Youth Ministry 101: A Youth Leader's guide to effective ministry

By Samantha Diamond

Do you want to successfully grow your youth ministry with a Jesus-centered approach? Help is here! Author and Youth Minister Samantha DIamond offer a theoretical and hands-on approach to help youth leaders and volunteers manage a youth ministry.

 Let's be honest, youth ministry can be very challenging, but done right it is one of the most rewarding experiences when you witness real transformation in the lives of students. This book offers insight on how to:  

• Build your foundation as a youth leader
• Develop your leadership skills
• Work as a family with team leaders
• Build a community with churched and unchurched students
• Mentor students to become disciples 
• Create practical strategies to ensure growth and longevity
• Develop compelling lesson plans and keys to delivery
• And much more...

There's an increasing hunger among the youth for Jesus Christ. Samantha prepares both youth leaders and ministry volunteers to go beyond surface ministry to help students encounter real life in Christ.

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Samantha Diamond
• Release date: Mar 9, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201501273

Samantha Diamond

Samantha Diamond is a woman with a heart to see young people encounter and live unashamedly for Jesus Christ. Active in youth ministry for over ten years, she has seen the lives of many students transformed by the grace of God.  She resides in St Vincent and the Grenadines and serves in various leadership capacities in her local church. Having earned a Bachelors of Art Degree in Christian Theology at the International Miracle Institute, Samantha believes and teaches holistic development through a Christ-centered life. Her mission is to impact her generation with the truth that will make their culture a kingdom focused one.

Book preview

Introduction

I thought about calling the Police for assistance.

How was it possible to have churched students and gang members from two opposing gangs in the same room for youth ministry?

It was in those moments that I realized that we had been taught a lie. Everything we knew about effective youth ministry was wrong.

Far too long the clubs have had more student attendance than our youth ministries. End of year reports shows zero or a very low percentage of young people giving their lives to Jesus during meetings. It is even more painful when youth ministry is seen as a place for leaders to babysit students to keep them occupied and in church.

How do you cater for the needs of teenagers and young adults at the same time to bring about real transformation?

When you truly care about the students you minister to weekly, the lack of results will break your heart.

There were many nights I had to seek God for real solutions, utilize the internet and work hard with my team to accomplish our assignment. That's when I began to see positive changes in youth ministry.

Imagine being approached by an unchurched student who claimed that he stopped going to the clubs because youth ministry became more interesting and he now desires to learn more about Jesus. Picture your attendance moving from ten to sixty kids in one year. Imagine students experiencing the Holy Spirit and being delivered from addictions. Imagine students desiring to be trained to be youth leaders. A thriving youth ministry is possible.

I am going to help you to understand the honour you have been given to impact the lives of potential leaders and world changers for the kingdom of God.  I want you to show how to be equipped with the necessary tools that will result in effective leadership, community building, teamwork, discipleship and growth in the ministry.

For years I thought my minimal effort in youth ministry was enough until I encountered Jesus and became the leader in charge of the ministry. That’s when I received God’s heart for my generation and changed my perspective regarding the purpose of youth ministry. It also helped to have a Pastor who encouraged me to think about the total development of our students and a team who was willing to run with the vision. This led to growth and most importantly students encountering Jesus daily. That’s why I wanted to create a guide for youth leaders to be effective in their youth ministry.

This book is not for the surface level youth ministry of simply entertaining students. It will teach you to foster the holistic development of your team and students through a Christ-centered approach.

The life and legacy of churches are dependent on young people who have become disciples of Jesus Christ and youth ministry is pivotal to this.

Chapter 1: What matters most - Your foundation as a youth leader

Why are you doing this?

Let’s begin where it matters most, your motive. The question above is essential to your development as a leader and one you have to answer honestly. I want you to take a moment and think about the reason you are involved in youth ministry. What are the factors that got you to this period in your life where you have decided to serve your generation?

I’m questioning your motive because it means everything to the students you are called to impact. Your actions towards them will be dependent on your reason for doing what you do. You won’t be able to give them God’s best if your heart's not in the right place.

Catering for the needs of students who are teenagers or young adults is quite a challenging task, but truth be told it’s also very rewarding when it’s done right. You need a reason that will magnify the benefits of the ministry when it feels as if nothing is happening. This is when you will continue to strive for excellence and give your best until the seeds you plant become fruit.

Motives must stem from a place of purpose when we’re dealing with the kingdom business. God is never coincidental, He is always intentional in everything He says and does. He created this world and formed it so beautifully that everything seems to have a place to fit even if they seem insignificant to us. The way He knows the number of hairs on your head (Luke 12:7) and formed you and sent you into this world is for a purpose. To think about the nature of God and His works is mind-blowing!

As children of God, it is this nature that lives within us by way of the Holy Spirit. It’s in our nature to be creative and intentional but it is also a choice we have to make. The Bible shows us in Genesis 1 that we were made to be in charge of God’s creation; therefore, the original intent of God is for us to affect whatever field we are in with the influence that He has given to us.

Your ministry should have a domino effect where students who encounter your ministry begin to affect the lives of other students for the better. This means that youth ministry must result in growth because anything that God is involved in grows and has life.

God wants you to have a successful youth ministry, but what does success look like to you?

Youth ministry is so much more than occupying the time of young people for a few hours a week. It's about transforming lives by the power of the Holy Ghost while making disciples and creating a safe space for students to express themselves. Evaluate whether or not your motive is in alignment with God’s idea of success.

God is not only interested in your results; the method is of equal importance to Him. The wrong motive with the seemingly right action holds no reward in the kingdom. In other words, you can not do youth ministry the right way with the wrong heart and expect to be blessed because of it. Jesus warns us not to be seen by men because it will not be rewarded by heaven. This concept should be applied to every area of our lives. At the end of the day, your greatest desire should be for God to be pleased with what you have done for Him because you did it from a pure heart. The applause of your Pastor or church does not always mean the approval of God and God’s approval is how success should be measured.

Ask yourself these questions to help evaluate your motive:

●  Is it about looking good to your church?

●  Are you doing it because someone thought you would fit the position and you don’t want to disappoint them?

●  Are you called to the young people you’re leading?

●  What is the outcome you want to achieve?

●  What growth level do you want to see in students at the end of each youth ministry calendar?

Out of the heart flows the issue of life (Proverbs 4:23). Examine whether your heart is in the right place and if it is not, ask God to purify your motives so you can come to a place of real effectiveness. Your motive must be fuelled by the fact that you know you are called to the ministry of impacting your generation for God’s glory.

When you know that God has called you it will activate the faith to know that He has already equipped you with everything you need to succeed. It has been placed within you. You have what it takes to affect the lives of students and the Holy Spirit is there to lead you into all truth. You’re not doing this alone and you don’t have to try in your strength. The Holy Spirit will empower you to get the work done because God called you to it. The call of God is an honour and must not be taken lightly regardless of the ministry you are called to. The Creator of the Universe saw it fit to call you into a place of authority to affect the culture by moulding young minds. Wow! That is a real honour. Think about the damage you can do to the kingdom of darkness by influencing tomorrow's leaders. 

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Are you called to this?

I sincerely believe that God calls each of us into certain positions that are uniquely designed for us to function at our best because of the lives we are called to affect. I believe youth ministry is one of those positions. The call of God is simply His desire for you to complete a certain task in the kingdom. I say His desire because the call of God is twofold. He calls you, but your response determines whether or not you are chosen to do what He has called you to do.

For many are called, but few are chosen. (Matthew 22:14)

Few are chosen because they have