Cell Phone Policy

First off let me start by saying, these thoughts represent my thoughts and I am in no way saying this is the only way to do this.

A few weeks ago on a youth ministry application I used to use a heated debate broke out over cell phone policy. There were quite a few youth ministers who felt that there way was the only way. So I thought I would lay out my cell phone policy to spark thoughts. I'm sure I will get a LOT of push back on this.

My policy is, who cares! If my students pull out a cell phone in my youth worship I'm usually so caught up in my message I never even notice anyway. Plus with the advent of the You Version Bible, they may be looking at their Bible.

In main worship service you can't imagine the times I've been asked to put my iPad away, even though I'm following along in my Bible app. Also if U had a dime for every time someone told me one of "my youth" had their cell phone out during service. I politely inform that person neither of my daughters own a cell phone as the oldest is 6, but if they are referring to a youth group student, they are "our youth" not "mine". Plus when I ask the adults that sat near them, they usually said they didn't notice.

I can say in the close to 5 years I've been doing this, that the seven times I remember a cell phone ringing and interrupting the pastor mid sermon each time the person was over the age of 60! I don't see anyone going in to the senior adult class and tell them to turn their cell phones off.

So if we treat the adults like they know better than to do that, I treat my students like they should know better! It's not a battle worth having. I would rather battle with a student over how reading their Bible is important or figuring out why they seem to be disconnected. Those are battles worth fighting. Cell phones are trivial.

Now my ministry has an advantage, the town we live in doesn't even have 3G service so a lot of the Facebooking etc in worship is cut out due to no internet connection. But even if we had it, so what. I would actually love to have free wifi in our meeting area so that we could use the events option on You Version to distribute our notes.

So you have to ask your self, is it a fight worth having in your ministry? I will make a guarantee that the second you confiscate a phone from a student you will have an upset parent on your hands. I ask again is it worth it? Then the student finds out the youth minister down the road allows cell phones, now their gone. Is it worth it? Or now you have the cell phone so the student wads up his bulletin and throws it across the room, and strikes up a loud conversation with another student. Still causing a distraction. Is it worth it?

Or would this be better, instruct your volunteers to not make a big deal out of it, but let you know who was playing on their cell phone. After service you call the student and ask "Hey noticed you were on your cell phone quite a bit yesterday during youth worship. Everything ok? Is there something you want to talk about that was causing you to be distracted?" Then they tell you about a bad week because of (fill in the blank).

So think about it for awhile. In the mean time get a laugh at this!

Just Keep Swimming!

Top Reasons I'm excited for the Simply Youth Ministry Conference.

Earlier I read a blog post on the writers top reasons for being excited about Simply Youth Ministry Conference 2013 coming up March 1-4. I figured I would add my two cents in as well.

This is my first year going to SYMC and I'm pumped! I've attended smaller youth ministry conferences and training and had a blast there. So I can't imagine how much fun something Simply Youth Ministry puts on is going to be. I mean come on John Acuff, Lecrae, and All Sons and Daughters? Folks it doesn't get better! So here we go with a top 5!

1: Different kind of worship!
Anytime I go out of town I look for something different then our church. While our churches are all awesome, I think we can get stuck in a worship rut. So I'll find a church that only has a piano and OLD style hymns or has a praise and worship band only. It's good to break out of the mold sometimes.

2: Ideas, ideas, ideas!
While I love to consider myself a very creative youth pastor, a lot of my ideas are ones someone else thought of and I put a Pastor Kev spin on. So it's great to get surrounded by other youth pastors and hear what's working for them.

3: Connections.
It's like summer camp for adults. The friendships made there last a lifetime. So it'll be great to get in a Connect Group (look for me in the Jr High/High School combined group!) and talk to other pastors that are going through the same things you are. You cannot do ministry alone!

4: Unwind
As a youth pastor I feel like I always have to be 'on' at church. I can't have a bad day, or be sick, or just be a 'little off'. To many people depend on me, look to me for leadership, and need me to help them. Sound familiar? I think this is something we all feel and go through. So it's good to get away and just be Kevin and not have to be Pastor Kevin.

5: Get closer to God
How can you get closer to God with thousands of other youth ministers around? Isn't that like letting the inmates run the asylum? Knowing youth pastors...quite possibly!
But I plan on sneaking in some time with just me and my Bible and my prayers. No curriculum, no sermons to write, no one to counsel, no events to plan, and NO DISTRACTIONS! Just me and the Creator of the world!

I hope to see you there! If you see me, stop me and say hi. Hopefully you won't mind the country accent and since I'm from Kentucky I may sneak a hon into the conversation. I hope that you and I both can get "Stronger" at SYMC!

Just Keep Swimming!

PS: Number 6 would be to show off my YouthPastorDiet.com body and show you what a top 3 finish looks like! Joking...but seriously.

Top Ten Tips for Bivocational/volunteer Youth Pastors Pt #2

Continuing my tips for Bivocational/volunteer youth pastors. These will deal. More with the actual operation of your youth ministry. The last post dealt more with you and your heart. So let's go!

6: Relational Youth Ministry

I'm going to guess if you are Bivocational or volunteer that you are in a smaller setting. The one thing that is great about this is the fact that it lends itself naturally to relational youth ministry. If there is one thing that I got right I my first years of youth ministry it is this. Know your students, names are great but that's easy! Know their birthdays, what sports they play, show up to the games, and send them hand written words of encouragement. These small things go a long way to impact students.

7: Know your setting.

Being from the Bible Belt and being Southern Baptist that usually means the church's I'm at are very traditional. So some things are taboo and some subjects untouchable, now I tend to be one who pushes the envelope sometimes but I'm aware of how far I can go before it's a problem. But learn your environment! Is your church traditional or a little more contemporary? Are there areas of the church that are off limits to the youth? Are there subjects like sex that are taboo and not to be talked about? Learn about your churches culture.

8: Network!

One thing that can help you is networking. There are a ton of tools out there for this. Check around with other youth pastors in your area, there maybe networks already in place. Youth Specialties has a great network app as well. The point is find a mentor or an accountability partner that understands the demands of youth ministry. Someone who you can unload on and that can encourage you. Someone who's been there and can help. I don't know to many youth ministers who would turn you down.

9: Build a team!

You cannot do youth ministry alone! Let me repeat this...you CANNOT do youth ministry alone! Even if you are the volunteer get some help. Even if its just someone in your church who can pray for you. I had a gentleman who was loved by my students who I asked to help out. He said, "Ahh I'm too old." I said, "Can you say, 'Hello welcome to Revolution?'"He said, "Well yeah." "Your hired!" Even if its greeting the students who come in, making them feel wanted and welcome. There are all kinds of jobs a volunteer can do to lighten your load. You CANNOT do this alone!

10: Use pre made curriculum/resources.

I'm a proponent of making your own curriculum, it will obviously be tailored specifically to your group. HOWEVER, there are great prefabricated curriculums and resources out there. This would free you up to spend more time on the stuff that matters, relational youth ministry. Not everyone is gifted in the curriculum writing department, so let someone who is write it for you. Along this line too, here's a freebie. Get ideas from other youth ministers. Some of my best sermon ideas..swiped from somewhere else, redone, made my own, and used in my setting.

Hope these tips help you out along your youth ministry. And remember...

Just Keep Swimming!

Top Ten Tips for Bivocational/volunteer Youth Pastors Pt #1

What's up everyone? I was thinking the other day, if I could go back in time and give myself some tips when I first started in youth ministry as a volunteer lead youth pastor what would it be. So I came up with a top ten list. I'm going to break this into two parts. These are in no particular order of importance so here we go!

1: Your first priority should be your relationship with God.

My first year in youth ministry I pack the ministry on my back and ran to the finish line. I sacrificed my time with God and said it's for the youth ministry, I can't be selfish. I have to help these students in their relationship with God. But I didn't realize if I didn't have a good relationship with God I was a weak leader. After the first year I was burnt out and ready to call it quits. Then I learned this lesson and got back in the game. Don't sacrifice your spiritual health for your students.

2: Family second.

My oldest daughter and I were talking one day and she said, "Daddy I can't wait until I'm in youth group." (She was 4 at the time) I said, "Why's that hon?" "So I can spend time with you." You talk about a slap in the face. From that point I promised my kids and my wife to be more present. Don't sacrifice your family for the ministry. For one your setting a bad example for your students, but worse than that it may cost you everything that is important in your life.

3: Stay or get into shape.

Your physical well being is of the utmost importance. I was around 185 lbs and running half marathons 4 years ago when I started I youth ministry. Now? I'm 230lbs, can barely run a mile, and had to enter a weight loss competition to get back into shape. Since I've started my weight loss journey I can tell a HUGE difference in my ministry. I have more energy, I'm in a better mood, and can keep up in the games. Health = good ministry.

4: Busy does not equal productive.

You don't have to schedule an event every single month to have a productive ministry. The first year I was in ministry I scheduled two events a month. From concerts to clothing drives to fellowship socials. I will make a 100% money back guarantee that we were the busiest youth ministry in our association. But no decisions, no new believers, no growth. What was I doing wrong? I thought programs and events equalled success. You'll be much more successful if you concentrate on depth of relationships and not business.

5: Numbers do not equal success either.

This goes against everything most people believe in youth ministry. But I would rather have a group of ten on fire for Jesus teenagers than 50 that are there for snacks and to hang out. While I have no problem with those types of students being at our programs, maybe just one message will get through, when I have three students show up for a discipleship class but they are completely sold out and ready to learn and have that deep relationship with Christ, that my friend is success. I'm an example of this, when I was in youth group in school I was a screw up. Oh I was "saved" but I lived a life so far from God it wasn't funny. But just the example the youth leaders set in my life influenced me later in life. So don't think your not winning, God works in his time not ours.


Just Keep Swimming!