Last night I dropped my daughters off at a new youth group. We pulled up to a dark parking lot. As my girls sat in the car they asked, where do we go, what do we do? There was no signage. There was no adult welcoming students or parents. My girls got out of the car and followed a couple of other students to the right building and right room. They walked into the room and no one greeted them or acknowledged them. Fortunately, they saw someone they recognized and a couple of students welcomed them and introduced them to a volunteer. When the volunteer heard that they were first time guests, she welcomed them and handed them a paper bag with student ministry information and candy in it. The information included promotion of events that happened 2 months ago and nothing about future events. The candy was old, stale, and outdated. They found their way through the night and initiated connecting with people. At the end of the night I sat in the same dark parking lot and watched students straggle out and stand by themselves waiting to get picked up.
Student Ministry I know you believe in students and want them to meet Jesus and make an impact in this world. I know you care about them. I know that you know that a significant part of reaching students is reaching their parents. I know that you want me as a dad to be your biggest cheerleader. I know you want me to trust you with the things that matter the most to me – my kids. I know you want me, and my student, to prioritize involvement in your group over the 1000 other things they could be doing. I know a dark parking lot, outdated information, stale candy, and not having an executed plan to make me and my student feel valuable is not your best attempt in making a first impression.
Student Ministry I invite you, no I plead with you to evaluate and re-evaluate how you treat, respect, and welcome students and parents like me. I know your heart and I want to support you. I want to team up with you. I don’t need you to replace me, but to support me as I raise and invest in my kids. I want to know and see that you value my kid as much as I do. I know what God can do when we work together.
I am a dad. I am a Christ follower who loves Jesus and believes that the local Church is the hope for the world. I am a student pastor – called by Jesus to impact the next generation for Christ and to help unleash them to be who they were made to be. I love my kids. I love the Church. I believe student ministry still has a vital role in the local Church living out it’s mission. As a dad, I need you and I believe you need me. Let’s team up and see what God can do.
Student Ministry as you launch a new calendar year, I encourage you to evaluate and adjust your entrance experience so that your first impression accurately illustrates how much you value the students and parents you serve.