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What Do Students REALLY Want From Youth Ministry...Is That What You Offer? · Ministry Coach: Youth Ministry Tips & Resources

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_01: Youth group is not a place that is very clearly only for insiders, but that this is a place that is spiritually challenging enough for a believer, but the culture, the vibe, the experience lends itself to that anyone can walk through this door and feel comfortable.
• 0:19
  SPEAKER_01: What do students actually want from a youth ministry and are you offering it?
• 0:24
  SPEAKER_00: That's what we're talking about today on the Ministry Coach My Welcome to the Ministry Coach Podcast, where every week we give you actionable and practical tips to help you grow the size and health of your youth ministry.
• 0:46
  SPEAKER_01: My name is Jeff Lascola, and this is Kristen Lascola, and today we're going to talk about five things that students want from your youth ministry and asking the question Does your youth group offer these things?
• 0:59
  SPEAKER_01: And number one, students, I mean, they might not be able to express this, like if you were to interview them.
• 1:04
  SPEAKER_01: Like, what are you from youth group?
• 1:06
  SPEAKER_01: I'll even give you six.
• 1:08
  SPEAKER_01: I thought of asking them yesterday at church, and then I'm like, no, we're gonna get like weird answers.
• 1:13
  SPEAKER_00: It would have been worth it.
• 1:15
  SPEAKER_01: True.
• 1:15
  SPEAKER_01: Just to do the like, here's what they think they want hot chocolate, um, available at all times.
• 1:23
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 1:24
  SPEAKER_01: Gold panning, that came up once.
• 1:26
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, that's true.
• 1:27
  SPEAKER_01: A couple of years ago.
• 1:29
  SPEAKER_01: Said, what do you guys really want at Youth Group?
• 1:31
  SPEAKER_01: And someone said we should have a gold panning station.
• 1:33
  SPEAKER_00: So, you know that's you know, honestly, that's at the top of a lot of kids' lists.
• 1:37
  SPEAKER_00: That's not something they may vocalize, but deep down, gold panning.
• 1:41
  SPEAKER_01: So, this is more like what am I observing rather than what are they verbalizing?
• 1:46
  SPEAKER_01: What keeps them coming back?
• 1:48
  SPEAKER_01: Because we've been growing without a gold panning station.
• 1:51
  SPEAKER_01: So that tells me they said it wasn't possible.
• 1:57
  SPEAKER_01: Anyways, okay, I think students want a place where they can very easily and very obviously invite their friends.
• 2:07
  SPEAKER_01: Like that, their youth group is not a place that is very clearly only for insiders, but that this is a place that is obviously spiritually challenging enough for a believer, but the culture, the vibe, the experience lends itself that anyone can walk through this door and feel comfortable.
• 2:31
  SPEAKER_01: We've talked in the past of like sometimes churches think the more fun you have, the less spiritual you are.
• 2:39
  SPEAKER_01: Obviously, you should know me by now, unless you're new here, that I vehemently disagree with that.
• 2:44
  SPEAKER_01: But I think fun is simply a tool and a door that opens itself to a spiritual experience, especially when you're working with people who highly value fun, which are students.
• 2:58
  SPEAKER_01: You know, you go with what they value.
• 3:00
  SPEAKER_01: So when students walk into my room and they see that we have video games and basketball and foursquare and music and a very energetically decorated room and donuts available, it's not because we're like, we don't care about the Bible, we just care about Smash Brothers.
• 3:24
  SPEAKER_01: Like, clearly that's not the case.
• 3:26
  SPEAKER_01: But what that indicates to a student is ah, they know us.
• 3:31
  SPEAKER_01: They're there, I mean, again, they're not going to verbalize this, but like this room was meant for me and my friends.
• 3:37
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 3:38
  SPEAKER_01: Not just for me because I'm a church-going kid and can put up with a bunch of boredom.
• 3:42
  SPEAKER_01: But it's like, no, this was clearly meant for my friends and me.
• 3:47
  SPEAKER_01: And students, we like always give them this challenge of like, invite your friends to church, tell your friends about Jesus.
• 3:55
  SPEAKER_01: And a lot of times what we do is we put 100% of the responsibility on like an 11-year-old.
• 4:02
  SPEAKER_01: Well, if you really love Jesus, you would tell them about uh, you would tell your friends about him and you would invite them to church.
• 4:10
  SPEAKER_01: And while that is true, I mean, I don't think I could express the gospel in any kind of logical explanation outside of my own head until I was in my 20s to be able to communicate it clearly to somebody else.
• 4:25
  SPEAKER_01: Doesn't mean I didn't love Jesus, but it just meant I knew I believed it, but I couldn't verbalize it in a way maybe a skeptic would understand and it'd be very clear.
• 4:37
  SPEAKER_01: But what I did have at my disposal is an opportunity and access to people my own age that I could have invited to church.
• 4:46
  SPEAKER_01: Now there's no excuse for that.
• 4:47
  SPEAKER_01: Like you can invite them to church.
• 4:49
  SPEAKER_01: And if we create an environment where students intuitively know that's my part of sharing the gospel right now is inviting because I've access where my youth pastor clearly doesn't, you know, like we're helping them accomplish the gospel.
• 5:05
  SPEAKER_01: So I think it's a lot deeper than like have fun at church.
• 5:08
  SPEAKER_01: I think what we're doing is opening a door where people walk into an environment that they realize this is a place to invite people to.
• 5:16
  SPEAKER_01: People who have never stepped foot in a church before would enjoy this, they would like this, they would come back, they would feel comfortable.
• 5:24
  SPEAKER_01: And so when we create that environment, then we set students up for success to be able to do what we're asking them to do, invite your friends.
• 5:33
  SPEAKER_01: But if it feels like a very much insider's club and it's, you know, like you walk in and there's nothing to do, I think that's a really tricky situation to put people in.
• 5:47
  SPEAKER_01: People, especially on their first time, they want to be known, but they also want to be able to blend in and do something.
• 5:53
  SPEAKER_01: So everything I we have a whole episode about my youth room and the strategy behind it and why I have what I have in it.
• 6:03
  SPEAKER_01: So, Jeff, could you link that below?
• 6:06
  SPEAKER_00: I guess.
• 6:06
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 6:07
  SPEAKER_00: For you.
• 6:07
  SPEAKER_00: You're so nice.
• 6:08
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you.
• 6:09
  SPEAKER_01: Wow.
• 6:10
  SPEAKER_01: How do you do it?
• 6:11
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know.
• 6:12
  SPEAKER_00: I honestly don't know.
• 6:15
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, number two.
• 6:17
  SPEAKER_01: Um, a place to serve and use their gifts.
• 6:20
  SPEAKER_01: That is what students want, especially your longtime Christians.
• 6:24
  SPEAKER_01: I would say as a student, I fell into that category of being consumer fatigued, I guess you could say.
• 6:32
  SPEAKER_01: Like church just wasn't dynamic anymore.
• 6:35
  SPEAKER_01: It was like, we just do this, it was like boredom.
• 6:38
  SPEAKER_01: Even if I went to a different church, it was like, we're gonna sing, we're gonna do this, we're gonna do a Bible study, then you're probably gonna say something about that, and then we're gonna go.
• 6:46
  SPEAKER_01: And what I didn't realize was happening is I started to tune out because I was bored.
• 6:54
  SPEAKER_01: Not bored with the message necessarily, like it was just bored with the experience because it was so predictable.
• 7:01
  SPEAKER_01: And I'd been doing it since I was getting kicked out of the nursery when I was an infant.
• 7:06
  SPEAKER_01: So I think um that's a special talent to get kicked out as an infant, you know.
• 7:12
  SPEAKER_01: But uh here I am.
• 7:13
  SPEAKER_01: You're a real troublemaker, real crier.
• 7:16
  SPEAKER_01: They hate, I think I'd call it poor me.
• 7:19
  SPEAKER_01: But so you're like five.
• 7:21
  SPEAKER_01: Pretty much.
• 7:22
  SPEAKER_01: I rode in a stroller till I was seven.
• 7:28
  SPEAKER_01: I'm the baby of the family.
• 7:30
  SPEAKER_01: You couldn't tell.
• 7:31
  SPEAKER_01: But, you know, it giving students a way that they can serve and feel like they're a part of the body of Christ, I think is what they really want.
• 7:40
  SPEAKER_01: They want to, you know, express their gifts, whether that's through tech or through worship or through greeting or through leading, um, you know, even like cleaning up.
• 7:52
  SPEAKER_01: I one of my MVP student leaders is this kid, Eli, and he is like takes such pride in making our room look perfect after service.
• 8:03
  SPEAKER_01: He straightens every chair, throws away every dang cup, puts away every Bible.
• 8:08
  SPEAKER_01: He leaves it meticulous.
• 8:10
  SPEAKER_01: He won an award on our team last year because that's what he's good at.
• 8:14
  SPEAKER_01: And he likes putting things back in order and making them.
• 8:18
  SPEAKER_01: So he's a rare gem in the junior high world because you know, those are the rarest Pokemon card is a kid that knows how to clean.
• 8:26
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, so I appreciate him very well.
• 8:29
  SPEAKER_01: But I think that keeps students engaged and excited, and for good reason.
• 8:34
  SPEAKER_01: That's how God has wired people.
• 8:37
  SPEAKER_01: It's not like, oh, okay, now that you're an adult, where can we plug you in?
• 8:41
  SPEAKER_01: If they're a Christian, they're a part of the body of Christ, no matter what age they are, and they need to serve, not to help you to help them spiritually.
• 8:51
  SPEAKER_01: And I think it's a uh your youth ministry can kind of flatline without people actively getting to serve.
• 9:00
  SPEAKER_01: Hey, quick question for you.
• 9:02
  SPEAKER_01: Have you ever felt like you were working really hard in your youth ministry every week, but you don't know what the next step is or how to grow your youth ministry?
• 9:11
  SPEAKER_01: Well, you are not alone.
• 9:12
  SPEAKER_01: And that is exactly why we created our course and coaching program called Youth Ministry Growth Accelerator.
• 9:20
  SPEAKER_01: Inside the program, we're gonna walk you step by step through strategies, systems, leadership principles that help ministries grow, both in size and in health.
• 9:30
  SPEAKER_01: This isn't just theory, it's the exact framework we've used and taught to youth pastors all over the country and even globally.
• 9:38
  SPEAKER_01: In addition to the course and coaching, you will also have the opportunity to join a cohort community where you can meet with other youth leaders who are on the same journey to encourage each other, share ideas, and stay accountable as you put things into practice.
• 9:53
  SPEAKER_01: So if you're looking for a clearer path to grow your ministry, head over to grow your youth ministry.com to see everything that's included.
• 10:01
  SPEAKER_01: Once again, that's growyouryout ministry.com.
• 10:04
  SPEAKER_01: All right, let's get back to the episode.
• 10:05
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, number three, a place where they can be discipled.
• 10:10
  SPEAKER_01: The best vehicle I have found for this, much like you, I'm sure, is through small groups.
• 10:16
  SPEAKER_01: Now, you can be in a small group and not be discipled at all.
• 10:21
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, I think we know that's very true.
• 10:24
  SPEAKER_01: So, our, I guess the question we need to challenge ourselves with, and this is a really hard thing to unlock, especially in junior high.
• 10:31
  SPEAKER_01: I think high school it comes a little more easily because they're kind of ready to lock in at that point and they're asking for more discipleship, where junior high small groups can feel more like management and behavior management, and that's not always super life-giving, but are we actually discipling kids in our small groups?
• 10:52
  SPEAKER_01: Is that relationship happening between the small group leaders?
• 10:56
  SPEAKER_01: You should have two per group, and the students, meaning, are they being personally challenged and training your leaders to find opportunities to do that?
• 11:06
  SPEAKER_01: Like I was sitting next to one of my students who's struggling uh with her relationship with her parents this weekend.
• 11:13
  SPEAKER_01: I had a guest speaker come because we had an overnighter.
• 11:16
  SPEAKER_01: It was so fun.
• 11:17
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, because I was like, I don't want to teach.
• 11:20
  SPEAKER_01: You know, I had my friend Jed come and teach.
• 11:21
  SPEAKER_01: He did a great job.
• 11:23
  SPEAKER_01: And I was sitting next to her during it, and he said something, and I nudged her and I said, You're still a kid.
• 11:31
  SPEAKER_01: Like, based on what he was saying, I said, You're under your parents' rules.
• 11:34
  SPEAKER_01: You need to respect them.
• 11:35
  SPEAKER_01: I said, I know you don't like their rules, but the rules are there to protect you and for them to stand before the Lord and say I was a good parent.
• 11:44
  SPEAKER_01: And she's like, I hate their rules.
• 11:46
  SPEAKER_01: I'm like, right.
• 11:47
  SPEAKER_01: I said, but someday in the very near future, because she's in high school and she was just hanging out with me.
• 11:52
  SPEAKER_01: I'm like, you can make your own rules, but until you're self-sufficient in life, you can't.
• 11:57
  SPEAKER_01: And I felt like kind of proud of myself because I took this like little moment to disciple her of like, hey, I love you, but you need to listen to what he's saying based on what you're going through.
• 12:08
  SPEAKER_01: You can't just like act like an adult in your home.
• 12:12
  SPEAKER_01: You're not, and you're under the authority of your parents, and you have good parents, and your parents.
• 12:17
  SPEAKER_01: I said, I think the one phrase that I I felt like was the Holy Spirit like kind of speaking to her was just because you're don't just because you don't like your parents' rules doesn't mean they're not good rules.
• 12:31
  SPEAKER_01: You not liking it doesn't mean it's bad.
• 12:33
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 12:34
  SPEAKER_01: So you need to reconcile that within yourself.
• 12:37
  SPEAKER_01: And I think that can be a mirror to how sometimes we feel about God's commands or best for us.
• 12:44
  SPEAKER_01: It doesn't always feel like the best because I wouldn't choose that.
• 12:47
  SPEAKER_01: I want to do this, this, or this.
• 12:49
  SPEAKER_01: So I just feel like we need to train leaders on these little discipleship moments.
• 12:56
  SPEAKER_01: And in order to do that, you know, that kind of goes to the next one.
• 13:00
  SPEAKER_01: You have to know students.
• 13:02
  SPEAKER_01: So, what do students want from a youth ministry?
• 13:04
  SPEAKER_01: They want to be seen, known, and loved.
• 13:07
  SPEAKER_01: Everyone that comes through the door is hoping to have all three of those things at some point.
• 13:14
  SPEAKER_01: The bigger you get, the harder it is.
• 13:16
  SPEAKER_01: But again, putting that in the context of small groups, then every kid has the opportunity to be seen, known, and loved.
• 13:24
  SPEAKER_01: Like nobody should come and go without somebody speaking to them, greeting them, talking to them, getting to know them, loving them.
• 13:33
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, that is a very basic need.
• 13:35
  SPEAKER_00: And then the larger your youth ministry gets, the more small group leaders really have to take on that responsibility.
• 13:41
  SPEAKER_00: Because you, as the youth pastor, there's no way you're gonna be able to greet 200 kids, you know, 150 kids, whatever it is.
• 13:48
  SPEAKER_00: That's just too much.
• 13:49
  SPEAKER_01: It is.
• 13:50
  SPEAKER_01: And like the scene aspect, I always like if you were one of my small group leaders again, which I wish you were, you were so good.
• 13:57
  SPEAKER_01: But I would say, like, okay, Jeff, like, yes, talk to any kid you want, but you have eight boys in your small group.
• 14:06
  SPEAKER_01: Success for you tonight looks like you need to talk to every single one of them.
• 14:12
  SPEAKER_01: So as students are arriving, like, oh, there's so and so.
• 14:16
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, I made contact, made contact, and hopefully they all hang out together and you can just make contacts with the group.
• 14:22
  SPEAKER_01: But then to be known is another thing.
• 14:24
  SPEAKER_01: So that's like asking questions, you know, sitting next to kids, playing games with kids, and just finding these little opportunities for questions to get to know them.
• 14:36
  SPEAKER_01: Like it's amazing, even when I'm in line for Foursquare.
• 14:41
  SPEAKER_01: I play Foursquare all the time.
• 14:43
  SPEAKER_01: And I can't not if I don't.
• 14:45
  SPEAKER_01: They're like, Chris Dan, play Foursquare.
• 14:47
  SPEAKER_01: Probably just because they need more people, but um people easy to beat.
• 14:52
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, excuse me.
• 14:53
  SPEAKER_01: That is where I draw the line, Jeff.
• 14:55
  SPEAKER_01: I am very good.
• 14:56
  SPEAKER_00: Very good.
• 14:57
  SPEAKER_00: Why are you in that line so often then?
• 14:59
  SPEAKER_00: My question.
• 15:01
  SPEAKER_01: Dang it.
• 15:02
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but like just being in line, talking to the kid next to you, like, hey, what'd you do this weekend?
• 15:09
  SPEAKER_01: Or I've never met your parents, you know, like what do they do?
• 15:12
  SPEAKER_01: What are they like?
• 15:13
  SPEAKER_01: And, you know, even a small question like, what did you do this weekend sometimes opens up a whole thing for a kid.
• 15:20
  SPEAKER_01: Like, I remember talking to this girl, and I just asked a very basic question like that, and come to find out she's extremely lonely and she has no friends, and she feels like her parents are too strict and they won't let anyone come over.
• 15:34
  SPEAKER_01: And she, you know, got really choked up and was very just you could see so much pain.
• 15:41
  SPEAKER_01: And I said, Hey, I'm really sorry that you feel that way, but I'd love to talk to you more about it.
• 15:46
  SPEAKER_01: Like, would you like to come back?
• 15:48
  SPEAKER_01: And, you know, that was just like sitting next to someone on a couch when they were like texting.
• 15:54
  SPEAKER_01: So taking opportunities to actually know kids and then love kids.
• 15:58
  SPEAKER_01: And the love is that care and that compassion and that action of like, hey, you know, I would love to pray for you.
• 16:07
  SPEAKER_01: Like, maybe not here.
• 16:08
  SPEAKER_01: I don't want to make you into a spectacle, but just know I'll be praying for you this week and I'd love to talk to you again.
• 16:15
  SPEAKER_01: Or I had a student not getting along with her dad, and the action item of love there was like, can I help you write a letter to him and help you express how you're feeling?
• 16:25
  SPEAKER_01: I know it's gonna be hard to have a conversation with him about this, but maybe you could write a letter and I could help you word that and I'll walk you through how to do that kind of follow-up.
• 16:36
  SPEAKER_01: So she did, and we talked about his response and how that felt.
• 16:40
  SPEAKER_01: And, you know, that's loving people, that's loving kids.
• 16:43
  SPEAKER_01: And every kid that comes through your door is looking for someone to take notice of their life and love them and know them and see them and training your leaders to like if you're the one doing most of that heavy lifting with relationship and your leaders don't get it, and they don't know how to really disciple in the moment.
• 17:01
  SPEAKER_01: That's a great training thing of, hey, here's a scenario.
• 17:04
  SPEAKER_01: Hey, what is a good question you could ask?
• 17:07
  SPEAKER_01: Hey, how do we make sure a kid feels seen?
• 17:10
  SPEAKER_01: Like there was a kid sitting by themselves on Tuesday last week, and I said to one of my leaders, like, hey, you should go sit with that kid.
• 17:19
  SPEAKER_01: And it was just like, oh, okay.
• 17:20
  SPEAKER_01: And I don't think he looked at the kid like, no, I just think he was kind of in his own world, but he kind of needed to be challenged or woken up.
• 17:28
  SPEAKER_01: Like, why is there a new boy sitting over there?
• 17:31
  SPEAKER_01: I think he'd much rather you go over there than me go over there.
• 17:34
  SPEAKER_01: Like, why is this lady talking to me?
• 17:37
  SPEAKER_01: But he would have loved that from you, like a young, cool guy.
• 17:41
  SPEAKER_01: And so we have to keep challenging our leaders to do the discipleship and cast that vision, give them tools, give them inspiration, push them outside of their comfort zone.
• 17:54
  SPEAKER_01: You know, not every leader is really good at this, um, but they can be and they can learn from you on that.
• 18:00
  SPEAKER_00: And it takes repetitions and work.
• 18:02
  SPEAKER_00: I think I remember the first time I came to youth group to help out, I was like, I felt like I was back in middle school or high school where I felt like I can't just walk up to somebody and talk to them.
• 18:14
  SPEAKER_00: And it took a little while of being like, oh, they're actually receptive to it.
• 18:18
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, you just don't think they would be because it's like, you don't know me, I don't know you, you're not gonna want me to walk up and hey, so what'd you do this weekend?
• 18:26
  SPEAKER_00: You know, but until you just get so used to it, and so like then all of a sudden, you know, a year, two years later, whatever we're doing it so many times, a new kid walks through the door, you don't think twice about like, hey, what's up, man?
• 18:36
  SPEAKER_00: Where are you, what school do you go to?
• 18:38
  SPEAKER_00: Where are you, what's your name and all that?
• 18:39
  SPEAKER_01: It just builds your confidence totally, yeah.
• 18:41
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, and I think you bring up a good point because like it comes way more naturally to some people than others, and so every leader can't be you, but they can find their own voice.
• 18:52
  SPEAKER_01: Of like, I was working with a pastor on a project once, and he's like, Okay, now say this.
• 18:58
  SPEAKER_01: And I'm like, that feels clunky coming out of my mouth.
• 19:02
  SPEAKER_01: That's something you would say.
• 19:04
  SPEAKER_01: So encourage them to find their own voice.
• 19:06
  SPEAKER_01: Like, how would you approach a new student?
• 19:09
  SPEAKER_01: Like, and when I watch some of my other leaders, I'm like, okay, I would have done that differently, but that worked because that was natural for you.
• 19:17
  SPEAKER_01: So I have my go-to questions or the way I interact.
• 19:21
  SPEAKER_01: I'm really silly and really weird, and I like to kind of throw people off with like something like there was a girl I didn't know very well, and her friend was like, How do you know my friend?
• 19:33
  SPEAKER_01: I'm like, just because you don't know, Janice and I are best friends, doesn't mean we're not best friends because we are.
• 19:38
  SPEAKER_01: And the girl just looked at me, I'm like, Yeah, right.
• 19:41
  SPEAKER_01: Because you know, and so now it's this little thing, and it I'm just kind of lead with humor and a little weirdness, but uh that's not everybody.
• 19:51
  SPEAKER_01: So find your voice and help your leaders find their voice.
• 19:54
  SPEAKER_01: And uh yeah, I love that you brought that up.
• 19:58
  SPEAKER_01: And then fifth, students definitely, whether they will admit it or not, really want to be challenged spiritually, and that comes through worship, messages, their personal walk, like the discipleship we were talking about, action items like to actually get up and serve or be challenged and do something.
• 20:20
  SPEAKER_01: But students just really want to be challenged spiritually, and I think again, depending on where your students are at, that can kind of be subjective.
• 20:31
  SPEAKER_01: Like, what does that mean for your group?
• 20:33
  SPEAKER_01: What do they need?
• 20:35
  SPEAKER_01: Like, you're the youth pastor or the leader or whatever.
• 20:38
  SPEAKER_01: What do they need?
• 20:39
  SPEAKER_01: What do you perceive that they're lacking in a spiritual challenge?
• 20:44
  SPEAKER_01: Do they need more accountability?
• 20:46
  SPEAKER_01: Do they need to be challenged on a theological level a little bit?
• 20:50
  SPEAKER_01: I've worked with youth groups that they're so good at doing the gospel message, which we always should in some way, shape, or form, because every story in the Bible points to Jesus.
• 21:01
  SPEAKER_01: So there's always opportunity for the gospel.
• 21:04
  SPEAKER_01: But they were doing kind of your basic altar call message every single week.
• 21:09
  SPEAKER_01: So these kids were coming in droves, they were getting saved, but then they were walking out the back door to a different church who was challenging them more theologically instead of just saying kind of the same basic send, grace, love message over and over again, which again, I'm not saying so.
• 21:28
  SPEAKER_01: Don't preach the gospel.
• 21:29
  SPEAKER_01: No, but you have to do it in a more challenging way for a longtime believer.
• 21:33
  SPEAKER_01: So, what are those opportunities for students to have these spiritual aha moments or wrestle with some things?
• 21:41
  SPEAKER_01: Is your teaching at the appropriate level to engage a brand new person and engage a longtime Christian?
• 21:50
  SPEAKER_01: That is a challenge.
• 21:52
  SPEAKER_01: Every time you look at your message, you have to look and say, is there something here for everybody?
• 21:57
  SPEAKER_01: Do you challenge the worship culture of your?
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_01: Your youth ministry.
• 22:02
  SPEAKER_01: Do you give students opportunities to have deep and meaningful worship?
• 22:07
  SPEAKER_01: And I don't just mean like a slow song.
• 22:09
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, are you modeling for them and teaching them here's what worship is and here's why we do it?
• 22:16
  SPEAKER_01: I think that's really powerful.
• 22:17
  SPEAKER_01: I did a whole worship series and I watched the worship culture like grow in depth almost overnight because we took them through different uh words that the Bible uses for worship and what it actually means and how we can adopt that.
• 22:38
  SPEAKER_01: And I just saw their eyes open up of like, oh my gosh, because you know, they might yay, we sing some songs, like what is this?
• 22:46
  SPEAKER_01: You know, I like the band, I like that song, I don't like that song, I like drums, I don't like drums.
• 22:50
  SPEAKER_01: But what we're getting, we want them to move beyond preference to understanding the action of worship and what they're actually doing there.
• 23:00
  SPEAKER_01: And then obviously be challenged in their personal walk.
• 23:02
  SPEAKER_01: We talked about discipleship, and that's like more of a personal like worship and message is like speaking to the masses.
• 23:12
  SPEAKER_01: Like, how can I challenge you all?
• 23:15
  SPEAKER_01: But then challenging their personal walk is like, here's the next step for you.
• 23:20
  SPEAKER_01: And in order to do that, I need to know you.
• 23:22
  SPEAKER_01: And again, going full circle, that's where like pastoral care, discipleship, small group leaders, all that comes in.
• 23:31
  SPEAKER_01: Like, yes, I challenged all of you, but now I want to challenge Matthew personally or Carly personally.
• 23:38
  SPEAKER_01: Here's what this next step is going to look like for you.
• 23:40
  SPEAKER_01: Hey, you've you haven't ever joined our student leadership team and you've been here for two years.
• 23:45
  SPEAKER_01: I think it's time.
• 23:46
  SPEAKER_01: You need to do this.
• 23:47
  SPEAKER_01: Or hey, like you have some bad habits that we can walk through together, and we need to by the end of this year, let's be able to look back and say that was part of your past.
• 23:57
  SPEAKER_01: And you know, so you really do have to know kids for that to be able to happen.
• 24:01
  SPEAKER_01: But everyone that walks through your door, again, whether they realize it or not, is looking to be challenged, or else I don't really know that they would be there.
• 24:10
  SPEAKER_01: You know, some kids are just gonna show up for fun and they want to be left alone, and you know, that's where they're at in their journey.
• 24:16
  SPEAKER_01: But I think speaking for myself, I think the majority of my kids want an adult other than their parents to push them to be better spiritually, to know Jesus more, to grow in their faith.
• 24:32
  SPEAKER_01: I think they're really ready for that.
• 24:34
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 24:35
  SPEAKER_00: Um, just going back, you had mentioned the youth room tour.
• 24:39
  SPEAKER_00: I will link that if you want to check that out.
• 24:41
  SPEAKER_00: Also, I wrote down some other episodes you might want to check out.
• 24:43
  SPEAKER_00: We recommend this one often, but the student leadership launch, if you do not have a student leadership team, make sure you check out that episode because it kind of walks you through start to finish, kind of like launching your student leadership team.
• 24:53
  SPEAKER_00: Small groups, we have a ton of stuff, ton of episodes on small groups, but kind of like the purpose, the vision for those.
• 25:00
  SPEAKER_00: We also have a training episode, even for some of your small group leaders.
• 25:03
  SPEAKER_00: The challenge one, we did an episode all about are you challenging your students enough?
• 25:07
  SPEAKER_00: So you can check that out.
• 25:08
  SPEAKER_00: And finally, you'd mentioned ministering to the four different types of students that come through the doors.
• 25:14
  SPEAKER_00: You're not wanting to just camp on ultra call message every week, but also not going so far over their head that only 10% of your students who've been lifelong Christians are gonna know it.
• 25:24
  SPEAKER_00: So that's just a good gives you a good basis for every week.
• 25:27
  SPEAKER_00: Are you hitting all four of that of those types of students that come through the door?
• 25:32
  SPEAKER_00: So make sure you guys check out any of those episodes if you want to go deeper on any of them.
• 25:36
  SPEAKER_00: This is a community comment of the day.
• 25:38
  SPEAKER_00: This comes from Logan Hayden, who says, I found this podcast through a suggestion on fate on a Facebook group a few months ago, and I'm listening to it each week on my own to work.
• 25:48
  SPEAKER_00: It has been such a help for my husband and I as we navigate our first few years of youth ministry.
• 25:53
  SPEAKER_00: We minister to teens, but a lot of these ideas can be modified to fit different age groups.
• 25:57
  SPEAKER_00: I recommend this podcast to all leaders I meet in youth ministry.
• 26:01
  SPEAKER_01: Wow.
• 26:02
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you, Logan.
• 26:02
  SPEAKER_01: Appreciate that.
• 26:03
  SPEAKER_01: So sweet Logan.
• 26:04
  SPEAKER_00: Well, make sure you guys check out one of the episodes I had mentioned before if you want to go deeper, and we will see you next time.
• 26:10
  SPEAKER_01: On this episode, we're talking about five things that all students want from your youth ministry and challenging you with the question Is your youth ministry?
• 26:22
  SPEAKER_01: Does your youth group offer these five things that every student wants from a youth ministry?
• 26:28
  SPEAKER_01: Watch it invite.