The CRITICAL Element Your Youth Ministry Discipleship Efforts Might Be Missing

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GrowYourYouthMinistry.com ***** Are your youth ministry discipleship efforts missing on critical element?  Discover the key ingredient to transformative youth discipleship and puts practicality directly into the forefront.   We will be looking at Jesus's model of discipleship and discuss how to equip your students with not just knowledge but real-world experiences that will foster their spiritual growth.  This episode isn't just a discussion; it's a call to action for your student ministry to be filled with courage, intentionality, and kindness so that it will amplify the impact in your student's lives and the lives of those around them.

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You may also enjoy these episodes:
(#040) How to Start a Student Leadership Team in Your Youth Ministry

(#069) 5 Ways to Motivate Your Students to Invite Friends to Youth Group

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Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

You're doing ministry when you help out someone who needs help. You're doing ministry when you're loving that kid or inviting them. You're doing ministry when you are being an example to other kids. So helping them understand your life is ministry. Your life is discipleship. As a Christian, you're always looking for those opportunities. Teach them to be ready at any time.

Speaker 2: 0:21

If you're not looking for it, most opportunity you will see in hindsight.

Speaker 1: 0:25

Today we're talking about the critical element your youth ministry might be missing in its discipleship effort.

Speaker 2: 0:44

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

Speaker 1: 0:54

Today we are talking all about discipleship and asking ourselves as youth pastors is there a critical element that we're missing in our youth ministries when it comes to discipleship? So discipleship, I think it's an easy term. If you're a dumb dumb like me, for a long time in the church it kind of went over my head. It just seemed like a very Christian-y word, churchy word, and I never really. I mean, I think if I were to sit down and think about it I would have been like, well, being a disciple following Jesus. But when we talk about teaching our students discipleship, I kind of just thought it meant teach them how to be a Christian. You know which it is. But so the definition of it is the process of helping somebody become like Christ, and so I love the word process in there, because there are a lot of different elements that go into this. And so when we look at Jesus' discipleship model, it's actually pretty fascinating how he discipled people and how many elements were a part of it. Like, when you watch Jesus with his disciples, there's moments where he's a little frustrated with them and there's moments where he rebukes them and then restores them and there's moments where he really challenges them. There's moments of teaching and equipping, there's moments of compassion, and it's just like basically doing life so close with these people and trying to move them closer and closer and closer to being independent Christians, because Jesus knows that the clock is ticking down for him to be side by side with them, face to face with them. It's not going to be like that forever, and so that is kind of the thought I want to use as we jump in is you're not going to be with your students forever. So this critical element that might be missing from our discipleship model is practicality, like giving them opportunities to actually do what we've been teaching them. So we teach and teach and teach. But is there a moment, is there an opportunity, is there something tangible where they can actually work that muscle a little bit, because you're not going to be there forever and they have to be disciples on their own in the world, using whatever you've taught them. And I think Jesus obviously I don't think I know Jesus did a really good job of that, and my favorite part of his relationship with his disciples is when he pairs them up and he's like now go and just basically take the clothes on your back and go and do everything we've been learning and talking about for all of these months or years. Now go your turn and I can just imagine how terrified they would have been. At least they had each other. But it was this moment where he was kind of throwing them in the deep end and saying it's time for you to swim.

Speaker 1: 4:11

And so how do we do that for our students? I want to split this content kind of into two parts of what we do in the planned sense here and what we do in a more spontaneous sense here. So we plan for them to have room to practice what we've been teaching them right. So, for example, you've taught your students be generous. It is you know. Jesus tells us to be good managers of what he's given us. Faithful with a little, faithful with a lot, be generous with what you've been given. All these things right. Well, do we give them an opportunity? So do you challenge your students to give?

Speaker 1: 4:58

Each week we have an offering that we take, and all of our junior high offering goes to sponsor a Compassion International Kid. We put her picture up and we talk about generosity and then give them an opportunity to do so. The money is not going to me, so I don't have any problem asking. And then we challenge them with the ideas of you guys make it rain at the snack shack. You're real happy to buy Coke and sour straws and hot Cheetos and you want to max out that five bucks. And then there's this box of this little girl in Uganda sitting here. So I mean, are you going to be generous or are you going to hoard it all for yourself? So that's a very guilt trip.

Speaker 2: 5:44

Do you have the box next to we put it up the snack shack Nice.

Speaker 1: 5:48

That wasn't my idea. That was my director's idea, Caleb, and I'm like that's an excellent idea because-.

Speaker 2: 5:54

Well, you know, they have money in hand right when they're there.

Speaker 1: 5:57

Yeah, and so it's like our kid would kind of be an afterthought. And he's like, well, why don't we just put it right here? You spend four bucks on you and you put one buck in her box and you know it has helped. I mean, we used to not even meet our $38 a month. I'm like guys, we should be able to sponsor like five kids. Come on so, challenging them. Like hey, I've taught you to be generous. Here's what the Bible says be a good steward. Like don't hoard all your stuff. Now here's an opportunity. So that's just an example. Or maybe you teach them you're never more Christ-like than when you're serving. So now go and serve.

Speaker 2: 6:36

It's like what do you do?

Speaker 1: 6:38

And that's how I used to feel as a kid. I'd be like I know it. But how do I translate that into action? And as kids you don't really have the resources. I mean you could be like, well, I help my mom unload the dishwasher that's great. As a mother, I would highly appreciate that.

Speaker 1: 6:55

But also putting something else in their hands, like you know what. You might be a great buddy in our children's ministry. Maybe you know how to teach Sunday school, maybe you could lead a game, maybe you could be a usher or greeter a couple times a month. Maybe, like, help plug them in to actually serving. I do this through the vehicle of my student leadership team mostly, but even if the kids aren't on your student leadership team, you could find a way for them to serve within your ministry or in a different ministry. But those are the planned things, planning service projects where they can help with people. Maybe that stretch them in their comfort zone a little bit, People that are different than them we talk about. Well, jesus said love the least of these, and when you do it for one of the least of these, you do it for me.

Speaker 2: 7:44

OK, go, do it guys.

Speaker 1: 7:45

And we always give the example, Like when you see a lonely kid at lunch, go sit next to them or whatever, which is great, like why not?

Speaker 1: 7:54

But why not also open their horizons to wow, getting a lot of experience? And actually this is what Jesus said. This is what I believe now. I believe it's true Give me somewhere to put that energy. And that's what Jesus did. He paired them up and sent them out and he didn't give them a roadmap.

Speaker 1: 8:13

And that kind of brings me into the second part of discipleship is also super spontaneous. So you know where we said give them a place to put it into action. And those were more organized. But there is nothing like walking a student to the edge and then telling them to jump like right then. So, for example, I don't know if I told this story, but recently we had this girl who didn't want to come in to the junior high room and I didn't really know why, because she is a pretty regular kid, like I know her, she's super sweet and I saw her and her mom having this conversation outside and you could tell it was a struggle. So I said to one of my students I'm like I can tell she doesn't want to come in Go get her, go love her, go say I'm so happy to see you, have her sit with you, like go start a conversation, make sure she gets in this room. She's like okay, and she just did it.

Speaker 1: 9:12

And that's the spontaneous discipleship of like you need to be ready at a moment's notice for an opportunity that might come your way and that's a training ground for you. See someone Now I'm your youth pastor, so I'm going to push you to take those opportunities. But my hope is at some point and I think this is what Jesus's method was at some point you won't need me to push you anymore. Those and it worked because that's how it was. When Jesus, you know, left his disciples, it was like they got the practice while he was there and then it was like it's go time you know he brought them to the edge and now it was like you got to jump, you just have to do it.

Speaker 1: 9:56

We did an event where we were raising money for world hunger initiatives and I made the kids go out into the lobby and I'm like you guys need to ask. The adults just say, hey, do you want to help me change the world?

Speaker 2: 10:08

We've never had so many adults go through the back door of the church to get to the car. No, I contact.

Speaker 1: 10:14

No, I contact. And they did such a good job. I got so much feedback from people at church like the kids did such a good job. They were so polite, they were asking and they were so thankful and I said guys, you've got to be bold. You're asking for people who need help, you're not asking for yourself. Be the voice for the other people and be brave and do it. And they did. They need to practice.

Speaker 1: 10:39

But if I were just to say you know, you guys can change the world and you guys can help starving children, I know you can. Let's pray. It's like, what are they supposed to do with that? Google ways to save starving children? No, I put it in their lap and I say, all right, here it is, let's go. So the spontaneous stuff. You know, I think I come up with a code word for my students so that I don't make it super awkward, because you know junior hires. If I were to go up to one of them and say, hey, there's a new kid and he looks kind of lost, can you show him around? Who, where? I don't know him, that guy in the green shirt? Be like, be cool, what is wrong with you? So I come up with a little code word. Mine is Mufasa, still Still Mufasa. Yes, it's just stuck around, so I maybe I've shared that before.

Speaker 1: 11:35

So, I'll say like Mufasa green shirt. And then they'll look and they'll be like, okay, and they go and it's like they know it, You've got to be ready. And so the way I look at it is Jesus didn't give them a map. Jesus didn't give them the blueprint or a step by step instruction, but he taught them enough and then gave them enough opportunity that over time they connected the dots. And I love how patient he is with his disciples too, Because patience is such a part of the discipleship process with students is like letting their courage build up.

Speaker 1: 12:12

So maybe they aren't the kid who can go up to the new kid and make them feel welcome or hop on stage and do something you know and leave from the front. Maybe that's gonna take time for them to get there. But the challenge for us, for us as the youth path, is making sure we're giving enough of those two different types of opportunity. Have I given you enough planned opportunities where you know what's coming, and have I given you enough spontaneous opportunities where I'm just gonna push you to that edge?

Speaker 1: 12:45

And I'm like it's time. Jump, jump right now, go go. This kid's crying go hurry.

Speaker 1: 12:53

And I think both are really needed because you and I know that ministry is not always planned, so you have to help them understand that you've gotta be ready and looking for people. I did a message today on Romans 12 where Paul's talking about hospitality, and I told the kids I'm like you know hospitality, I used to always think it was. You have people over and you're very welcoming and you make them a nice meal and your house is nice and clean and you know you don't kick them out. You let them stay as long as they want. But the posture of hospitality is this constant ministry mindset of invitation and helping students to see that as, like, jesus has invited us, we are invited and he never shuts the door on us. So you've gotta have that same mentality when you're looking at people, of hospitality, a heart posture of everyone's invited. There's room for everyone. You're on the lookout and you can get your eyes off of yourself and onto other people, the church, even non-Christians, brothers and sisters in Christ, whoever it is. But where can I do ministry?

Speaker 1: 14:05

and teach them. You're doing ministry when you help out someone who needs help. You're doing ministry when you're loving that kid or inviting them. You're doing ministry when you are being an example to other kids, so helping them understand your life is ministry. Your life is discipleship. It's not just the little spurts that I showed you, like all right now we're helping with special needs class. It's like no, like that was a spurt of ministry. But as a Christian, you're always looking for those opportunities. Teach them to be ready at any time to jump in and engage.

Speaker 2: 14:44

If you're not looking for it, most opportunity you will see in hindsight and you'll think the next day oh, I missed that opportunity, I should have done something, but. And that's when you're just not prepared for it. But if you are, you are prepared and you are looking, then that's when you can seize the opportunity as they come.

Speaker 1: 15:03

And then if you push them like often enough, eventually it'll be so second nature that they'll get it. And this weekend was I had a moment of that. So one of my student leadership kids, the one who I said go get that girl in this room, she's having a hard time. If you go out and you just put your arm around her, get her in here, she'll come, I know she will. So she's like okay, I'm on it, you know. And I told her hey, thank you so much for doing that. So this weekend I saw her up in the lobby with a brand new kid who didn't really understand what we were doing. This was the weekend we were asking the adults to sponsor us to help solve world hunger.

Speaker 1: 15:49

And she was brand new. She's like I don't know what we're supposed to do. And so I had kind of explained it to her and I gave her a packet and a permission slip. I'm like okay, we do this and here we go. All right, go, cause the church was getting out, we had to go. But I think she was still kind of like wait what? And so the girl, my other student, who I had challenged a few weeks, prior to go up to that one girl.

Speaker 1: 16:12

I saw her explaining the whole thing to her she goes no. So here's what you do, and all you have to do is go and ask people, and here's where the money goes it goes to this. We do this every week Organization and we're gonna fast for 27 hours. And if you look right here, you know, and she took time with her and I was like that, a girl, and that just multiplied ministry because I shouldn't be the one who's like okay if anyone has a question in need of, it's like I'm only one person.

Speaker 2: 16:45

And that's when you're within proximity of them. When you're not even around them, which is the other seven days or six days out of the week, who's gonna be there to mother hen them the whole time?

Speaker 1: 16:55

Exactly. And when I watched her do it, she did it with such a gentle, kind, patient spirit. You know, like with this girl who was like confused and all the adults are coming out of church and it's like I could tell she wanted to start asking. You know it's like, okay, shoe girl, you know it's time, but she didn't. She just stuck in there and explained it, answered all her questions and was like a ministry leader and I was so proud of her. I should tell her I didn't get a chance to talk to her after, but, cora, if you're listening, way to go.

Speaker 1: 17:32

So that is the point, that is discipleship. And then you start to see the fruit, like we're doing it. When they start to take the initiative and do what you've been pushing them to do, you're like, okay, you're getting this, because I mean, I'm not gonna be there forever. You've got to learn how to be a Christian all on your own. So, to kind of just sum it up, give them opportunities to implement what you are teaching them, whether planned or spontaneous.

Speaker 1: 18:06

And that's a good question to sit down and reflect on with your team, with your volunteers, with your staff, whoever does ministry with you of how many opportunities are we actually giving students to do what we are teaching them, because Jesus did. He gave them a lot of opportunities. Like I'm gonna model it, I'm gonna teach it your turn, your turn, and now I'm gonna take myself out of the picture. Obviously, we have the Holy Spirit. Jesus is alive, but you know he died and ascended and then it was like now go, and you've gotta do it. So that's the part of the discipleship model. We just wanna make sure we are not missing.

Speaker 2: 18:45

Yeah, and like you were saying, not even just providing them with opportunities, but showing them how to see opportunities and seek out opportunities. Because if they are only doing it based off of the opportunities that you, the youth pastor, giving them, it's gonna be a very small percentage of the Exactly. Theoretically of the opportunities that they could have. Yes agreed, cool, all right. Well, this is a question of the day. This actually comes from two people in a sense, so this was a recommendation from Clara, who's part of our youth ministry growth accelerator program she's the best who tagged me in a post on a Facebook youth pastor group.

Speaker 2: 19:22

Anyways, the girl who originally posted it was also forwarding it from another source, but the question I'm lost Doesn't really matter. The question is if you were a youth pastor action figure, what would two of your accessories be besides the Bible, Cause that's kind of like a given.

Speaker 1: 19:42

Yeah, and people would be like oh, you didn't even say the Bible. Candy like a big pouch of candy, like a leprechaun or something, cause I feel like at any given moment I need candy all the time. And then probably the second one would be a megaphone or a microphone because, try as I might, I cannot be louder than them.

Speaker 1: 20:11

And I, one of our senior pastors said once like hey guys, if you're teaching to a small group, make it more intimate and don't use a microphone. That just creates a distance. I'm like how are you louder than them? I can't even be louder than six kids. I need a microphone for six, because maybe that's how I lost my voice. But you know, just straining so much Megaphone or microphone and candy.

Speaker 2: 20:34

What about? Like dodgeball and like Red Bull or something?

Speaker 1: 20:37

I've thought of saying a dodgeball, but you know, if I can only have two, I need to be able to talk to them and I need to be able to bribe them, so that quote that I mean for candy. They all do a whole lot. I need help, guys. Can someone you know set up the room?

Speaker 2: 21:01

Can someone.

Speaker 1: 21:02

I just feel like it gives me a lot of leverage.

Speaker 2: 21:05

So it's kind of their. It's the kid's kryptonite, yeah yeah, it's motivation. Yeah, but they seek it, so therefore it wouldn't.

Speaker 1: 21:15

I don't really want to correct you, because I knew what you meant. It's their weakness.

Speaker 2: 21:20

So it would kind of be kryptonite I guess.

Speaker 1: 21:23

Anyways, I think everyone gets it.

Speaker 2: 21:24

No, I think you guys should explain it a few different ways.

Speaker 1: 21:27

You see, kids, we got it Champ.

Speaker 2: 21:30

So this is the community comment of the day. This comes from Jeremy Merkt, who says you guys are so awesome. Thank you for these videos. So much wisdom and just darn good advice all the time. God bless you for helping the church at large.

Speaker 1: 21:43

Thanks, Jeremy.

Speaker 2: 21:44

Thank you.

Speaker 1: 21:45

Jeremy Kind words.

Speaker 2: 21:47

Darn good.

Speaker 1: 21:49

Rootin' tootin'.

Speaker 2: 21:50

That's right.

Speaker 1: 21:51

Good advice.

Speaker 2: 21:52

Hey guys, thank you so much for watching and listening and we'll see you next time.

Speaker 1: 21:55

Today we're talking all about the critical element you might be missing in discipling your students and you. That's very good. Are you missing this one critical element in discipleship? Well then, stick around, because that's over. How do you know? Please know if you're missing it.