Top 10 Ways to Thrive in Student Ministry

Written by David Simmerman

Student ministry is a life-long calling. In order to succeed over the long haul you must focus on the things that will help you grow a strong and vital ministry throughout the years. Here are ten things you can do now to help you move from the "survive" mode to the "thrive" mode of ministry.

1. Evaluate your ministry every year. Use your volunteer staff, students, parents, and church staff in the evaluation process. Honestly critique whether or not your programs and events are fulfilling your designed purposes for the students and their parents.
   
   
2. Surround yourself with a dynamic, passionate volunteer staff that supports your student ministry and parent ministry philosophy and vision. If you aren't yet a parent of a youth, enlist a volunteer parent to head up your parent ministry. They not only need you, they also need each other.
   
   
3. Seek out an accountability partner and meet together once per week. Make sure your accountability partner can ask you the hard questions and is not afraid to address the real issues of walking close to Christ.
   
   
4. Keep up with the current youth culture trends in order to effectively communicate with your students. Check out your teen's television and music choices. Scan newspapers and magazines for cultural influences that impact your students. Sign up for StudentMinistry.ZIP - LifeWay Student Ministry's eNewsletter for student leaders. Each month you will receive valuable insights and links to articles related to youth culture.
   
   
5. Know that your family comes before church. God's first institution was the family. God desires that you first take care of your family before reaching out to those in your church. Plan dates with your spouse and outings with your entire family on a regular basis.
   
   
6. Be visible at your church - not only to your students but also to other groups within the church. Walking in and saying "hello" in a Senior Adult Sunday School Department goes a long way. Being visible outside the church walls (i.e. ball games, school campuses, and community events) is also important.
   
   
7. Take your senior pastor to lunch periodically. Everybody has to eat, so why not use lunch to touch base and inform the pastor of things going on in your area of ministry. Share your ministry goals, ask if he has any concerns or has heard of anything that you need to address. If you need his specific support in any certain area within your ministry, share how he can support you. Be willing to hear your pastor's heart and consider how your student ministry can support his dreams for your church.
   
   
8. Be willing to attend and participate in other ministry groups in your church (i.e. senior adults, children, men's ministry, women's ministry). Your involvement in other ministry areas gives you a great way to share your ministry philosophy with others and for them to get to know and support you as well.
   
   
9. Own a day planner and use it effectively. Family schedules, student ministry events, and other church events can make one's schedule crazy. Find an electronic calendar or day planner that can help you effectively stay on top of your personal and ministry schedules.
   
   
10. Give your ministry to God. Know that God is in charge and that you are the vessel He is choosing to use to oversee the student and parent ministry in your church. Do this by specifically praying for your student and parent ministry each day. Let your desires be known to God, and let your life's passion be to serve Him.

David Simmerman is the youth minister at First Baptist Church in Joelton, Tennessee.

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