Zero Year: Preparing for ministry

Building Next Gen Ministry culture is actually really easy. It just takes vision, mission, time, and repetition.

There is a reality in the Youth Ministry setting that cannot be learned in a book or a classroom. That is what ends up being the culture of a Next Gen setting.

I've seen this play out many times as young leaders step into positions of leadership. And right now, with many transitions in Youth Ministry across the country, I want to address some practical foundational strategies for first steps in building a Next Gen Ministry.

With that in mind, here are some foundational principles to help with starting a new Ministry:

1. Dedicate at least 18-22 hours weekly to the study of God's word.

This would be for the full-time Leaders. Volunteer Leaders should dedicate 7-10 hours weekly. This is one practice of mine that has driven my ministry from the beginning. If you do not schedule significant time in theology and the scriptures, the ideology of the culture will shape your ministry. That is a dangerous place to be.

We cannot raise young people in the Church who are ignorant of the Bible. Only 30% of teens in the Church can name 5 of the 10 Commandments. And the widely published 4% biblical worldview of Gen Z is the lowest of any generational set. You can blame the home all you want, but, the Next Gen Ministry does play a part in this.

If we are going to speak into a post-modern and humanistic society, we must raise a generation with a deep faith.
#scriptureOVERculture

2. What you get them with you keep them with. Be yourself.

Don't try and create a roller coaster for thrills and the bump in attendance. Because the students may expect a bigger roller coaster next time. Remember this, what you get them with you keep them with, and it can be very expensive to try outdo yourself from month-to-month and year to year. Value genuineness over ingenuity and character over creativity.

The Law of Diminishing Returns is a reality.

What gets my attention one time, may not get my attention the next. You are the one returning factor in the ministry mix. Fads & Memes come and go. Fathers & Mothers do not.

Build the Ministry with your strengths and not your weaknesses. Do not desire another person's gift. Develop your own.
#characterOVERcreativity

3. Annually attend a conference on Ministry.

Some of the greatest moments in my 39 years of Ministry have been at conferences. It could be a Youth Ministry Conference or a General Leadership event, or even a Next Gen Strategy session or Summit.

The tools gained from veterans can make the road a little easier. Levels are reached and lids are removed in these settings and dreams are inspired. If you want to do something you've never done, speak with someone who has been there and done that.
#levelsOVERlids

4. Build relationships with another Next Gen Pastor or Leader outside your Church.

This could be a Christian principal, teacher, or coach in the local school, or, another Youth Leader or District (denominational) official in the region.  A monthly mentoring meeting will yield great results from one great mind to another.

It should be a peer or another leader who is more experienced. All of us need someone in our life who we are afraid of spiritually.

Another opportunity similar to this would be to involve yourself in the area ministerial association. You will experience great conversation from all kinds of theological world views and philosophies of ministry around breakfast or lunch with paid and volunteer Youth Leaders.

If you want to do something that you have never done, you must find someone who has been there and done it. You cannot do this alone.
#mentorOVERme

5. Develop Leadership regularly.

Beyond simple recruiting of leaders, the retention and leadership development component is a necessary element of leadership continually over time. Be watchful of the leadership leak.

Do regular mid-course correction. Pull the team back to center where there is drift from the mission. REGULAR MONTHLY OR BI-WEEKLY MEETINGS ARE A MUST. To be honest, leadership meetings are a matter of commitment. I hear people say often that they don't have the time. I don't agree with that. You will make time for the things that add value.

One thing that could aide in this - create a weekly small group and use the socials to train your leadership team. This will bring better communication and development.
#superfriendsOVERsuperman

6. Do not let the Next Gen Ministry become a silo.

Remember, the Ministry is a part of the whole Church. Invite your Senior Leader to speak into the Young Adult, the Youth Ministry, or Childrem’s Ministry services or leaders setting.

Create an overall staff communication and relationship in the team. Be a team player on the staff and support other ministries with your time and prayers.

Do not become over-separated from the adults. As a Youth Leader, when is the last time you prayed with or spoke to an adult? In the congregational setting make sure that you are not only in relationship with the students. Speak to parents, board members, elders, and congregants often.

It is not enough to have a MULTI-generational setting of every age group. We must intentionally become INTER-generational in our Ministry operation. That means that we are in relationship to each other and not just simply existing under the same structure. 
#interOVERmulti

7. Love like nobody else. The world defines love differently than the Church today.

The society our young people live in is extremely conditional. And our students are raised in this mentality. So, the Church must define love differently from the world today.

Love is extremely un-conditional in the bible. One of the principles that I learned early in my ministry was to take care of people and that God would take care of me.

Remind students and leaders that you love them. Say it often from the front and say it often from the back. Love is viral. You can love a youth and make them do anything.

When a Next Gen Ministry models love, it becomes unique. I think students will come from every direction for acceptance and affirmation. Love is the seedbed of healthy ministry.
#loveOVEReverything

8. Pray.

Do you what you know you can do. But don’t forget to ask God to do what He can do.

Personal and public prayer is foundational. We have tried everything to grow Next Gen Ministry in America. Event-based models, small group models, graded and step models, theatre, and even outreach models have all been written about and taught in conferences nationally. But, the one thing that is missing at most settings is intentional and consistent prayer.

I hear all the time that 'kids want to play and they don't want to pray.' We should be doing great sociology and futurism, but, the spiritual element is foundational.

Trust me, I believe that Next Gen Leaders should be the greatest Sociologists on the planet. And cultural understanding is important. But, while that is true, there is a hole in young people that can only be filled by scripture and the supernatural - and that is what prayer does.

There must be a greater lean to the supernatural in Ministry. If you want to try something that nobody is doing to build the Youth Ministry - try prayer.
#prayOVERplay

9. Theology and Spiritual Formation

One of the elementary tasks of the Next Gen Leader is to lead students and leaders to develop their own spiritual formation and to build disciples with the word of God in mind.

The Next Gen Leader must give attention to the theological dimensions of ministry.

Because a Ministry that is deeply rooted in the truths of scripture will be one of great success. But a Ministry that is deeply rooted in the traditions of culture will be one of many failures.

The Next Gen Leader’s main focus is not about being culturally sound, having regular campus access, attending ball games, creating events, a creative children’s area, or being a social media influencer with a big footprint. These are important.

But, the purpose for all of these things comes after a concentrated attention to the theological task necessary for the establishment of spiritual formation and discipleship in the students.

#theologyOVERtheatre

10. Relationship with your Lead Pastor

If you’re in the right place, that means that you have asked the right questions in the interview. And you have prayed, and sought counsel on your decision.

So trust your leadership.

This is what I have learned over time. Rarely, do you have any reason to mistrust your spiritual leaders. Oh, it does happen in some settings. And you will know when that happens. Because you will clearly be asked to do things against your better judgment and understanding of the scriptures.

In matters of difficulty and broken relationship, here’s a rule I have used. There are principles and practices. Do not negotiate your principles, but practices can be flexible. Do not negotiate the principles but be willing to negotiate practices.

Always begin with praying for, serving, and speaking well of those who are over you. Honor really is an important part of your first year and first steps of ministry.

Conclusion

Zero Year is that pre and post ministry period where you are learning the important lessons of what it takes to be a great Next Gen Leader.

The most important things are usually the first things. They set the culture, pace, a course, and even become the language of your ministry.

What are you defining as the culture of your setting? Use these practical points to shape your Next Gen Ministry.