Graduations are milestones that cry out for recognition and celebration. Select a group of parents to help you plan and coordinate a graduation service to honor and recognize your graduates. Here are some suggestions for celebrating end-of-school graduations in your worship service.

Preparation for a graduation celebration needs to begin as soon as possible. Those most qualified to help with the planning are youth leaders, along with designated staff members.

The type of worship experience will demand research and creativity on the part of leaders and students. Materials used should not be expensive or difficult to acquire.

Organization

·         Gather an accurate list of potential graduates from high school, home school, technical training, college, university, and doctoral programs.

·         Ask information regarding the family. When students do not desire immediate family involvement, a sponsor of their choosing would be appropriate.

·         Set a date best suited for the majority. Try to avoid conflicts that would cause some to miss the emphasis. Publicize the recognition well in advance.

·         Decide whether an entire service might be given, preferably a morning service, so that it will seem significant.

·         Involve the entire church family in the recognition. Check correct pronunciation of names and facts concerning students.

·         Set up a rehearsal for the entire program.

Program/Topics

·         Gather information and share about each students’ school activities and future plans.

·         Plan a week of memories with the theme of Milestones and Memories. Ask parents to prepare short paragraph memories that have of significant milestones in their students’ lives. As each student is recognized, ask the parents to stand and share their student’s milestone memory.

·         Plan a week of activities with the theme of Leadership Legacies. Ask students to be prepared to share brief testimonies about people who have been leaders and people of influence in their lives. Continue with a leadership theme by giving students leadership roles in the service such as: leading in prayer, sharing church announcements, solo, directing the music, speaking, and so on. Gather batons for parents to pass to their students to symbolize the passing of a torch from one generation of believers to the next. Ask parents to write prayers for their teens on the batons before passing them off during the service.

·         Ask a special speaker to come in and challenge the students to look for their next mission as they leave home and go to college or as they move into the workplace. Help graduates see that there is never a moment in our Christian lives in which we have arrived – part of the journey is both continued personal discipleship and continued opportunities to serve Christ where we are.

Ask Your Graduates
Allow time during the service for students to each answer one of the following pre-arranged questions:

·         Who has influenced you most in life?

·         What has been your most memorable experience during your school year?

·         If you could buy a dream, what would you buy?

·         If you could be someone else who would you be?

·         Do you have a favorite passage of Scripture that has helped you in life?

·         What books have you read that have challenged you? 

·         Could you share a dream you have for the future of America?

·         What advice would you give to students beginning their high school or college years?

·         What would you do differently if given another shot at school?

Decorations/Displays

·         Use banners or pennants with school colors. Place students from the same school in the same area.

·         Ask students to wear their graduation caps and gowns to help set the tone to honor the graduates.

·         Document the students’ growth in life by asking parents to bring a baby picture, elementary picture, a high school picture, and college picture (if the student is graduating from college). Find an area outside the worship center to display the graduates’ pictures.

·         Prepare an audiovisual presentation of graduates participating in previous youth events. You can also include pictures of graduates gathered by their parents.

·         Include a special bulletin insert including photographs and brief biographical sketches and the students’ future plans.

Other Supporting Ideas

·         Give graduates a gift. Consider the Holman CSB Graduate’s Bible.

·         Sponsor a luncheon at the church or in a restaurant. Invite graduates, parents, and other relatives as special guests.

Graduation is an important event for your church’s students and families. Don’t let the opportunity slip by to express your pride and joy in their accomplishments

Whether you have been a staff member for a short time or for more years than you care to count, you already know that getting along with your pastor can be trying. Maybe you serve with a pastor who has not expressed his expectations. Maybe because he has not or cannot express his expectations, the two of you are at a loggerhead. Having been on both sides of the fence, I think I can help. 

It’s All About the Team
Whether on a professional football team or a church staff, the quickest way to create problems is to be a grandstander. By the nature of student ministry, it is easy to create a church within a church. Most student ministers are gregarious and can easily draw a crowd of students. They also generally have great influence over the attitudes of both students and their parents. This precious influence must never be used to create and “our church/their church” mentality. The church is a single organism growing toward one goal, which the pastor must set, with the Holy Spirit’s leading. The growth must express itself in multiple ways, but is must always be toward the goal, Remember, it’s all about the team.

Surprise, Surprise, Surprise – NOT!
The 1960’s comedic character Gomer Pyle may have made us laugh with his trademark line, “Surprise, surprise, surprise,” but no pastor likes surprises. The last thing a pastor wants is to learn, as he enters the worship center is that the student ministry will be doing a five-minute skit during the service to promote the upcoming mission trip. Oftentimes, student ministers can avoid these scenarios by not flying by the seat of his pants. Save the surprises for the pastor’s 50th birthday. Keep the pastor informed.

Walking the Tightrope
Student ministers have one of the most difficult balancing acts to perform. Much like a circus star walking the high wire under the big top, those who work with students must walk the tightrope of games and growth. To do so requires incredible balance. Certainly, student ministry should be fun and appealing, but at the same time leaders should build it upon the biblical mandate to make disciples. Your goal as a student minister should be to develop teenagers who are conformed to the image of Christ.

Because church members generally evaluate ministers and ministries solely by numbers, many student ministers feel pressured to turn student ministry into an entertainment world. Do not give in to that temptation. Most pastors want to know that their student minister understands the biblical goal of ministry, has planned to accomplish that goal, is walking with balance the tightrope of games and growth. If your pastor is confident your ministry is balanced, he will defend you before the naysayers.

The Three Rs: Realizing, Reading, and Registering
The three Rs of ministry are realizing, reading, and registering. Most pastors are committed to lifelong learning, and they want the same commitment from their staff. In ministry you must realize that learning can never really end.

You do not have a corner on the market of knowledge. It does not matter how successful you deem your ministry to be; there is always something else to learn. Read incessantly. Read for professional development.

Register for student ministry conferences. There are plenty led by student ministers whose experience and expertise will help you grow and improve. In fact, surprise your pastor (there are some pleasant surprises) by developing and presenting to him an annual learning plan. In your learning plan include the books you will read and the conferences you will attend. Let your pastor know you are growing with him.

Maybe your ministry situation is not healthy. Possibly you are at fault. Ask the Lord and your pastor for forgiveness. Maybe your pastor is the guilty party. If so, extend the olive branch of forgiveness and friendship and realize that if the staff is not getting along – the church never will.

“Who’s your daddy?” can be one of those funny little sayings that students say to each other as a way of giving someone a hard time or picking on them. Today, unfortunately, it is a legitimate question for too many students in our culture. Sometimes called “millenials”, “boomer echo”, and the “Y generation,” many students in this generation have no father present in their lives.

Church leaders have an obligation to step in and not only offer training for men and fathers, but to provide living, breathing surrogates that will be willing to step in and make a difference in the life of a fatherless child. Here are some suggestions on how your church and student ministry can make an impact on those who are fatherless.

1. Accept the fact that you have fatherless students in and around your ministry.
You probably won’t even have to look very far to find them.

2. Choose to realize that the fatherless need someone to intervene in their lives.
Those kids without dads are much more likely to engage in risky behavior. They need you and others to step into their lives and offer them hope.

3. Begin praying for someone in your church or community to develop a love and passion for those who are fatherless.
Decide that you will be a resource person for them. God may not be calling you to spearhead an effort to reach the fatherless, but He is interested in the fatherless and needs someone (like you) to be willing to provide resources to others.

4. Lead the fatherless into the presence of God.
Offer opportunities through your church to reach out and change the lives of those who are fatherless. Many single mothers are looking for someone to help them out, not because they are not capable, but because their time is usually consumed with earning money for the family to simply survive.

5. Teach students in your ministry to develop a love for the fatherless.
Most of your students know at least one other student who does not know their father or have contact with him. Help teens see the importance of sharing their faith with those without one.

6. Develop a heart for the fatherless.
Set the example for others in your church and community. Ladies, if you are married, share your husband. If you are single, encourage your boyfriend or male friends to get involved in working with and reaching kids in the community.

7. Remember that not every student will welcome your involvement at first.
Many of these students have been lied to and left waiting for dad to show up, and he never came. Recognize this fact beforehand and approach your work with youth with the expectation you may not be well received.

8. Accept that you are not the savior.
Christ has been, is, and always will be the only Savior. The fatherless only need on Savior, and it is our goal as student ministry leaders to introduce them to the King of kings.

9. Realize that there will be some fatherless students whom you will not be able to reach.
Realize that reaching the fatherless is a two-way street – students have to be willing to be reached and nurtured at some point. Do not become weary in well-doing in reaching out to the fatherless.

10. Have couples involved in your ministry in leadership roles.
Students need to see a healthy husband and wife relationship. Enlist couples who like one another and who get along with each other. Create opportunities for fathers to be involved in ministry even if they are not the upfront leaders.

Businesses have figured out that the Hispanic buying power represents a new market opportunity. They are developing new strategies, products, marketing messages, and hiring Hispanic personnel to help encourage Hispanics to visit their stores or to purchase their products. Businesses have looked at a growing market and have determined to have a strategy to meet the needs of the Hispanics.

One in seven persons in the USA is Hispanic. In 2006, 90 percent of the students in the Fort Worth independent school district were Hispanic. There are now 200 Hispanic national magazines, more than three hundred local Hispanic newspapers, and continued growth in Hispanic radio, television, and cable stations in the US. Hispanics represent a growing group of people who need to hear the message of Jesus Christ. Our student ministries must be ready to respond to the need of Hispanics in our communities.

What Do I Need to Know about Hispanic Students?
Three groupings represent Hispanic youth. First-generation Hispanic youth were born or have parents who were born in another country. They prefer to speak Spanish, listen to Spanish radio, and watch Spanish television. They share their culture with their parents and have strong ties to their parents’ home country.

Second-generation Hispanics are bridge builders. They speak English and Spanish. They interpret for their parents. They value the culture of their parents as well as their new American culture. They get caught in the middle of both worlds.

Third generation Hispanics can be referred to as assimilated youth. These students speak fluent English and may struggle to speak Spanish. They share mainstream American values.

The key to understanding these three groups is to remember that they have relatives in all three groups. Churches wanting to reach Hispanics will develop ministries for all generations.

What Are Critical Needs and Strategies for Reaching Hispanic Youth?
Youth ministries that want to reach Hispanics will help Hispanic students improve academically. Hispanics students have a 48% failure rate in relation to graduation from high school. Churches must help Hispanic parents engage the academic school system.

A second critical issue involves the lack of skills for success in college. Academic success depends on the ability to learn. Families must also be engaged in understanding their roles in the academic process.

How Will Hispanic Growth Impact My Student Ministry?
Your student ministry will NOT be impacted unless you learn how to reach Hispanic youth and their families. Working with Hispanic students means multigenerational ministry. You will need to learn to read the culture signals sent by the various generations of Hispanic students and their families. You will need to be extremely connected to those in your church who minister to preschoolers, children, adults, and senior adults.

Reaching Hispanics calls for a cohesive ministry plan that includes focusing on the entire family. Your youth and church ministry will change as you plan strategies to implement when Spanish-speaking relatives attend your church. Your ministry will change because you will intentionally enlist and train bilingual/bicultural youth workers. Your interns may also be bilingual to help you build bridges to the Hispanic community.

You will change because you will learn to share the plan of salvation in Spanish. You will learn to speak Spanish and engage the church in your efforts. You will become an advocate for Hispanics and their needs. You will help Hispanics know they are welcome.

Your youth ministry will change because it will become global. Reaching Hispanics for Christ in your community generally results in relatives making decisions in other countries. You can reach Hispanic youth and their families and watch their families help you build a church with a heart for the Hispanic community.

Fun on the Run: 7 Ways to Take Back Your Schedule this Year

By prioritizing, your family can have fun without feeling they always are rushing from activity to activity. After all, running should be part of the fun, not the way you get there. 

Written by Sam S. Rainer III

Many people realize that the church is losing people. What is not realized is that the vast majority of people drop out as students and young adults. In fact, research reveals that seven out of 10 people who drop out of the church will do so between the ages of 18 and 22.

This age group gives a variety of reasons for the departure: They wanted a break from church. They didn’t connect with the people in the church. They perceived existing church members as out of touch with current reality. The results boiled down to one simple reason: Church was not essential to them.

Instead of finding meaning in the church, students and young adults are finding it in the culture around them. Some blame resides with the students who don’t like the answers the church gives, but churches have done a poor job of demonstrating for students how believers are salt and light of culture, the flavor and guide of society.

Ultimately, church and culture don’t have to be mutually exclusive. The church should be the place where students learn how to interact with the culture without being swept into it. What are some practical ways churches and parents can help stem the tide of a young adult exodus?

1.      Talk about your faith. The young generation not only wants to see faith in action, they desire for their parents to have a conversation with them about why their faith is important.

2.      Give encouragement during life changes. Many dropouts we interviewed stated that a life change prompted their departure. One consistent way to help students through these life changes is to be a source of encouragement and support.

3.      Empower students to serve. The more students serve in the church, the higher the likelihood that they’ll stay in the church. Don’t wait until students reach the age of 18 to ask them to serve. Find creative ways to get all ages involved in serving.

4.      Surround students with mature adult believers. The greater the number of adults directly involved in a student’s life, the higher the probability that he or she will remain in the church. Conversely, our research also found that if students have few adults involved in their lives, the likelihood they drop out of church is greater. The heart of the church dropout problem exists within a short four-year window. If the dropout problem is solved with students in this age group, then the church dropout problem in general is remedied. I’m confident that parents, family members, friends, and other church members can rally behind students, connect with them, and model Jesus’ way of relating to the world.

Additional Suggestions for Parents of High School Graduates

·         Before your student leaves for college, help him research area churches with effective college ministries.

·         Encourage your student to visit several churches with collegiate ministries. Ask her about his visit and how the church compares to her home church.

·         Discuss the possibilities of your student moving his church membership while away from home for four years. If might help him stay connected instead of constantly feeling like a visitor in someone else’s church.

·         Help your student try to find campus ministries to join in an effort to find other believers who will hopefully be connected to and active in a local church while away at college.

·         If your church is not currently ministering to collegiates, volunteer to begin a college ministry to not only help your student stay connected to your church during the collegiate years, but to help them find connections in their college town where they go to school.

·         A care package ministry from your church can help your student know that your church continues to care even when he is away. If your church doesn’t have this ministry, volunteer to get the names of all the college students and find church members to adopt a collegiate for the year. Those connections with church members will build trust and give your students people to turn to back home regarding prayer requests and needs.

Sam S. Rainer III is pastor, co-author of Essential Church: Reclaiming a Generation of Dropouts (B&H), and president of Rainer Research. 

Written by John S. Powers

As a boy growing up on the rich farming soil found in the hills of East Tennessee, I was intrigued by thoughts of being in the military. Several of my relatives served with great pride in various branches of service. My father served in World War II in Europe. Over the years, I have listened intently as my dad weaves his military experience through various stories.

When my father was drafted in the early 1940s he was forced to leave a good paying job to fulfill his military duty. For someone who had grown up during the Depression, and had often been unable to purchase what he needed even when he had money, leaving a job was just the first of the memories created by his years in the military. Stories about his bouts of loneliness, fears, anxieties, and antics were so vivid that one could brush them away like a butterfly.

Upon reflection, it is not surprising that something of my father’s military mindset heavily influenced each member of my family, too. I couldn’t get enough of it. As a child, I played “army” with my friends. Included in our strategy was opposing an imaginary enemy by digging fox holes in the fields and waiting for the next in a series of endless childhood battles.

Now years later, I have found myself transitioning from imaginary enemies of a childhood battlefield to another kind of military soil – a spiritual field that is ripe beyond my wildest dreams. As the Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church in Norfolk, Virginia, the Lord has opened wide the door for various ministry opportunities aimed toward military personnel and their families.

Three Virginia cities at the south end of Chesapeake Bay host military bases. All branches of the military, including the Army, the Air Force, the Marines, the Coast Guard, and the Navy are represented in Hampton Roads. Norfolk is home to the largest naval station on the planet. Virginia Beach is home to the largest naval air station. That represents more than 100,000 people, many of whom like the children of Nineveh, “do not know the difference between their right and left hand.” In other words, they are teachable, reachable, pliable, and most importantly are searching for answers to life’s biggest questions.

Historically, our church has welcomed members of the armed forces with open arms. That tradition continues today with a focused, well-defined strategy for ministering to military personnel and their families. Here are three elements of our strategy

First: Integration

Our church has a “People First” mentality toward military families. Integration occurs with few exceptions. For example, instead of singling them out, military personnel are welcomed into our Bible Study ministry like any other person. We do not delineate rank. Admiral Vern Clark, Chief of Naval Operations and his wife, Connie, regularly attend our church. It is so good seeing them worship beside enlisted men and women, who many times do not even recognize them! We are also very careful to recognize and honor members of all branches of service, especially during the Sunday following the Army/Navy football game.

Second: Involvement

We have found that military personnel are among the easiest to enlist and involve in doing the work of ministry. These people come for various backgrounds and many are strong in their faith. This translates into people who are trained, motivated, and ready to jump into service for Jesus. Many times it only takes an invitation for them to be involved in our church. They welcome that opportunity.

Third: Inspiration

Our church benefits from the rigorous training and experience military personnel and their families have known but we are also quick to minister to them. One such ministry is “Military Wives Encouragement Group.” Starting about three years ago, this group has grown to more than thirty participants. Our goal is threefold:

1.      Provide a place of fellowship.

2.      Provide some desired information such as: crisis management, caring for children, marriage enrichment, and moving assistance.

3.      Provide a brief study of God’s Word and offer prayer support for each member.

We also take every opportunity to invite guests to be enrolled in our Bible Study ministry.

Taking the opportunity to caring for precious personnel and families of the military is continuing to be a blessing for our church. Ask the Lord to give you a vision for members of the military. This field is ripe indeed.

Dr. John S. Powers is the author of Redefining Church Membership and The BodyLife Journey: Guiding Believers into Ministry. A pastor for 22 years, Dr. Powers received his master’s of divinity and doctor of ministry degrees from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary

One of the things God longs for is fellowship with His children. Not the “in-passing” kind of fellowship but the “sit-down-and-enjoy-one-another” kind of fellowship. In fellowship, we discover that one of the other ways we get to know Him better is by getting to know other Christ followers better as well. Students are good at this kind of fellowship relationship. They seem naturally to gravitate to their peers who are like-minded.

Have you ever thought about how fellowship is like rain? The right amount of rain brings life and refreshment. Spring is the time the earth longs for rain so that seeds can begin to sprout and grow. In a similar way, Christ followers long for the fellowship with the Father and His children. Fellowship helps believers grow and sprout spiritually.

We all experience times in our spiritual lives when things click along at a good pace; then suddenly we find ourselves in a slump. Maybe the slump is a lack of spiritual vitality. The remedy may include more intentional, consistent time with the Father through prayer and Bible study. It may include more focused prayer and intentionality in reaching those we know who do not know Christ. And it could well include more devoted time and fellowship with other believers.

Like a good rain during a dry spell, fellowship with other believers can rejuvenate and refresh one’s soul. Fellowship with believers can’t replace spending time with God, but it can encourage, inspire, and refresh your soul. Consider the following questions and how you are or are not using fellowship in your ministry:

·         What fellowship opportunities do you provide for those with whom you minister?

·         What fellowship opportunities do you provide for the students in your group who do not normally place themselves in the midst of a group?

·         What fellowship opportunities do you provide that will give the excuse to get involved in others’ lives?

·         What fellowship opportunities do you provide for yourself?

The various parts of the body need to be connected to the body. Affording students the opportunity to get together is important. The adults and parents who serve alongside you in ministry need the same opportunities as well. Many times the adults who work with students get little time to spend with other adults. Give them the chance to spend time with other adults without the students around. Let them share with one another what God is doing in, around, and through them. Make sure the adult classes they would be attending continue to minister to them by inviting them to their class events, keeping them on their email lists, and updating them with prayer concerns.

Provide opportunities for parents of students to get together too. Often, parents gather only for training or to confront a problem or challenge that they may be facing. Give parents a chance to gather for the sake of just being together.

If you are the main leader, head honcho, tag-you’re-it person in your student ministry, remember that you also need time of refreshing and fellowship. No one really expects you to be the fountainhead all the time.

Fellowship is a great thing. It is vital for all Christ followers to be involved in the lives of other believers. Without fellowship we dry up, get cranky, see things negatively, and become unpleasant. So provide a fellowship fountain of rain for your students, your ministry partners, the parents of your teenagers, and yourself. Bring on the spiritual rejuvenation that fellowship brings and watch relationships blossom.

Every competitor would choose the thrill of the victory over the agony of defeat. But the reality of life is that one team or person wins, while the other has to lose. A parent has to help teens navigate the wins and losses in life and see that playing the game is about more than winning.  

Parents can help their teens see the benefits of playing a sport and setting personal goals. Student athletes learn to manage time by attending practice and still getting their homework done. Sports participation can also provide an “appropriate” vent for teen stresses in a controlled setting. Teens can also develop exercise habits that can be carried throughout their lives. Losing also opens the door for character development.

Strategies

Losing is rarely fun, and it’s never easy. Here are some strategies that can help your family deal with losses in a positive manner.

·         Encourage your teen to set personal goals beyond the scoreboard. You can celebrate your child’s individual accomplishments that may not even relate to the team’s standing.

·         Identify at least one adult who is a nurturing voice after each loss. A nurturing voice can be a parent, a coach, or a good friend. While constructive criticism has its place, timing is vital! Be sure your teen hears a positive voice when everything seems to go wrong.

·         Support the coaching staff at games and in the presence of your teen. If you need to discuss some concerns privately, there is a place and time for that. Avoid taking a coach to task in front of the athlete.

·         Let the athlete influence how much you discuss the game. If the ride home is quieter than usual, that may be just what your child needs to think through the disappointment.

Lessons Aren’t Just for Teenagers

The losses experienced by student-athletes also present a learning opportunity for the parents involved. As adults, it would helps to ask ourselves the following questions:

·         Why is winning so important to us?

·         Does my behavior reflect my personal commitment to Jesus Christ?

·         Am I bringing my past personal athletic success or failure into my teens’ experience?

The Game of Life

The experience on the athletic field provides a laboratory for life. When faced with defeat, the student-athlete, as in all circumstance, can look to God’s Word for strength, motivation, and wisdom.

·         Strength. David, a warrior and future king, faced many challenges. Once, his troops even considered stoning him, but he retreated to God for help. (1 Sam. 30:6).

·         Motivation. The Bible encourages believers to do their best in everything. The motivation in not for personal glory, but to honor the Lord (1 Cor. 9:24; Col. 3:23). Student-athletes can find something positive in any contest when they understand that they have done it for the Lord.

·         Wisdom. When faced with loss, student-athletes may need the wisdom of Solomon as they deal with the immaturity of those surrounding them. Unfortunately, that can be seen in adults as well as peers. Paul told Timothy to steer clear of foolishness and to focus on what would “produce an even greater measure of godlessness” (2 Tim. 2:16). That’s still a valuable lesson.

The next time your teen’s team is losing, remember how God uses lopsided results to produce positive lessons. As a parent, be intentional about teaching (and learning) through losses. After all, the real win in life never shows up on a scoreboard.

As a full-time Youth Pastor, one of the most enjoyable pieces of ministry was watching students emerge as leaders. I looked forward to investing in the lives of a key group of students who then became motivators of spiritual and numerical growth in our student ministry. 

There are some things to consider before building your student leadership group. First, be careful in how you select your group. You don’t want to exclude a quiet student who really would emerge as a leader if just given the chance. I would suggest that you ask all students to indicate their interest in being on a leadership team. Allow students from all grades to be on the team.

Ask students to complete a leadership team application to reveal a little about their personal relationship with the Lord and their desire to be a student leader. You can design your application to reflect your desires for your group. You might ask the students to make a personal commitment to things such as the following: attendance at Bible study and youth activities, a personal daily quiet time with God, and an extra commitment to attend student leader training or enrichment events. You can determine the number of students you can effectively disciple and commission to be your group of student leaders. If your student ministry is divided into a middle school, junior or senior high divisions, you can consider forming leadership teams that sometimes function within those age groups and sometimes function together for overall student events.

Once you have determined who will select your student leaders, you can then motivate them to lead. Here are four ways to get your students excited about leading:

1. Plan a leadership retreat. One of the most exciting times for me as a student minister was when I took my first leadership team on a weekend retreat. I used the weekend to talk about my expectations for the team. We then talked about their dreams for our student ministry.

2. Give students responsibilities with enough guidance to ensure their success. I have found that when given responsibility, students will achieve what we believe they can handle. Your belief in their ability and your availability of guidance as needed will empower them to own your student ministry and be totally connected.

3. Help your leadership team begin to invest in other students. As you watch your leadership team grow, encourage them to begin to invest in students who are marginally involved in your student ministry. Just as you feel strengthened in watching your leadership team mature in their faith and leadership, your students will be strengthened when they see other students begin to grow with their encouragement.

4. Give your leadership team a voice in your church. Your student leaders should be asked to serve on ministry teams and in leadership positions alongside the adults in your church. As your church begins to assign people to ministry teams, make sure they remember that your students are just as much a member of your church as the 40-somethings and senior adults. As students take part in more ministry opportunities, God may just call out these students and lead them to ministry vocations or future church leadership ministries.