During my time as a District Youth Director in Ohio, I noticed a significant shift take place in many youth ministries. Over time, youth pastors were being asked to be responsible for more and more within the church. In many situations, youth pastors were now serving on other teams, which gave them additional responsibilities beyond youth ministry. Unfortunately, during this shift I saw too many youth pastors get bogged down and discouraged as their plates continued to fill up. 

This shift opens the door for a new set of leadership skills for youth pastors. We must move from exclusively doers to also delegators. It’s important for the youth ministry to be integrated into the life of the Church. The Church, youth ministry and families are healthier when they are working together and not simply co-existing.

The Church, youth ministry and families are healthier when they are working together and not simply co-existing.

The Bible instructs leaders to train and delegate (Moses and Jethro, “equip the saints,” etc.). In other words, youth pastors must focus their time on things that only a youth pastor can do. As for the rest—delegate. It’s all a part of the discipleship model. Just because you are responsible for it, doesn’t mean you have to do it.

The youth pastor is the only one who can create discipleship environments for the students. Discipleship is more than just small groups, services and Bible studies. James tells us that faith without works is dead, and Romans tells us that God has given each one of us the ability to do certain things well. One of the appropriate responses of a growing disciple is to get involved. With the demands on your time increasing, we must find ways of delegating instead of only trying to be more efficient as a doer.

Let’s take a fresh look at Fine Arts. I encourage you to look beyond the event and experience the ministry. Programs like Fine Arts can be an irreplaceable tool in your ministry. Fine Arts provides a platform to help your students become a part of ministry today. Here are quick and simple ways for youth pastors to discover, develop and deploy the tools to prepare your students to live on mission in the future and lessen your task list now! 

1. Discover
Discover what you want and need.

Before you do anything, you have to evaluate. What areas in your ministry need more attention and focus? Where are your gaps? What areas of ministry are you responsible for that fall outside of your primary gifting and passion? Make a list of all the responsibilities that only the youth pastor can do. I would consult with your lead pastor on making this list. Explain what you are working on, and you may be able to help them as well. Make another list of all the responsibilities that run through your office but don’t have to be completed by you.

Discover what you have.

Now that you have your lists, it’s time to recruit. How? Pray that the Holy Spirit will lead you to the students that have a passion for the areas that need filled. As the opportunities arise, ask students about their passions, pay attention to what they are good at and ask them what they do for fun. Just as a head coach evaluates what talent and skill he has on his roster each year, so should you as a youth pastor. 

2. Develop 
Develop other volunteers.

As a youth pastor and DYD, I worked with teams. I had teams of students that did most of the ministry on a weekly basis. I also had good leaders. You’ll need a leader to train, develop and hold the students accountable as they grow into their roles. It’ll be hard to do it all by yourself, so get a leadership team around you that can help with the process—a team that is (hopefully) better than you in certain areas. Students need models, personal coaching and relationships. It will be too much if you try and tackle that entirely on your own. 

Students need models, personal coaching and relationships. It will be too much if you try and tackle that entirely on your own. 

Develop structure.

Visions and ideas are great, but it takes structure to make the dream work. Every group is different but be willing to go on the journey with your students. Provide them with resources, plan out times to meet and practice and even plan for these experiences in your budget. Write down ministry descriptions so everyone is clear about what you are asking and what is expected of them. Don’t be afraid to raise the bar of expectation for your students, and they will often rise to it. My worship team had a dress code!

Develop a routine for encouragement and coaching.

Create a system for encouragement and coaching. Encouragement is easy and it goes a long way. Do simple things like: 

• Publicly acknowledge and show appreciation
• Tell parents and family members how awesome they are
• Mail appreciation/thank you notes
• Have a ministry appreciation party

3. Deploy 
Deploy the opportunities.

Provide opportunities for students to serve using their talents and abilities outside of the youth group. Community events, Sunday morning services and even school functions are great places to foster the development of students. Get involved with other ministry leaders in your church. Ask them what their needs are. You may be able to bless your entire church with students who are trained and willing to serve in the very areas they need. When students go beyond their youth group, it creates a missional mindset for them. 

4. Repeat!

This article originally appeared on the Healthy Youth blog and has been used with permission.