Tag: quick tips

Quick Tip: Easy Four Square on Carpet

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I don’t know about your students, but my middle school students love two games: gagaball and four square. They go nuts over them. We have shared about our indoor/outdoor gagaball before, but today I wanted to share a quick tip for playing four square on a carpet floor.

Most everyone is familiar with four square. A large square is divided up into four equal squares. The final square (the king square) is where you serve from and getting to that square is the ultimate goal.

Players advance by getting other players out. This happens when the ball bounces twice in their opponent’s square, their opponent doesn’t return the ball to an opposing square, or their opponent hits the ball out of bounds. Sounds simple enough; but if you’re playing on carpet, how do you set up the lines?

For years we used painters tape hoping it wouldn’t leave residue for our facility team. But alas, it still did. We tried utilizing string or rope as the lines but they kept getting moved which led to arguments over fairness. And we were not in a space where we could paint the lines into the carpet or order specific carpet squares for the game because we are a multipurpose space.

Then came the solution! One of our facility team members came up to me and said, “Have you tried Velcro strips?” It was like a great epiphany! I hadn’t even thought of that before.

Velcro would work because it wouldn’t damage the carpet, it could be rolled up and easily stored, and it was inexpensive. What was even better was that team member went online and found the actual dimensions (I didn’t know there were such things for four square) and cut the pieces of Velcro to length.

Set up is now a breeze when we have programming because I simply put down six pieces of Velcro and all of a sudden we have a durable court ready to go. We’ve been utilizing the same strips of Velcro for years and have had no issues. Just make sure that when you store the Velcro, you roll it so it doesn’t stick to itself or other strips.

You can find all sorts of different varieties on Amazon or a local hardware store. My encouragement would be to not buy one with an adhesive backing because that will keep people from accidentally pealing it off and becoming sticky.

Hopefully this provides you and your students with a fun, quick, and easy to clean up activity. My encouragement when pulling up the Velcro is to be mindful of your carpet if it’s individual carpet squares. Pulling up too quickly can dislodge them depending on how the carpet squares are secured to the actual flooring.

I hope this is a great resource that allows you and your team to creatively engage with your students!

Quick Tip: Take Care of Your Team

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Have you ever had someone show up with coffee for you out of the blue? Has someone brought baked goods to your office before? Has someone treated you to breakfast? Have you ever received a hand-written note of encouragement?

I think we all have experienced this in some way, and we all know how it makes us feel. We feel seen, valued, loved, and affirmed. It is amazing how intentional and yet simple cup of coffee can be.

But here’s the thing: these moments shouldn’t just be for us, we should be utilizing these opportunities to bless and care well for our people. If we feel valued, seen, and loved when we receive those blessings, shouldn’t we be doing the same for others?

One of the best things you can do as a leader is to care well for your team(s). Now depending on your circumstance and financial structure, this may sound like something you cannot achieve. I get it; when budgets are tight or nonexistent, we default to thinking about the financial strain that comes with “caring for our leaders.”

But let me pause here and share this truth: lack of finances should not keep us from caring well for our team. That means we may need to reshape our thinking; the reality is that because we are a consumeristic culture we have allowed for that to determine how caring for people looks. But money isn’t the only thing that we can utilize to care for others.

What we need to understand is that we can care well by sitting and truly listening to others. We can care well by sending a card or a note to our teams. We can care well by publicly affirming them. We can care well by bringing them a homemade dessert or dinner.

Intentionally caring for our teams needs to be a priority because a well cared for team produces stability, consistency, longevity, community, and an environment where students flourish. Well cared for leaders care well for their students and allow for a discipleship-oriented ministry to prosper. A team that is loved, championed, and cared for is a team that will continue to run after and embrace the vision and passion of the ministry they serve and lead.

As the leader of a ministry, it is our job to love and care for our teams. It can be as simple as affirming them in public or private. A handwritten note encouraging them. A gift card, treating them to breakfast or coffee, remembering their birthday or anniversary, comforting and mourning with them during seasons of loss, or following up on important things within their lives.

Stopping and considering if your team feels loved and cared for is an important aspect of leading that each of us should be engaging with. Being intentional and walking with your team as you care for them is necessary and nonnegotiable. So, how are you caring well for your team?

Quick Tip: Is it Just for Shock Value?

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I’ll never forget the moment I decided to incorporate a phrase to garner laughs, draw people in, and surprise them. I was speaking with the student ministry I worked at over a decade ago and I thought this would be an amazing thing to do.

I was making my point and said, “What the hel…llo Kitty?!” I thought utilizing a play on words where it sounded like I was going to curse but switched to shouting out a common childhood franchise was hilarious.

Looking back I realized many things. What I thought was funny did not resonate with my students at all. In fact, it went over their heads.

I also realized that the fact I almost said “what the hell” was caught by many of our volunteers and they didn’t think it was a good thing. I had multiple leaders stop me afterward and challenge me on what I said.

And in looking back, I realized that I had put more focus into something that would not actually benefit my students and leaders, but simply would elicit shock.

This was a big heart check moment for me because something I thought was a good idea was not what I had hoped it would be. It became a distraction. It pulled people away from the heart of the message. It created tension and not the type that we should be employing when sharing the Word of God.

After a lot of self reflection and counseling with trusted mentors, I came to the realization that shock value doesn’t have the desired effect we wish it did. Often shock value leads to just that: shock. But the value is typically not there. Shock value moments are typically what people walk away remembering, not the focus of the message or a change in their relationship with Jesus.

Instead, what we need do is think critically about what we are writing and saying, and seek to discern the reason behind what we are saying. If the point is simply to elicit a response, we need to ask if the reason for the response will help to further the focus of our message and draw people closer to Jesus. If it’s just for creating shock or a response, perhaps it is best to remove it from the message.

Looking at today’s Christian culture, there are plenty of pastors and leaders who have done a litany of things simply for shock value. When you look into those moments, the majority of people don’t remember what the sermon was about and the focus has been removed from God’s Word and is now on a singular action or phrase.

That is not to be our focus nor should it be our intent. Instead, we need to focus on drawing people closer to Jesus as we help them to grow and flourish in the discipleship process.

At the end of the day, we have an obligation to lovingly guide and shepherd our people which means we need to discern if what we say and do is helping us reach and direct our people toward Jesus. If we utilize this metric, it will help us and our people in our walks with Jesus.

Quick Tip: Always Have a Wellness Policy

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It’s wintertime and that means illnesses are abounding. I’m not a scientist by any scope of the term, but I’ve worked with students long enough to know that this time of year sees a large uptick of sickness. There’s colds, stomach bugs, the flu, Covid, allergies, and more.

In the area we serve, doctors have been seeing a very large increase in illnesses and in how quickly they are spreading. Schools are seeing droves of students missing classes. Trips and gatherings allow for illnesses to spread quickly. And illnesses are not always being actualized until symptoms appear, allowing for many people to get sick faster.

The years 2020-2021 taught us a lot of things, and one of them was the necessity of having a wellness policy. Covid forced us to think about social distancing, how to better cover our coughs and sneezes, the increased importance of sanitary practices, and how important it is to stay home when sick and not spread illnesses. But the reality is Covid isn’t the only illness that can and will spread rapidly, especially in scenarios where large groups are gathered together.

As we began to reassess and think differently about how we did ministry post-Covid, an area we realized needed to be updated was our wellness policy. We decided to call it a “wellness policy” rather than “sick policy” because wellness highlights what we are seeking to achieve and it is more positive sounding. A sick policy seems punitive while wellness points towards a safe place where even immunocompromised individuals can attend.

So what does this look like? Well, I’ll be honest with you and share two key pieces about a wellness policy: it may change over time, and it will also depend on your context. Let me explain both of these in a little more detail.

A wellness policy may change as you understand more about the illnesses you are dealing with and how that pertains to your ministry and its setting. For instance, our wellness policy was originally focused on multiple symptoms but we adjusted that when we understood people could be asymptomatic. So we went more broad than narrow on our policy to work within that understanding.

Your context will also help determine how you shape your wellness policy. If you live in a setting where you can conduct ministry outdoors for a large part of the year, you will probably have a bit more freedom in how you shape the policy. If you’re indoors in a smaller environment that will also shape how you purposefully engage this policy. Another thing to consider is allergens and how prone your area of the country is to them as their symptoms can sometimes manifest in the same way other illnesses can.

So understanding your context and present setting should help you in shaping how your policy looks. I stated earlier that we went simple with ours as we believe clarity is kindness and simplicity helps us be direct and understandable. We focused on a few key points for our policy and have shaped it in this way: “If you feel sick stay home. We want you to rest up and feel better, as well as prevent any one else from catching anything.”

We have an addendum for Covid which states, “If you test positive for Covid, please adhere to the following guideline: you must stay home (i.e. away from the church) until you are symptom free for 24 hours without a fever.” We also encourage everyone to follow good hygiene practices.

These simple statements have not only helped our group stay relatively healthy throughout the years, but it’s also given people permission to take a sick day. This policy applies to our leaders who, like yours, are dedicated and wanted to always be present even to their own detriment. But now they are given the freedom to stay home and get better.

This policy is not guaranteed to prevent any type of sickness, nor stop the spreading of anything. But it does help in keeping our people safe and provides clear communication.

In months where illnesses are rapidly spreading, having a wellness policy helps you to care well for you people by giving them loving direction and seeking to ensure a safe and healthy place for your entire community.

Quick Tip: Have a Sick Plan

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Have you ever been sick on youth group night or Sunday morning? Has the flu surprised you the day of youth group? Have you experienced prolonged illness that kept you out of service for a good amount of time?

The longer I serve in ministry, especially student ministry, the more convinced I become that having a sick plan is a necessity. Trips can allow for illnesses to spread quickly. Winter months see a drastic increase in cold, flu, Covid, and other illnesses.

And then there’s always the unexpected sickness or health concern that creeps up. Family members may get sick and need help at home. And if this is the case, how do we handle those moments when we can’t be at our ministry? Is there a game plan? Do your volunteers know what the plan is? How is that information communicated to your leaders, students, and families?

Today I want to help you think through these moments by providing tangible steps you can take to address these concerns. This isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach, but more of an à la carte approach where you can pick and choose the steps that work best for you and your ministry.

Take a sick day.

Sometimes we just want to work through whatever illness we are wrestling with, but that’s a poor approach to take. Showing up sick can put others at risk, it depletes you even more, and it communicates to your team that it’s okay to show up sick, which can lead to illnesses being spread quickly and more often. So take a sick day, rest, recoup, and come back when you’re healthy.

Have a backup teacher.

One of the truths we must come to terms with is that our programs and ministries can and will exist without us. It’s a hard truth to reckon with, but a truth nonetheless. For many years I wrestled with this and convinced myself of the lie that the ministries I oversaw couldn’t exist without me.

It took a mental health leave for me to see that these ministries will not only exist without me, but can flourish as well. And I saw this truth through our leaders who stepped up and utilized their gifts. I became much more aware that I have gifted communicators on my team and I should be empowering them to serve. One of them has actually come to me and said, “If you ever need to bail, for any reason, I’ll have a lesson ready to go.”

This taught me so much and I want to encourage you to seek out and have backup teachers ready for when you can’t be present. No, it won’t be in the series you’re doing and no it won’t be what you had prepared. But God will use those individuals and His Word to help your students grow and flourish. So find different people who can step in for you when you’re sick (and a bonus tip: use them even when you are not sick and watch how different voices resonate with your students).

Build a communication plan.

This is important across your ministry as a whole, but having a communication plan for illness is key. Who will you tell? Who gets told first? What’s the communication say? Is it intentional, informational, or both? Drafting a plan for how communication goes out, to whom it goes out to, and what it says is key.

My mentality is to start with my leaders because they help in communicating any change to their students. They have more established communication lines so it makes sense to start there. We then email families and post across our media channels.

Our emails contain information that is needed about any change or cancelation, but they also provide intentional touch points. We provide ways for families to connect like cooking or baking together with recipes, or watching a movie and discussing it. We highlight ways to engage in worship, and we even point to a passage in Scripture that they could discuss.

Now all of this sounds great, but when you’re sick no one wants to spend the time writing all of this out. So prepare it ahead of time and have it ready to go when needed.

Have a plan for Sunday morning and youth group evenings.

As you think about the two prior points, it’s also important to have a plan for how your programming will function when you are not present. Have you taught people how to set things up? Have you shared your expectations? Do people know what to do in different scenarios like if a student gets hurt or if there’s a fire alarm?

Often times youth workers handle their own set up and know the ins and outs of tech, lighting, and how to open and close up the church; but do the people filling in for you know how to do all of that? Training, equipping, and empowering others to handle this means building a plan for them and helping them understand that plan.

At the end of the day, there will be times you are not present at youth group or church. That is okay, and you should be encouraged to take sick days and vacation time. But how will your ministry do without you? Is it build upon you and your identity (or perhaps is your identity wrapped up in it), or is it sustainable because it’s built around Christ? Have you empowered others to lead in your absence? Do you have a plan for when you are not there?

By preparing ahead, you are setting your team and ministry up for success. Take the necessary steps to be proactive rather than reactive and watch your ministry flourish even if you’re sick.

Quick Tip: Empower Your Students

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This past week we had our student ministry Christmas party. It was a ton of fun with lots of sugar, activities and games, worship, and of course a white elephant gift exchange.

But none of this would have been possible without our students. Not just because that’s what the focus of student ministry is, but because our students are in charge of our worship team and tech team.

One thing you should know about me is that I am not musical at all. I can’t play an instrument, I’m not a great singer (some may say I shouldn’t sing at all), I can’t mix audio, and I’ve only had one basic conducting course way back in undergrad. But really, who conducts in student ministry?

All that to say, I am not the guy to lead and direct our worship and tech ministries. I can have some oversight but even in that capacity my abilities are limited.

A handful of years ago, I met a student who had a passion for running our tech during weekly programming. This student was struggling to find their place and I noticed that they were hanging around our tech setup, so I simply asked if they were interested in helping out. Their eyes about jumped out of their head as they nodded yes!

So jump in they did. But not just in our ministry; they now help on Sunday morning during our worship services and their skill set and intentionality has made our worship services much more intentional.

Two years ago I had a handful of students come tell me they wanted to have worship incorporated in our ministry. I explained that I loved the idea but I couldn’t be the person to facilitate it so they would need to put together teams and run it. They agreed and we are now two years into having intentional moments of worship incorporated at specific times throughout the year.

We have had students who wanted to lead Bible studies in their schools and needed resources and guidance. So we equipped them, trained them, and sent them out. They are now leading multiple Bible studies and prayer groups in their schools and on their sports teams.

I wish I had started doing this sooner because it not only afforded our students an opportunity to step out in their faith and lead, but it also helped our ministry to grow because our students took ownership and became more invested.

When students are empowered and equipped to lead they will do so with boldness and excitement. They will bring others in and make disciples as we have been called to do. It does take time and work to unleash your students in leadership roles, but it’s incredible when they do as you witness God work in powerful ways through them.

At the end of the day our job is to disciple our students in their faith and unleash them to go out into the world with the Gospel. When we release control, and challenge and empower our students, we will see the world changed by the Spirit working through them.

Empowering your students will not only give them ownership and release certain responsibilities from your plate, it will help the Gospel to go forth through a generation that is passionate and sold out for what Christ is doing in and through them. Take a bold step, empower your students and give them the opportunity to flourish and lead as they are discipled and cared for by you and your team.

Quick Tip: Be Willing to Ask for Help

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When it comes to asking for help, how would you rate yourself ? Are you really good at it? Are you someone who just goes at it alone and gets it done no matter the cost to you? Or do you ask others to jump in and help?

Asking for help is not something I’m naturally good at doing. I was raised with the mentality that you do everything on your own because you’re the only person you can rely on. We were the “pick yourself up by your bootstraps” type of family.

Now I could go on about how that’s a flawed type of system and how that very phrase is antithetical to what it means to be a Christ follower, but I won’t. Instead I want to encourage you to be willing to ask for help.

One of my favorite things we get to do in our ministry is host a Christmas party for our leaders. For years I took that responsibility upon myself to plan, decorate, and execute. I would spend countless hours and days and weeks preparing everything.

I’d handle decor, I’d build the schedule, prepare the gifts, purchase and provide the food, handle the emceeing, and of course I’d be the one cleaning up. Did you feel tired just reading that? Did it hit home for you?

When a ministry or job or an event hangs upon one person that’s a problem. What if that one person gets sick? Worse, what if they quit? This builds a culture of personality around a person, not an identity in Christ and that isn’t what we are meant to be doing.

Instead, we should seek help. We should bring others into the process, share the load, empower our people, and remind ourselves that the ministry doesn’t rest upon us but upon Christ.

Shortly after 2020-2021, we had to rethink how we hosted and ran our leader Christmas party. I knew I could no longer run it on my own and had to come to terms with letting go and allowing others to help.

A couple of parents had offered at different points to help, so I figured sending out a request for help would be a good first step. I wrote an email explaining what we had seen God doing over the last year in student ministry, all the ways our leaders had been serving, and outlined the needs and requests.

Our ask of parents was simple: would they provide desserts and appetizers for our leader Christmas party as way to encourage and bless our leaders? I was skeptical the first year we sent this out, but I was pleasantly surprised with the results. We didn’t just have food for the party, but leftovers we sent home with our leader. Even more leftovers were repurposed for our student party the next week.

We have continued to utilize this approach with our families each year, and every year they bless our leaders in abundance. In doing so it alleviates a huge need for that event and allows our team to better engage with our leaders.

It also shows our leaders that our families do see and appreciate them by providing very real and tangible gifts for them. Many families even send cards and notes along that we share with our leaders.

So at the end of the day it isn’t just about asking for food. It is understanding that by asking for help, we can alleviate the pressure we often feel as ministry leaders, bless others by asking for help, and allow other people to have ownership.

Asking for help can at times be difficult, but it is necessary for the longevity of yourself, your ministry, and the church. Bring others in, allow people to utilize their skills and gifts, and build the church and your ministry around Christ. If you do this you will see yourself, your ministry, and your church grow for the better.

Quick Tip: Recruiting Leaders Early

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How do your volunteer numbers look for this year? Are you full or do you still have some gaps?

What about next year? Have you thought about recruiting leaders yet? Now I know what you’re thinking. Either, “It’s October and the school year just started…why would I be thinking about next year?” or “I haven’t even filled all the gaps this year, so I can’t begin to think about next year.”

I understand both perspectives. In fact this year we have multiple gaps that we are still trying to fill. But in the same breath, I’m also beginning to think about next year and recruiting specifically for our incoming classes of sixth and ninth graders.

Throughout my time serving in ministry I have grown to understand and appreciate the ability to start early on tasks. More importantly, I have seen the blessing of starting volunteer recruitment well before it is needed as it helps to set your ministry up for long term success.

It is the mentality of being proactive instead of reactive. Rather than reacting to not having enough leaders to start off programming, be proactive and recruit early to set your ministry up for success.

In order to do this well, I’d recommend first assessing where you are at for this current academic year and how your current leaders are feeling about returning for the next year. Now I understand that some of your leaders may be surprised by this question but if you are casting the vision of leaders journeying in discipleship-oriented relationships with their students, this will not catch them off guard. Here are some of our recommendations for beginning early recruitment.

Take a temperature check of your current leaders and their status for next year which will then help you to see where you will be to start the next year. Once you know your needs, you can begin to address how to meet them and how quickly to begin the recruitment of more leaders.

Cast vision often. The more you talk about the vision of your ministry and your desire for leaders to journey with students, the greater your retention rate will be. This will help with recruitment as you will, prayerfully, have less leaders to recruit as more of your current leaders buy into the vision and process of discipleship.

Keep a running list of future leaders. I often get responses like, “This year doesn’t work, but talk to me sometime next year.” I’ll be honest: I can be super forgetful, so having a running list of potential leaders helps me to remember who I talked to, when I talked to them, and their responses. That helps shape future conversations and follow up.

Begin conversations with potential future leaders in the fall of the current year. This may seem excessive and presumptuous, but I can assure you that the sooner you start planning the better off your ministry will be. It will also reduce stress on your end as you aren’t frantically trying to find leaders the month before fall programming kicks off. It will also allow future leaders to think about the commitment they are stepping into and to begin shaping and adjusting their schedule accordingly.

Spend time in prayer. Asking God for discernment, wisdom, guidance, and peace is key. Running a ministry means we remember that we are not the one in ultimate control but simply the one stewarded to shepherd and disciple the people of God. Trusting that He is in control takes the pressure off of our shoulders and allows us to trust that He has it all figured out. That doesn’t mean we don’t bear responsibility or shouldn’t put in the legwork, but instead we remember who we are doing this for and trusting that He has everything in control.

Preparing for the future and starting to recruit leaders earlier allows for the longevity and continued success of your ministry and shows the value you give to your leaders. Our leaders allow our ministry to succeed and are needed to love, care for, and disciple our students.

What are you tips for recruiting leaders into your ministry?

Quick Tip: Go to Sunday Service

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Have you ever felt like Sundays are just incredibly busy and you’re running around trying to get everything done? Have you hit your step goal on a Sunday morning before the services are done? Is Sunday morning time to catch up on emails and last-minute prep for your message?

Has Sunday become just another work day? When was the last time you sat in a worship service as a participant and worshipper? Do you get stopped multiple times before you even open your office?

Me too! I get it. Part of working or serving at a church means that Sundays will often include work in various capacities. But that doesn’t mean we should forego our own spiritual health and inflow, nor should we give up on fellowship with the body. Yes, there will be Sundays when we are pulled in a hundred different directions and don’t get into a service. But that should be the exception not the norm.

We are called to be an active participant of the church and to continue to meet together and care for one another. This command doesn’t simply apply to church members, but also to those of us who serve on staff at the church. The book of Acts is all about the fellowship of believers and being a part of the local church. It is easy to say we are a part of the church as we serve the body, but are you actually participating with the body of Christ and being poured into?

As employees within the church it is a default of ours to serve the church, but it is something we often do at our own detriment as we don’t participate with our fellow believers in the corporate gathering. If we continue to treat Sunday as simply a day of work instead of worshipping with others, I can promise you five things:

  1. You’ll find yourself trying to lead from nothing as you are not being poured into.
  2. You’ll become frustrated, resentful, angry, and bitter toward the church because you will see the church as keeping you from worshipping and growing.
  3. It will lead to fracturing and frustration in your family if you don’t worship together.
  4. You will lose the joy that you had in ministry.
  5. You will struggle in your walk with Jesus.

At the end of the day, there will be Sundays that you don’t make it into the service. Those Sundays should not be the norm, but instead the exception. Even if you need to talk with your supervisor about your schedule, commit to being in the service (with your family if applicable) and worshipping with your fellow believers. I can promise you that this is necessary and will ultimately be better for you, your family, those you lead, and your church.

Quick Tip: It Never Hurts to Ask

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“Hey Nick, if you ever need any candy for youth group, all you need to do is ask!” I’ll never forget that conversation with, at that time, a new leader for our middle school ministry. From that point on any candy needs we had, he covered them.

Whether it was providing candy for special events, chocolate bars for s’mores, or just a bag of candy on my desk as a thank you; candy was simply an ask away. But you know what that simple conversation helped me understand? All I needed to do was ask if I had a need.

But here’s the thing: in the past, I have struggled to ask when there’s a need. Whether it’s a pride thing, comfortability, a lack of awareness, or a combination of all the above, I struggled to ask.

Now guess what? When I started to ask, when I shared what our needs were, our church community rallied to our cause. I would never have considered asking about candy being provided, even though we live in an area that has multiple chocolate companies just down the street from our church. But because a volunteer approached me with a way to meet a need, it helped me remember something: the church is in this together and they want our young people to succeed.

So what could you ask for? Of course we all jump to volunteers because that’s what we all need. But what if we saw beyond that? What if we asked for people who would be willing to open their homes or prepare a meal? What if you shared needs for supplies and resources? What if you simply asked?

Over the past couple of years we have begun sharing our needs more openly and it has provided us with so many amazing new relationships, community engagement, and ways to better bless and care for our students and leaders.

Here’s the rub: asking someone for something isn’t bad. It is a huge asset and a way for the church to be the church. But even if the request is denied, remember to say “thank you” and don’t let it defeat you. Keep asking. Keep sharing the need. And watch what God will do through the church body.