Worship and Leadership by LifePoint Creative
This podcast was intended to resource our Dream Teamers at LifePoint Church, with biblical fundamentals on worship, life and a variety of leadership principles.
Worship and Leadership by LifePoint Creative
The Now Generation: Transforming Student Ministry with Authentic Leadership
Curious about how student ministries are adapting in today's ever-evolving world? This episode promises to equip you with insights straight from the front lines of youth leadership. Featuring Jarae and Jessica Meriwether, along with Caleb Thompson, we explore the powerful transformations occurring in student ministry. Dive into Jarae's inspiring journey from 2020, where trusting God became the cornerstone of authentic leadership during the pandemic. You'll discover how the vibrant "now generation" is reshaping worship and spiritual growth.
From heartwarming stories about student worship experiences to the profound impact of authenticity in leadership, this episode covers it all. Join us in celebrating the dynamic community at LifePoint Church, and get ready to leave with a fresh perspective on leading and nurturing the next generation.
Hey, what's going on, everybody, and welcome to Worship and Leadership by LifePoint Creative. My name is Elmer Canas Jr and I'm excited that today we have a very special episode. I am joined in the studio by my friends Jere and Jess Merriweather, and also Caleb Thompson. What's going on, guys? How y'all doing? What's up, man? How y'all doing? Did Jess just say something?
Speaker 2:Jess just said something, she said something.
Speaker 3:What did you say? She said one thing. One thing Say it what's going on, guys, man? Loving life, loving, yeah, just loving life.
Speaker 1:Loving life, Loving life man.
Speaker 3:It's a good time, good time to be alive God is good man.
Speaker 1:It's awesome to see what God is doing through your life, jere and Jess and Caleb, and seeing how God is using you. And today we're going to be talking about students and so for our listeners, jere and Jess, they oversee our student ministry here at LifePoint Church and we're so excited that we get to dive in into your world a little bit. So I want you guys just you know, just just share openly. You know, maybe there's some things you can't share. I know we, I had you sign a like a disclosure form no, but it's exciting.
Speaker 1:I'm glad that you guys are here and it's going to be fun. Yeah, are you excited to be here? Yes, for those that aren't tracking, we've added a video element to our podcast and you'll be seeing the videos pop up soon on YouTube. But that's not. People really aren't enjoying that in the studio. But hey, we're all about it Resourcing people and leading people to become fully devoted followers of Jesus with our face. And so let's talk about student ministry. Man, like what is something? How long have you been our student pastor?
Speaker 3:Oh man, this is this August, May, year four.
Speaker 4:Year four.
Speaker 3:Year four. I started August of 2020.
Speaker 1:Come- on dude. Come on somebody. That is so cool. Covid, I came on staff September of 2020. Yeah, so you had just transitioned into Just transitioned into student ministry.
Speaker 3:man, it was wide open. Let's go Just dropped me right in there.
Speaker 1:Come on, just raw, yeah, and green, just learning.
Speaker 3:Learning, taking it all in. So growing up the way that I did, I was always around ministry, so dad being a pastor, being around church all my life. So it was not like ministry was new to me, but ministry in this, I guess, in this realm, or this atmosphere of ministry was new to me. And trying to figure it out in a COVID year out of all years it was fun. I can say now it was fun. Back then I didn't think it was fun. I was really asking God all the questions of not so much why me God, but like God, are you sure For real, for real.
Speaker 1:If you could go back to Jere in 2020, what would you tell Jere?
Speaker 3:I would tell Jere in 2020 to trust God with each step. It doesn't have to look like the student ministry in 2017. It doesn't have to look like the student ministry that some of our other pastors on staff have led, but this is God's ministry and lead it the way that he leads you the student ministry that some of our other pastors on staff have led, but this is God's ministry and lead it the way that he leads you. And that's what. Now that you're four, I'm like, oh okay, I get it. This is God, it's your thing and this is what you're stirring in my heart. I just need to share what you're stirring in my heart along the way. And man, these kids are leaders. Everybody. They catch wind to that and it's beautiful, it's beautiful.
Speaker 1:It's awesome man, and you love the kids so well and I get to be here on Wednesday nights as well and serve with you guys, and it's one of the joys of my week. People are like, why don't you go home? You're here all the time. I'm like I love being here and it's the now generation we don't even say next generation, it's the now generation and we're excited to see what God is doing in the lives of our students and how he's using them in our church and everything. But a lot of that's attributed to your leadership and so thank you guys for all that you guys do.
Speaker 1:Something that I heard recently is that a lot of times we pray, god speak through me and do this through me, and it's almost like God's audible voice is going to come through us. But it's actually. He empowers everything that we are and our character, our nature, what we've become, to the point. And so I love seeing you as a worshiper. You just love singing and worshiping the Lord and then seeing God use you and that gift. You know, I don't think there's a Wednesday that you don't sing with the students.
Speaker 3:I'm trying to. I try so hard.
Speaker 1:And it's part of who you are, man, and the kids love it and they connect with you in such a special way. And so, like you know, being true to what you, what you would tell Jere in 2020 is you know, hey, don't try to be someone that you're not, and God will take everything that you are, and so anyone listening you might be stepping into something that you're like I don't think I can do this, God, how am I going to do it? I feel that way almost 80% of the time and, uh, you know, but God uses what we have in our hands. He's placed it there for a reason.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 1:And then he'll take care of the rest. It's just like you said we just got to trust him with it and so we're excited. So y'all tell me more stories. What's going on in student ministry, caleb? What's going on, man?
Speaker 2:Man, it's so alive right now. It's just everything's popping, All the students are excited, All the leaders are excited. Um it, just for the past year, we just feel like we've been in such an active moment for our student ministry and, uh, I think it's rolling, I think it's great. It's such an amazing thing to be a part of so and getting to serve under your, under your, your amen. You're such a fun leader.
Speaker 2:Uh you never, you very rarely, say no to something. It's like, hey, man, let's try it. And we go out and try it, man, throw it on. You know, we've belly flopped a few times, but I think we've become better for it, we bounce back.
Speaker 3:Yeah, that's it. As long as you got the bounce in there, it's all good.
Speaker 2:I got a big enough belly, I'll bounce. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1:If it sounds like this like, then that's bad.
Speaker 2:That's bad.
Speaker 3:That's it. That's it Jess.
Speaker 4:What's going on in students?
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 4:Oh gosh, we have a lot of new leaders joining our team and so that's always like really fun and really exciting just to hear people's stories of like, hey, why do you want to serve in students? And it's kind of funny to hear most leaders are like I never would have thought I would have served in students or loved it, and they just yeah, I'm not supposed to be doing this, but they just they get a hold of you and it's just so cool to just see them grow and learn and just the community, it's really cool.
Speaker 2:How many leaders do we have in onboarding right now New leaders?
Speaker 4:Oh 21.
Speaker 2:Yeah, about 21 new leaders.
Speaker 4:That's insane.
Speaker 1:That's awesome.
Speaker 2:Even imagining that six months ago is just nuts. Yeah, it's crazy. What a ride.
Speaker 1:It's crazy. Yeah, I remember Caleb at the beginning serving in production and leading our production teams, and then he'd come volunteer on Wednesdays and then it's like hey, you're a student leader.
Speaker 4:He's like no no, no, I'm just here. I don't want to be a part.
Speaker 1:And now he's like can I please do this?
Speaker 4:for students.
Speaker 1:And it's true, we have people that have joined worship. They've come on onto the worship team and then we're like, hey, come join us on Wednesday. And then you know they've joined on Wednesday and they're like, hey, go, go for it. And and and. Part of it is when you're ministering to students, to teenagers, like it's not just putting on a program, it's being part of their life and being part of their every day and and um, that's ministry. And I've told the story several times. For me, some of the most shaping years of my life that have impacted me till today is my youth leaders investing into my life when I was 15, 16 and picking me up to go. Do you know, back in the days it was different. Like it's only student leaders pick you up, take you home, take you by Taco Bell and stuff. Nowadays, like we have different, you know different um, we want to be careful.
Speaker 3:We want to be careful. You can't do it.
Speaker 4:You're not getting thrown in a white back of a white van, no white vans.
Speaker 1:you know, before all the church vans used to be white vans.
Speaker 3:And we don't do that no more. Thank the Lord.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but relationships it's important and so you know for student leaders to be involved in their students' life. You know, and you guys have different ways that you communicate. What are some of those like avenues that you guys use to empower student leaders to communicate and to stay in touch with their students?
Speaker 3:So one of the things that we've asked a lot of our leaders to do here recently. We've really pushed it out to them. It's like, hey, we meet here on a Wednesday, that's great. But, man, if you can create any other opportunity outside of a Wednesday, maybe that's hey, we're going to go hang out at Culver's, or we're going to go get some ice cream at Golly G's. Come on, somebody, I love that Fully loaded at Golly G's. If you're listening, my name is Jere. I will be in to you. I'm just kidding, but I just love to see them outside of the building. Hey, go to a football game, go to a volleyball game. Hey, participate in some of the wrestling events that they're a part of. Just make yourself available so they see you are invested To your point earlier, just having those.
Speaker 3:I think of my senior year of high school, freshman year of college. That was when I really kind of ventured off into like a youth ministry type of atmosphere, and the guy then that really had an impact on my life his name was Kevin Kevin Singleton Never will forget this guy. He took me under his wing. He was a worshiper too, but he had a great message. He had a great instrumental tool. He did basketball tricks and stuff so he would go and give these motivational talks at different middle schools and elementary schools and whatnot. But he just kind of taken me under his wing and the relationship aspect that was a part of his ministry there. That's what worked. It wasn't a program. It's not like our Wednesday nights are not about putting on a program. We want the relational aspect to be there.
Speaker 3:So the kids feel seen, they feel valued, their voice is being heard. Like you'd be surprised of how many students will even show up on a Wednesday night because a friend invited them. But in their home lives, no one, they don't even know where they are and it just it's like mind-blowing to me. So that's our world, that's what we're in right now. But in telling our volunteers and just anybody that's around youth like hey, invest in their lives, be available. What works well with students is your consistency and the time that you put in.
Speaker 1:That's it. That's powerful Talk about relevance and because a lot of ministries and I brought that up with Willie in a previous podcast that for so long, probably like our generation, those of you that are like late 30s, 40s you grew up in church where lights and smoke and the loud bands it was like a very new thing. Like I remember when I first started serving in my 20s, like there was still like a orchestra and and you know, quiet, big mass choirs and churches and stuff. And it's changed so much in the last 20 years and I think our generation has has embraced a lot of the things that attracted us and like. So now it's like almost like we want to put it out there for the next.
Speaker 1:You know, for the students and all the young people like look, look at all the LED walls and lights and smoke, but then you go to the gathering, our young adult gathering that meets on Tuesdays. They don't care about any of that. Like they want genuine, authentic relationships with Jesus and we talked about that with with Pastor Jordan and Pastor Aaron Smalley when they're on the podcast, that they're just hungry for Jesus. They just want something real, you know. And now, going a few years down into our students. You know, middle school to high school. What does that look like in that space? As far as when it comes to relevance, like, are they wanting the productions and the show and the glitz and glam, or what are they wanting, oh man?
Speaker 2:I think it's a big shift in maturity. So, specifically, what we see with a lot of our students, they love the attraction of and I think not only is it, sometimes it's not even the flashing lights, but it's being able to connect with the people that are around them. And so they're looking for community, but they're looking for it in a different aspect. They're looking for friends and we're able to facilitate that friendship. A different aspect they're looking for friends and we're able to facilitate that friendship. And for some of those students, the draw is, hey, look at what they're doing, like, look at my friends on stage. A lot of them, you know, are musicians and they're like man, I'm coming to check it out because I get to play guitar, but I don't get to do it like he does on a stage in this atmosphere. And then, I think, you know, as they begin to get older, that's when you start seeing the shift of hey, now they're looking for community.
Speaker 2:And that shift to young adults is quite a harsh one. We talk a lot about the transition from kid point into students, into young adults, and where the drop-off is, where the communication is to make them figure out what their next step is. And I think until they hit the maturity level where they say, hey, I need community with believers. That's when they hit that maturity level for young adults. But for students they're just there to have friends, make friends and be around. They don't even care if they're like-minded people, they just care that they're around people, especially they're so around technology right now.
Speaker 2:I do think there's a big draw for kids to be around kids. A lot of people complain like man connections between Xbox and it's taken out of it. I think it's growing it. I think it's making them, you know, not only want to play Xbox with each other and fight each other in Halo, but also connect outside of that and come do something fun. So we get to be the fun atmosphere. Yeah.
Speaker 3:Yeah, that's cool. Next to that, I would say it's the chance to get to do the thing at the church A lot of our students. They participate either in worship or production. So on a Wednesday night they get the opportunity to work with the lights or to be in the back in the sound booth and kind of watch what's going on there or even play an instrument or lead worship. Like I know you were saying earlier, I try not, I promise I do. I try not to sing every Wednesday.
Speaker 2:But man to see some of these. Try is the key word, Try, is the key word.
Speaker 3:He can't help himself.
Speaker 2:Two things you know about Dre he's going to sing and he's going to go over time.
Speaker 4:That's right Every time without fail.
Speaker 1:Oh man.
Speaker 3:Man it gets so good to see a student, to see that light bulb go off for them and see that it's not just words anymore. Yeah, I get to watch that every Wednesday.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I saw you last week when one of our students was leading. What was it? Was it Gratitude?
Speaker 2:Gratitude.
Speaker 1:Gratitude and you just had your hands on your head. I'm like he's going to sing. He's going to sing and you just had your hands on your head.
Speaker 3:I'm like he's going to sing.
Speaker 1:He's going to sing, and you?
Speaker 3:held it, I held it, you held it in. I was so proud of myself for holding it in.
Speaker 1:I was ready to jump on the piano. I'm like he's about to call me.
Speaker 3:You were really, you were this close.
Speaker 1:Well done.
Speaker 3:You were really this close. Somebody else was praying Amen shout. But to really watch for those students. Some of those are on the platform, some of them are just they're sitting in the midst of their peers. It's chaotic, it's folks are jumping around, it's hot, it's human in the room, but you get to see that one kid the light bulb click and it's like God's really worthy of this, of my worship, right now.
Speaker 3:He's really worthy of the words that I'm singing and it for me to be in an atmosphere where kids are catching that man. I wouldn't trade it for the world. I wouldn't trade it for the world.
Speaker 1:That is so cool. I want to move on to another topic, but before we do that, probably about a month ago I believe we're doing communion or something in church and we shared. I forgot what was going on. I think was that service leading.
Speaker 3:I think you were service leading. I was service leading.
Speaker 1:And then I had you come up on the platform and you shared a story from one of our students.
Speaker 3:Oh, yes, remember that letter. Yeah, I remember.
Speaker 1:Like someone wrote a letter and they left it in the auditorium. Was that after a night of worship or what was?
Speaker 4:So that was after a student night of worship.
Speaker 1:Can you talk about that?
Speaker 3:So man, full circle, that student. Now I've run into her. I found out it was a young lady. I've run into her. She is still praying for her dad.
Speaker 1:Well, you've got to share the whole story.
Speaker 3:Okay, so whole story.
Speaker 1:Our listeners don't know what you're talking about.
Speaker 3:They don't know what I'm talking about. This is right. So you get the whole story real quick. A student during our night of worship. She just gets one of our prayer cards and she writes out a little prayer and she leaves it for a dream, somebody to find later. And a dream team ends up finding this card. Well, she reads the card and she's like I don't know what to do with this. And I just so happen to be walking down the hallway and she runs into me and hands me this card. So she hands me the card. I'm reading a card and it says something to the effect of she didn't have a lot of friends, so she sits by herself at lunch. She said something to the effect of her dad makes fun of her for believing in Jesus and her dad struggles with alcoholism, but she's trusting and believing that God will save her dad.
Speaker 4:And I was like man.
Speaker 3:And then she said something else at the very end of the card. She's like I know I don't sit alone at lunch anymore because God is with me. So remember. So remember. Oh man, what was that? Because God is with me, so remember oh man, what was that?
Speaker 1:Remember? God is with you.
Speaker 3:Yes, Something like that. You may feel alone today, but remember God is with you always, or something to that effect. I can't remember exactly, but we read that letter and man that letter not only blessed. Like so many other people in our congregation, we've heard stories from different organizations that are attached to us of people that have come in. It was like hey, I was at church this weekend. I heard about this note, but this young lady did come back up to me and said hey, I have friends fighting over who's going to sit with me at lunch now. Come on, let's go.
Speaker 3:I was like get out of here. She was like, yes, she's like I'm still praying for my dad. She's like I'm still praying for my dad, but God's working that out. She said but yeah, everything is so great, like even seeing her come to life like she's normally a shy young lady, she was timid and coming and talking to me, but now she's like in my face, she's got questions, she's got other stuff. She's like, hey, you need to be praying about this.
Speaker 1:I was like, yeah, I'm going to be praying with you, yeah.
Speaker 3:So it's been seeing even that happen for our students. And when you come back to just her reasoning or her intention of leading that note, there she was like I was just hoping it helped one person.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah.
Speaker 2:I was like I think the craziest one that came out of that that I always think about when we talk about that story is we're hosting our huddle upstairs for our leaders and we're sharing it as adle upstairs for our leaders and we're, you know, sharing it as a win.
Speaker 2:We share as wins every week. And so a woman that's a leader of ours, a young woman that's a leader of ours, she raises her hand, she said, hey, I have a follow-up to that story and she works for the Hope Pregnancy Center. And she said that a young woman had come in and was considering abortion and was talking through her options and different things and that, simply, you sharing that letter from the stage. And she told her this that, hey, you know, I heard it at my church and that I know that you know, this baby has life and a future and God has made it for something. And for me, hearing that, I was like man. It's so crazy to me to think that someone just sitting in there and then she goes to talk through like, hey, what does pregnancy look like? And she lands at not only someone that goes to our church but a dream teamer who's?
Speaker 2:serving with us as a student leader Just crazy, that's awesome.
Speaker 1:I lost it, dude, when you, when you, shared that with me, I probably heard a few different people tell me the same story and I was like what?
Speaker 2:Because it was just a random moment too on that Sunday I'm like, hey, send me that, Take a picture of that note.
Speaker 1:And they're like, hey, let's talk about it, let's share it. I'm like, hey, can you come up? And only God knows what he was doing. And so it's awesome. And one day in the future and we might know, we might not know this child that could have been aborted is going to grow up and the hand of God will be upon them and we're going to see them bless and impact so many people because of a piece of paper that this student decided to leave Just leaving them and a dream teamer, who was picking up all the trash, didn't put it in the trash After a.
Speaker 2:Wednesday night After a Wednesday night, when there's a lot of junk.
Speaker 1:That's it, and you happen to be passing by, like you usually don't come into the office at that time. No Like it's like it was like one thing after another and like but God had a plan for that he has a plan, and so that's awesome.
Speaker 1:So good. God can use anyone, anyone, anyone, anyone. Hey, let's talk about some. You know I'd love for you guys to spend some time talking to your student leaders. So you know, one of the things with our podcast, we want to always encourage everyone listening, but we always want to. This is a resource for all of our dream teamers, and so if there are some things or anything that you can encourage your team with, usually speak to them on Wednesdays, when you have them all in front of you and then you guys do a great job celebrating them. You know, on off nights, but if you could tell them anything right now, like what is what's on your heart? What are you guys feeling? Where are we going? What's next?
Speaker 3:Oh, man Wow, that was right now on my heart. Yeah, wow.
Speaker 1:You could sing if you want.
Speaker 3:No, no, oh man, so funny story is you said, hey, we get to enter into the student world and I immediately thought about part of that world because we were all in this life point land this past couple weeks. So I had that in my mind. I was like I'm not going to do that, we're not going to go there. I did pull up the lyrics cause I was like, is it part of that world? Like anyway, um, honestly, man, it's.
Speaker 3:I've really been in this place of heart check, just checking my heart here recently. Um, really wanting to be, just to be a hundred percent, like transparent. I can get into the flow of just doing what I normally do prepare a message, talk to people at the big red wall, lead a worship song, be a part of our growth track and just be within our systems and our processes here at LifePoint. But in me doing that, sometimes I'm just doing it because it's in front of me, but I'm just really in this place of like, hey, I really want to check my heart. I really want to know what does my time with Jesus look like? Have I spent this intentional time with Him or has it been a checkmark for me today and just opening my Bible up and seeing, okay, what's the verse of the day.
Speaker 3:All right, god, what are you saying to me in this verse? Is it one of those days where you're like God as I dig into this word? That's not my message. That's not a part of some school that I'm doing. What are you speaking to me? So that's where I've been and just trying to stay there, and it's from there that everything else flows. And again, it's not my message that I'm speaking on Wednesday. It's not some Bible study that I'm prepping for because it's in my small group, but it's just my time with Him and it's sweet time. I love it. I just want to be there.
Speaker 1:And how would you apply what you're going through and what would you tell your dream team or your student leaders? How is this season of you experiencing these moments with the Lord Like? How is this? Sometimes you get so excited and you're like everyone would experience this, you know, and and sometimes it's it's just for you. You know you you'll have these intimate moments with God where it's like it's not meant to be shared, like it's just like hey, this is what I have for you. I'm revealing myself to you. And then there's times where God just puts a fire in you and say, hey, you got to share this with everyone. What does that look like coming from Jere to student leaders?
Speaker 3:Man, that's fun. Ooh, Okay. So the discernment to know when to say it. I feel like in this season of my life of where this is where I just got, I'm checking my heart. I'm spending this time with you.
Speaker 3:There's been moments of where I've been in conversation and someone will say something and I know exactly okay, this is the scripture, this is where I want to take them. I'm going to say nope, I can't say it because it's pride in its knowledge and my heart automatically knows it's coming from a place of. Well, you just know, you already know how to fix this. You haven't even tried to let God enter in and let God minister to this person. Even with our students, that's kind of something that I face with them.
Speaker 3:Well, pastor Dre, I'm having this issue. I'm looking and I already know like oh well, you need to turn your phone off, get you a flip phone. Matter of fact, you don't even need a phone. You're in seventh grade. What do you? Got a phone for? You're 12. You ain't paying the bill. So, like I'm going through, I know how to fix the thing, but it's not about me fixing it, it's about them knowing God. Again and again, everything is as. I'm checking my heart. It also makes me filter through our mission as a church. It's to lead others to be fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ. It's to lead people to be fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ. So as I'm doing that and I'm checking my heart, it's also letting me know am I allowing God to do it or am I inserting myself in what I know?
Speaker 3:Yeah myself and what I know. So, to your point, god has given me these moments of where I'm reading his word and it's almost like movie time. Pictures are popping up and I'm like, oh my God, that's what that looks like. Oh, man, that's what that means. It points back to this, and so it's like it's all these dots that he's connecting for me and that gets exciting. But it's understanding when he's releasing me to say it, and so that part I'm still working on, caleb. This is why I run over, I will admit, this is why I run over. This is why Pastor Mike runs over too. I'm just throwing it out there. It gets exciting to share God's, to share his word with others, and again to see that those light bulbs go off, to see the connection, to see like man he loves us this much that he's given us this word that's alive, that's active. When we get to breathe this word in man, it's so fun.
Speaker 1:That's cool.
Speaker 2:I think even more specifically to our leaders, like it's the. It's an overflow. Your discipleship, your leadership is an overflow of what you're doing in your personal life, and I always talk about, when I talk to potential new leaders or any of our people going through growth tracks that you know. Hey, it's heavy, it's hard. Student ministry is not a light thing to take on, and so a lot of these students are going through a lot.
Speaker 2:So if you are not in a place where you're healthy and able to process through, the things that you have going on in your life, then you can't pour into the students who are going through their own things, and so you know. I think it's hard sometimes for them because they're checking a box saying, hey, they're asking me to be here, I'm here, they're asking me to do this, I'm taking attendance. But the heart of why, why are you here? Why are you showing up every Wednesday? Why are you taking the time out of your schedule to not be sitting at home with your family sometimes to come and pour into the next generation, this generation now, and if you're not constantly evaluating that, why, it's very easy to fall into the schedule of man. I'm doing it because they've asked me to, and we don't ever want you to just be here because we've asked you to be here. We want you to be here because you have a heart for this generation.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and even when you're not fully there, like God still gives you the grace, like when you're struggling. You have your own challenges, like there's several times I'm on platform leading worship and I'm going through things and god gives you the strength, the grace, everything you need.
Speaker 1:Right and so not to discourage people from being apart no no, but the why, like what you said, the why you're here. I always challenge people like hey, like they're like, well, I need to step away because you know this and that I'm like you know. I need to step away because you know this and that I'm like you know. You probably need to lean in a little bit more. But the why always has to be clear.
Speaker 1:And when you pour yourself out, pouring yourself out is different than just being there, like when you actually fully invest yourself into the lives of other people, like something happens to you personally, because a lot of times we're so focused on our issues and our problems and the junk in our life. You know our family life and you know extended family and work situations, everything that we make, life just revolves around us and all the problems, all the good, all the bad, god, church, everything. It's like now we become the center of our universe. But when we, when we put God at the center, when jesus is the center of everything, and we're pouring back into people knowing that, hey, you were talking about, like there's just, I might not have it all together, but I I just want to point them towards jesus and hey, become a fully devoted follower of jesus and, like we always talk about discipleship, you don't have to know everything, just be one step step ahead.
Speaker 1:And as adults, you know we've gone through so much in life and we're one step ahead already from a lot of these students, because they're just learning how to be a human, you know, and these crazy places called school, you know, and, and so we're already ahead and we might lack some of the biblical knowledge and stuff that we think we might need in some of these spaces that we do need, which will help. But just being willing and you know, and getting that, why right, then you're able to make such a difference. And as you're doing that, like God just takes what you're bringing to the table and he just begins to just shake the things that need to get taken off you know, and he does the work, but that why is important.
Speaker 1:That was great.
Speaker 2:That's really good. I think that's a good thing to mention too. It's not your story, or what you're going through doesn't always exclude you. There's things that may exclude you from leadership, but just because you're going through something, the way that God will use that to reach a student who, even if it's in your past or it's in your present, like hey, a lot of these students can connect with what you have going on and you've got to lean in on that to make sure that, again leading out of your heart from.
Speaker 4:That will show them that it's real.
Speaker 3:You can be fake in front of these kids, they know.
Speaker 2:They're not from a sixth grader to a 12th grader. They're not dumb. They do dumb things but they're not dumb. You know what I'm saying and they know. So they know when you're being genuine and when you're not. So if you lean in on, hey, you know I made these mistakes at your age or even after that, and I've always been big on like learning from other people, always want to learn from someone else's mistakes. I don't make the same ones. I still do. I still learn.
Speaker 1:But, man, if you can get these students to capture that heart, oh man, yeah, have you ever like opened a bag of chips and you just hear like, and then all of a sudden all the kids just come out of everywhere, like at home, oh yeah, oh yeah, just me.
Speaker 2:I think he hears it every Wednesday when they open the Takis in there.
Speaker 4:All the kids start flocking to him. You know what I'm saying Then they dump them on the ground.
Speaker 3:Yeah, the facilities, steve's facilities.
Speaker 2:I was like man, y'all had a blast in here last night, that's right.
Speaker 1:That's right, you're right. They're not dumb.
Speaker 3:They can see through everything.
Speaker 1:They hear everything, they see everything, they smell it. It's like they're watching, they're like sponges, just absorbing everything, and that's what makes it such a great privilege. I think about being a dad, and just, you know, we have our oldest, who's 15, and our youngest, who's four, and then we have, you know, our daughter, who's in the middle, she's 11, and you know different seasons of life with Jordan, our oldest. We have to love him and lead him in a different way. I'm learning, as a father, to listen more, you know, in this stage of his life and with the little one, it's like, hey, come here, like, and he'll talk and talk and talk. And sometimes it's just like his imagination and I'm like, okay, hey, what if we do this?
Speaker 1:And I'm in with him, I'm in a season where I can shape his imagination and we tell stories and we play games, and with Jordan it's like he's living life out and I have to be willing to listen and not fix immediately and then allow. Like you talked about discernment, I've gone through things, so, okay, what do I carry that can actually help him as I'm listening? But that's not for me to do. I have to lean into the Holy Spirit. It's like all right, God, how can I lead him? The same way that we lead our children, it's the same way we want to lead our students here. It's. It's not like, hey, let me fix you, Cause you're broken. It's, it's Holy Spirit. Every kid is different. And can you? They're just so unique and just very different. That's it.
Speaker 4:I mean, god designed us all different. I mean, how boring would it be if we were all the same. And I think that's where our student leaders come in, just from just a variety of backgrounds. And you know we try to, you know, plug our leaders into groups where you know, hey, you connected with this group. You know really good, hey, let's, you know, stick you there. And just the leader's experience, you know, and they can, they learn their kids and they know it's helpful for them. And you know we give them a leader guide every week and we're like, hey, go through it, read the scripture study on your own, come up with your own questions. Like you know, your students, a sixth grade boys group looks a thousand percent different than a 12th grade guy group.
Speaker 4:Like it is like sixth grade, you're you know you kind of got to be a dad sometimes. And you know, 12th grade guys, they're like, hey, they need somebody to. You know, come alongside them. They're almost an adult. Some of them are adults. They need, you know, some godly wisdom, you know, as they're stepping out and going to college and careers and stuff like that.
Speaker 4:So it's just, you know our leaders, they're all unique, they're all different, just like our kids. So that's, you know, we just need everybody just to pour in. And you know, we have these students for a very short time every Wednesday and sometimes I think about it and I'm like, okay, they're at school for however many hours a day with their teachers and their teachers are hopefully connecting with them and stuff like that. And we have this very short window on a Wednesday night to connect with them, to pour into them, and it's good stuff. They're getting to learn about all kinds of things, and not just, you know, the Bible, but just life. And I don't know, I just I don't like there's no possible way student ministry would be possible without our volunteers without our leaders.
Speaker 4:And you know, we just we want to equip them, we want to train them, just the best as we can. And you know, I constantly tell our leaders when they're onboarding, like new dream teamers, like hey, you don't have to know it all, like I don't know it all, and like students will ask some crazy, crazy questions, and I legit will tell a kid, hey, I do not know that answer, I do not know, but hey, we can ask somebody, or let's look it up together. Or like you know, and I think you know, and I think you know, as leaders they can't be scared to do that with the kids, and you know I tell them all like say, hey, I don't know, like grab another leader.
Speaker 4:You know, grab somebody else, like hey, let's figure this out together, and that's, you know, that's where it comes in. Just, you know, again, sixth grade boys are going to ask you about dinosaurs and twelfth grade boys are going to be like, hey, I really like this girl and I want to take her on a date. And you know so, it's just completely different.
Speaker 2:And the leaders, just they just really pour into them and they, you know, help discern and just like bull and that kind of stuff, our current twelfth grade guys may also talk about dinosaurs.
Speaker 4:So I mean you're not wrong, you're not wrong. So I mean you're not wrong, you're not wrong.
Speaker 1:I'm like I still talk about dinosaurs, You're not wrong.
Speaker 3:There is that question. I've gotten that a couple times. I think it's crazy to me.
Speaker 2:When you look kind of, I get to see a lot of our student ministries from the back. When you look across, you see the diversity that comes in there.
Speaker 2:It's a big student ministry and there's kids from all kinds of walks of life and then that's always a daunting thing to look at to me because I'm like man, how do we capture a kid who's been raised, that's heard, you know great speakers their entire life, versus a kid that hasn't had a good raise, and how do you relate to them? But then I look at our leaders and I look across our leaders and you go, wow, the diversity that's in our student ministry is in our leaders. There's guys and girls from all walks of life, from military to growing up rough to fighting. There's some that have been to jail, like in prison, like they have stories, and a lot of those students just relate in some capacity. I think that's why it's so important.
Speaker 2:You know, you look at a lot of those students just relate in some capacity. I think that's why it's so important you know, you look at a lot of our groups. They're not grouped together by anything except for their stories that they get to tell each other and grow together. And then you know, as they grow, our middle school groups right now are gigantic. I mean, our middle school girls group is what? 50 to 60 on a regular Wednesday night. It's such a big group.
Speaker 1:Like how do you.
Speaker 2:What do you do with that?
Speaker 1:Like a whole church.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it really is. It's bigger than some churches. It's crazy, and so you know how do you plug in leaders that can connect to 50, 60 girls. That's so hard, but God right always. But the diversity across all of it, across our leaders, across our students, is really, I think, a great asset that we get to have here as a church and as Clarksville as a whole, I think it's really unique. So many people come and go and it's a military, it's a college town.
Speaker 2:You really never know who's here or what their story is, and we get to be a part of it and get to use part of it to grow people into kingdom.
Speaker 1:Yeah, like Pastor Bill says, there could be someone that comes in for the first time. Yeah, and you got to be ready and give them everything you got, you know, and so that's awesome.
Speaker 4:Just to clarify, caleb. All of our leaders are background checked and clear.
Speaker 2:Yeah, just throw that out there. They're not active. I don't think any of them have felonies.
Speaker 4:They're not active. I don't think any of them have felonies.
Speaker 3:No, they do not. They do not have felonies, I'm just throwing that out there before somebody's like who am I leaving? My students with. That's a good clarification. That's how they get all those students They've been to jail maybe not prison.
Speaker 1:That sounded really good, though I was like, wow, what a great ministry. It's an inclusion program.
Speaker 2:We take them straight out of the prison, just plug them right in we give them a white van sitting around the neighborhood.
Speaker 1:Start picking up students. Pick up all six graders. Oh man, this is great, no windows on the van.
Speaker 4:We're all cleared in background.
Speaker 2:That's it 1,000%, 1,000%. Thanks for the clarifier Jess.
Speaker 3:So that also speaks to what student ministry our student ministry here stands for. Our student ministry here stands for live different. And if you've ever seen the spelling of it, it's a unique spelling. It's live. It's spelled different. It's spelled different. It's spelled different. Yeah, d-f-r-n-t. Yes.
Speaker 4:So there's no what in them? There's no vowels. Look at you, way to go.
Speaker 3:There's no vowels. Look at you Way to go.
Speaker 1:There's no vowels. Look at me. You're proud of me. You're a previous teacher over there You're so proud of me Jeopardy.
Speaker 3:Oh man, Let me breathe for a minute because I was like I'm going to misspell this and it's a lot Durfrent, Durfrent.
Speaker 2:Is it but our student ministry does. I always thought it was wrong. I'm like, why do they keep misspelling this? We hired a dyslexic student pastor, I'm supposed to put this on my laptop.
Speaker 1:It's like spelled wrong.
Speaker 3:It's spelled wrong man. I got a whole nother story for that. But anyway, I feel like that encompasses our ministry to a T. We're not asking our students to come and live this way. You got to live underneath this umbrella. You have to do everything exactly to this, hey leaders. You have to do everything exactly to this. Our church didn't even. That's not even what God even requires for us. He does call us to live unto Him. We're to submit our lives to Him. We're to worship Him. We're to die to ourselves and live for Him.
Speaker 3:As a matter of fact, the verse that it comes from is Romans 12, 1 and 2. But when we look at verse 2, it says don't be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. So in a world, in a time, in a space where everything is wanting to shape that for you, I'm saying no, I'm not going to let that shape me. I'm not going to conform to that. I'm going to conform to what, or give my life to what God would have it to be, and Him being the creator of all things. Man, there's no limit and he can. There's so much that he can do through you. And when we just spend that time with Him.
Speaker 3:So that's what we want our students to do, that's what we want our leaders to do. We want them to spend that time with God. Allow God to transform their hearts and their minds. Man, and when you continue reading that verse 2, it says this is how we know the will of the Lord. Ah, this is one again, I'm getting excited. Don't hit the button yet because we'll run around this office, but this is what excites me about knowing God's word. When I give my life to him, when I live my life unto him the way that he's asked me to, I'll get to know his will.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 3:I get to live out his will and I'm with him as I do it. It's so beautiful. So when our kids catch it, when our leaders catch it, man, it's unstoppable.
Speaker 1:But living different in this world because we're not of this world right. We're just passing by and it's because you said that we don't have to follow certain things, but we do follow the word of God and the word of God shapes us and leads us, and and so so we. We lead through biblical principles and stuff, and so it's it's exciting that your decisions as a leader and the way that we lead our students is no different than we lead our adults, like through growth track.
Speaker 1:Growth track is a thing we ask our students to do. Why is it so important for our students to go through growth track?
Speaker 3:Number one reason is you get to know God, because that's one of the first and foremost Like, hey, we want you to know God. We want you not just to know God, but we want you to know God from the context of our church, so you get to know our church as well, god from the context of our church, so you get to know our church as well. One of the ways that I think that I've heard it said before, like hey, we want lost people saved, saved people pastored. So Growth Track is like, hey, you've accepted God, you're getting to know God. You're on that part of your journey. So now you're being pastored and now you're discovering who you are Part of Growth Track is step two is grow man you are part of. Grow track is step two is grow man. You get to see all the beautiful parts of your life that god has gifted you with. Um. We in growth track two we use the uh verse um psalms 139 formed you in my womb, yeah, where we've been knitted together like david.
Speaker 3:Beautiful psalm, love that psalm. Can't quote it right now. It'll be the Dre International Version. You guys don't want that. Y'all didn't sign up for that for today. For the Lord created you. I'm not going to do it. I'm not going to do it. I'm going to be good this episode.
Speaker 3:But when we look at that, it helps that student realize like, hey, if I had this gift, how can I use it? Like God ever really used this gift? Hey, I have a dominant personality. Is God really going to use me? I have a lot of attitude, I'm a little spicy. You think God can. Yes, yes, god can absolutely use that.
Speaker 3:Like, don't discount. Or think like, oh man, I'm just made this way or I'm just going to act this way. I got to just made this way, or I'm just going to act this way, I got to just perform this way and so this is going to be my profession. And even in that profession, going through our growth track, man, you find out who you are in God's family and you can still operate in God's family in whatever asset or whatever that is in your life, whatever career you choose, whatever job you choose, you get to still be a Christian. That's beautiful, like, so, like our growth track system. Yes, it is a way of getting plugged into your local church and you, you know, you find out about our church, you get to work, you know, get inserted into a dream team. But it's not just for our church, it's for outside of our church as well.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think, I think this generation is such a now what generation? Yeah, they're impatient, right, and so when they learn something or they hear something. They want to know how to apply that hey now what? What do I do with?
Speaker 4:it.
Speaker 2:And I think a lot of people get it wrong that it needs to be our role to equip them with, hey, what is next? Now, what and what do you do? And I think GrowthTrack is great for that. And I think it's important that they get plugged in and see other people going through it. It's not just. I think it's unique that it's not just students, that it's adults right next to them getting plugged into something and involved in something and it gives them the logical next step for them, because it's not only serving. It's baptism, next Baptism.
Speaker 2:Small groups Small group next yeah, what is next?
Speaker 2:for me Missions, come on yeah and they're in such a now, what time of their life they can sit there and listen to you all Wednesday night. Now, what? What am I going to do with it, unless you can apply to it, and that's so crucial for our small group leaders to get as well. Yeah, I mean, hey, apply it to them, give them logical steps for them to do with it. I think it's we talk about it a lot and it's always frustrating to me because we talk, you know, a lot of our leaders want just rigid structure of I want it to happen this way and it has to happen this way. And it's hard because there's 300 or 350 kids here on a Wednesday night. I can't do it one way and it worked for everybody. So I have to have leeway to allow them to operate their small group how they feel necessary.
Speaker 2:And and, uh, I think if when they start to capture that man, that now what plugged into my small group, um, is different for everybody, that sixth grade guys group cannot be led the same way as the 12th grade guys group, and I can give you a structure to follow, but it doesn't mean it's right for that group. And so I think, when they can understand what this generation is thinking in that way and how actionable everything is to them. Everything is actionable to them when I think you know previous generations, there was a patience there that was built in. There was, you know. You see it in even the workforce. You see people who put in, you know, 30, 40, 50 years into a career and then you look at it now and that's not the case. They're three years here, they're five years here, they're two years here and so it's actionable. And whatever you can use to retain their attention and keep them actionable on it, I think keeps them plugged into what we're doing and plugged in to the kingdom. Yeah absolutely.
Speaker 1:That's so good. That's so good. Is there anything else you guys want to share?
Speaker 3:Oh man, it's so much. I think we'll have to come back.
Speaker 1:You know what we're going to do. This we're going to, we're going to create like a special episode, at least once a month. We'll call it like student takeover or something that you guys come in. But but close, I'm gonna quiz you guys. Oh, man.
Speaker 3:All right, oh no, we're gonna go through a quiz, all right, and see how how well versed you are. I wish I had the jeopardy you should have some music.
Speaker 1:Let's chat gpt see, I don't know what's gonna play. There'll be some background music here, all right? Uh, we'll start with jess, and if you don't know, you can pass it on to Dre, and then Dre to Caleb, and so here we go. What does the? I gotta make sure I read the right one, because I get in trouble. What does the word basic mean in today's?
Speaker 4:Basic. Yeah, oh, like the students use.
Speaker 1:Yeah, the students use.
Speaker 4:Oh, like you're just basic, like you're just, you know, like you're just plain, you know, there's not much to you Like, I'm just basic.
Speaker 1:All right.
Speaker 4:I don't know.
Speaker 1:All right.
Speaker 3:Dre bet. So I really hope and pray that it means the same thing that it meant when I used to say it, because I've said it a couple times to a group of our students.
Speaker 4:All right bet.
Speaker 3:All right, bet. Like that's good, Like I'm down, let's go.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 3:All right.
Speaker 1:Let's go. What is bussin'.
Speaker 2:It's also good. It's like real, real good.
Speaker 1:Good, you know what I'm saying can you use it in a sentence?
Speaker 2:uh, that mac and cheese is bussin, okay, okay, cool, cool cool all right, I don't know how to pronounce this.
Speaker 4:Uh is a chugi oh, ch Is that what?
Speaker 2:Can you spell it?
Speaker 4:It's C-H-E-U-G-Y. It's like a. I think it's like a style, like the type of clothes you wear. I think Sounds like a sneeze, is that right?
Speaker 1:Used to describe someone or something that is basic, out of date or trying too hard.
Speaker 4:Okay, oh no, give me another one.
Speaker 3:Man, that's dangerous, Like I don't want to be that student pastor.
Speaker 1:Man, he's a choogy student pastor here's another one. Delulu.
Speaker 4:Oh delusional.
Speaker 1:Delusional. He is deluded. Okay.
Speaker 4:Are you saying it's in it?
Speaker 1:Okay, dre, do it for the pilot. Oh, do it for the plot. Jerry, do it for the pilot. Do it for the plot. Sorry, do it for the plot.
Speaker 3:Oh, do it for the plot.
Speaker 2:Oh, man, no, I think you got me on this one Do it for the plot, it's like, do it for the story, do it for the story.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it's like.
Speaker 1:It's a way to encourage yourself.
Speaker 3:Like hey, hey, come on, just do it. Wow, I think I'm just going to stick to bet.
Speaker 1:Alright, what's with Jerry Drip? What's drip mean?
Speaker 3:Oh, that's like you got style Swag.
Speaker 2:That's what you get after a chuggy.
Speaker 1:For Caleb facts, the truth, the truth. No cap for Caleb facts, the truth, the truth, it's facts, bro, no cap bet oh man, jess, what is ghosted?
Speaker 4:oh, somebody ghosted you. They just stopped talking to you left you on read, yeah, they just blocked you.
Speaker 1:Oh, man didn't answer that DM alright, two for Dre, here we go. What's Gucci?
Speaker 3:Oh, that's good. That's Gucci. Yeah, let's go.
Speaker 1:That's Gucci. I would have never known that.
Speaker 2:You didn't know that one that's Gucci.
Speaker 3:Live different nights is Gucci, let's go. That's so cringe.
Speaker 1:What's the word Hits different?
Speaker 3:So hits different means that I mean, I only know how to. I'm trying not to use the same word to describe the word, because that that's how I would say man, it just it hits different. So I'm reading God's word it was really good to me and I heard something, I saw something that I didn't see before. And I would look at Jess and Caleb. I was like man, this word just hits different, like I would. That's how it's just really good.
Speaker 2:It impacts you in various ways. Oh wow.
Speaker 1:Okay, all right.
Speaker 3:This word was very impactful His life changing.
Speaker 4:AKA hits different.
Speaker 1:Caleb, I got to free.
Speaker 2:What's a sigma? All right, I have heard this one. I feel like it's like a basic, like it's something basic right, or is it like someone who's like real in a box?
Speaker 1:They're the standard, like they're kind of weak Someone who is a lone wolf type, independent but still strong.
Speaker 2:No, I was wrong, I was off, you're off.
Speaker 1:What's a simp?
Speaker 2:Simp is someone who is especially over a girl or something. The girl don't like her back, like in back, but they're just, they can't get over them.
Speaker 4:They write them love letters. I thought a simp was like somebody that like everybody really likes.
Speaker 2:No, I think simp is like a bad one. Oh, it's a bad one, I thought. I thought simp was that too but apparently it is.
Speaker 3:He or she was a simpleton.
Speaker 4:No no.
Speaker 3:No.
Speaker 4:Simple Jack.
Speaker 1:No, oh man. Okay, all right for Jess. What's Riz?
Speaker 4:Oh, that's your oh. So like, if you know like somebody is, they have Riz, they're like attractive and like they can. I don't know, is that right?
Speaker 2:The opposite of a simp.
Speaker 4:He didn't tell us what a simp was.
Speaker 1:I didn't say it here. This is what it says. It says somebody who tries very hard and does a lot for their crush.
Speaker 4:Okay, so, riz, you don't even try.
Speaker 1:You just got.
Speaker 4:Riz.
Speaker 2:You got charisma.
Speaker 4:People are attracted to you, Like Jerae's got Riz.
Speaker 2:Okay, for me only. Yes, this is true.
Speaker 3:Sorry For Okay, matt, for me only. Yes, this is true. Sorry For your wife only Let me straighten that up For Jess only, oh man.
Speaker 1:There's so many words Like how do you keep up with? This what does the word ship mean?
Speaker 3:Oh, whoa, what did you say? Ship S-H-I-P.
Speaker 1:S-H-I-P.
Speaker 4:S-h-i-p not the. I've never heard of this. No, I've never heard of ship oh my gosh, what is ship?
Speaker 1:it's short for relationship. Oh, come on, guys, I got all three of you let's go.
Speaker 4:I've heard of situation ship. I've heard of that ship oh man so who you in a ship with? That sounds stupid. I'm in the boat with.
Speaker 3:Jesus.
Speaker 1:That's it. Maybe that's the sermon. That's the sermon. Maybe that's the sermon title that may be our.
Speaker 3:February series.
Speaker 1:Yeah, who's in your ship?
Speaker 3:Who's in your?
Speaker 2:ship. Yeah, I want to hear you go through a whole series without accidentally not saying ship, you know what I'm saying Just one time and you're going to lose the entire student ministry, Like the whole kid's all going to lose it.
Speaker 1:It's done. You might like double the numbers you might.
Speaker 4:Look how cool our student pastor is he's talking about ships, talking about ships.
Speaker 1:Oh man, that's going to be awesome. Holy ships, yes.
Speaker 3:Okay, that might be it, we're going to just hit this right here.
Speaker 1:Guys, this was fun. I'm so glad you guys are part of today's podcast.
Speaker 1:Man, we have the best student pastors and hey, for those of you joining us today, we're so glad that we got to spend time with you and if you have any questions, if we can serve you in any way, please reach out to us. You can email us at info at lifepointchurchtv. You can follow us on social media at Lifepoint Church or you can also follow our creative social media at Lifepoint Creative Guys. You guys are amazing. Thank you for spending this time, jess. You said more than one word.
Speaker 4:I did, let's go. I really did. Y'all owe me something, let's go. I did Y'all owe me something, let's go, hey, until next time, ice cream.
Speaker 1:We'll see you later, golly geez.
