3 Key Characteristics of Youth Leaders Who Are Creating A Culture of Student Success in Their Church
Updated: Jan 1, 2021
If your church is blessed to have an education department, that is great news! And, if you do not have one yet, but desire to, then I have some good news for you! According to Matthew 21:22, we can have whatever we ask God for in prayer if we believe! It should not be surprising that larger churches tend to have more finances and resources, including people, who are available to serve in multiple capacities. If you are at a smaller church, you may have more responsibilities, leaving you limited time to focus on creating a strong youth department, let alone focusing specifically on student success. I want to provide you with three key characteristics of youth leaders who are creating a culture of student success in their church, as well as some ideas that you can implement with your youth.
3 Key Characteristics of Youth Leaders Who Create A Culture of Student Success at Church
1. They identify innovative ways to keep youth engaged
They are constantly coming up with ideas and thinking of ways to be a blessing to the youth ministry by taking common problems and finding unique solutions that point their youth towards Christ. As they learn more information about what their youth want to do, they are intentional about getting the necessary buy-in from parents and their church leadership to see their vision come to pass.
2. They listen to their youth and gather data about trends
They collect poll data, conduct surveys, and facilitate focus groups to better understand the most relevant topics that their youth are facing in school. Then, they use that data to help their youth navigate the challenges that they are experiencing. And, they always remember to connect with their youth’s parents so that they, too, can stay in the loop about what’s happening with their youth!
3. They understand the importance of education and its impact on success in life
They reflect on their own educational experiences so that they can make a stronger impact in the lives of their youth. They also help students to realize that being in school, while temporary, has a long-term impact on their future goals. Lastly, they seek to help their youth understand that only what they do for Christ will last, including taking care of their business as a full-time student in school.
3 Ideas That You Should Consider Implementing In Your Youth Ministry
1. Create an avenue for college and career support
This type of support can range from college fairs and college prep small groups to mentoring and networking events. There is no limit to what God can do, although you may feel limited in your access to resources. If God has given you a particular vision, He will see to it that it will come to pass. Keep the faith and make your request known to Him. He will answer you!
2. Scholarships
Along those same lines, if you have not done so already, take some time to establish a scholarship program at your church. Not only will you be blessing your youth and their education or career pursuits, but you will also be opening up the windows of Heaven for God to pour you out a blessing that you will not have room enough to receive.
3. Establish a space to have intentional conversations about student success
It is essential that you are having conversations with your youth about what it means to pursue student success for God’s glory. If you want to learn more about how to do this, please know that the mission of Believers Education Collaborative, LLC, is to educate, equip and exhort believers to pursue student success for God's glory! We have a plethora of resources to guide you as you support youth in their educational journeys. Be sure to check out our website for more information at www.believersed.com!
In closing, I want you to know that God loves you and so do I! Thank you for all that you do for the body of Christ, your youth, and their families. We need more youth leaders like you - those who are willing to encourage their youth to pursue student success for God’s glory! May God continue to prosper you in all that you do! Amen. Your Favorite Student Success Expert,
Deandra Smith
