B.R.M. (Bathroom Reading Material) for Youth Workers

Jeremy Halstead

• Publisher: Resource Publications
• Year: 2015
• Print ISBN:
  9781498203227
  9781498203241
• eBook ISBN:
  9781498203234
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Christianity

Jeremy Halstead graduated from college with a degree in Specialized Ministries and an emphasis in Youth Ministry. Shortly after entering full-time ministry, he realized that even though he had earned a degree, he was truly ill-equipped for the ministry that he was now serving in. Jeremy surmised that he could not be the only youth leader who felt this way, so nineteen years later he wrote this book based upon his ideas, experiences, stories, victories, and failures. The title of the book may sound a bit strange, but everyone uses the bathroom, and most people read while doing so--why not read about what you love and are involved in: youth ministry. This book was written to be a tool for youth workers. You can read it from beginning to end, or just open it to any page, as there is no rhyme or reason to the order of the topics. As you read the pages be inspired to try something new, be educated with fresh information and ideas, and be equipped to implement what you have read immediately into your ministry.

Student Ministry Team

The Student Ministry Team that you assemble will be the reason that your youth ministry rocks (or doesn’t). Make sure that the members on your team love God, and love students (in that order).

When putting your team together purposely recruit the adults you want based on what they can bring to the table, and how well they will fit with you, the team, and your students.

Some of your team members will be skilled players, as are some of mine:

• Allie—registered nurse (first aid coordinator)

• Betsy—treasurer

• Brionne—support staff and fundraisers

• Craig & Belinda—air travel coordinators

• Doug & Lulu – fundraisers, college age ministry

• Jeff & Jayna—support staff and fundraisers

• Joey—food service professional

Other team members will be utility players:

• Bobby & Nancy—Open House volunteers, Sunday school teachers, Intense leaders, and ski trip coordinators

• Cody—Open House volunteer, Sunday school helper, chaperone

• Danny—Open House volunteer, Sunday school teacher, Intense leader, chaperone, driver

• Emily—Youth Ministry Assistant, Open House volunteer, Sunday school teacher, Intense leader

• Randy & Roxanne—Open House volunteers, Sunday school teachers, Intense leaders, support staff, chaperones, drivers

• Rhonda—Open House volunteer, Sunday school teacher, Intense leader, chaperone, driver

• Sue—Open House volunteer, Sunday school teacher, chaperone, driver

• Tania—Sunday school teacher, Intense leader, chaperone, driver, professional baker

• Todd & MeLeah—Sunday school teachers, Intense leaders, chaperones, drivers

Use your team members according to their gifts and strengths. Have those that are gifted in teaching, teach; those that are coordinators, coordinate; those that are nurses, nurse; those that have mini-vans, drive; those that cook & bake, cook & bake . . .

Regardless of their gifts and strengths, or how good they naturally are with students, train and resource them. If you can afford it take them to youth ministry conferences and seminars to aid in their training.

I once worked a deal where Danny and I were able to work for a vendor at a national youth leader’s conference in exchange for our registrations being paid. I had the church cover our gas and hotel; which allowed the two of us to attend and enjoy the conference for very little cost.

Every fall I attend a one day seminar led by a national youth speaker. When Emily came on board as my assistant I began taking her along.

Every two years, at our International Youth Convention, there is a morning of youth leader training offered. I make sure that I take care of my students on this morning so that my adults can attend this training opportunity.

It is important to resource them as well as train them. Whether they are teaching a class, leading a small group, running a game, or just taking a student to dinner, it is important that you resource them with the tools they need: curriculum, sporting equipment, food, funding . . .

After you have recruited, trained, and resourced them, give them freedom to be themselves, and allow them to use their own creativity. Allowing your leaders to do so is empowering to them, and will result in you having an amazing team of awesome individuals.

Protect your team members. Give them breaks and time off. This includes limiting how many quarters they can teach in a year. Make sure that they spend time with their own families. Tell them “no” sometimes. When possible, use parents instead of team members as drivers and chaperones.

As a way of supporting them, pay for their: admission, gas, meal, parking, t-shirt . . . And throughout the year honor them, as individuals, and as a team with: dinner, dessert, outings . . . Occasionally, during our planning meetings Rhonda and I will treat our team with dessert (brownies and ice cream or ice cream floats); or we will plan our meeting at meal time and grill burgers, chicken or steak for them. The past several years I have partnered with a local minor league baseball team to buy group tickets (that include a hat and a meal) so that our team can attend a game together.

Relational Ministry

Jesus had more than just twelve disciples. People from all walks of life followed Him; however, He chose to invest in twelve. Furthermore, He intimately invested in three (known as the Inner Circle), Peter, James and John. Jesus was practicing relational ministry.

Relational ministry is not about programs, games, studies, lessons, trips, events, or anything else we seem to associate with youth ministry. Relational ministry is about having relationships with our students and helping them form, maintain and grow in their relationships with God. Ironically, we often do so through the items listed above.

I believe relational ministry happens best when we instill some of the following:

There is a huge difference between quality time and quantity time. Students want loving, caring, accepting adults to spend time with them . . . When you are doing so, make sure you are investing quality time, and not just putting in the hours. Quality one-on-one time, or small group time, is priceless to students, and will pay huge dividends as you build your youth family.

We must learn and practice the art of the long supper. Two things happen when we share a meal with others: we eat and we talk. The long supper is an intentional extension of the meal to create time for intentional conversation, which in turn builds and solidifies relationships.

We will load groups of students into our church van and drive an hour just to eat a meal together. Combining drive time and meal time these groups will spend three hours together; a lot of youth family dynamics happen in those three hours, especially when two of those hours we are locked in a van with nothing to do but sit, watch and talk.

We have a rule when riding that all electronic media devices are put away, so that students can focus on those around them. Sometimes we allow students to ride in whatever vehicle they want, so that they can be with their friends. Other times we randomly assign vehicles which forces students to begin and build relationships with those outside of their circles.

Our group happens to travel several times a year where we are required to stay in a hotel. Room assignments are crucial. The conversations, antics and bonding that happen in hotel rooms between adults and students, and students and students, is truly unique to the setting. Carefully think through your room assignments when you pair up adults and students. I believe in two different approaches: assigning rooms that will create new relationships and foster young ones; or putting people together that are already close and allowing them to bond even tighter. My advice is that you use both of these models. Most importantly, you must listen to the needs of the group. I have had adults request certain students, as they truly had a burden for them and wanted to spend the weekend with them; to stay up into the wee hours of the morning conversing and bonding.

In another chapter I shared my heart and passion o...

Table of contents

• Title Page
• Introduction
• Impromptu Theater
• Parental Consent Form
• First Aid Kit
• Chick Bag
• Joys & Sorrows
• Fundraising
• Curriculum
• Sunday School Teachers
• Youth Group to Youth Ministry to Youth Family
• Youth Ministry Name
• T-Shirts
• Borrow, Tweak and Steal
• Go To Events
• Meeting Places
• Stay For A Generation
• Every June and Every Six Years
• Deep Pockets
• Build Your Own Waffle Night
• Must Have Ministry Tools
• Totes
• Find a Need and Meet It
• Stay True to Your Denomination
• Attend Their Stuff
• Birthdays
• Breakfast on the Road
• Carry In Dinners
• Backyards
• Play Games
• Diaper Dodge Ball
• Schizm
• Order of Importance
• Teachers
• Budget
• Graduation Banquet
• Overnighters vs Half-Nighters
• Candles & Air Fresheners
• Budget vs Fundraisers
• Coffee & Hot Chocolate
• Elementary Age Students
• Newsletter
• Local Events
• Dinner
• Pictures
• Couch and Ping Pong Table
• Youth Room Furniture
• Desserts
• Fun Food
• Summer Camp
• Sunday Nights
• Wednesday Night
• Plan Ahead
• Calendar
• Cutting Costs on Trips
• Worship
• Student Ministry Team
• Relational Ministry
• Involve Them in Your Personal Life
• Service and Missions
• Youth Room Fridge
• This Guy Missed the Point
• Continue Your Education
• Sex
• Utilize Technology
• Background Checks
• Local Schools
• Boy / Girl Safety
• Hugs and I Love You
• Closing Thoughts
• Biography
• Appendix A
• Appendix B
• Bibliography