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.

Youth Ministry Stereotypes

Yesterday I came to work in dress pants and a collared business shirt because I work in a corporate style building and I was meeting with a few staff from other departments. Today I sit here writing this in jeans, a “youthy” t shirt and my sneakers. Whilst I could get away with jeans on a casual Friday, it got me thinking about the image of a Youth Ministry Coordinator. What should a youth minister wear to work? Should a youth minister be trying to impress the youth or impress the boss? Those of us in youth ministry think about how we present what we do, how we dress and who we try to make an impression on.

What are the youth ministry stereotypes? One of the funniest things that I have see in a long time about youth minister stereotypes is an article by Jonathon Acuff titled “Wondering how youthtastic your youth minister is.” Jonathon asks the reader to give their youth minister a score for each “youthtastic” stereotype they fulfil on his list. Here are three of my favourites:

101. Knows how to multiply cheap pizza almost as well as Jesus multiplied the loaves and fish. = +3 points

103. Is often asked by parents, “What do you do all week?” = +3 points

109. Had someone in the church ask, “Do you think someday you’ll want to be a ‘real’ minister?” = +10 points

Here is my list of four Youth Ministry Stereotypes you need to protect yourself from:

1. Youth Ministry Coordinators are disorganised – recently a Youth Ministry Coordinator that I think is a real expert advised me to be super organised. He said that you can get more money out of the finance team if they think you manage money well. If you are organised with a plan for an event, have a good budget and keep receipts you will get further with people higher up the organisation, i.e. the people who run the parish or school.
2. Youth Ministry Coordinators need to keep up with the latest trends – believe it or not there are effective youth ministry coordinators who aren’t on facebook and twitter. Many youth ministry coordinators have realised that the youth subcultures change but the role of discipleship remains constant. To break this stereotype focus on the young people and their relationship with Jesus, not what songs they download or what they wear.
3. Rock music and entertainment is the key to drawing in young people – Many people think that the “Big Evangelical churches” draw young people in with rock music and entertainment. Yet when you go to these churches they have a discipleship focus that runs deeper than the first impression. Doug Fields once said that youth ministry can’t out entertain the world. In your ministry work towards making a lasting impression rather than just a good first impression.
4. You have to start Youth Ministry with Pizza – there are youth ministries that run very effectively without offering food. Many young people like pizza and will eat it if you provide it, but are they coming for the pizza or the relationships? Another Youth Ministry Coordinator said to design your youth ministry program for growth. He said that you can’t buy enough pizza for 100 people or take them all bowling so don’t make it part of the program when you only have 20 regulars.

We all encounter stereotypes in ministry. As a young intern or parish volunteer become aware of these stereotypes so that you can break the mould and be a unique gift to the Church.