I just received a message from a friend of mine who’s a youth pastor in Kentucky about a great way his youth group is supporting missions. Phil is definitely a global youth worker.
Every Sunday morning and Wednesday night, they have a “snack shack” at their church. You know, the kind of place where students can buy a drink or a snack while they hang out with their friends.
Well, I just found out that the proceeds from the snack shack are going to missions. What a great idea to support missions as a youth ministry. I have always thought that something like that might be a great idea, and now it’s happening. What a great way to connect everyday life and missions.
Thanks, Shively Baptist Church!
Series: Global Youth Ministry
This post is part of a series on Global Youth Ministry. Be sure to check out part 1 – Why Global Youth Ministry is Important.
Before you talk about a subject, you should define terms so that everyone is on the same page. When I’m talking about global youth ministry, I have a concept in my mind, and I’m sure not everyone thinks as crazy as I do, so I wanted to define some terms for you, at least in my mind, when it comes to global youth ministry and global youth workers.
Global Youth Ministry – Ministry to young people throughout the world. I’m not talking about a U.S. based youth group going on a mission trip, while that can contribute to international youth ministry. I’m talking about the 97% of youth population that lives outside of the United States and deserves the same opportunity for care and ministry that the students in your local high school deserve.
Global Youth Worker – A youth worker who is aware of the need to minister to young people all over the world and is doing their best to actively participate in ministry to young people regardless of their nationality or geographical location. This youth worker sees beyond his own youth group and dreams about personally impacting students throughout the world.
There are reports that 87% of the 3.6 billion people who live in Asia do not personally know a Christian (link). One out of every four young people on the planet live in China. There is a great need for international youth ministry. The youth pastors I know are doing a great job of ministering to their students. I just want to see the same opportunity for young people worldwide.
How would you define global youth ministry or a global youth worker?
Sometimes people talk about how much we blog.
I do it because I like to write and create. When I was a kid, I would draw. Now, I make things online, either through video or writing.
But it shouldn’t stop there. I think ministers and missionaries should definitely blog. Here are my reasons:
- Connect – with donors, others in your field of ministry, others in your country, etc. Your blog is a good way to maintain relationships and build new ones.
- Reflect – about what you are doing in ministry. The pace of life is fast. It’s good to take some time to reflect on what’s happening.
- Archive – You can use a blog to look back at what you have learned and where you came from. A blog can also serve as an archive for your family, and it can remind you of things you have done together.
- Inspire – You can use your blog or writing to inspire others to become missionaries, be more involved in missions, or respond to the call of God on their life.
- Resource – you can be a resource for others who are involved in missions and ministry. The things that you have learned will help others who are going on the field or into the ministry for the first time.
BONUS: Hone your writing skills. Good writers write. Writing is probably a part of your ministry. You can use your blog to get better at writing.
Why do you think people should blog? If you have a blog, why do you blog?
Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland. He lived from 415 to the 470s (his death date is disputed), and he was a missionary who often referred to himself as a sinner. He had an enormous impact on both Ireland and the rest of Europe.
He was an evangelist who also worked to abolish slavery. In Patrick’s lifetime, the Irish slave trade ended.
An interesting fact about Patrick is that he never thought of himself as worthy or intelligent enough to minister. He was a humble man who was used by God.
The legend that is St. Patrick and the facts about his life have become mixed over the years, but there is no doubt about his missionary influence on Ireland. He was also an inspiration to many missionaries who followed him.
For more information, check out this article. Here’s an excerpt.
Patrick also became the model for later Celtic Christians. He engaged in continuous prayer. He was enraptured by God and loved sacred Scripture. He also had a rich poetic imagination with the openness to hear God in dreams and visions and a love of nature. Hundreds of Celtic monks, in emulation of Patrick, left their homeland to spread the gospel to Scotland, England, and continental Europe.
Ah, leadership. Leaders. Liderazgo. It’s a great subject. But what are some qualities of effective leaders in youth missions? Let me give you one.
The first quality of leadership that I believe is essential to effective Youth Missions Leadership is to learn as much as you can about the context and culture. Rosabeth Moss Kantor siad, “Leaders are more powerful role models when they learn than when they teach.” It’s true. You can lead people much farther if you strive first to understand them.
You cannot lead if you do not understand the culture and context of those with whom you are working. The first thing you must do as a leader anywhere, but especially in missions, is try to understand the situation. If you cannot spend time observing the culture and the people, you will find it difficult to lead them.
The fact that you have a position of leadership does not mean that you are a leader. You may arrive to a situation with the title of leader, but that does not mean they will see you as a leader. Sure, in many cultures, they will hold you up on a pedestal simply because of your title. But to win the respect of the people you wish to lead, you must first try to understand them.
Before I went to Mexico, I did as much as I could to try to understand the culture and context. I read books about culture and history, talked to people, and tried my best to understand the context of youth ministry in Mexico. There is still a lot I don’t understand about Mexican culture, but I feel that this time of learning (that continues today) has helped me in the ministry.
So, here are some tips for learning the context and culture:
- Read all you can about the culture.
- The first few months (first year if you can), don’t do ministry. Just observe. That doesn’t mean you aren’t ministering. You just aren’t participating in a formal ministry.
- Ask lots of questions about the culture (family, history, language, way of doing things, relationships).
- Spend real time with real people. Watch how they interact with each other.
- Write down your observations.
This is part of a series on leadership for Youth Emphasis Week at Southern Seminary.
