If asked an important question about the youth ministry at your church, would your pastor know the answer or have to say “I don’t know.” Not sure. What about these questions:
1. What is the mission of the youth ministry?
2. What happens in the youth ministry?
3. What is the most exciting thing happening in the youth ministry?
4. How many students are involved in the youth ministry?
5. How many volunteers are involved in the youth ministry?
Can your pastor answer these questions? I know some of you are immediately thinking he or she doesn’t have to know they can simply pass those people on to me and I can answer the questions. If you are at a large church, those feelings may be even more pronounced knowing that your pastor can’t know everything about every ministry and shouldn’t try.
We like to tell ourselves half truths. It is true your pastor doesn’t need to know everything about everything. However, they ought to know something. If a parent comes to them or a potential member inquires, they should be able to share about the youth ministry.
Of course, pastors will tell themselves half truths too: the youth minister has got it, I don’t have to know that, etc.
I am constantly amazed at how little youth ministers and their pastors communicate about what’s going on in the youth ministry.
What should they know? You can focus on these four things.
1. How is the youth ministry to accomplishing its mission? Where is progress taking place?
2. What is happening in the youth ministry? They don’t need the details but they ought to know you have youth group, small groups, etc.
3. Positive stories that they can carry to the congregation through worship, meetings, or encounters with members.
4. How they can help and support you.
Many youth ministers make the mistake of believing that their pastor should come to them and find out these answers. Others believe that these things get communicated through staff meetings. However, CYMT (www.cymt.org) believes that it is our job to communicate these things to our pastor and that only logistics get communicated during staff meetings (dates, times, numbers).
So when was the last time, you shared what is going on in the ministry with your pastor? Do you have a regular time (outside of staff meeting) to share with them the heart of the ministry?
Communication Key #1 = Communicate with your Pastor!
You will see a difference!
The rest of the week we’ll look at these Communication Keys:
#2 – Parents
#3 – Youth
#4 – Church
#5 – Spouse