Leaders Toolbox #27

How to Pastorally Respond to Crisis or Dysfunction

Audio from Student Ministry Leader Training
John Elmore and Jessica Gober - October 6, 2013

2 Corinthians 1:3-4
3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. 4 He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.

1 Peter 2:9
You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.

1 Corinthians 10:13
13 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

Who can provide pastoral care? You can! You are a royal priest.

  • You’re able to comfort those in any affliction 
  • You’re able to relate because you’ve had troubles (even if they aren’t exactly the same). 
  • You’re able to offer hope because you know Christ. Christ alone heals.

Your job is to grow students in intimacy with Christ, the source of all comfort.

Downloadable Resources:​



Leaders Toolbox #26

The Art of Asking Questions

One of the most important things small group leaders need to master is the art of asking questions. It is through great questions that we are able to pave the way towards deeper understanding and application of God’s word.

Advantages of Asking Great Questions:
  • Great Questions allow the student to talk and the leader to listen.
  • Great Questions lead to heart examination, discovering struggles, and a deeper understanding of who God is.
  • Great Questions challenge students to take ownership of their faith.
  • Great Questions lead students to think for themselves.
  • Great Questions allow students to hear and learn from other perspectives.

Click HERE to download "9 Keys to Asking Great Questions"

Leaders Toolbox #25

Wake's Social Networking Strategy

Social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter offer enormous potential when it comes to promoting a sense of community and ownership throughout our ministry. Below you’ll find A) a summary of how we use Facebook and Twitter and B) suggestions for how you can join us to help maximize their potential.

Facebook
Find us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/wakeupdates

Wake uses a Facebook Page (that is linked to and automatically updates a Twitter account) for:
  • Announcements
  • Inspiration (Quotes and Verses)
  • Sharing (Pictures, Videos, and Links)
How you can use Facebook:
  • “Like” the http://www.facebook.com/wakeupdates page
  • “Like” posts your notice (on your News Feed) from the Wake page
  • Comment on posts on the Wake page as often as possible
  • Post your own pictures, videos, links, thoughts on the Wake page wall
  • If your personal Status is related to Wake, tag it by typing @Wake at the end
  • Mention http://www.facebook.com/wakeupdates in weekly communication with families

Twitter
Find us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/wakeupdates

Wake uses just Twitter (and not the Facebook page) for:
  • Event Updates
  • Retweeting Wake related tweets by other users
How you can use Twitter:
  • Follow @wakeupdates
  • Retweet tweets from @wakeupdates
  • Tweet your own pictures, videos, thoughts, information from Wake and Small Group
  • Add “@wakeupdates” to your tweets related to Wake and Small Group. We will retweet
  • Mention http://twitter.com/wakeupdates in weekly communication with families
Samples
Sample Facebook/Twitter Announcement
“Breaking news: Registration Forms are online for summer service opportunities. Check it out: http://www.morewake.com/p/events.html”

Sample Facebook/Twitter Inspiration
“Have you read your bible today? Would a bible reading plan help? Cooper Wagner is on a journey you may want to join: http://wmcc.jointhejourney.com/log/67810”

Sample Facebook/Twitter Sharing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4N8mhub8OqU

Sample Twitter Update
“Autographed Hannah Montana poster. One of many Bigger and Better entries at #DTown http://twitpic.com/41o4p8”

Sample Twitter Retweet
“RT: dantoniello77 Next time you see me, ask me how I turned a red paper clip into a washer and dryer #DTown”

Leaders Toolbox #24

5 Ways to Make Relational Capital Investments

The Spring can be a time when commitment to small group tends to waiver. So here are some reminders of things that will gain you relational capital with students. It is amazing how a little extra investment goes a long way with students.

1. Take them with you.
Invite kids into your normal stream of life. Think about inviting a student to join you next time you have to shop for groceries, pick out a birthday present, renew your driver’s license….you get the point.

2. Go early and stay late.
Go to your weekly small group meeting a little early or stay a little later to connect with students and families. Tour the house, share a meal, or play some Wii. This is a great time to connect with students and show them you care.

3. Plan a social outing for the group.
Restaurants, movies, bowling, go-karts, shopping, putt-putt, batting cages, driving range, etc. Do something fun as a way to deepen relationships.

4. Ask good questions.
Open the door to deeper discussions and understanding. How can I pray for you right now? What is your biggest challenge when it comes to following Christ? What has been the hardest thing about this school year for you? What’s your favorite thing about life right now?

5. Drop them a note.
Send kids a handwritten message to let them know that you care. Be specific to encourage them about qualities you see in them. Tell them what you are specifically praying for them about. Share an uplifting bible verse.

Leaders Toolbox #23

What to Do at Wake

Pre-Program
1. Rally the Kids You Know
Discover the routine for your group and roll with it. Kids like to have a familiar place to connect when they arrive. Couches? Booth? Kitchen? Video Games? Pool? Ping Pong? Foosball?

2. Include Visitors
We’ll try to bring visitors to you but try to keep an eye out for loners, wanderers, and stragglers. Welcome new students into your circle. Talk to them about what to expect or just ask questions about where a person lives, goes to school, etc. Keep them with you all morning. Invite them to sit with you and your group.

3. Follow Up with Both
Be sure to remind your kids about the when and where of Small Group. Have visitors fill out an Info Card and ask them what they thought about Wake. Encourage them to come back and memorize their name so you can remember it the next time you see them.


During the Program
1. Sit with Kids
Shared experience is a great way to build relationships. Kids will feel a sense of value and connectedness when leaders sit with them instead of congregating with other adults in the back of the room.

2. Keep the Peace
We rely on our leaders to police the mosh pits, regulate cell phone usage, discourage side conversations, prevent disruptive coming and going, and be on the lookout for anything creepy or unusual.

3. Engage with the Program
Pretend like you’re a camp counselor. The kids follow your lead. You make the energetic times more energetic, the games more exciting, the skits and videos more funny, the worship more authentic, and the messages more meaningful.

Post-Program
Follow the Curriculum – Click "Messages/Resources" above

Leaders Toolbox #22

3 Types of Courage Essential to Leadership

1. Courage to Speak Up

1 Samuel 17:26
David asked the men standing near him, "Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?"

A leader needs to be able to stand up and say, “This isn’t right. Somebody needs to do something about this.” Encouraging the downcast and teaching the unlearned are the easy tasks of leadership, but correcting the unwise and rebuking the sinful require courage.

2. Courage to Step In

1 Samuel 17:28 & 32-33
28 When Eliab, David's oldest brother, heard him speaking with the men, he burned with anger at him and asked, "Why have you come down here? And with whom did you leave those few sheep in the desert? I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is; you came down only to watch the battle."

32 David said to Saul, "Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him."

33 Saul replied, "You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a boy, and he has been a fighting man from his youth."

A leader needs to be willing to step into a situation and fight on behalf of others who will not fight for themselves and are resistant a fearful of any sort of battle. Both Eliab and Saul basically told David, “This is none of your business” and yet he was not deterred. A leader is not thrown off mission by resistance…Even when the resistance comes from his own team. A leader has the courage to get involved even when he isn’t welcome.

3. Courage to Help Yourself

1 Samuel 17:34-35 & 37
34 But David said to Saul, "Your servant has been keeping his father's sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, 35 I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it.

37 The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine."

David was only able to help free the nation of Israel from the oppression of the Philistines because he had already experienced victory in his private life. A leader must be trained to trust God by facing down his own personal enemies before he is able to help others face their enemies. It takes humility and courage for a leader to first tackle the lions and bears that are attacking his own livelihood. Then he will have to courage and experience to tackle the giants that are facing his people.

Leaders Toolbox #21

8 Keys to Communicating Well During Bible Study

1. Communicate Your Heart
You are for them and there for them. You are excited to share God’s Word with them. You want them to receive God’s Word in a real and authentic way.

2. Communicate Your Goals
Goals can be general: love Jesus more, pray for each other more, listen well, etc. Goals can be very specific; that they would understand verses 1-11 in the first chapter of Phillipians, memorize a certain verse that week, etc. Goals can be determined based on where a group is at.

3. Help Them Transition to Bible Study
Find a connection point (could be sports, music, school, game systems). Tell a compelling story. Tell your own story. Lean in, look them in the eye; allow your facial expressions and your voice to let them know you see the value in what they are going to learn.

4. Create a Good Rhythm
An equal balance of the following: Explanation (explaining the text), Illustration (always good to share your own life stories), and Application (make it real for them)

5. Ask Good Questions
On a scale of 1-10, where are we/you at when it comes to _______? What would it look like if we all __________? How did that make you feel? Don’t be afraid to use an object to signify who is answering the question; so that not everyone is answering the question at once.

6. Be Flexible, Yet Focused
Be okay and patient with awkward silence. Remind them of main ideas. Feel the freedom to go off on an appropriate tangent.

7. Handle Distractions
I usually sit next to who I think is going to be the biggest distraction. The Pause: If the kids are talking too much, I will sometimes stop and let them continue to talk and one of them has the opportunity to step up and say guys we need to listen. This usually works. The Conversation: Don’t be afraid to talk with a student that talks a lot before or after a group. For example, you could say “I so value your opinion, I love listening to you! But, I really want to give everyone else a chance to share what they’re going through and hear the questions that they may have about this.”

8. Finish Strong
Go around and have the students tell you what they heard that night, this is a great way to review! Answers can be pretty interesting. Pray for them; have them pray for each other (they learn to pray by praying!)
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