What Does YOUR Student Ministry Do?

What Does Your Student Ministry Do?

This question has been playing though my head for a month or so now with the questions seeming to change daily? If someone was to ask me this question month ago I would have started to list off all the activities that our ministry offers to our students and to guest that visit our Group.

Wednesday Night Worship
Falls Creek (Summer Camp)
Fall Retreats
Focus Weekend (Disciple Now)
Sunday Night Discipleship
Student Life (Sunday School)
Summer Mission Trip
Super Summer
Lockins
Welcome Weekend

The more I thought about the question the more it started to change my answer and also my outlook on the next year of our Student Ministry. Most of what we call Student Ministry is what we DO FOR STUDENT not STUDENTS DOING MINISTRY. We think we're equipping them for life outside of the church but really we are just spiritual babysitter for them. If we don't move outside of this we will be realizing another generation that leaves our Youth Ministries and get lost and leave the church forever. Why are we loosing all these students, BECAUSE MINISTRY IS WHAT WE DID FOR THEM. We need to do more than just equip students but we need to give them the opportunity to DO MINISTRY. When the majority of our calenders are filled with events and not ministry opportunities, and not just inviting their friends to OUR event. When was the last time we let students preach or lead a devotion (Even if we know their not ready). No one ever sat down with me and taught me how to prepare a sermon, no one ever gave me instruction on how to teach a lesson. Are our Student Ministries? Ministries of Students, Ministries to Students, Ministries for Students, or Ministries by Students, What is it?

With this comes my heart for 2011, that (My) Ministry will no longer be Student Ministry but My ministry will be leading Students to do Ministry.

Christ lead the same way he started off by doing Ministry and letting the Disciples watch, then he moved them into Part 2, Jesus didn't ministry and he let the Disciples help him. Part 3 where he let the Disciples do the ministry while he helped them. Finally, He moved to Part 4 where he let the Disciples do the ministry and he was able to leave them to the work because he had trained them. In 2011 I will be (Trying) to move students into Part 3...it's time to let them, no wait it's time for them to Lead as Students Doing Ministry.