becomes clicky, it's usually not because people are mean, like, I don't like you.
• 13:12
  SPEAKER_01: We're a click.
• 13:13
  SPEAKER_01: It feels like that to the outsider.
• 13:15
  SPEAKER_01: But what they're probably sensing is we don't need you.
• 13:20
  SPEAKER_01: We like you.
• 13:21
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, good.
• 13:22
  SPEAKER_01: Bye-bye now.
• 13:23
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, you know, because you don't serve any purpose, yet the group serves a purpose for the individual.
• 13:29
  SPEAKER_01: They want to get in.
• 13:30
  SPEAKER_01: So training your students of how to see the outsider and feel the need.
• 13:35
  SPEAKER_01: I can't do this anymore.
• 13:36
  SPEAKER_01: But one thing I used to do is take my students to another youth group and let them go in one at a time.
• 13:43
  SPEAKER_01: I said, you can't sit with each other, you can't be in the same small group, you can't, you know, the best of your ability.
• 13:50
  SPEAKER_01: And I would send them in like every 90 seconds or something, so that you really had to walk in there alone.
• 13:57
  SPEAKER_01: And I can't do this now.
• 13:58
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, I would have to split up among a bunch of youth groups, but this was the advantage of having a small discipleship leadership team.
• 14:06
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, we could do stuff like this, just throw them in the car and arrange it with a youth pastor 15 minutes away, right?
• 14:13
  SPEAKER_01: And they we would debrief what was that experience like for you?
• 14:18
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, remember that.
• 14:19
  SPEAKER_01: That is what people feel when they walk into our youth group.
• 14:22
  SPEAKER_01: It's hard for them to be able to do that.
• 14:23
  SPEAKER_00: And how would you have liked people to have treated you when you walked in?
• 14:26
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 14:27
  SPEAKER_01: And it's hard for you to imagine because you're like, everyone feels like me.
• 14:30
  SPEAKER_01: This feels like home and we're comfortable and happy, but channel that energy and remember what that felt like.
• 14:36
  SPEAKER_01: It was so good.
• 14:37
  SPEAKER_01: I did that for years because that is when you're like, you're not a click, right?
• 14:44
  SPEAKER_01: You're a core and you're close, but there's room, yeah, you know, for other people.
• 14:49
  SPEAKER_00: Be close, not closed, like closed off.
• 14:53
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I think would be a that's a beautiful really small way of saying be close, not closed.
• 14:59
  SPEAKER_01: Close, close, close, close, clicky, clack.
• 15:02
  SPEAKER_01: And a healthy core is super contagious, even if it's small.
• 15:07
  SPEAKER_01: So if your youth group feels exclusive and clicky and insiders only, it will be very obvious to a visitor.
• 15:16
  SPEAKER_01: You know, if a visitor comes in and just senses, oh, there's no room for me here, they won't come back.
• 15:21
  SPEAKER_01: You know, it will they will be like, I don't think I'm needed or wanted here.
• 15:26
  SPEAKER_01: But a healthy core, even if it's small, that is inclusive and excited and invitational, that is very contagious and very inviting and very attractive to a new student.
• 15:40
  SPEAKER_01: So that is why even a small youth group, imagine if everyone was engaged and serving and had that leadership mindset, you would be able to take care of new students as they came so easily.
• 15:55
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so I think it's a really good thing.
• 15:58
  SPEAKER_01: We are so excited to be teaming up once again with our friend Corey Fenn and Onward to offer youth and young adult pastors an incredible opportunity for growth and connection.
• 16:10
  SPEAKER_01: Over the past year, we've worked with Onward because we share the same heart.
• 16:15
  SPEAKER_01: We love helping ministry leaders grow and stay healthy so that they can serve Jesus for the long haul.
• 16:22
  SPEAKER_01: So this year, from late September through early December, each leader will receive executive one-on-one coaching sessions, practical group workshops, and a community of pastors learning and growing together.
• 16:36
  SPEAKER_01: So if you're ready to take the next step in your calling, this is definitely for you.
• 16:40
  SPEAKER_01: Space is limited to just 12 leaders.
• 16:43
  SPEAKER_01: So learn more and apply at onwardleader.com.
• 16:48
  SPEAKER_01: When you have a small student leadership team, one of the cool parts of it, and really I would encourage if your team is small or if you anticipate it to be small because your youth group is, uh, you can leverage the closeness with you as well.
• 17:06
  SPEAKER_01: Like we used to host the meetings at our house, if you dare.
• 17:10
  SPEAKER_01: You know, it was really fun.
• 17:12
  SPEAKER_01: And it was just this extra perk of like, oh, we get to go to the pastor's house.
• 17:17
  SPEAKER_01: Like, that's so cool.
• 17:18
  SPEAKER_01: And it's not just like at the church or, you know, where we always are.
• 17:23
  SPEAKER_01: And you had like an opportunity to invite them into your life in a different way.
• 17:28
  SPEAKER_01: And I would really consider them, they were my small group.
• 17:32
  SPEAKER_01: You know, I was always facilitating and helping my leaders lead their small group, but the student leadership team really became my small group.
• 17:40
  SPEAKER_01: And having them over on Friday nights and you know, hanging out and playing and eating together and then doing our meeting, it was just like wow, it we got so close and it really did feel like a team.
• 17:53
  SPEAKER_01: So think about how you can breed closeness with yourself as well, because they have like direct access to you now, like in a different way.
• 18:03
  SPEAKER_01: And that's such a perk of that leadership team.
• 18:06
  SPEAKER_01: And the other part is serving.
• 18:10
  SPEAKER_01: So we've talked so much like about like the team dynamics and stuff like that.
• 18:14
  SPEAKER_01: With a small student leadership team, the serving is easier, better, and you have more options.
• 18:23
  SPEAKER_01: So, yes, we serve inside the church, and jobs for your students could be leading worship alongside an adult, or if they're very talented, they could lead it themselves.
• 18:35
  SPEAKER_01: You know, musicians, singers, hand motions, whatever.
• 18:40
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, tech, they could run the pro presenter during worship or announcements, teach them the lightboard, teach them the soundboard if you have one.
• 18:48
  SPEAKER_01: If not, just teach them how to hook up the projector to the computer and run the a basic night.
• 18:54
  SPEAKER_01: I used to have students help me do games.
• 18:57
  SPEAKER_01: Like some of my favorite games for a small youth group came from my students.
• 19:02
  SPEAKER_01: Like they would research a game and say, okay, I have it.
• 19:06
  SPEAKER_01: And I would have to help them execute it.
• 19:08
  SPEAKER_01: And in a large youth group, I can't do that.
• 19:11
  SPEAKER_01: The quality control just is not there.
• 19:14
  SPEAKER_01: But with a couple of students just coming up with games and brainstorming together, what would be fun?
• 19:20
  SPEAKER_01: We that's where we got pop it like it's hot.
• 19:22
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, you know, it was a lot a lot of fun.
• 19:24
  SPEAKER_01: There could be greeters, so like those really friendly kids, not necessarily how you see them at church, like ushers, like just standing at the door handing you something.
• 19:34
  SPEAKER_01: But your job is to be the like friendly presence in this room.
• 19:39
  SPEAKER_00: Does somebody need to always looking out for the new student?
• 19:43
  SPEAKER_00: Are they alone or they have has anyone been in uh introduced to them or things like that?
• 19:47
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, like the relational force, right?
• 19:50
  SPEAKER_01: Like just someone who's super friendly and outgoing and confident.
• 19:55
  SPEAKER_01: Maybe you have a boy and a girl version of that role, which I think is a great role.
• 20:00
  SPEAKER_01: You know, there's Snack Shack, if you guys do that, running that, someone who can help you in the office.
• 20:05
  SPEAKER_01: There's a lot of different things.
• 20:08
  SPEAKER_01: But I loved serving outside the church with a smaller student leadership team because I feel like the larger you get, it's very hard to find a serving opportunity that fits that size.
• 20:21
  SPEAKER_01: Cause now you're adding in transportation and there's not enough roles to go around.
• 20:25
  SPEAKER_01: And some places have limits on how many volunteers you can bring.
• 20:28
  SPEAKER_01: It just gets really tricky.
• 20:31
  SPEAKER_01: So then you have to plan these big massive things and you can just do less of them.
• 20:36
  SPEAKER_01: So thinking back to when my student leadership team was small, I'm gonna just give you guys some ideas of serving opportunities.
• 20:44
  SPEAKER_01: I found a contact for an orphanage overseas through a missions organization that was connected to our church, and they just gave us the uh names and dates of all the children's birthdays.
• 20:57
  SPEAKER_01: And we just did a mass writing of birthday cards and put them in one big envelope and shipped it, and they would bring them out throughout the year when it was that child's birthday.
• 21:08
  SPEAKER_01: It was really sweet.
• 21:09
  SPEAKER_01: That one left like a huge impression on me.
• 21:12
  SPEAKER_01: We have a lot of soldiers overseas right now.
• 21:16
  SPEAKER_01: So we did a, I called it serve the service, and we have a military ministry at our church.
• 21:23
  SPEAKER_01: So I got a name of a soldier who's single.
• 21:27
  SPEAKER_01: So, you know, maybe he's not getting like phone calls or, you know, she's not getting, you know, like FaceTime from family all the time.
• 21:36
  SPEAKER_01: And we would just find that person and create like gift packages and letters and encouraging things.
• 21:43
  SPEAKER_01: And I kind of thought, well, it'll go out into the world and who knows if it'll even make it.
• 21:48
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 21:49
  SPEAKER_01: This guy was so touched, wrote like a full handwritten page, one page letter back.
• 21:56
  SPEAKER_01: Just this was amazing.
• 21:57
  SPEAKER_01: You guys are so kind.
• 21:58
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you for seeing me.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_01: And caring about me.
• 22:01
  SPEAKER_01: And he just wrote back, and we sent him like treats and fun little things.
• 22:06
  SPEAKER_01: And the kids wrote him cards, like, thank you for your service, stuff like that.
• 22:09
  SPEAKER_01: It was really neat.
• 22:11
  SPEAKER_01: Finding a family and crisis center was one thing we used to do on repeat over and over.
• 22:18
  SPEAKER_01: So, you know, there's like homeless shelters, but you can check locally to see if there's that, but for families.
• 22:25
  SPEAKER_01: So, what happens if a whole family becomes homeless?
• 22:29
  SPEAKER_01: Well, they have it was like this house that they had that was like a real private, you couldn't even tell what it was, but we would make meals, bring them and serve them.
• 22:40
  SPEAKER_01: And then one really cool thing we did is we offered child care so the parents could go to their classes or their meetings to try to get help so that they could move out of the place.
• 22:53
  SPEAKER_01: So we would just support them.
• 22:54
  SPEAKER_01: And it's really cool around holidays.
• 22:56
  SPEAKER_01: We did a Christmas thing for the children, um, like with gifts and games and food.
• 23:01
  SPEAKER_01: And so they had like a celebration.
• 23:03
  SPEAKER_01: It was really neat, you know.
• 23:05
  SPEAKER_01: And obviously, there's always like homeless shelters.
• 23:08
  SPEAKER_01: We there was one down in San Diego where we would bring them, we would help cook the meal and serve the meal.
• 23:15
  SPEAKER_01: And the students got to pray for the meal, and it was just highly relational, like it was a sit-down dinner for the homeless.
• 23:22
  SPEAKER_01: So you would like go to tables and sit and enjoy, and they had encourage, like eat with them.
• 23:27
  SPEAKER_01: Like, don't just be the staff, like be relational.
• 23:31
  SPEAKER_01: And it was very challenging for my students.
• 23:33
  SPEAKER_01: It was really good for them.
• 23:35
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, we did that for years, and then another one I've outgrown, but I miss and I really love is going to elderly homes around holidays.
• 23:45
  SPEAKER_01: So we would plan like Christmas crafts or singing, or um, you know, we went for like Easter once and we made these like paper flowers with the women.
• 23:57
  SPEAKER_01: And so it was just like, hey, can we bring a craft or some music and do an activity during your rec time?
• 24:04
  SPEAKER_01: And they'd be like, sure, like go to the multi-purpose room at one o'clock and you can set up.
• 24:10
  SPEAKER_01: Like, it's really easy to get into those places.
• 24:13
  SPEAKER_01: They welcome it and they love having kids there.
• 24:16
  SPEAKER_01: If you have a kid who knows how to play the piano, most of those places have pianos or have a couple of your kids bring guitars and do some Christmas songs, bring like little bells for the like people that live there to like that's like their little participation.
• 24:32
  SPEAKER_01: So it was great.
• 24:33
  SPEAKER_01: They loved it.
• 24:34
  SPEAKER_01: They'd get so excited that we were there.
• 24:36
  SPEAKER_01: Again, I can't bring my whole group there anymore, it'd be like very overwhelming.
• 24:41
  SPEAKER_01: So a smaller student leadership team is just very mobile and you can do a lot with it.
• 24:47
  SPEAKER_01: So just I guess the whole point of this episode is just don't give in to the myth that you have to be a certain size to necessitate a student leadership team.
• 24:59
  SPEAKER_01: I think the mindset that a lot of youth pastors need to have is like just do it, just start, just go for it.
• 25:07
  SPEAKER_01: And you might not know everything at the beginning, but you figure it out as you go and you realize what works and what doesn't and what fits your group, but you you know you need a student leadership team.
• 25:19
  SPEAKER_01: You know students need to be serving and be discipled.
• 25:22
  SPEAKER_01: So just go for it and then kind of work it out as you go.
• 25:26
  SPEAKER_01: The whole thing doesn't have to be like, you know, watertight and then start.
• 25:31
  SPEAKER_01: And I think sometimes you'll find that the fears you have about it like aren't like reality, you know, like, oh, well, that's only something for big churches.
• 25:42
  SPEAKER_01: No, it's not.
• 25:43
  SPEAKER_01: Like I did it when my youth group was 11 kids, and it was so healthy, so worth it.
• 25:50
  SPEAKER_01: And what happened?
• 25:51
  SPEAKER_01: It was a growth engine for the youth ministry because it was a health engine, and it was just eventually like year by year, the numbers picked up, picked up, picked up, picked up, picked up, and grew over time.
• 26:05
  SPEAKER_01: But it's not I didn't start with 50 kids on my student leadership team.
• 26:10
  SPEAKER_01: I started with like three, you know, and then over the years it picks up a reputation and kids get excited.
• 26:16
  SPEAKER_00: I think that's the thing right there.
• 26:18
  SPEAKER_00: Like you first time you launch it, people might not be completely understanding exactly what it is.
• 26:22
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 26:22
  SPEAKER_00: And so it might, if you do have 10 kids, it might be three or something.
• 26:26
  SPEAKER_00: And then once people can say, oh, okay, that looks kind of cool.
• 26:29
  SPEAKER_00: Like I actually would want to do that.
• 26:30
  SPEAKER_00: It can kind of snowball from there.
• 26:32
  SPEAKER_01: And that's the thing, people sometimes just need to see it.
• 26:35
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 26:35
  SPEAKER_01: You know, maybe for a couple years, they just need to see it and then it can pick up something.
• 26:40
  SPEAKER_01: So you just can't expect, like, well, I wanted 13 signups right off the bat.
• 26:46
  SPEAKER_01: That might not be the case.
• 26:47
  SPEAKER_01: Just give it time, let it grow.
• 26:50
  SPEAKER_01: And remember, if it's healthy and well done, it will.
• 26:53
  SPEAKER_01: And the other part, sometimes that's hard for people, is like, well, what do I do?
• 26:59
  SPEAKER_01: You know, and they're like, What do you give them?
• 27:01
  SPEAKER_01: And I don't know how to do a leadership study.
• 27:04
  SPEAKER_01: And after I kept getting questions and questions and questions and questions about what is the study like, hi guys, let's talk about leadership today.
• 27:13
  SPEAKER_01: They're like, Kristen, send me what you have.
• 27:15
  SPEAKER_01: I finally just bit the bullet and gave what everybody was asking for a try.
• 27:22
  SPEAKER_01: So I wrote student leadership curriculum that fits for the whole year.
• 27:28
  SPEAKER_01: So we start in September and we go through May.
• 27:31
  SPEAKER_01: That's nine months, you know, following the school year.
• 27:34
  SPEAKER_01: And I wrote it for my own student leaders.
• 27:38
  SPEAKER_01: So it's stuff that I don't just write, but I use.
• 27:43
  SPEAKER_01: And I'm making that available to you guys.
• 27:46
  SPEAKER_01: If you are stuck and you feel like that, okay, if I just had curriculum, maybe I would do a student leadership team.
• 27:53
  SPEAKER_01: Well, guess what?
• 27:55
  SPEAKER_01: I will give you mine and it's very affordable, very cheap, and it will make it so easy for you to like feel confident that, okay, it's enough to launch a student leadership team, but now I have the support of the curriculum and it's editable editable.
• 28:13
  SPEAKER_00: It's a hard word to say.
• 28:14
  SPEAKER_01: Editable, meaning it's a word doc.
• 28:17
  SPEAKER_01: So if you want to change something, go ahead.
• 28:20
  SPEAKER_01: I don't care.
• 28:20
  SPEAKER_01: I'm not gonna like woo.
• 28:22
  SPEAKER_01: Like it's fine.
• 28:24
  SPEAKER_01: So at least it gives you a jumping off point.
• 28:27
  SPEAKER_01: So say you saw it and you're like, well, I like it 80%, but I wish she would have said this, this, or this.
• 28:33
  SPEAKER_01: Then you say this.
• 28:34
  SPEAKER_00: Or I feel like it the way it is right now, it leans a little longer.
• 28:38
  SPEAKER_00: If you wanted to shorten it, it's very easy just to delete certain sections.
• 28:41
  SPEAKER_00: And also a question we had someone was asking is the age range that it's kind of meant for.
• 28:48
  SPEAKER_00: And it's definitely challenging.
• 28:50
  SPEAKER_00: It is not beyond high school, no, but it would be challenging for both middle school, high school, but both doable for those age groups.
• 28:58
  SPEAKER_01: Totally.
• 28:58
  SPEAKER_01: And I think that's a great question.
• 29:01
  SPEAKER_01: And I think it's like you said, questions that are challenging.
• 29:05
  SPEAKER_01: I would give this to high schoolers and feel totally fine about it.
• 29:09
  SPEAKER_01: I would give it to junior hires and know they're gonna struggle a little bit, but that's okay.
• 29:14
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, and their answers reflect their age.
• 29:18
  SPEAKER_01: So it's like the question is appropriate for either one, and they will answer the way they'll answer, like for their age.
• 29:27
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 29:27
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I'd give it to either one.
• 29:29
  SPEAKER_01: So it ranges from different things like character or actual character studies, like people from the Bible, what can we learn about their leadership, different leadership concepts, kind of marrying the real world with scripture, and how does this actually play out when you try to lead people God's way?
• 29:49
  SPEAKER_01: And it's just so good.
• 29:51
  SPEAKER_01: I even had a parent because I email the homework out to the teams because nobody ever remembers theirs and they lose it.
• 29:58
  SPEAKER_01: So I finally just email it out to the parents.
• 30:00
  SPEAKER_01: And one of the moms wrote me back, This is incredible.
• 30:03
  SPEAKER_01: I am so glad you gave this to my daughter.
• 30:05
  SPEAKER_01: I'm so excited to be discussing this with her and talking her through this.
• 30:10
  SPEAKER_01: This stuff is amazing.
• 30:12
  SPEAKER_01: Where did you get this?
• 30:13
  SPEAKER_01: I was like, I wrote it, you know, and I write it based off books I read and things I listen to.
• 30:18
  SPEAKER_01: I love leadership, so it was easy for me to be passionate about compiling it.
• 30:24
  SPEAKER_01: And so I've done that work for you.
• 30:27
  SPEAKER_01: So, really, what is the excuse?
• 30:30
  SPEAKER_00: The excuse is they don't know where to get it.
• 30:31
  SPEAKER_00: A leadership.
• 30:32
  SPEAKER_00: And if you want to get it, you can go to studentleadership journey.com or click on the link below, whether you're listening on a podcast or on YouTube.
• 30:40
  SPEAKER_00: And also, if you're like, well, I kind of want to see exactly what it is, you can email us at ministrycoachpodcast at gmail.com, and we will just give you a sample of one of the lessons that it includes.
• 30:52
  SPEAKER_00: So that'll kind of give you a taste of what it looks like.
• 30:55
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, let's do a community comment of the day.
• 30:57
  SPEAKER_00: This comes from Overlord344.
• 31:02
  SPEAKER_00: Oh very daunting.
• 31:03
  SPEAKER_00: I'm scared.
• 31:05
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and they say I have recently found this podcast and already encouraged and more pumped for youth ministry this fall.
• 31:12
  SPEAKER_01: I love that.
• 31:13
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 31:14
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you, Overlord.
• 31:15
  SPEAKER_00: Also, one more episode I wanted to pitch.
• 31:17
  SPEAKER_00: If you have not started a student leadership team, we do have an episode all about how to launch your student leadership team.
• 31:23
  SPEAKER_00: So make sure you check that out.
• 31:24
  SPEAKER_01: Can you tell we really believe in student leadership?
• 31:26
  SPEAKER_01: I will end here.
• 31:27
  SPEAKER_01: I just think it is an absolute game changer in the culture, the health, the growth of your youth ministry.
• 31:36
  SPEAKER_01: If you don't have it, it is very noticeable.
• 31:40
  SPEAKER_01: And it is just, I can never not have one.
• 31:44
  SPEAKER_01: Like it is, it is that important.
• 31:47
  SPEAKER_01: And there's a few things that I would say are absolute musts, like small groups, of course, worship, teaching, of course, student leadership.
• 31:59
  SPEAKER_01: I would put that in there.
• 32:00
  SPEAKER_01: It was to me, it is if they said either drop camp or drop student leadership, I would drop camp, mostly because I'm tired of camping.
• 32:11
  SPEAKER_00: But anyway, we have an entire playlist on YouTube of all the student leadership episodes we've ever done.
• 32:18
  SPEAKER_00: So you have go hog wild on those if you want to.
• 32:21
  SPEAKER_00: Oink oink.
• 32:22
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 32:23
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you guys for watching and listening.
• 32:25
  SPEAKER_00: And we'll see you next time.
• 32:27
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome to the Ministry Coach podcast, where every week we give you actionable and practical tips to help you grow a sizable youth ministry.
• 32:35
  SPEAKER_01: Do you have a small youth group and are wondering if a student leadership team is something you can do?
• 32:40
  SPEAKER_01: What did I say before?
• 32:41
  SPEAKER_01: Do you have a ice maker?
• 32:44
  SPEAKER_01: Then this episode is for you.
• 32:46
  SPEAKER_01: I feel like there should be more.