This One Thing Will Drastically Impact Your Youth Ministry!

📕 Book Mentioned in this Podcast: Growing Young by Kara Powell *****  Ever wondered what it looks like when teenagers aren't just spectating but actively shaping their faith community in youth ministry? In this episode, we will be highlighting the profound effects of lifting up youth in student ministry, revealing how roles of responsibility can ignite personal and collective spiritual growth. 

We will also be discussing some practical ways for you to help platform the students in your youth group and sharing proof that when we embrace our youth as leaders, we're not just filling seats, we're actively discipling students.  It's so much more than just giving them tasks; it's about sending a message that resonates within the walls of our congregations and beyond.  It's an undeniable truth that youth focused churches are the heartbeat of growing vibrant churches.  Let's grow young!!

Are you looking to grow the size and health of your youth ministry?
GrowYourYouthMinistry.com

We love hearing from you all and we do our best to provide powerful and insightful youth ministry content on a weekly basis to be that coach and mentor you may not have, but desperately need.
If you have an episode idea, please E-Mail us at MinistryCoachPodcast@gmail.com!

If you have it on your heart to support this ministry, please consider going to our Patreon page at: www.patreon.com/ministrycoach

You may also enjoy this episode:

(#040) How to Start a Student Leadership Team in Youth Ministry
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ministry-coach-youth-ministry-tips-resources/id1507977601?i=1000508662948

(#074) Going From New Student to Student Leader in Youth Ministry
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ministry-coach-youth-ministry-tips-resources/id1507977601?i=1000538558071

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Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Do not, as a youth pastor, underestimate how much students actually need the presence of other significant and impactful students. You want to see yourself reflected back in the body of Christ, in the church body overall, because then you can say, hey, I belong here, I'm represented here, that is impactful for my faith development. And so when we as a youth group have this core DNA of platforming students and not saving the significant jobs just for adults, we create really a magnetic youth group. Today we're talking about how platforming your students in youth ministry can change the entire direction of your youth group.

Speaker 2: 0:55

Welcome to the ministry coach podcast, where every week, we bring you actionable and practical steps that you can implement into your youth ministry. My name is Jeff Lascola and this is Kristen Lascola.

Speaker 1: 1:05

And today we are talking all about why and how we should platform students in our youth ministry, and we talk so much about our leaders in youth ministry and how to care for leaders and how to vet leaders, how to recruit leaders, all that kind of stuff. And today we're talking about why we so desperately not only need our adult volunteers and leadership team to be thriving, but the importance of platforming the students themselves, and we're going to talk about five reasons why today. And then I'm going to give you some practical how-to steps to help you increase your platforming of students.

Speaker 2: 1:49

Stop talking. Stop talking now.

Speaker 1: 1:51

I couldn't think of a more creative way to say that. So stick around. So, number one, students need students. Like I was saying, we talk a lot about leaders. Students need significant adults in their life. They need really caring and intentional adult relationships, no doubt, but do not, as a youth pastor, underestimate how much students actually need the presence of other significant and impactful students. Quick story A few weeks well, probably months ago now we had this kid come in. I think I told you about him and he was just so mad Like he did not want to be there. He was brand new, he didn't want to come into the class and normally I can diffuse the bomb, yeah, I can I mean?

Speaker 1: 2:40

I've been doing this long enough that I know how to help kids feel comfortable, to get them in the classroom. And you know, like this kid was like not budging and he wouldn't even walk in. So I had to go out in the hallway and his parents were trying to get him to come in and he was at the point where he was crying, but like hot, angry tears. He wasn't sad and scared Like no, mommy, don't leave me, like a little kid would be. He was like mad. I like that. They were like insistent that he could have been Toddler fit.

Speaker 1: 3:12

Felt like it, but he was just oh so mad.

Speaker 1: 3:15

So, I'm like, okay, how can I? I'm like I got nothing else, like I was like hey, like you know what school do you go to? I bet you'll know some kids in here. Like we have a switch and some donuts. Like come on in, I'll introduce you to some people. And you know it's really church, is not that long? I have to do a sit there and you know no one's looking at you there. You know there's a lot of new people in there, so no one's really sure who's new and who's been here. So no one. Like I was trying and trying and trying all these things.

Speaker 1: 3:46

Well, finally I saw one of my student leadership kids, this kid, mason, who is. So I told his dad I'm like Mason just knows how to youth group. Like he is like the model, like this is how you youth group, you're excited when you're supposed to be excited you participate in everything, but when it's time to be quiet and listen, you engage and open your Bible and participate in that. And then you say thank you, kristen, on your way out and I'm just like, yeah. So I see Mason through the window and I like like motion, like come here, come here, I need backup, I need backup.

Speaker 1: 4:20

And so Mason comes out and I introduce him to this new kid. I'm like hey, this is Mason. Like you know, he's in seventh grade. I think he goes to your school. Maybe you guys could sit next to each other. Mason's like yeah, come on, like, comes in by me, like, and brings them in and teaches them how to play four square. And then they're playing switch together and by that time church was starting and Mason's like oh, you should sit next to me. And the whole time I'm like, oh, my gosh, like Mason did not let him out of his sight and it just made me realize Something that I think we intuitively know but maybe forget the significance of how much students need other students, students experience at church. Yes, it hinges on us as the youth pastor and it hinges on a great small group leader and all of that. But, man, you know what the cherry on top is having a really great experience with another student, because I mean, that's their peers.

Speaker 1: 5:20

They're not their peers, and that means so much. And so when we as a youth group have this core DNA of platforming students and not saving the significant jobs just for adults, we create really a magnetic youth group. And so this is part of their students' faith development Is they need to see other students walking with God, active in their faith, serving, being a part of the church, like that's a part of their development. Just like it's really important for female students to see female leaders, male students to see male leaders, because you wanna see yourself reflected back in the body of Christ and the church body overall, because then you can say, hey, I belong here, like I'm represented here. That is impactful for my faith development.

Speaker 1: 6:14

Because, again, students aren't really comparing themselves to us in the here and now. They look at our faith as inspiring for someday. But when they see a student actively living out their faith, they can see that as that could be a possibility right now. Because I remember I mean I grew up in church, I went to a Christian school and I heard so many speakers that were so good, but I never thought of them as being like. I always thought like I wanna be like them someday, but it wasn't, I didn't really register. I could be them now because when they tell the stories, they weren't even them now Meaning like.

Speaker 1: 6:56

They tell the stories of, like, oh, when I was 13, I was into some bad stuff and then God redeem me. Oh cool, I wanna be like you someday. But who you were? At 13, you weren't even walking with God. And so what am I comparing myself to? I'm comparing myself to fast forward seven years and that's where the redemption will come. But if students can see other students actively walking with God in that moment, serving sold out for God, exercising their faith and their gifts and having opportunities to be the church, they can compare that in real time. Well, I don't have to wait till God does this big, dramatic redeeming work on me, because I'm gonna go through my bad teenage years and then I'll be the Christian adult You'll have to look forward to yeah.

Speaker 1: 7:39

But it's like whoa Mason is solid now, he's my peer, I could be solid now. And I think that is a huge miss sometimes for youth groups is because we tell our stories like, let me tell you about when I was your age. But there's value in that to see the redemptive and transformative work of God. I'm not devaluing that, but I'm also saying, as faith development, we need to tell kids hey, you don't, there's examples of people who are killing it right now in their faith and sold out for God. And let me show you them, let me show you who they are and that you can compare apples to apples right now and say, man, if he can do it and he's cool and he like, then I could be just like Mason, you know. So that's number one is students need other students. They can't be what they can't see.

Speaker 2: 8:33

You know, you've heard that before.

Speaker 1: 8:35

Number two. It's a huge impact for new students, especially. So, going back to my example of that kid who is brand new, who, what does he care what? I think he doesn't know me. So it's not like oh, kristen's so cool, like I don't wanna be crying out in the hallway in front of her. It's like I'm new, I don't care what any of you think, like I'm just bummed, I have to be here. I'm scared to be here, I'm nervous to be here, I'm shutting down emotionally when I'm here. Whatever, it is the impact for new students to see other students. I think it's a trust building. I don't want to say tactic, because that sounds very like insincere, but it's a huge impact when they can see like whoa, I'm new, what is this church about?

Speaker 1: 9:22

There's people my own age like serving yeah and platformed, in a position of influence and included in the thing. Because I think sometimes of students walk in and it's just like this is the adult leader show and like we're the ones in charge and not you, you know. It's just like, well, what do they care what we think of them, but seeing their people their own age, doing things and on stage and welcoming them, and Like I always tell my student leadership kids, guys, kids expect me to be friendly. Like the teacher has to be the nice one, but imagine the impact of hey, it was a kid who's like hey, what's your name? Are you new? Do you want to sit with us? What school do you go to? And teaching kids how to have that emotional intelligence to talk to a brand-new person.

Speaker 1: 10:15

That is like so Impactful for a brand-new person and gains their trust of like wow, like there's other, there's kids who are bought into this. It's not just like churches for boring adults, like there's people my own age who are like stoked on what's happening here. Tell me more, you know, and you would hope that would be the case. And so the new student, just like that kid, is so impacted when we Platform students. Number three when students are platformed. They realize they're the church, not the future of the church. And I think so often we try to Tell students you know that classic like do not let anyone look down on you. Second to a thing because you're young.

Speaker 1: 11:01

But set an example. But then we don't even believe that because it's like, did we give you any opportunities to do anything? Or we're like, hey, some day God's gonna do something really special with you, buddy. But it's like, why not right now? Because when you're a Christian, you're a Christian, so you already have, like, gifts of the Spirit, you already have the Holy Spirit. I don't need to wait till you're 18, 19, 20 years old to say, all right, you're ready to do something big. And so we tell them all the time hey guys, you're, you're young, but you can be used by God. Well, how do we show them? We actually believe that I'm gonna, I'm gonna carve a path for you here at church right now to be used by God. Yeah, and so we need to show them. Okay, so you have something to offer right now, not some day. And we show them we really believe that you're a spiritual contributor right now, not some day and.

Speaker 1: 11:59

I think that's super biblical. You know like God saves and transforms people and you know we really need to stay away from this idea that, like people who serve need to somehow be perfect or if we Platform them, they need to be perfect now. If you know a kid has a an active drug problem or is sleeping with their girlfriend or boyfriend right now, like okay, like we, maybe don't not the best example.

Speaker 1: 12:27

Yeah, but I think the majority of students, I mean, we all have Areas we need to continually give to the Lord, but when we show like, hey, we're not waiting for anyone to be perfect before God can use them, that's a, that's not even that case, at least someday will be never yeah, and I think sometimes that's why youth pastors are a little hesitant.

Speaker 1: 12:52

They're like, if I platform you and then you embarrass us because of your behavior or whatever that's called discipleship.

Speaker 1: 12:59

That's when we come alongside them and say, hey, like you know, you were super disrespectful to your small group leader, like what's going on? Like you know, you You're an example, like when you say yes to Jesus, and not just because you're a leader, but also because you're a leader, you know your life is on display and we know you disciple them through that. But it's not like we're giving them the mic and saying here's a 45 minute message, go be the pastor, and so at the end we're gonna talk a little bit about you know realistic ways to platform them that is Safe for everybody. And we're not being reckless with ministry because you know there is a there are boundaries on that, but I think we can also find creative ways to do it. There's a lot of things in ministry I think people don't do out of fear and instead of finding a way to do it with Boundaries and safeguards, some people are just like, oh well, we can't do that.

Speaker 1: 13:58

Yeah it's like well, let's do a cost-benefit analysis here.

Speaker 1: 14:03

You know, like any decision you make, there's a potential for something to go wrong, but there's a lot of potential for something to go right. You know, when it comes to spiritual matters, I think sometimes we don't trust students enough to say you got this right. But it just takes extra time and effort and work of coming alongside them, discipling them, coaching them, working with them, helping them become these People who are, these young Christians who are a part of what's happening in the body of Christ, mobilizing their faith. And, you know, not a faith rarely grows like sitting on the bleachers, you know, or on the sideline or something. It's like we've got to help them, like roll up their sleeves, get their hands dirty and like just do this. And yeah, sometimes, you know, I have had like shoot, like you were on our student leadership team and you had a big moral failure and then this and all you know and I'm not saying it will never happen, but you just by that same standard, you could say then no adult leader can ever be in leadership.

Speaker 2: 15:12

No adult can ever be in leadership because they could potentially have a moral fail. How many churches have been rocked by the the head pastor having an affair doing drugs? Sure, being you know, whatever it is. So it's like well then, that discounts everybody.

Speaker 1: 15:25

Yeah, so none of us. And that's why one of our pastors he says just just call it a student Discipleship team. Don't call it a student leadership team, if you want to sort of safeguard against like, well, that's the leader, well, that kid's a jerk, you know.

Speaker 2: 15:39

It's like okay, you know, but they're being discipled Like we all are, you know and that's kind of the role that you should be playing with all of their lives too. So it's kind of splitting hairs but what you're kind of, but to your point you're just making that is essentially your job. I mean, outside of sermons program, all this other stuff, well, it boils down to helping students along their way, just like looking them along their way.

Speaker 1: 16:02

Let me teach you how to be and to not do.

Speaker 2: 16:05

It is just the lazy, you know shortcut and like well, I'm just not gonna do, that's like. Then what are you doing? Word fear and I think it comes back fear is kind of the laziness where it's like I don't want to have to deal with this. I don't want to have to, you know, but bring a kid through these struggles. I'm just gonna kind of teach from up here you guys are down here and then I'll move my class along.

Speaker 1: 16:26

Yeah, yeah and keep in mind. I mean, I don't know if it always comes down to laziness, but I think we forget Ministries messy so.

Speaker 2: 16:37

I mean that is maybe not laziness, just the easier way.

Speaker 1: 16:41

Yeah, and when you remember, well, okay, this is a messy job because what is ministry? Ministry is people, and people are Messy and they're not always gonna act, do and say what they're supposed to. And being a leader is difficult because you guide people through the ups and downs of their life but showing them like you're not unfit for service I always just think of the restoration of Peter and you know like, yeah, we, even in ministry, we mess up and do and say things we probably shouldn't, but Sometimes it just takes like how Jesus was. Just hey, let me ask you some questions to set you straight of where you need to be. And I'm not disqualifying you forever, I'm not benching you forever. I wanna see you back in the game, I wanna see you doing great things, I wanna see you caring for people, because I know your heart is good but you're human and I love that whole story of like deny, deny, deny, restore, restore, restore, and it just shows a lot about the heart of God toward people who need a extra little push, which I mean guy.

Speaker 1: 17:58

I think back to my ministry career. Thank God somebody was willing to put in some time and effort with me. There was a lot of times where I handled a situation really poorly or I flaked on a commitment, or I dropped the ball on a project or didn't respond to communication in a timely way or told a really told a story as an illustration that probably shouldn't have Like. There's so many things that you're like thank God, like someone was there to say, hey, you know, I see where you were trying to go, but here's where we should like I'm not like nobody, just like is ready without the coaching process. So keep that in mind for students. If you're listening to this and you're starting to feel a little like nervous about all that, it's like yeah, roll up those sleeves, here we go.

Speaker 2: 18:54

Well, and I'm sure you're gonna get into it with the practical side of this, but it's not just like all at once, like all in. You can kind of bring them along in steps of platforming, if you will.

Speaker 1: 19:04

Yeah, okay. So number four it's important for that person's own spiritual development because it makes their faith sticky and that term is kind of funny but it's coined like one of our senior pastors wrote a book called Sticky Faith and Sticky Church.

Speaker 2: 19:21

Did he come up with that? I thought so, but I think Tara.

Speaker 1: 19:25

Powell also has something. I have to look it up see who got it first.

Speaker 2: 19:28

I know, I know I hear that term all the time and I always thought it was from Larry Osborn and it probably is, cause the man's a genius, but then again, maybe somehow somebody came up with it first.

Speaker 1: 19:38

But yeah, I don't know. But that whole thing of like staying power, you know, like if you don't really feel and I think I've told this story before too like I visited a college group at a really big church in San Diego and I was excited and I got there early and I kept asking how I could help and what I could do, cause I was just sitting there and they were like no, we're good, and I don't know. I just never felt like I could really get to the center of things, like I was just sort of always on the outside, despite my efforts to get on the inside, like how can I help? And I just always felt like a visitor. Like they never treated me like someone who could be involved, someone who could be one of the core. Like they never tried to invite me in. I tried to invite myself in and I don't think they were mean. I just think they were preoccupied with their friends and their you know community and instead of trying to see people. Like Not to toot my own horn, but I would have been a prime candidate for, like your serving team.

Speaker 1: 20:43

Like I was there always because someone I knew was on the worship team, so I was always there early. I was always just sitting there, I mean, and I offered to help and they were doing stuff. It wasn't like, well, there's nothing to do, right, it's like I can put flyers in buckets I definitely can do that and so I just eventually stopped going. I don't felt, I never felt like anyone was interested in getting to know me or Having me help in any way or serve in any way.

Speaker 1: 21:11

But if I had a place there and they had opened a door for me to be able to Use my gifts or do something or help out, I think that would have had staying power. Because we know, when students help, when people serve, when people are platformed, when people are drawn in till kind of the Nucleus or the center of ministry, it is sticky because you, that's where you form relationships, that's where you form identity, that's where you form like, you start to like, build roots in this place of like, hey, I'm invested here, I've given my time, I've given my talents, I've given my energy, I've given my money, I've given my you know, and then a place like that, you want to stick around. But I had no emotional, nothing emotional vested in that ministry because I'm like no one's even ever asked me my name and I've been here quite a few times and it's just sort of like.

Speaker 1: 22:05

Yeah, it was very easy to walk away and leave because I had nothing invested.

Speaker 2: 22:09

Yeah, I mean, I say like the easiest way to make a big church feel small is to start serving.

Speaker 2: 22:16

You know you kind of learn the, the names of those who are you're serving with, and then you start, you know, feel like you're in a part of a core group, and then you learn more people's names and all of a sudden, that big, you know church seems a lot more, a lot smaller and I think some people might be listening to this or watching this and thinking we are a smaller group, but it just makes that group that much tighter you know, not a click, but just more, that much more connected.

Speaker 2: 22:40

Like you're saying, the roots are are deeper at that point.

Speaker 1: 22:43

Yeah, and make sure you have room for everybody. Yeah you know like people Want a spot to serve. So and fifth and finally, your church and your youth group should grow when you start enacting platforming students, because I think it was growing young. It's a church by the Fuller Youth Institute, carapel and her team, and One of the church, a book by a book, he said, a church.

Speaker 1: 23:11

Oh sorry, it's like about the church and and how certain churches continue to grow young and they said when teenagers walk in and they can see, is this for me or is this not for me?

Speaker 1: 23:24

Like can teenagers walk in and know immediately I belong here, they have me in mind and they're not gonna Check those boxes. But it's subconscious to know like, oh, you don't have teenagers here, do you like? Oh, hello, well, you can sit in with your parents. Or you know, like you could just tell when there's no spot for us. And so when you platform teenagers and they see other teenagers and other students like whoa, they're on the worship team or whoa, they're in the sound booth or dang, they were greeting and passing out stuff, or I dropped off my little sister and they were helping in that classroom or they were Doing announcements, whatever it might be, it helps your youth group and your church grow, because in order for church to grow, you need a steady flow of young people, because those young people end up having young families and those families grow and grow and grow, you know.

Speaker 1: 24:21

And so having young people that kind of fuels the growth of a church and when teenagers know this is a place that is for us, they will bring other teenagers. So it is a growth engine as well. To platform Teenagers have teenagers invisible places constantly, because they're they're trying to answer the question do I belong here? Is this for me Is this place a reflection of myself, and they're subconsciously asking all of those questions. You know, one time I walked into a church and Every head turned and it was all these adorable 70 plus people looking at me, ecstatic that Someone who was 20 youth group arrived.

Speaker 1: 25:09

I was like probably 23 at the time were the youth group and they were just like and I could tell, oh, you don't get my age in here very often because every I was on me and I didn't see myself Anywhere at this church and they all were like, hello, how are you? And I'm like, oh, you can really tell I'm new, can't you and I. They were precious nice, friendly, didn't matter how nice they were. It was like I don't see myself here because this isn't my community. So teenagers need to know this is a place where teenagers come. This is a place where it's normal to have teenagers serving and platformed, invisible, and that will communicate you. If I see myself reflected back at me, I know this is a place for me. So here's a few practical ways to do that Obviously through a student leadership team, because students have jobs and that's like I have a larger youth group and so I have just my student leadership team usually doing the jobs, and that's stuff like worship, hand motions, tech, working in the snack shack.

Speaker 1: 26:17

Sometimes they do like behind the scenes jobs too, like office work. Tech booth is a little more behind the scenes, set up and tear down, but still it's influence and it's leadership announcements. Sometimes they do video announcements, so we don't have to just hand them a mic and they will be like choking, like we have a overnighter on Friday. It's like we just put a camera in front of you fun music and we edit it to make you look good. They can share a testimony video. Maybe they sing or do instruments for worship. So there's a ton of stuff that they could do. They can be greeters and you've got to find ways to utilize them more and more and more. However much you platform students last year, see if you can challenge yourself. What is a new area that students can be platformed in, that students can be visible, that students can start to become even more a part of the inner workings of the church this year.

Speaker 2: 27:17

So just challenge a couple steps more and get creative with that, yeah, and if last year you didn't do it at all, then that's easy. Just gave them a lot of examples that they can just sort of dip their toe and test the waters with that. Another place we can send you guys now is if you don't have a student leadership team. We did an episode all about how to launch a student leadership team, so make sure you check that out. All right, let's do a question of the day. This is brought to you by our five year old daughter, who says this phrase often, but says it different than I remember. So finish. This sentence skunk in the barnyard pu. What's the next line, according to me? Yeah, what do you know it as?

Speaker 1: 28:02

I grew up with somebody ate it, that's you.

Speaker 2: 28:07

Yes, okay, that's how I always knew it. But she said well, she says stunk first of all, not skunk, but stunk in the barnyard. Pu who put it in there? That's you. And I thought it was hilarious, but the more I thought about it I'm like kind of makes more sense. Who's eating a skunk Some? Freak that's why it's you. And you would do this thing like stunk in the barnyard Back and forth, whoever loses, and she always makes sure she. No matter what, it always ends with you, that's you.

Speaker 2: 28:39

She knows what she's doing. Put it in the comment section below how do you always remember? Unless you've never heard that before in your life and disregard what makes more sense to you? But how do you know that song?

Speaker 1: 28:50

Or maybe there's a third option there could be.

Speaker 2: 28:53

I think there's actually more to that song. I don't remember it, but you seem like the person you would know the full thing, do you not?

Speaker 1: 28:58

I don't.

Speaker 2: 28:59

So, yes, skunk in the barnyard. How do you guys remember it?

Speaker 1: 29:02

And what's the point of it? Does anyone know?

Speaker 2: 29:04

Just to do that iny me, iny, mindy, mindy little thing, just in a different way, I guess. Okay, this is a community comment of the day. This comes from Jana Lee, who says this podcast is incredible. It's so informative. My husband and I have been at our church as the youth pastors for one year and we are rebuilding, so we are small right now, but this is so great and you've brought up so many things that we can change now. Thank you.

Speaker 1: 29:27

Oh, you're welcome, Jana. I love that when you listen to something and then you can immediately implement it and things get better right away. Like that's invigorating.

Speaker 2: 29:36

Yeah, thank you, jana, and hopefully some of these student leadership platforming things you can use in your ministry. Well, thank you guys. So much for watching and listening and we will see you next time.

Speaker 1: 29:46

Today we're talking about how. Today we're talking about how. Platform your ugh.

Speaker 2: 29:52

Welcome to the Ministry Coach podcast where every week we bring you and we bidey bapadoo b boom, boom, boom, shh Great, thank you.