This is a continuation of yesterday’s post on 7 Things a Youth Ministry Network Meeting Must Have, where Mike discussed the components of a network meeting. Now he concludes with what a network meeting should actually do.

1. Give minimal time for those who have come to make announcements about events that they are sponsoring.  This has become the focus and sore spot for plenty of Networks.  Provide a Resource Table if possible.
2. Ask the group what kind of subjects they would find most helpful to be a resource to them, and who they suggest for speakers.  Only five to six speakers are needed if we provide other creative program ideas.
3. Creative ideas:
   • Panel discussion with youth workers’ wives
   • Student panels
   • Senior pastor panels
   • Times of prayer and sharing only
   • More ideas for topics in leadership and network meetings!
4. It’s time to have some fun! Local amusement facilities love to host youth workers. They want to show off their facilities, and frequently will provide a meal.

We have found the “Gotta Care” campaign from Youth for Christ can give a Network some real focus. The six disciplines can provide great meeting ideas. (Pray, Give, Read, Tell, Abide, Serve)

These have not only sparked great meetings, speakers, etc. but have also lead to citywide events.  For example, our local Bible bookstore hosted our meeting (Field Trip!) when the focus was “Gotta Read.” It was a perfect fit. They gave out a few freebies and a great tour.

This campaign can also be part of the focus for campus ministries, thus linking the city together for greater impact.

I believe that with good meetings:

• Stronger relationships are built.
• Youth workers are equipped with resources.
• Specific citywide strategic planning takes place.

We must not settle for the ordinary; our students deserve better!

We have got to give youth workers a good reason to leave their offices to share their lives and ministries and to be part of a citywide vision.

These meetings are built on prayerful Relationship, creative Resourcing and strategic Planning. I’m confident that we can strategically plan meetings that will be of interest and will have a greater impact on youth workers and ultimately students.  I believe these meetings need to provide a safe place for youth workers to come and develop friendships where trust is being built.

What do these meetings look like?

1. These meetings must start and end on time.
2. Location, Location, Location!! The location is crucial. Meeting in restaurants for the most part is too distracting, and moving from church to church has also presented challenges when people get lost. If you can find one location and stay there for six months, that seems to work best. What about the atmosphere?
   • Atmosphere is important.
   • Leaders need to be ready when youth workers arrive!
3. Do signs give direction to the location of the meeting and to also welcome them inside the meeting room?
4. Is the room arranged to optimize communication? For example, round tables facilitate better discussion and prayer.
5. Is there a table to display and share resources that the Coordinator or others bring?
6. It’s possible to provide a free lunch for every meeting, getting someone to donate the meals, or having different churches provide funds. Youth workers can then come straight to the meeting and know that a meal is being provided.
7. Don’t forget name tags. (Permanent ones that can be handed out and collected are the best.)

Stay tuned, tomorrow we will continue with some ideas for what to do in a youth network meeting.

As you go into all the world of youth ministry conferences, camps, and events, 1) make contacts of every other youth leader, 2) exchange with them contact information, 3) serve them and 4) leave them a sense that they have been known.

Additional Thoughts

(3) Personally, I hate the term “networking” because it makes relationships seem fake, as if we are carrying around an ulterior motive to why we become friends. But the key to networking is serving those you meet. As I meet other youth pastors and leaders, I try to offer up my skills as a web/graphic designer.

(4) Ask them questions and get them talking. What is their story? How did they become youth leaders? Was it a calling met with excitement or reluctancy? What is their passion? Do they walk away feeling like you were actually interested in them instead of just dropping your business card?

What would you add/subtract from this commission? How can we make networking relationships more real?

1. Save money by sharing resources.

Working at a church with no youth budget, I know how tough it is to purchase curriculum. In a few instances, I’ve teamed up with another church to split the cost of curriculum. Then we share it. We also lend out books and previously purchased resources to one another on a consistent basis (You might want to somehow signify who the book belongs to). We have saved a lot of money by simply sharing resources.

Sharing resources also includes sharing facilities. My church, for example, has a gym/multipurpose room, while the church town the road has an amazing stage with sound and lighting. We leave the door open for the other churches in the area to borrow our activity center for their use.

Todd Perkins suggests sending out an “all church” email with items that would be needed for ministry events. Returns on such an email would greatly reduce the strain on youth ministry budgets. He has some great ideas for sharing resources on his blog as well.

2. Save time by sharing resources.

Four churches in our community gather on the first Sunday of every month to do our adult and student leader training together. We divide the responsibilities among the youth pastors, so one month, one of us will teach, another will do an icebreaker, etc. Toward the end of the meeting, we break up into our church groups to tackle specific issues relevant to our individual churches. This saves us a lot of planning time and allows our leaders to get to know leaders from other churches.

Similarly, a group of youth leaders in Alexandria, MN have held their own training conferences.

3. Get out of an “idea rut” by sharing ideas.

Nothing is worse than running out of ideas to illustrate a point, or games to break the ice with your group, or lessons to teach. Especially during busy months or if you’re suffering from burnout, recycling ideas from other churches can help you get through a tough season of ministry. I can thing of many games and lessons that other pastors in the area have borrowed from me, and I from them. Jeremy from Small Town Youth Pastor has a great post on how networking can help you exchange ideas and some thoughts on how to get started.

4. Do bigger events together.

Mathematically, you can charge less to an event if more people show up. More people can show up if you combine with other groups. We’re planning to do a winter/spring retreat in 2010 with four or five churches. We’re going to split the booking, teaching, worship leading, and gaming responsibilities among our pastors. Then we’re going to charge the kids less because more will sign up.

5. Do outreach together.

Doing outreach alone can be daunting, especially when it involves going to where kids go and striking up a conversation with a kid you don’t know (trust me, I’ve done it). Going with other leaders gives you more support, and helps you build credibility with those you meet (since they will know you have friends your own age and that you’re not a creepy stalker). For example, go to lunch together at a location you know kids go, hit up the local skatepark together, or volunteer to coach a sport together.

6. Be a role model to kids other than your kids.

I had two kids in the past few weeks, from two different groups, come up to me and tell me I was their “second favorite youth pastor.” Second, of course, to their youth pastor. At first, I thought the comment was odd, but as I thought about it, it’s great to know that I’m making an impact on kids who are not in my youth group. I can support my friend’s youth ministry by spending time with his kids.

I hope that leaders from other groups can have that same kind of impact on my kids.

7. Give your kids more access to adult role models.

I’ve found that some leaders from other churches have had a bigger impact on my kids than me or my leaders. Some types of guys gravitate to similar guy leaders and girls to similar woman leaders. A fresh perspective might be the thing that allows one of your kids to understand a point that you’ve been trying to hammer for months. Developmentally, kids journeying through adolescence need many adults to support them through this phase in their life. It takes a village to raise a child and, to a certain degree, it takes the whole kingdom to raise a child spiritually.

(But they’re our kids. Shouldn’t we be able to take care of them on our own? In the end, they are all God’s kids who He has allowed us to shepherd for a season. At the end of the ages, we will bow down next to our youth group kids before King Jesus. This is such a humbling a comforting truth.)

8. Receive additional prayer and support.

Whether or not you receive adequate support from your superiors, pastoral staff, and parents, it’s always helpful to receive support from other youth pastors and leaders. In fact, prayer should be the start of any youth ministry network.  Sometimes it’s especially useful to vent to someone who is not involved in your church’s hierarchy or politics. James 5:16 says that the prayer of the righteous is “powerful and effective” (NIV). Trust that it is!

There are plenty of more potential benefits. What am I missing? What other benefits do you see or have you experienced? I’d love for you to share your stories below in the comments section.