Youth Ministry Stereotypes Part II

Have you ever broken the Youth Ministry rules? Maybe you broke rule number one or perhaps you broke rule number four. Maybe you have never heard about the Youth Ministry rules. Fight the Youth Ministry Stereotypes is a funny video that you should check out from the guys at Simply Youth Ministry. This video was shown at their recent youth workers convention.

Watch the Fight the Youth Ministry Stereotypes

So if you did check out the video, you will know that whilst there is some truth to the Youth Ministry rules, the video is a lot of fun. At times we all wish that there were five simple rules to success in ministry. Most of those who have been around ministry for a while know that just isn’t the case.

Without going into each rule in the video specifically, there are several points to draw out of this video:

1. Be yourself. How can we expect young people in our ministries to be themselves if their leaders aren’t being true to themselves? Youth ministers might feel the pressure to look cool and sound younger in order to impress more young people. If we want young people to resist peer pressure, then it begins with the witness that we give as their leaders.

Try this: next time you are talking with young people share an example of how you got something wrong and what you learnt from the experience. This will help the people in your ministry to see that you are a real person too.

2. Be responsible As youth ministry leaders we know what behaviour our parish leaders expect and yet we still remember the mischief that we got up to when we were young. As leaders in ministry we have to be responsible with the resources and trust that is given to us. At times we may have to stop the “fun” in order to keep the trust of the parish leaders and the parents of the young people.

Try this: next time you are faced with irresponsible behaviour in your ministry, correct the behaviour by saying to the person involved “this behaviour is not like you”. This simple statement tells the person that you believe they are usually a responsible person but this behaviour is not acceptable.

3. Be creative perhaps we are bias, but youth ministry is more creative than many other ministries in the church. Perhaps others would say that we are just pushing the boundaries or not staying true to “how things are done”. Youth Ministry leaders by their nature should be creative and look for fresh insights. “Leaders are learners” is another wise insight for those who lead youth ministries.

Try this: next time you planning a youth night ask your team the question “what can we do that has never been done here before?” Not only will your youth night have a fresh look but it will force your team to learn from other locations about how they are being creative.

Please leave a comment about your Youth Ministry rules.