by Aaron Helman | @aaronhelman | loading comments...
Today I'm sharing the strategy we used to finally break through with those overcommitted students.
You know the ones.
They play sports and instruments, make good grades, work part-time.
They are busier than ever and there are more of them than ever too.
What's a youth pastor to do?
I feel like I spent the last ten years trying to find out, and then...
Getting through to those over-scheduled, hyper-involved students turned out to be easier than I thought.
A psychologist would call these students 'achievers.' They do many things and do them well, and usually it's at the prodding of their parents.
It's easy for youth workers to struggle with these kinds of students. They have time for forty hours of swim practice every week, but still can't find an hour a month to show up for youth group.
Bummer.
But there's also good news. Those achievers like to be involved, and when they find something that captures their interest, they jump in with both feet.
In short, they're hardwired for a deep and meaningful faith.
The trouble is getting them there, and we started to figure that out when we realized that we didn't have an answer to this one question:
Today I'm sharing the strategy we used to finally break through with those overcommitted students.You know the ones.
They play sports and instruments, make good grades, work part-time.
They are busier than ever and there are more of them than ever too.
What's a youth pastor to do?
I feel like I spent the last ten years trying to find out, and then...
Getting through to those over-scheduled, hyper-involved students turned out to be easier than I thought.
A psychologist would call these students 'achievers.' They do many things and do them well, and usually it's at the prodding of their parents.
It's easy for youth workers to struggle with these kinds of students. They have time for forty hours of swim practice every week, but still can't find an hour a month to show up for youth group.
Bummer.
But there's also good news. Those achievers like to be involved, and when they find something that captures their interest, they jump in with both feet.
In short, they're hardwired for a deep and meaningful faith.
The trouble is getting them there, and we started to figure that out when we realized that we didn't have an answer to this one question:
Why would someone who didn't know God
sacrifice their Sunday morning to worship Him?
sacrifice their Sunday morning to worship Him?
You could ask the same question about Sunday afternoon or Wednesday night or whenever your primary program meets.
We discovered students who were interested in our ministry and said they wanted to be involved, but then Sunday came...
...and they were nowhere to be found.
Repeat that cycle every single week for ten years, and you have the recipe for the most frustrating element of my ministry career.
Until the day when something clicked.
WHY DON'T THEY EVER SHOW UP?
For the past five years, I've been partnered with a performing group that rehearses a full-length musical, then tours the show across the East Coast.
They perform at Boys and Girls clubs, YMCA's, inner-city schools.
They rehearse in our building, pray before each of their gatherings, and best of all, I get to talk to them about Jesus.
Every year, I invite them to join us, and every year several of them indicate that they will, or at least that they want to.
But in the last FIVE years, exactly ONE student has become a part of our ministry as a result of his participation in the group.
That's not a good ratio, but at least there's good reason.
These students are achievers. They make excellent grades, they each participate in multiple musical productions all year, they sing in choirs and play in bands.
These are students who don't even know the meaning of the word 'weekend.'
Sometimes they rehearse for as many as twelve hours on Saturdays and eight hours on Sunday afternoons.
And there I was, trying to persuade them to plug one more thing into their schedules:
I wanted them to come to church at 9:00 in the morning the same day they'd be rehearsing until well past 9:00 at night.
30 NEW WORSHIPPERS IN 30 DAYS. HOW?
It used to be that I'd show up about a half hour before rehearsal began. I'd bring a snack and say hello.
This was my time to make myself familiar to them, and also when I would invite them to come back on a Sunday morning even if they never did.
But then I did something a little crazy.
I stopped inviting them to come back for worship later, and I started inviting them to worship with me right now.
We brought a guitar and a hand drum. We sang songs and I shared a message. We built a little congregation.
People who would have never showed up on a Sunday morning are worshiping with us every week, and why?
Because we brought our program to them, when they were ready and wanting to do it, instead of making them jump through hoops to get it.
There's such a Jesus precedent here that I almost can't believe I missed it for so long. Read through the Gospels and you'll see it.
Jesus doesn't invite people to come hear truth later. He shares it with them right now.
It's such a simple idea that I'm sure you've ALREADY thought of a way you can use it in your own ministry.
So go ahead and share this post with a friend, then tell me how you'll put it into practice this week.
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