Want to become a great youth pastor or church leader? All youth pastors want to be good at their job. In fact, we all want to excel at what we do. This applies to all occupations, both inside and outside the church
Now, I don’t claim to be a perfect youth pastor. Way more people out there are better at the role than I am. I make mistakes…lots of them. But I’m working on six things to become better at what I do.
6 Ways to Become a Great Youth Pastor
Check out these 6 tips for boosting your effectiveness:
1. Prioritize your personal relationship with Jesus.
We all admit this is the most important step. Yet we often neglect to do it. We get busy preparing sermons, planning events, meeting with students, working on discipleship methods. And we forget we need to be personally discipled ourselves.
Make time with just you and God every single day. This doesn’t include your Bible study time for sermons. Your time with God should be more valuable than any other relationship. When your relationship with God is right, all other relationships fall into place.
2. Commit to equipping the entire family.
Family ministry is much more important to me now. Your job as a youth pastor is to the entire family. Many families reject this kind of thinking, but it’s the truth. Try reaching the entire family. Plan events and discipleship for the entire family. Equip parents with resources to help them be more effective in today’s society.
3. Link the student ministry and church.
Often, youth groups tend to separate themselves from the local church. Soon, they become their own church. Look for opportunities to connect the two together. Involve teens in the local church, not just the youth group.
4. Making disciples should be your main objective.
Outreach is important and should always be in our mind. But the ultimate goal is to make disciples. When you’re effectively making disciples of Jesus, outreach and other ministries come together well.
