124 Things I've Learned About Student Ministry
1. Its Hard and so worth it
2. Its fulfilling ...I don't want to do anything else
3. It takes a strategy
4. It’s difficult to measure
5. Connect with students who are busy
6. Parents are a mystery
7. Volunteers are hard to find
8. Volunteers are a joy
9. Volunteers need a leader
10. Church work is a calling
11. Some things never change, and that’s cool
12. Relationships are central
13. I must be real
14. I must be honest
15. Having fun needs to be a priority
16. Challenge students to dream big
17. Don’t be afraid to lead
18. Spend a lot of time on my knees
19. Pay the price of doing what’s unpopular
20. Get some skin in the game
21. Be committed to keep growing
22. Be a friend to the Sr. Pastor
23. Live in a community and not on an island
24. Take time-off
25. Rest more
26. Play hard
27. Stop trying to be cool
28. Teach deep
29. Take advantage of windows in time
30. Love more than you judge
31. Be patient
32. Partner with other youth leaders
33. Fight for the lives of students
34. Don’t waste time
35. Invest deep
36. Find a mentor
37. Intentionally mentor
38. Think first
39. Ready, Aim, Fire rather than Fire, Aim, Fire
40. Take your job serious
41. Be creative
42. Plan intensively
43. Recruit people to help you
44. Forgive always
45. Practice smiling
46. Be seen
47. Live in community
48. Practice what you preach
49. Get out if, you don’t like what your job
50. Make God first
51. Give God your ministry
52. Serve more than you teach
53. Admit it when you are wrong
54. Seek out accountability
55. Get rid of sin that could take you out of the game
56. Acknowledge the risk
57. Pay the price
58. Sacrifice your desires for God’s
59. Let God own your ministry
60. Be a friend to the community leaders and school systems
61. Volunteer outside your church
62. Let students lead
63. Invest in the leaders and give your ministry away
64. Work yourself out of a job
65. Pray more than you used to
66. I need to ask your family if you are home enough
67. Its good to let students see how much you love your spouse
68. You should bring your kids to youth group activities
69. If it’s a job, the get out
70. Being a student leader is a calling
71. There is no clear age limit
72. Tradition is not a bad thing
73. God’s Word is crucial
74. I need to be a peacemaker
75. Stand up for things that matter
76. Don’t try to fix everything you think is wrong
77. I pays to know your limits and stay home
78. Be honest with your limitations
79. Hire people that are better than you are
80. Make people a priority
81. Be smart
82. Seek out older and wiser people and commit to being with them
83. Never stop learning
84. Be a learner of the world the average students experiences daily
85. Be willing to get off a dead horse
86. Evaluate regularly
87. Do something about the results of your evaluations
88. Be a strong and try to develop thick skin
89. Know there will always people on and off your side
90. A few students will actually remember you forever
91. Remember that students will remember what you do long after they forget what you say
92. Learn from those who have gone before you
93. Remember who’s name is really on the line – “I lead you in the way of righteousness for my name’s sake” God
94. Keep your ears to the ground
95. Look deep in the ocean for what might be stirring
96. Focus . . . What you focus on happens
97. Be comfortable with technology but not dominated by it
98. Get control of your schedule
99. Travel
100. Pay attention to the Spirit more than the voices of people
101. Know the Word
102. Know God more than you know your students
103. Make compassion a priority
104. Live like Jesus
105. The greatest thing I can do is know God
106. Make innovation a high priority
107. Don’t rely on what’s always worked
108. Be willing to use the tools that are all around you
109. Be a good steward of the trust
110. Don’t quit
111. Ask God for vision
112. Ask God for Wisdom
113. Remember and rejoice
114. Trust and Obey
115. Stop trying to do everything and relax
116. Operate in your strengths
117. Be honest with your weaknesses
118. Be physically fit
119. Remember the milestone
120. God does the work
121. Trust in Him and eat Ice Cream
122. Don’t take yourself so serious
123. Stop competing with other Christian leaders
124. Define what you want to be known for
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