3 Things Every Elder Should Know About Student Leaders

TEASER 

Dodgeball. Retreats. Putting a Happy Meal in a Blender.  

These are just a few of the things that may come to mind first when thinking about Student Ministry. But Student Ministry is one of the most interesting areas of church leadership for this season. It's so fluid. The people leading it are often changing. The students themselves age in and out of the ministry. And with the fast evolution of technology and ever-changing culture, Student Leaders constantly need to reinvent themselves and their ministry. 

And even though Student Leaders are used to the idea that change is the only constant in their job, there are still a few things they all have in common that elders should know about. So buckle up, keep your hands inside the car at all times, and get ready to hear a little about Student Leaders - because the Church Helper Podcast starts right now. 

INTRO

Hey there, and welcome to another edition of the Church Helper Podcast. Our mission here at church helper is to help churches make every decision on purpose. My name is Mike, and I'm excited to help your church staff and elders team get on the same page today with the fifth and final episode of our series, "getting to know your staff," focusing today on Student Leaders.

If you're a church staff member, now is the time to connect an elder with this content and sign up for our weekly emails because this will help your relationship immensely. 

And if you're an elder, make sure you forward this to the rest of your team so you're all speaking the same language. And just so we're all speaking the same language, every church calls this role something different. It could be Youth Pastor, Student Pastor, Student Ministry Director, Youth Leader or something else. Today, I'm going to use the term Student Leaders to umbrella all those titles. And one more thing. When speaking about Student ministry, we're talking about students somewhere between grades 6 and 12. And with that, let's get into it.

Three Things EVERY Elder should know about their Student Leaders 

#1 STUDENT MINISTRY ISN'T ALL FUN AND GAMES 

When Church Helper reached out to Student Leaders to answer a few questions about their experience with their elder's teams, this is the first theme that stuck out. I might have noticed it right away because in my time as a youth pastor, this is the one that I've also heard the most – whether from elders, parents or the congregation at large. 

But enough about me, let's see what our survey participants had to say. 

This Student Leader said:

They know a lot about activities we are doing, but I believe because that is all we announce on Sundays, many think we are more "fun" and less "Bible." This is something I am working on changing by announcing upcoming series and even challenging the church body to join us in some of our weekly Bible reading.

Another Said 

"(Elders) think it is all fun and games.

Finally, this Student Leader said 

"Many people think I prepare a short lesson for Sunday night youth group and hang out with students (play games) for two hours a week- and nothing more."

And I know why this is a frustrating misconception for Student Leaders. Student ministry is often known for wild and crazy antics or that piece of drywall in the church hallway that's been caved in ever since that epic game of Gorgon in 2013. But student leaders deal with a lot more than errant dodgeballs or wondering how many pancakes a kid can eat on a retreat before he gets sick. By the way, the answer to that one is 23 – and I know that because I watched it happen.

Jr. High and Highschool students are at an age where they're developing in all kinds of ways, from their worldviews to their vocal cords, and Student Leaders know that they need to find relevant ways to teach the gospel and keep students engaged. Sure, games are a part of the ministry, but they're a very small part in the grand scheme of things.  

Add up things like Bible studies, contacting parents, permission forms, staff meetings, mentoring, volunteer recruitment and training and about ten other things, and games are ust one small part of the whole picture. It's easy to think the games are a huge part of the ministry because that's what most people see or hear about, but it's only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to a student leader's job. 

So, how what can you do to support your Student leader and make a big difference? I'd say that every time you talk to your church's student leader, stop leading the conversation with that fun thing you saw them do. Instead of saying, "Hey, looks like you had a lot of fun last night playing soccer," say, "what are you teaching your students right now in Bible Study?" It's a small thing, but it will show them that you see more than just the games, and that will mean a lot 

#2 THEY SOMETIMES FEEL LIKE A "LESSER THAN" LEADER 

I can't tell you the number of Student Leaders that I've talked to that, in one way or another, always have a bit of an inferiority complex when it comes to their place among church leadership. I'm not sure if it's because people look at them more like the age group they lead, because they're typically younger or early in their ministry career, or because they don't disciple and mentor the people who are funding the church. But for whatever reason, so many Student Leaders feel like "lesser than" leaders in their own church.

And I should say that this isn't just exclusive to age, as you'll see in our first survey response here. It says: 

 (the elders think) I'm young and don't know anything. I'm 48 (years old)… Been in children and youth ministry for 19 years and (I'm) not an expert but know what I'm doing…

The second one says:

I …have a theological degree, and I teach youth Scriptural lessons, (I don't) just entertain them."

Finally, this leader said when speaking about elders,

"They often think that I'm not a professional minister..."

So often, congregation members tout the importance of a children's or student ministry but also treat those leading those ministries with less seriousness because, as one of our quotes said, "I'm not a professional minister."

So what can you do as an elder or fellow church leader? Well, it's pretty simple – make sure you're building up your Student Leaders whenever you get the chance. If you know they're feeling this way now, send them an email or a note of encouragement and let them know how valuable a part of the team they are. What to take the next step? Ask for their input and advice in areas that might not be right in their usual wheelhouse. 

Even you asking their opinion about something new will show them that they're valuable to you outside their typical role. It's simple, but Student Leaders really don't need too much to feel good. 

#3 THEY'RE USUALLY PART-TIME, AND IT'S OFTEN NOT ENOUGH TIME.

Student Ministry is one of the most notorious areas where a staff position is half time or three-quarter time. It's just not an area where a lot of churches invest full-time funding in. We can talk about that another day, but I will say one thing to get you thinking. 

Remember that a Student Leader does most of the same things that Sr. Leaders do. Worship Planning, Teaching, Pastoral Care, Crisis Management, Administration, Planning and Leading meeting – the list goes on – and they're doing it for a group of people who are still trying to figure out who they are and who they're going to be – teenagers.  
So I'll ask this question.

If much of the job is the same, but less time is offered to do it, what does that say about how a church values teens?

A little provocative? Sure, but I'm just trying to get you thinking. 

Here are a couple of insights we received from our Survey of Student leaders 

One said they struggle with:

Having enough time…

Another said they struggle with

Being bi-vocational and having to do all ministry duties during evening hours after work."

And finally, one just says:

"Taking a sabbath day of rest is a huge struggle for me."

So, here's the deal. Your Student leaders are often just as busy and just as susceptible to burnout as other staff team members. Not only that, they've usually got less time and weirder hours than much of the team.  

And sure, sometimes their job can look more like fun than work, but remember what we said earlier in this series. 

If you're expected to do something, no matter how enjoyable it might be, it's still work. I can tell you from personal experience that I used to do a three-night youth retreat, get 10 hours of sleep and not feel it one bit – when I was 22. But these days, even though it's still a lot of fun to go, if I don't get enough sleep through the weekend, I'm fried until the following Thursday. 

So how can you help your Student Leader feel a little less overwhelmed and more in control of their hours and schedule? 

First, ask them how it's going. See what areas of their job take more or less time and what always seems to take over the week. Maybe it's something in their day-to-day, or perhaps it's extra work that gets put on them during staff meetings or by the seasons. Check-in and see if you can help free up some time by either relieving pressure, modifying timelines or adjusting expectations. And Second, you can make sure that when creating your goals and job description for your Student Leaders, the expectations match the time given. It's easier to run a student ministry part-time when it's 20-30 kids, but if you're hoping to see a group larger than that, you need to give the Student Leader time to maintain what they have going AND continue to built and vision for the future. 

OUTTRO

And that's it. Three things every elder should know about their Student Leaders 

Hopefully, today's podcast helped you better understand your Student Leaders and some of the things they're going through every week. 

Make sure you like and subscribe to the podcast or our youtube channel, and if you think someone needs to hear this content today but they aren't a person of the internet, you can go to our website churchhelper.ca/podcast, to print out a full transcript of today's episode.

Make sure you go back and check out our last episode on getting to know your children's ministry leader, and stay tuned for more ways to build better relationships between your staff and elders teams.

If you've ever got any questions, please reach out to us through email at hello@churchhelper.ca or go to the Get Help Today tab of our website. 

Thanks for taking a few minutes to help your church make every decision on purpose today. I'm Mike, and I'll talk to you again real soon.