Welcome to the Potomac Youth Leaders Blog! This blog is created to inspire conversations about relevant issues facing youth leaders. It’s for leaders by leaders. Each month we’ll be releasing an article written by someone in youth leadership from our own network. The Potomac Network has a wide range of demographics represented so we’ll be sharing knowledge that can apply to you no matter where you serve.
Our first piece here is written by our very own fearless leader, John May. John shares his thoughts on how we as leaders can navigate through this current pandemic that’s impacting us all.
How to connect with students during in our current reality?
March 2020 will be a moment in time that none of us will forget anytime soon. School being canceled, a toilet paper shortage, hand sanitizer is at a premium and some of our most basic privileges being changed. Who would have thought that when God gave me a message titled “It’s Not What I Imagined”, any of us could have pictured this?
It has made me rethink how youth ministry looks now in our current reality. We have gone from regular meetings of various sizes to online communities of students and leaders. For those of us that are more extraverts, the idea of a quarantine seems unusually challenging. This can be a fruitful season for youth pastors and leaders. Evert obstacle provides an opportunity if you allow it. This season is giving all of us unique opportunities to be involved in our student’s lives and it’s causing us to grow and expand as leaders.
We all realize that many students tend to isolate themselves and live in a digital world. It’s not as uncommon to them. They text their friends across the room everything from “how’s it going” to “its time to break up”. Generation Z are publishers by nature. We need to remind ourselves of that. We have a chance to help our students publish hope, not fear. We can help them learn to use their platforms more now than ever before!
What this means for youth leaders is how can we continue to connect and build community in their world. We have been thinking of some tips to continuing to develop life long followers of Christ.
- Remind students to laugh at themselves. During this time of uncertainty, let’s not lose the ability to laugh. Life can be funny sometimes. If we teach students to laugh at themselves, they will learn a skill that will follow them through life. Laughing doesn’t eliminate the present struggles of reality but it can help alleviate the weight it has on us.
- Engage students in a virtual small group. I’ve heard many leaders ask questions about meeting times and locations for a small group in the past. Now is a time when we have a captive audience. Why not utilize social media or technology to organize your students into an online community. Zoom, Facebook, Instagram are just a few ways to do this. If you’re a youth leader that isn’t comfortable utilizing these platforms, we have an incredible network full of YP’s that would be able to assist you!
- Engage students in a gaming platform that doesn’t comprise your leader/student policy. I have already had a report of a leader who was able to see a student pursue a relationship with God through this interaction. This is a time that students are searching for answers. A good motto for student ministries is “If you play with them, they’ll pray with you”. This simply means when we engage students in their worlds, they’re more willing to open up to us, especially on a spiritually.
- Continue to stream/ video your weekly talk and post it at your usual meeting time. Doing things outside of your normal time slots is helpful but keeping your primary influence in the same time slot as before will help create a sense of normality for your students.
- Remember students are anxious as well. The more that you can offer some stability while yet being transparent during this time the more that you will continue to build relationships beyond this season.
- Suggest new relevant worship resources that students can listen to. Let’s face it, we all have said at some moment the worship experience in our services stink. LOL. Give your students resources to help them encounter God where they are.
- Have students share pics of what they are doing to occupy themselves during this time. Make it fun! Feature them on your stories!
These are just a few thoughts I have. I know there are so many out there. Get creative and begin to change the dialogue.
I am certain that Moses’ life wasn’t what he imagined. He went from an orphan baby in a basket to a place of power only to be rejected in the middle of the wilderness to leading a nation.
During this time remember He will protect you. He will position you and he will prepare you. Iam excited to see what’s next. None of what is happening has caught God by surprise. Through it all, we’ll see his faithfulness again.
Now I am going to grab my barbeque chips and watch some Netflix.
John May