The Ultimate Team Leader (Part 2)

(read part 1 here)

Team leaders should give clear instructions. 
Jesus tells the disciple what to do next.  The problem is identified - hungry people.  The team is stretched - testing Philip.  The solution is discovered - Andrew’s crazy idea.  Now comes the step that the leader steps in and gives instruction as to what should take place next.  Jesus has the disciples go around and get the crowd of thousands to sit down on the grassy slopes.  Jesus doesn’t reveal every step of the plan to his disciples, he simply lets them know what to do next.  Perhaps through giving one step at a time Jesus is teaching his team to trust.

Team leaders should recognize the source of their team’s provision.
We don’t know if Jesus praised the little boy for being the only smart person in a crowd of thousands who is prepared.  We don’t know if Jesus shouted, “Brilliant idea Andrew!”.  We do know that Jesus took the time to give God thanks for His provision.  A good team leader is quick to point out to the team that the team’s success hinges on their trusting God and including God in on their team’s efforts and plans.

Team leaders should know how to delegate.
Jesus then asks the disciples to pick up the leftovers.  He does two things in this request:  Gives the team opportunity to experience God’s incredible blessing and provision in a hands on way.  He also recognizes the importance that everyone on the team serve together.

Sometimes as leaders we take on too much and then our team misses out on opportunity to use their gifts and talents.  I have found on many occasions that I was doing a task that someone else on the team could do and probably do better than I could.  When we delegate we allow others to serve and we can focus on what we are good at or what only we can do for the team.

Another interesting aspect in Jesus delegating is that he didn’t just throw out the command to the team.  Jesus clarified the purpose to the task he was asking them to do, “so that nothing is wasted”.  In delegation it is wise to let the team know the “why” behind the task that they have been asked to do.

So when your team comes up to a problem or an issue that needs solving make sure you follow the example of the ultimate leader.
> Address the Problem
> Look for opportunities to test the team
> Give clear instructions
> Recognize God’s provision
> Delegate with purpose

The Ultimate Team Leader

The Ultimate Team Leader

John 6:1-14

Jesus is our example, he shows us how we are to lead those who follow us, he shows us how to be a team leader. In John 6:1-14 we find Jesus and his disciples as they arrive on the other side of the sea of Galilee that they are followed by a huge crowd. In this passage of Scripture we get a glimpse out how Jesus led a team. We get to take peek at how Jesus and his team of disciples were going to handle a problem together.

Team leaders should address the problem.
Jesus presents the problem they are facing together, inviting the team to join in on the solution. Jesus points out the obvious problem to the team, “All these people have followed us here. It’s dinner time. How are we doing to feed them?”. Jesus could have just spoke the word and everyone would have had a bag of Chick fil a in their hands.

Teams will face problems or seemingly problems there is no escaping it. Things can move along smoothly and appear to be fantastic and that can quickly turn to an immediate issue that needs resolution. Jesus sets the example that a leader looks to their team to join in on solving the issue or working on the problem together.

Team leaders should test the Team
Jesus puts Philip to the test. Growth as a team can come from problem solving together. Testing creates opportunity for an individual on the team to stretch themselves, to search out a resolution, technique or system to solve the problem. A good team leader will put scenarios in front of team members so they can push towards finding solution and in doing so grow in skill as a team member. Philip was the team’s realist but we are about to see that Andrew was the team’s dreamer and every team should have a balanced mix of both.

Team leaders should listen to the team
Jesus listens to the team as Andrew shares, “Here’s a kid’s lunch with 5 pieces of bread and a couple of fish.”

Team leaders listen to their team. I would have said that Andrew’s solution was ridiculous, there’s no way that it would work. Jesus shows us as leaders that we should take the time and listen to those on our team, that is part of working together as a team. Even though we may be the leader we are still an individual part of a team and there are others on our team who have some good input to give.

To Be Continued . . .

Underage Dating

"You can follow them on Facebook – the failed attempts at love, I mean. Somebody is always changing their status from “in a relationship” to “single.” Unfortunately, a huge number of these disappointed lovers are too young to be legally married. I wonder sometimes if I am the only one who winces to hear a thirteen-year old speak with cavalier abandon of his or her “ex?” Since when is it considered healthy and acceptable for underage people to be in “relationships?” Just what do parents and educators expect to be the result of the romantic conquests of these middle-school children and young high school students? " Read More

The above is a good article about a problem I have watched for 20 years of working with teens. The constant dating and breaking up cycle sets up a pattern for their adult years. It desensitizes them and then when they become an adult it is easy to end a relationship.

Most parents, I find, don't have a plan for their child's dating future in place when their child is young, like early elementary. So when their daughter has a "cute" relationship with their "little boyfriend", the parents don't know how to respond when this cute relationship is months into it and obviously become very serious because their little girl has let all her friends get kicked to the curb as her life is absorbed with this boy, who she "loves so much". Then they don't know how to step in and draw the line as a parent because they let a seemingly innocent relationship go way too far.

You gotta have a plan. I do for my kids. And for my daughter . . . I own a couple of shotguns that I will sit on the porch and clean them if some boy starts to think he can hang around my girl. My daughter won't date a boy until that boy is spiritually mature enough to be her spiritual leader. My sons won't date girls until they are spiritually mature enough to be the spiritual leader in the relationships.

Every date is a potential mate. Who is your kid dating? Do you have a dating plan in place? If not you should seriously consider getting a plan in place mucho pronto.

Last Night At Contagious

Wow! What a fantastic outreach night. Every 4 to 6 weeks we have a night of youth group that focuses on the gospel. This is a great opportunity for our students to invite their friends to hear how Jesus can change their life.

We started off with a fun video. We are doing a series of "What is Andy doing?" type videos. Last week the students requested I do a search in Nags Head Woods for Goat Man, a creature of local folk lore. Lot of fun shooting the video and lots of fun watching the students watch the video.

Next we showed a video by artist Propaganda about the gospel. Take a look-see if you haven't watched this video before.

Ramon, who has been leading our middle school students Bible study, followed up the video with a great explanation about Jesus Christ and salvation. 4 students put their faith in Jesus Christ!! Three students who have been attending youth group for a while and one was a guest and it was his first night with us.

We now have hang time after our Bible study and POD (small group). Last night we enjoyed Frito chili pie and nachos. Students played ping pong, foosball, Uno and Monopoly. This allowed time and opportunity for our team to follow up with each student who made a decision. We are liking the Hang Time at the end because of the time it allows for follow up and for students to ask us more questions that are related to the Bible study.

The gospel was shared, 4 students put their faith in Christ, hang time was great. I would give the night an A+!

The Return on Your Investment

In youth ministry it is so easy to get discouraged when you look at a group of students who, for the most part, are spiritually stagnant. What do you do?

1. Go to the Word - are we starting with the Bible as our foundation to youth ministry?
2. Pray - Pray that your heart is right where it needs to be. Pray that students get a passion for Christ like they have never had before.
3. Evaluate - are we being effective in students lives?
4. Improve - find the areas of the ministry that need work and work on improvement.
5. Continue - continue to invest your time and resources in to their lives. Continue to reach out to students who don’t know Christ.
6. Realize - realize that all we can do if we are doing the first 4 is to continue to put the buffet our there. The students have to decide for themselves to pick up the plates, load it with food and starting eating. (somehow I feel compelled to use food as an illustration) Realize that we can’t force students to grow spiritually, it is a choice that they must make for themselves. Realize that not every students will be a Billy Graham. Realize that the students are a mirror reflection of the adults in your church.

Youth Ministry is like financial investment, sometimes you don’t see the return for several years.

This morning I stopped in a local coffee shop for a cup of the Tortuga Lie blend. I walked in and there was a young man standing there that looked familiar. It clicked for both of us at the same time. He said, “Andy right? From Nags Head Church?” I said, “Yep! And you are *Ted.” (thankfully God helped me to remember his name). Ted was no spiritual champion in high school. I noticed Ted had on a t-shirt that was the face of Jesus on superman’s body. I also noticed that Ted had grown a foot and a half. Then it happened!

The Return on the Investment.

“Ted” began talking about his relationship with God. “I strayed during my high school years and wasn’t in a good relationship with God. Now that I’ve graduated I’ve stepped back and taken a look at where I’m at. I’m going to church. I’m staying around here and taking classes at the community college until I figure out what the Lord wants me to do.” I didn’t even have to ask probing questions he just started sharing his story.

Boom! Cha-Ching!! That was the pay off!



“Ted” has no idea the encouragement that he was to me this morning. He has no idea the tears of joy our conversation has brought on me as I sit in my office and think about our “by chance” meeting at the coffee shop this morning.

Here is the deal. Over the past 20 years of working with students I have seen some go on to really be productive in their relationship with God. I have seen many, many more fall by the wayside. There are many who I have no clue at this point how their life has turned out or will turn out. You see change can happen when they are 18, 28 or 48, we don’t know when the investment will “kick in” and pay off.
BUT if “Ted” were the only one to have been impacted by our church’s youth ministry in the past 11 years (and he’s not) then the investment of the past 11 years of the youth ministry team of our church was well worth it.

SO . . . . keep investing!

Shoe String Budget Team Retreat

Your team is missing out if you don't spend time together outside of your normal ministry time.

This past weekend we had a youth ministry team retreat. (More details below)
Our youth ministry team is totally volunteer. We have 10 fantastic adults who love students.

Here are elements of our retreat:
Encouragement - Your team serves each week together pouring into the lives of students. Sometimes it is easy to get down or even start to struggle. A retreat gives you opportunity to encourage each other.

Challenged - It's great to be challenged to grow spiritually and challenged to serve students better.

Refreshing - We all get drained spiritually from time to time. A retreat is a great time to find refreshment.

Training - We always need to look for ways to improve and learn some new skills or approaches in youth ministry.

Strength - A team that hangs out together stays together. There is strength and depth added to the team when the team hangs out together outside of the normal ministry time.

Our retreat looked like this:
Friday night:
Dinner - We ate pizza and salad together.
Following dinner we watched a video by Andy Stanley about momentum.
We followed the video with a great discussion and analyzing time.
Saturday:
We cooked and ate breakfast together. It was very good.
We took a "walk thru" the book Refuel, by Doug Fields. All about refueling spiritually. This was our Connect with God time encouraging spiritual refreshment.
Lunch
In the afternoon we talked about being a great small group leader. We came up with expectations of our students and expectations of the leaders.
We also watched some TV and various team members fell asleep at various times.
Dinner - we cooked fajitas! Bueno.
We ended the retreat talking about Connecting with Students and evaluating the balance in our youth ministry and also evaluating where each student is at in their spiritual/faith journey.

All the curriculum we used was free or already in our church's possession. We stayed at a donated vacation rental. The only thing we spent money on was our food and some supplies.

When does your youth ministry team get together for training?

Youth Room Dedication

Sunday night we had a fantastic turn out for the dedication of the new youth room, a space dedicated to be used in reaching students to discover life in Christ. I'm glad to be a partner in a church that has a passion for reaching students. Nags Head Church has made a huge investment in the youth ministry to finish out this 1600 square foot space. I was impressed by the church partners who showed up for the dedication who had no connection to the students other than the fact of being a partner in the church, their participation in the dedication showed their passion as a church to invest into the lives of the youth.

The room was dedicated also in the memory of Shana Lawler. Shana was a youth in the NHC youth ministry several years ago. Her life ended in a tragic car accident. Shana was a 17 year old who loved the Jesus Christ. Her family came back to town for the dedication and her sister, Erin, shared some great words both about Shana and also challenged the students. NHC loves the Lawler family! A picture and plague will hang in the youth room.

The youth room has a kitchen/coffee bar, comfortable seating areas, flat screens and a projector, ping pong, foosball and table games, a space for chairs for gathering for worship. The room has lots of windows with a great view of Jockey's Ridge, the largest sand dune on the east coast.

The whole space was designed to be open and easily reconfigured for different events or needs. Their are several bistro tables for students to gather and play games or just sit and snack together and talk. A couple of seating areas with sofas and comfortable chairs to encourage fellowship and offer space for the youth ministry team to build relationships with the students. The spaces are separated by different paint colors which were taken from a retro surf design. The look is like a coffee shop/restaurant feel complete with brushed metal pendant lights.

We look forward to using this room to reach students!

A shot of the room from the west end.
50 folding chairs allow us to configure the room in different
ways to meet whatever need of the event taking place
in the room.

The Hukilau Surf Camp surfboard. Hukilau is an outreach of NHC and is led by
Pastor Steve. Each summer several camps are held and use surfing as an
avenue to share the gospel.

Pastor Steve is allowing us to store some of his antique surfboards. A great way
to dress up an open ceiling.

There are several tables around the room that allow for space for students
and the team to play games together. The tables are easy to move
to change the configuration of the room.

We used a couple of garage type tool cabinets that are fairly inexpensive to house
the tech equipment.

Currently we have two flat screens up on the walls. We have the cable and
outlets run for 3 more. The TV's are all hooked to a switcher and a distribution amp. We streamed the big game on this system which is also tied to the projector.
We did this "in house" saving the church a couple grand.
These flat screens and projector can be used for showing videos, movies, games
and presentations.

A shot of the door that leads out of the room. Our lizard.

During construction. Cork floor which is awesome and sound absorbing. A view of
the coffee bar and kitchen. We put up mirror tiles above the sink so
while cleaning up a person can still keep an eye on what's happening behind them
as well as a giving those sitting at the bar a view of what's happening in the room.

The cabinets and counter top. We put electrical outlets in the counter so we
can plug up crock pots and roaster ovens to keep important youth ministry tools
like queso and hot wings hot and tasty.

We purchased 50 folding chairs with cushy seats. The projector and screen are
recycled from the old church building.

A shot of one of the seating areas. We were given a couple of sofas and then
I went around the church and "stole" other chairs to put in the space. The blurry
dude is Chris who helped me paint the room.

Last Night At Contagious

We had another great night at Contagious last night!!

Students showed up and we quickly turned them loose in their new kitchen in the youth room and now the students are responsible for putting out the snacks and beverages. New ministry team in the makings.

The youth room is working out great. The comfortable seating areas are drawing students and their adult leaders together for an hour of just talking and building relationships. The tables are great areas for us to sit around over some red Kool Aid and Cheetos or play a game of bananagrams together. The ping pong table and foosball table are getting good use. All with some great music in the background. This new youth room has bumped Hang Time up to a whole new level.

The past few weeks we have had new students checking us out each week. Some of our students are catching on to the importance of bringing friends. Our prayer is that there will be a fire lit under our students in reaching their friends and also growing in their own faith.

Last night we continued our series, Great Expectations. We were in 1 Timothy 2:8-15. Our theme for the evening was "Attitude Affects Worship". Some great discussion about this passage took place in our PODs.

What a fantastic team of caring adults we have investing into the lives of these students during the two hours a week we have them here with us.

Super Bowl Party on a Shoe String Budget

Last night we had our first Super Bowl party in our new youth room. Turn out was good and we had some guests which is always fantastic. The main purpose of the event was to share the good news of Jesus Christ during the half time. I took about ten minutes and talked about Jesus our Mediator from 1 Timothy 2:3,4. No students made a decision that we are aware of but the seed was planted and we pray our guests had a good time and will return again this coming week.

With a 30% cut in our budget from last year and basically a spending freeze in effect we had to pull this event off on a shoe string budget. Here is the run down on how we accomplished that:

Stream the game via Internet - FREE! The quality of the video was great. We missed the big commercials but that's OK since a person can go back and watch them on the Internet. This saved the church about $1200 since we didn't have to install cable or satellite.
Hot Wings and Queso Dip - $65 A few from our team showed up early and cooked the hot wings and made the queso and got things set up and ready to roll.

Snacks and Drinks - FREE! We had the boys bring a sweet snack and the girls bring a salty snack and they all brought a 2 liter of soda.

Meat and Cheese Stadium - FREE!! Because of the donations of our local Boar's Head distributor and the donations of some parents of youth we were able to feast on the most incredible party platter I have ever seen.

So for a little more than a buck a person we hosted a fun Super Bowl Party where the love of Jesus Christ was shared.

When we share the love of Christ in practical ways these are the things students remember about their "church experience" long after high school. They don't remember all the lessons or sermons we teach, they remember the fact that some adults loved them and cared for them enough to spend an evening hosting a fun party with an incredible meat stadium and time spent playing foosball and bananagrams. That is what they will remember when they are 21. This act of sharing the love of Christ in a fun and practical way is what will stick with them.

Thanks to the best youth ministry team in the world! I appreciate the time you give to God serving students and I know the students appreciate it too. Thanks to the parents who kicked in the snacks!

Carrying the Lesson Home

This week we are starting something new with our youth ministry. Often we do our talk at youth group and then hope it sticks and perhaps cause the students (and leaders) to do some reflection and application during the week. If you are like me you often get home from church and get busy with life during the week and even have a hard time remembering what you learned Sunday. We will be posting a daily devotion at least twice a week on our group's Facebook pages.
I've made the devo in a jpg so students can simply click on the pic and do the quiet time.

Not all students will participate but if even a few do it will make a difference in their spiritual walk and hopefully rub off on others in the youth group.

Preparing Your Kids for Worship

What are you instilling into your son or daughter about worship?
If more is "caught" than "taught", what does your life teach your kids about worshipping the one true and living God and our Lord Jesus Christ?

As a dad and youth pastor these are a couple of questions that have been rolling around my mind this week. So here are some quick thoughts:

1. Make worship a part of your own personal daily life. Not something you just do on Sunday at church. Do your kids know you spend time daily with God?

2. Make space in your day for worship as a family. At our home we read the Bible and pray with our kids before putting them to bed. That's not the only way to do and I'm sure it will take on different forms as our kids grow older.

3. Be excited about going to church for corporate worship with your church family. If you aren't excited about worship why should your kids be?

4. Teach the value of worship by preparing your own heart, being on time, focused on the songs and the scripture during worship. If you were going to meet the President of the US you would spend some time preparing and you certainly wouldn't be late and you would give him your full, undivided attention. Why would we treat meeting with God and his people with less respect?

5. Talk about worship on the way home from church. Tell your kids what you learned and ask them about what they learned. Engage in conversation about worship.

6. Worship is the one thing we do on earth that will continue on with us through eternity.

PS. This list isn't all inclusive and I certainly don't have all the answers. Just more thoughts from the mind of an ADD youth pastor.