Tag: Staff

Take Time to Invest in Your Community

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Every Thursday night in the spring, summer, and fall, Elise and I play volleyball that’s hosted through a local community organization. What started as a simple invite through some neighbors who became friends has turned into a weekly event with friends that we look forward to!

It’s not just playing volleyball on Thursday, it’s going out afterward, hosting barbecues, grabbing dinner, and sharing life with our friends and teammates. Multiple team members have lived or do live in our neighborhood and we hang out on different holidays and at our neighborhood yard sale.

What seemed to be just a random opportunity to play sports has turned into something much more: an opportunity for us to be a part of our local community and invest in relationships outside of the church.

Building and maintaining community is important for each of us, but it is also important for us to be pouring into our local community. In as much as we should seek to grow and flourish through personal relationships, as Christians we also have an obligation to engage with our communities and bless them.

We are called to be stewards of this world and all God has given us, to care for our neighbors, and to love others well. This is mutually beneficial as the benefits of community go both ways. This is essentially soul care for you and the community as this helps you to grow and flourish and does the same for your community.

My encouragement for you is that you find intentional ways to engage with your community, and I wanted to share a few ways we have done so to hopefully spark some ideas for you to build your community.

Adopt a local restaurant.

This is something we did unintentionally but we’ve seen the fruit of it. We have a local pizza shop that was our first meal when we moved to Pennsylvania. And it was a great first meal. So much so that we have continued to go there a little too frequently.

They know my name and my usual order. Sometimes they throw a free pizza my way and they even gave me one of their 50th anniversary shirts that they only gave to staff.

We love this place and we see it as a missional opportunity. We take them cookies during the holidays, bring friends to it, and seek to get to know the staff. It’s been a blast getting to know them and laugh with them as we share more of our lives together.

Invest in community organizations.

Are there local PTOs you can join? What about a neighborhood group like your local HOA? Have you considered a community enrichment group for your town or city? Is there a local pastors network or ecumenical group you could join? Each of these afford you an opportunity to invest in your community through powerful and intentional ways.

Bless your schools.

Finding ways to encourage your schools, students, and teachers is a great way to invest in your community. You could drop off donuts and coffee periodically. You could be a mentor, tutor, or after-school support for students.

Becoming a substitute teacher affords you interactions with students and staff that are a part of your community. If you have a CDL you could drive school buses or if you don’t you could become a crossing guard. All of these options allow you to intentionally connect with your community in highly relational ways.

Deliver cookies at the holidays.

This is one of my favorite things to do because it reminds me of my childhood and it taps into one of my favorite hobbies: baking.

We take cookies to our neighbors, our local pizza shop, our chiropractor, and a variety of other locations. It’s always a blast to see people get excited about homemade cookies and it starts some amazing conversations. This can easily become a tradition and one that reaps awesome benefits as you invest in the community.

Join a local sports group.

A couple years back, we were invited to join our local volleyball team and we have loved it. It’s afforded us new opportunities, new friendships, and a unique way to get to know our community better.

There’s tons of local opportunities to join sports groups whether a swim club, a pickleball group, softball teams, or even a running club. These are great opportunities for networking and community connections.

Host a bbq in your neighborhood.

A great way to invest in your community is to invite them over for a bbq or potluck. You can start small and invite a handful of neighbors over by simply getting to know them while you’re out and about.

Go beyond a simple “good morning” or “hello” when you see your neighbors and get to know them a little more. That helps remove the awkwardness of a cold ask and it builds relational connection.

When you invite people over you could ask them to bring something or you could provide the essentials if you’re able. You could even host a dessert and game night which is more appealing for people of different generations.

Planning Ahead: Spring Kickoff

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Our normal rhythm for programming around Christmas and New Year is to take two weeks off as the majority of our students and families are either celebrating, traveling, or both. Combine that with Thanksgiving and the traditional rhythm will be askew for a couple of months.

So when we come back in January, we kickoff the spring semester with a celebration and unique flair. The purpose is to welcome students back, get them excited for the new semester, have a lot of fun, and to provide an easy opportunity for them to invite their friends too.

In order to accomplish this and to do it well, it is highly important to begin planning this well in advance. If your ministry functions in the same manner, I want to share with you ways you can begin preparing for that event now.

Figure out the main draw.

You need to think through each element of your event, but knowing what the main draw is allows you to clearly shape the event and communicate effectively. Simply telling your students to come to a spring kickoff without any details or reason leaves them wondering if they should and if they should invite their friends.

Students don’t want their friends to be bored, disappointed, or apprehensive about coming to church, so giving them information about the event is key. This also allows you to utilize your vision and purpose for your ministry in how you shape the event.

When you allow the identity of your ministry to inform what the main draw is, it further reinforces your vision and helps your students, families, and leaders have more buy-in.

Build out the schedule.

Having a schedule and flow for your event is key. Not only does this help you figure out the timing of everything, it gives structure and guidance to your team.

It’s important to know where things will take place and for how long, to know what is happening and when. Doing this allows the event to flow smoothly and effectively as you have planned and prepared well ahead of time.

Prepare your leaders.

When you’re thinking through your spring kickoff, make sure to bring your leaders into the planning process. If there’s aspects they can contribute to, ask them to help.

If there’s a specific action leaders need to take prior to the kickoff (i.e., downloading a specific app, bringing a dessert, arriving a little early, managing a game or activity, etc.), make sure to prepare them well in advance and be willing to help them if needed.

Recruit when needed.

If your event requires additional hands or more leaders, recruiting earlier is always better and it alleviates last-minute panicking. It’s always better to be prepared ahead of time instead of trying to find someone the day or week before an event. This could include recruiting people to serve food, welcome students, manage stations, or pitch in wherever you need to additional support.

Utilize students.

We have a student band that has just recently been formed and it has been received with a lot of excitement. In order to help them succeed and for the event to go well, we want to bring them into the planning process and ask them to lead worship. But with students being as busy as they are, it is highly important to bring them into the process and planning as early as possible.

Quick Tip: Caring Well for Your Volunteers

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Caring for your volunteers is something the majority of youth workers know they should do, but it isn’t always the easiest to accomplish. Life and work get busy. We don’t always follow up. We miss key moments.

But being busy shouldn’t be an excuse to not care well for our people. I would argue that if we are too busy to carve out time to care for our leaders, our priorities are probably out of order.

As disciples of Jesus we are called to model our lives after His. And if we look at what Jesus did in the midst of busyness, we see that He made time not only for His disciples but also for the “least of these.”

Jesus welcomed the children to himself when others tried to shoo them away. Jesus stopped to talk to the sick, hurting, and forgotten. He took time away from all the busyness to care for and pour into His disciples.

If that’s what Jesus did, shouldn’t we do likewise? We need to prioritize caring for our people and that means restructuring our schedules and priorities. It doesn’t mean not doing your job or not meeting the requirements of your position. It means putting things in their proper order and making sure you are loving and caring for your people.

So how do we do that well? Here’s a few practical steps you can take to care well for your people.

Ask questions.

I am convinced that we cannot know and therefore cannot care for our leaders if we don’t ask questions. When we ask questions we show intentionality.

I’m not advocating for hammering your leaders with deeply personal questions at youth group. But engage with them appropriately at appropriate times.

Check in and follow up.

This something that shows our intentionality and care because it’s not just asking questions but showing we are invested by following up and checking in.

We can see how our leaders are doing, if circumstances have changed, if they need anything, and what we should continue to do. When you follow up and see how they are doing, it communicates love and care that goes beyond a simple “how are you” at youth group.

See them.

Being intentional when your leaders are present is huge. Letting them know they are seen and loved is paramount to caring for them.

Yes, you should be focused on your students, but you should also be focused on your leaders and how they are doing. They are not just warm bodies but people with whom you share life. So see them, engage with them, and let them know they are valued.

Cover the tab.

Paying is a practical way of showing care when you go out with your leaders. Cover their coffee or their meal. It doesn’t have to be all the time, and of course make sure to do it within your budget and your means. But if you’re able to cover the tab periodically for them it shows love and care in a tangible way.

Pray with them.

This is something that I think we can say we will do in passing when we engage with our leaders. But I know there are times I can forget to do it.

Instead, I’d encourage you to actually pause and pray with them in the moment and then continue to pray in coming days. When we see our people and engage with them in personal and spiritual ways like this, it communicates the love and care we have for them.

Prioritize them.

Leaders are the reason we are able to do what we do. Without them, many of our ministries would not be able to function, nor care well for our students.

That means we must intentionally focus on loving and caring for our leaders throughout the week. That means prioritizing them and their needs. We don’t dismiss or devalue our students, but instead do our best to love and care for our people so they can help love and care for our students.

How do you care well for your leaders?

Planning Ahead: Christmas Parties

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School has just started back up for our students, and it may seem a little early to start talking about Christmas. It still feels like summer here in Pennsylvania. But remember that once the back to school advertisements end, we need to be prepared for Christmas adds to start dropping—whether it’s commercials, ads online, or walking through stores and seeing Christmas displays slowly popping up.

With that in mind, we need to look ahead to the Christmas season and all that entails for student ministries. One of the big events that student ministries typically look toward at Christmas time are Christmas parties. It’s important to begin thinking through the essential details so you can start planning now and purchase your items ahead of time.

So what do you need to start planning?

Communication.

When you figure out your Christmas party well ahead of time, you are able to communicate this to your students, leaders, and families so they can coordinate their schedules and make sure they can attend.

It also allows you to build anticipation and excitement about the party among your students, which in turn allows them to share that information with their friends so they can invite them along to the party.

The theme and feel for your party.

Are you doing a white elephant gift exchange? Is everyone wearing an ugly Christmas sweater? Is the party more casual or more structured?

Whatever you decide to do, picking a theme and feel ahead of time allows you to begin preparing and shaping the party now. You can start thinking through activities and games, purchasing supplies, and enlisting the help you need.

This also allows you to think through your schedule and where you’d like different elements to be. You will also able to intentionally shape this event and its elements to reflect your ministry’s vision.

Timing.

When it comes to special events the schedule may be different to accommodate your plans. You may start earlier or go longer than normal.

As you think through your event, it’s important to figure out any timing changes so you can communicate that out to families well in advance. Figuring out your event timing also allows you to build structure and organization into your plans to make sure you have enough time for what you’re seeking to do.

Special elements.

These types of events have special elements to them. Whether it’s a gift exchange, some sort of costumes, worship, a guest speaker, unique snacks, or a special theme, competition, or prize, when you think well ahead of time it allows you to get more creative with what you are doing.

Games and supplies.

Once your schedule is finalized and you know what games you will be playing or activities you’ll be hosting, you can begin purchasing supplies.

Typically, holiday supplies are more expensive during the holidays. Buying holiday supplies outside of the holiday schedule means you may actually be able to save some money and find some deals. So building out your games and activities ahead of time helps you to be more creative and proactive with your budget.

Snacks.

Snacks at Christmas are always special because they help evoke the holiday spirit and make your event feel special. If you know what you’re doing for snacks ahead of time, you can do some unique and special things for students.

You could ask people in the church to bake cookies, which as a baker the more time you have to prepare the better. You could purchase supplies to decorate your own Christmas cookies or gingerbread people. There’s the classic hot cocoa bar that you could make into a build-your-own extreme cocoa. You could do breakfast for dinner or even a Christmas dinner depending on the size of your group and your budget.

Quick Tip: 5 Things You Should Never Say at Youth Group

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Working with students means you need to be mindful of what you say because students are always listening whether or not they seem like it. As leaders of our youth groups, we have an obligation to steward what we say and care well for our students through our words.

With that being said, I want to share with you five things you should never say at youth group. Some of these may make you chuckle and some are more serious. My hope is that this short list helps us all to be more intentional and thoughtful with our words as we seek to lovingly lead and disciple our students.

1. “Where is everybody?”

Nothing tells your students who do show up that they don’t matter more than that statement. There are always times when youth group will feel and be smaller than normal. But when we say things like “no one is here” or “where is everyone,” the students who do show up feel like they don’t matter.

Instead, we should acknowledge the students who are present, reach out to the ones who weren’t to let them know they were missed, and create a missional vision that challenges students to be ambassadors for the kingdom of God wherever they are.

2. “My spouse is so hot.”

Look, everyone who is married is attracted to their spouse. I get it! But we don’t need to awkwardly flex that to our students.

There’s a ton of purity culture indoctrination within those flex moments (think of the adage “if you stay pure God will bless you with an attractive spouse and amazing sex”). It also creates an unhealthy understanding of a relationship that is solely rooted in looks. That can cause all sorts of harm for students who struggle with body image.

It also makes things super awkward for your spouse because now they are being objectified not just by their partner but an entire youth group.

3 “Shake it off, you’ll be fine.”

As your career in student ministry progresses, you will undoubtedly deal with all types of injuries from minor scratches and boo-boos to the more severe kind that involve hospital trips and phone calls. In between those two categories are multiple types of injuries that we may be inclined to simply say, “you’re fine, rub some dirt in it.”

But the reality is we should treat every injury with importance, care, and appropriate response. It should be noted that the level of care and response will change depending on the severity of the injury. Don’t assume that a student who fell and hit their head is okay just because they say so. When a student complains about a twisted ankle don’t just toss them a couple Advil without checking it and consulting parents.

Part of being a shepherd to students is caring well for them, even when their mistakes or lack of maturity and body control cause injury.

4. “That sounds dumb” or “I don’t understand you.”

Have you ever had a student share a hobby or interest with you that just baffled you? We all have had one of those students who has been so into something it just makes you scratch your head and wonder what is happening.

Maybe you’ve had someone who is really into juggling, a student who love LARPing, or a student who just loves lifting and protein way more than they should. I know I’ve had quite a few students who have loved different things that have left me wondering what I just heard about.

But here’s the thing: if we dismiss that student or their interest, we are devaluing them and telling them they don’t have a place in youth group and the church because they have weird or unique interests.

5. “Read your Bible and pray more.”

I know we are looking to help our students grow and develop solid spiritual rhythms and maturity. And that means that yes, we should encourage them to read their Bibles and pray.

But when students come to us with difficulties, struggles, and issues in their lives, our response should not be to passively dismiss it by telling them to read the Bible more and to pray harder. Instead we should listen, help them process, create an action plan, and take the necessary steps to help them in those moments.

These are not singular moments in time, but more often than not, long term engagements that involve actively walking with and caring for your students.

What else would you add to our list of things you shouldn’t say at youth group?

5 Tips for Intentional Leader Training

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We just wrapped up our fall student leader training and we are so excited for how it went and all God is going to do this year.

Historically, our leader training sessions weren’t always successful, nor were they always helpful. They used to contain the same information year after year, and they were not something leaders wanted to attend, nor were they a priority.

But that changed when we decided to make the sessions more intentional. It wasn’t an overnight change and there were some challenges in trying to create lasting and intentional change. That doesn’t mean it isn’t worth it, but instead highlights the reality that change isn’t instantaneous.

It took time and effort. It required listening and adaptation. It meant trying and being honest in determining what worked and what didn’t.

In short, creating intentional leader training takes time and thoughtfulness, but the end result is an amazing atmosphere of collaboration. It also helps to create a group of relationally-focused leaders who are growing and committed.

Today, I want to share five tips for hosting intentional leader training:

1. Create the environment.

If I am being honest, this is not something I initially considered nor am I always good at cultivating. I would focus on other aspects of training like sharing pertinent information and interactive elements.

But when a coworker asked me what my theme was for training it made me stop and think. Partly because I had no answer but also because I realized the necessity of creating a theme and environment. When our team began to theme our training, it became more of a fun and engaging environment that our leaders wanted to be a part of.

Theming doesn’t have to be a large production, but it is something you carry through your training holistically. For an example, we hosted our training with a Jaws-inspired theme. We had different take home items like stickers and squishies that were “sea” oriented. We utilized sharks and water illustrations for our slides. And we created a snack bar that had “ocean” themed snacks.

2. Have food.

This may seem trivial but food is a key part to intentional training. Food creates an atmosphere that feels warm and welcoming, and it communicates value and worth.

Think about the last time you were over someone’s house. Did they offer you food? Whenever someone offers food or drink, you feel seen, valued, and appreciated.

Hospitality is key to helping leaders feel loved and cared for, and food is one way to do this. You don’t need to cater your training, nor do you need to drop hundreds or thousands of dollars.

It could be as simple as having fruit and coffee with fun creamer flavors. It could be a cheese tray with crackers, fun candy at the tables, mocktails, or chips and dip. By bringing in food and drinks, you are communicating value and worth to your leaders.

3. Make it relational.

One of the best things you can utilize for intentional leader training is relational opportunities. This can be in how you set up the room and seating arrangements. It can also be done through creating organic times for fellowship and conversation.

This comes into play by how you interact and engage with leaders during the training. Allow for communal and conversational opportunities throughout the training whether it’s in small group breakouts, prayer times, idea sharing opportunities, games or team building, or through a Q&A time. These are just some of the ways you can utilize relational opportunities at your training.

4. Incorporate spiritual rhythms.

Training shouldn’t only be about the practical nature of working with students and the circumstances with which leaders may engage. It should also focus on cultivating a spiritual maturity and depth in their relationship with Jesus.

In order to do this, we must make sure that we are each growing in our own walk with Jesus. So taking time to engage in spiritual rhythms not only helps us to grow but also provides a revitalization and refreshment for your team.

Taking time to pray and worship together, to engage with Scripture, to practice pausing and refreshing are some of the steps you could take to help your leaders engage with Jesus during your training.

5. Make it collaborative.

Collaboration is highly important for team training. Utilizing additional voices outside of paid church staff is essential as it elevates different voices and allows them to use their gifts and expertise to help others grow and flourish.

This can be done through having others lead part of the training, or by having your team engage with one another, or by utilizing activities that allow everyone to share their ideas and tips for student ministry.

However you choose to incorporate collaboration, make sure that you don’t just hear what is said but also think through follow-up and implementation. You may hear great ideas and suggestions, but failing to act upon those ideas communicates a lack of collaboration and value to your team.

Quick Tip: Never Be Afraid to Ask

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“Would you be willing to lead one of our training sessions? As an educator you would provide so much helpful information.”

“Would your company be willing to donate some items to our student ministry?”

“Are you interested in volunteering with us?”

“My workload and responsibility have increased a lot since I started. What is the possibility of me getting a pay raise?”

Have you ever asked a question like those before? I’ve asked lots of questions throughout my ministry career, but if I’m honest I shied away from asking them early in my career. I was worried that people would think I didn’t know what I was doing or was ill equipped. And that made me fearful of loosing my job because of all the horror stories I had heard.

However, the reality is that asking questions is a good thing. When you ask questions you are gaining knowledge and awareness. Questions help you to grow and mature as a leader because you are able to seek guidance and clarity.

Questions also help you to lead better because they give you the opportunity to seek help and assistance as needed. No one is an expert in everything and there is always someone who has knowledge we do not.

By asking others for assistance you can gain much by leaning into their strength and giftedness. In as much as you gain from their teaching, they are also able to lean into their gifts and use them for the kingdom of heaven.

Asking questions also empowers those you lead to see the beauty that comes from asking questions. There are others who probably are concerned that if they ask questions others may look down on them. By leading in this way you are giving them permission to ask questions and inviting them into a collaborative environment where they grow and flourish.

At the end of the day, asking questions should never be frowned upon or inhibited. Questions should be welcomed and encouraged.

If you are in an environment where questions are not welcomed, let me encourage you to seek wisdom and clarity from outside sources (mentors, coaches, other youth workers, trusted confidantes), and to create an environment within your ministry that does encourage and welcome questions. Questions are needed and beneficial and we should always ask them and welcome them.

Everyone Needs a Brian

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Back in the days of NYWC I had the privilege of meeting multiple staff from Youth Specialties. One of those staff members I briefly met was Brian Aaby, but it wasn’t until I was searching for a new ministry position that I began to connect with Brian more often. He was the Director of YS Search and Coaching, and the person in charge of my search. It was then that he and I began to forge a great friendship.

That friendship deepened throughout the search and placement process but grew even deeper as he would visit with Elise and I at our home, coach me as a youth pastor, and invited me to join his cohort. Brian not only became one of our closest friends but also a confidante, a mentor, and someone who was willing to sharpen, encourage, and challenge me when needed.

Brian has been someone who has not only stood in my corner throughout my career but has also been someone to shape and strengthen who I am as a person, husband, and pastor. I can honestly say that I wouldn’t be who I am today and I may not even be in ministry if it weren’t for him.

Today, Brian has joined another one of our friends, Tim Eldred, at the Authentic Pastor. They are seeking to care for and empower pastors to be holistically healthy in their lives and careers. Together, these two are unstoppable and I am so excited for what they are doing and what comes next!

The purpose of this post isn’t to simply highlight how awesome Brian is, although I could, but instead to showcase the type of people we need in our lives. These friends may not encompass all of the following characteristics, which is totally fine. The reality is that having someone like this in your life is key to helping you grow, succeed, and flourish.

Friend.

Ministry can be lonely. Let’s just be honest about it. It can be extremely isolating even when you’re surrounded by people because they all look to you as a pastor not necessarily as a friend.

We are crafted for relationships and not having someone that you can be your authentic self around is problematic. It further isolates you and leads you toward self-dependence, which can be extremely unhealthy.

Mentor.

Everyone needs a mentor in their life. Someone who is older and wiser, who can listen to you, encourage you, offer you tips, and will walk with you through the long haul.

They are someone who will stick with you even if you switch careers or move. They will speak truth and wisdom into your life and be someone you can bounce ideas and questions off of.

Coach.

Having a coach is huge! This is someone who is trained and equipped to help ministry leaders flourish and grow. When someone can speak into your life, encourage and challenge you, and help you to grow as a pastor, leader, and person that is life changing.

This is more than a mentorship, it is someone who is pouring into you and developing you into the person God has designed you to be. A coach will lean into the refining process and walk through the fire with you. They will correct and challenge you to help you grow and mature.

These individuals are not necessarily in it for the long haul like a mentor, but instead will focus specific time and energy into helping you grow and flourish by looking into specific skill and developmental strategies.

Advocate.

There have been many times in my ministry career when I’ve been hesitant to advocate on my behalf. I’ll never forget when I was talking with Brian about the pay scale for a job I was moving into.

I asked if it was okay to negotiate because I had assumed ministry people did not ask for a higher paid grade. Brian assured me it was okay to ask to be paid what I was worth and that the worst they could do is say no.

That is only one instance where Brian helped me to advocate for myself, but he has also advocated for me to others. Brian has stood in the gap for me multiple times and I am forever grateful for that because in ministry it is hard at times to advocate for yourself.

Having someone who cares enough, is respected and measured, and knowledgeable is key as they can engage on your behalf in ways you may not be able to.

Ministry guru.

One of the best things you can do as a youth worker is find someone who has been in youth ministry and knows what they are doing to be someone you can learn and glean from. When you can learn from someone who has been there and done that, it not only helps you avoid pitfalls but it also challenges you to be a better youth pastor.

These are people who can provide insight for teaching, games, activities and events, and also be a resource if you need a speaker for a retreat or event.

Here’s the thing: Brian is a unicorn because he fits all of these things as one person. But I want to be clear that if you don’t have someone who fits all of those characteristics, it is totally fine to have multiple people in these roles.

The point of this post is simply to encourage you to have these types of people in your life because without them, ministry would be incredibly difficult, isolating, and at times defeating. At the end of the day Brian and Tim are always up for coaching and walking with people, and if you don’t have people in your life who can fit those characteristics, I know they would both be incredibly happy to talk with you and walk with you.

Caring for Hurting Leaders

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One of the realities of serving in ministry is you will be dealing with hurt, pain, and loss. It could be helping students navigate the hurt of a broken relationship, officiating a funeral, helping struggling couples, or a variety of other circumstances. Hurt and pain are very real and they are a very important part of our career as we have the privilege of walking with others.

In as much as we care for our church community holistically, today I want to think through what it looks like to care for hurting leaders who serve alongside us in our ministries. Our leaders deal with hurt and pain just as much as anyone else, but they also carry the burden of caring for students and their pain as well. So what are some ways that can we come alongside our people and care for them?

Be available.

One of the best things you can do for your leaders is be present when needed. When they are hurting, need to talk, or just need you to be present the best thing you can do is be there for them.

That could be as simple as sitting with them, listening and empathizing, offering counseling and direction, and being a friend to them. Those moments are critical and necessary in caring for your leaders who are hurting.

Utilize additional resources.

There may be times that you need to lean into additional resources in order to care well for your people. That could be counselors and mental health professionals, food or clothing banks, hotels for housing needs, funeral homes, financial counselors, and whatever other needs you may be able to help with.

You will need to build relationships and contacts with various organizations and agencies to help when needed. When you build your resource bank up, it allows you to better care for your people by connecting them with the necessary resources to help them.

When necessary, encourage a break.

There will be moments when your leaders are going through an exceptionally difficult time that needs both a friend to walk with them but also a caring leader to encourage a break. Often, youth leaders are deeply committed to serving and don’t want to let down their students by stepping away.

But the reality of leading well means that your leaders are holistically healthy. That means you need to be willing to encourage and challenge your leaders to take a break for their own wellbeing, healing, and restoration as needed. These aren’t easy conversations but they are needed ones that should consist of love, care, and shepherding.

Send a card and encouragement.

A tangible way of loving and caring for hurting leaders is sending a handwritten card and some kind of encouragement. We often send a DoorDash or Amazon gift card or flowers to our leaders who are hurting as a way of highlighting that they have a community who loves and cares about them

Follow up.

Often a time of hurt, pain, and grief is not just a singular moment but an ongoing one. There will be ongoing moments of pain and grief. As such, we have an obligation to continue to check in, love, and care for our people. Take them out for coffee, call them, have a conversation at youth group. These follow up moments signal that you still care and are aware of what they are going through and that they aren’t alone.

Trip Tricks: Staying Healthy

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Round two of our summer mission trips has officially started. In fact, if you’re reading this when it drops we are out serving for our first full day! I love going on these trips with our students and leaders and watching God work in and through them.

But there’s also some unique complexities to being the primary leader on trips. You’re often the first one out of bed and the last to bed. You’re the stop gap for all issues. You have to handle all the non-stop questions. You probably don’t have great sleeping arrangements. And the food, well depending where you go and what stage of life you’re in, it could be better or worse than what you have at home.

The crazy thing is that the complexities I listed are just the tip of the iceberg. The true reality is that trips can take a toll on us for a variety of reasons. We can’t always control what those may be or when they happen, but we can be proactive and intentional in being prepared for them.

In this post, I don’t want to try and focus on all the various ways to prepare for all the things that may come up. It would be much too long and at that point ineffective. Instead, I would like to focus on how you can stay healthy during the trips you go on.

Practice good hygiene.

Let’s be real: youth trips can be gross. Everyone is running around and getting sweaty. You may be doing dirty work on mission trips. Shower situations may be less than ideal. But those things shouldn’t stop you from practicing good hygiene.

Staying healthy means taking care of your body in all aspects. So making sure to shower, wash your hands, sanitize when possible, not drinking or eating after other people, and even things like wearing slides in the shower are big difference makers. The last thing you want is some kind of illness or bug from a trip, and practicing good hygiene helps in large ways.

Make sure to eat well.

The majority of trips I have been on with students have decent food. Decent in the sense that you can eat it and not feel horrible. But they aren’t necessarily healthy or balanced.

Usually it’s a lot of carbs and meat coupled with a dessert of some kind that is designed to give energy for the activities ahead. And yes, they do provide a quick burst of energy but they don’t keep you going for the long haul especially as you get older.

So look for more healthy and balanced options. Grab a salad and veggies when you’re able. Don’t grab two desserts, or maybe pass on them all together. Eat some fruit.

Is this always easy to do at camps and on mission trips? No. But it’s one way of being intentional that will help you stay healthy in the long run.

Drink lots of fluids.

When I first started out in student ministry I drank a lot of coffee throughout the day. I usually would down an entire pot on my own and I could drink it until late in the evening without it keeping me up. I drank more coffee than water and I did it every day, even on trips.

But I noticed something on a mission trip in a humid climate: I had headaches, I was always thirsty, and I felt lightheaded. I realized I had not been drinking water and my body was not hydrated.

Hydration is huge to staying healthy because our bodies are roughly 60% water, which means we need water to function well. Water also helps our bodies to release toxins by passing them through our system and without that we are at greater risk of getting sick. So proper hydration helps to ensure you stay healthy during and after your trip.

Get decent rest.

I know, I laughed too when I wrote this. You’re probably thinking, “Proper rest on a trip?! Are you crazy?” Nope, just experienced.

I get it: I don’t sleep well on trips either. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to. Having a time of proper rest and sleep is necessary for you to be a good leader and to stay healthy. I know it’s not easy on a camp mattress, or when the schedule lists a lights out time of 1:00 a.m., or your cabin smells like a high school locker room.

But I also know that we don’t have to pull an all-nighter and that there are things like AdvilPM and melatonin to help us sleep well. I’m simply saying that doing your best to achieve a decent time of rest and sleep will do wonders for your health and also prevent some of the crash that comes after the trip is over.

Take time to breathe.

“Nick! Hey Nick. Nick I have a question. Nickkkk!!”

Have you ever just sat in the silence after a trip to breathe? I do it all the time. I finally don’t have students constantly yelling for me or asking questions. Breathing is a good thing, but how do you do this on a trip?

One way to make sure you get space to breathe is to champion this principle with your crew. When your leadership team is on board it allows everyone space to breathe while knowing your group is still being cared for.

Another way would be to find a time where your group is otherwise occupied (team games, night games, devotional time, etc.) and give yourself the freedom to take even just a few moments to breathe and reset. These moments are key to being able to lead well as you get re-center and decompress briefly as you prepare to engage.

Be proactive.

Taking vitamin C before a trip, getting rest ahead of your departure, bringing hand sanitizer, and having the right medicines and resources for the trip will help to ensure you stay healthy. You cannot prepare for every circumstance or outcome, but being proactive and intentional will help you to stay healthy before, during, and after your trip.

Take time to refresh when you get home.

I didn’t always do this. In fact in some ministry settings the expectation was you’d be right back in the office after a trip. But it is so important to take time to recover and refresh after a trip so you can be the best version of yourself, the version God has designed you to be.

Refreshment may look different depending on your personality, but should at minimum include a nice shower, a good meal, time with family and/or close friends, and at least a full day off to decompress, process, and sleep.