Chasing Elephants Podcast

Connect with SLU:

• Instagram
• Register for SLU
• Learn more about The LIFT Tour
• Learn more about YPS

Connect with our Hosts:

• Jeff's Instagram
• Jeff's Twitter
• Chris's Instagram
• Chris's Twitter 

1. Keep your spiritual priorities intact.

• Christ First — He saved you and called you.
• Family Second — If you can’t serve your family effectively, you won’t serve the Lord’s church that way.
• Church/Ministry Third — God has chosen you to serve His people in the local church.

2. Make your meetings count.

• Have an agenda.
• Receive prayer request.
• Allow time for team members to share some “God-moments.”
• Be timely, when you care about their time, they will care about yours.

3. Lead your ministry as a team, not a hierarchy.

• Surround yourself with wise people, not “yes” people.
• Go with the pace of your team, not faster or slower, keep the same pace.

4. Approach your ministry context as a life-long learner, not a boss or know it all.

• Have a system of communication that allows you to know about the needs of your students, parents, and volunteers.

5. Expose your leaders and your students to ministries and organizations that are doing things better than you.

6. Make serving and sharing your faith a priority. We never stop living out Matt 28.

7. As a ministry team, read through some good books that will help you grow in what you do. Leaders are readers. You can’t confront culture if you don’t study it.

8. As a leader, keep yourself surrounded by other leaders who are further along then you. Don’t always be the smartest in the room.

9. Be committed for the long haul, or until God alone moves you. Longevity is cool.

10. Be Patient, sometimes you will not be able to build it fast.

11. Be Content, but not lazy.

• Don’t seek success in ministry through the numbers or notoriety; just seek to please Jesus.

12. PRAY

• Ministry involves warfare against a real enemy. Use prayer as a way to involve the ultimate warrior in the fight to win this generation to Jesus.

Connect with SLU:

• Instagram
• Register for SLU
• Learn more about The LIFT Tour
• Learn more about YPS

Connect with our Hosts:

• Brent's Instagram
• Brent's Twitter
• Jeff's Instagram
• Jeff's Twitter

I. FOUNDATION of an Effective Student Ministry

Biblical Philosophy

•  The Great Commandment (Matt. 22:37-40 CSB)
• The Great Commission (Matt. 28:18-20 CSB)

Ministry Philosophy

• Vision & Mission Statement…as well as the Core Values
  • Should answer the questions, “Who we are. What we believe. Why do we exist?”
  • Should be concise, clear, and easily repeatable.

II. PILLARS of an Effective Student Ministry

Equipping (Eph. 4:12) – Critical Question: How are we equipping the saints for the work of the ministry, so we can build up the body of Christ?

• Ministry Team(s)
  • Adult Volunteers
  • Student Leaders
•  Parents Engagement and Involvement
  • You should be the best resource for your parents.
  • 5 Cs (By Dr. Allen Jackson – Former Youth Ministry Professor at NOTBS)
    • Communicate everything.
    • Calendar with families in mind
    • Counsel by mostly listening.
    • Connect families with resources.
    • Call parents to become disciple-makers. (Deut. 6 says so)

Programming

• Shape your programs, events, gathers, and activities around your vision, mission, and core values.
• If it doesn’t fit those statements and values, then you shouldn’t do it. That’s called FOCUS.
• The tension in programming – Attractiveness vs. Authenticity
• It’s not “either” or, it’s “both” “and”
• Strategic Planning
  • Short-Term (3 months out)
  • Long-Term (6-12 months out)
  • Future Outlook (2-3 years)
  • Use the calendar to your advantage.
    • Seasons
    • Holidays
    • Established Events (Community-wide, School, City-wide)
• Budgeting
  • ·Your budget should reflect your strategic plan, not a wish list.
  • Start conversations on your budget 4-6 months prior to the church’s new calendar year.
  • Use wise financial people to help craft the budget.

III. PROCESS OF DISCIPLESHIP within an effective student ministry

• There must be a scope and sequence of students growing into fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ.
• Peter Drucker said, “You can’t manage what you can’t measure.”
• Your process of Discipleship should influence your programs and activities.
• Student Ministry cannot be a holding pattern; there must be movement.

IV. PARTNERSHIPS necessary for an effective student ministry

• Internal
  • Senior Pastor
  • Other Ministry Leaders
  • Parents
• External
  • Other student ministries in your city
  • Local Non-Profits & para-church organizations that can serve your ministry.
  • Local Non-Profits & para-church organizations that that can be served by your ministry

V. PERSONAL GROWTH as the leader of an effective student ministry

Personal Devotional Life

• Conferences/Seminars/Events
• Mentorship with an elder in student ministry
• Fellowship with other youth ministers
• Reading/Subscribing to great ministry books and resources.

Fruit Filled Freedom 

Galatians 5:15-26

What Paul teaches on Freedom: 

1. Walk by the Spirit. 
   1. Our flesh tells us the opposite of the Spirit.
   2. You're either walking by the Spirit or the flesh. You can't be a part time spirit walkers and part time flesh walkers. We have to walk by the Spirit 24/7. 
2. Be led by the Spirit. 
   1. Submit and subscribe to the wisdom and discernment of the Spirit. 
3. Leverage the fruit of the Spirit.
   1. Understand an upward relationship with God. 
   2. Understand the outward responsibility with have with others.
   3. Understand the inward requirement of ourselves. 
4. Live by the Spirit.
   1. Die to self.
   2. Devote ourselves. 

Your private faithfulness will impact your public fruitfulness.

Three questions to assess if you're walking with the Spirit:

1. How is your intimacy with God?
2. Where is your identity placed?
3. What is your real intent as a leader?

Connect with SLU:

• Instagram
• Register for SLU
• Learn more about The LIFT Tour
• Learn more about YPS

Connect with our Hosts:

• Brent's Instagram
• Brent's Twitter
• Jeff's Instagram
• Jeff's Twitter

Join us from Youth Pastor Summit as Drew Worsham talks about burnout and riding ourselves of the mindset of slaves and orphans. 

Leviticus 2:14 - We are no longer slaves, so we need to rid ourselves of the slave mindset

Three Lies Slaves Believe: 

• I'll never have enough 
  • Exodus 16 
  • Be brave. Face the storm. Trust that God is going to give you what you need. 
• I'll never be enough
  • Numbers 13
  • Performance is not love. God doesn't meet us in the illusion, He meets us in reality. 
• I'll never do enough
  • Exodus 32
  • God doesn't ask us to do anything besides abide in Him (John 15) 

We are set free into something. We're set free into sonship. 

Sonship is all about proximity to the Father.

Connect with SLU:

• Instagram
• Register for SLU
• Learn more about The LIFT Tour
• Learn more about YPS

Connect with Drew Worsham

• Instagram

Connect with our Hosts:

• Brent's Instagram
• Brent's Twitter
• Jeff's Instagram
• Jeff's Twitter

What a Friend We have in Jesus

God's mission for us is to not throw out the wish dream of friendship, it's to find that kind of friendship in Him. 

Two Truths on Prayer: 

• prayer is not a performance, it's a place to be honest 
• a wandering mind in prayer is actually a gift

From the very beginning, God took the day off to spend time with us. He pursues us. 

In the gospels, the One who has the answers to every single question, wasn't concerned about giving the answers, He was concerned about relationships. 

We see in the friendship of Jesus: 

1. He pursues
2. He loves you at your best and at your worst 
3. He knows you and He lets you know Him (John 10) 
   1. Matthew 7 - Have we ever let Christ know us?
   2. Mark 9 - He asks questions not because He doesn't know the answer, but so that He can woo your heart out of hiding. 
4. He gives His life for His friends 
   1. You are fully forgiven for ALL of it. You cannot outsin the cross.
   2. He earned life on your behalf. 
   3. Hebrews 4 - we can approach our friendship with God confidently

Nothing goes to waste with Jesus our friend. 

Connect with SLU:

• Instagram
• Register for SLU
• Learn more about The LIFT Tour
• Learn more about YPS

Connect with our Hosts:

• Brent's Instagram
• Brent's Twitter
• Jeff's Instagram
• Jeff's Twitter

Biblical Truth:

•  “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters” – Colossians 3:23 (NIV)
• “So, whatever you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” – 1 Corinthians 10:31 (NIV)

Leadership Truth:

“The ultimate goal is not that we would do good things for others. It’s not even to start churches or share our faith. The ultimate aim of our lives is to bring glory to God” (Life on Mission, p. 27)

5 Ways to Execute the Vision:

1. TRUST GOD and the PROCESS

     a. God is the creator and articulate of the vision.

2. Settle the level of your OWN CONVICTIONS first

     a. The Vision - If you don’t support it, you won’t be able to execute it!

3. DISCUSS/DEBATE PRIVATELY, but HONOR and SUPPORT PUBLICALLY

     a. When honor is practice, it becomes a part of the culture.

4. Assume the BEST even when you are tempted to think the WORSE

     a. We’re all on the same team and we all want the same thing.

5. Commit to being a KEEPER OF UNITY (It’s BIBLICAL)

     a. “Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.” – Romans 12:16

Biblical Truth:

“As a prisoner of the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” Ephesians 4:1-3 (NIV)

The Role of the Leader: How to get others to connect to the vision? It’s all about TRUST!

1. Practical trust in GOD (He knows more that we do)

2. Principal trust in AUTHORITY (It’s how we maintain unity and eliminate division)

3. Personal trust in the LEADER (God called the leader, so we trust God’s discussion)

Take-A-Way: What does this mean for you…the leader?

1. Be a CRITICAL THINKER, not just a TASK-DRIVEN DOER (Move from listening & thinking to doing, creating, and innovating)

2. Be PROACTIVE, not just REACTIVE (It’s the difference between being an intentional leader vs a reactionary leader)

3. Be CLEAR, not just CLEVER (Just because it sounds good to you, doesn’t mean it make sense to others)

“I dream, I test my dreams against my beliefs, I dare to take risks, and I execute my vision to make those dreams come true.” – Walt Disney (from the Disney Way)

5 Traits of a Visionary Leader (Which we teach students at SLU 101)

1. They talk with GOD OFTEN.
2. They have an UNSHAKABLE FAITH
3. They SEE IT FIRST
4. They have a strong DRIVE, FOCUS, and STAMINA to FINISH
5. They are willing to TAKE RISK OTHER WON’T

3 Truths about Vision

“Vision is the beacon which guides us through change and keeps us headed in the right direction when all else is up for grabs.” – Peter Drucker

1.  Vision answers the questions every organization must answer:
   1. The question of who you are: YOUR IDENTITY
   2. The question of what you do: YOUR MISSION
   3. The question of how you do it: YOUR STRATEGY
   4. The question of why you do it: YOUR MOTIVATION
2. Vision precedes breakthrough:
   1. Vision draws the people towards the FUTURE
   2. Vision attracts key leaders and influencers to join in the MISSION.
   3. Vision UNITES the people together
   4. Vision creates the MOMENTUM needed to make change
3. Vision inspires the best in people. A clear and compelling vision will:
   1. Challenge people to be part of something BIGGER than themselves.
   2.  Move people to give SACRAFICALLY.
   3. Help the leader remain ALIGNED, FOCUSED, and in position to make good decisions.
   4. Require leaders to continue in both SPIRITUAL and LEADERSHIP growth.

Connect with SLU:

• Instagram
• Register for SLU
• Learn more about The LIFT Tour
• Learn more about YPS

Connect with our Hosts:

• Brent's Instagram
• Brent's Twitter
• Jeff's Instagram
• Jeff's Twitter

Using the backdrop of Jeff's Ph.D., they discuss the question, "Why is learning so important to being a leader?" 

• Learning gives us the tools to know ourselves better and then use that to lead others well. 
• The hard parts of learning pushes us to deepen our devotion with the Lord. 
• Learning in this capacity is unique because you have to prove your ideas and be specific about what you mean by certain words and statements. 
• Being a lifelong learner doesn't mean you have to be exceptionally intelligent, you have to be diligent. You can't run from hard things.

What are applicable things that we can learn from this process: 

• "It's better to read 3 pages of Aristotle than 300 pages about Aristotle" - be a primary source leader 
• As leaders, we should be scholars in our field, not leaning on our opinions.
• Serious thinkers don't get distracted.
• We should never be satisfied being the smartest person in the room. We want to surround ourselves with people who we can learn from.  

Congratulations Jeff Wallace Ph.D.!!

Connect with SLU:

• Instagram
• Register for SLU
• Learn more about The LIFT Tour
• Learn more about YPS

Connect with our Hosts:

• Brent's Instagram
• Brent's Twitter
• Jeff's Instagram
• Jeff's Twitter

Why do we call it Good Friday? Because Jesus is the greatest good God could have given to mankind. 

Luke 23:32-38 "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do." 

• know not what they do - these people did not understand that this very event was for them.
• forgive - comes from the same word as grace. It's basically grace in action.
• present tense - what if every time someone mocked Jesus, He said these words. What a message of hope. 

Good Friday makes Resurrection Sunday possible. 

Friday is still good

Friday is good because I once hid in the garden, and He came looking

It’s so good because I was the crazy one building a boat for a world without rain, then He sent the flood

Friday is good because I was fatherless and nationless, and God said look up

Friday is so good because I was infertile couldn’t have a baby, then I gave birth to a nation

Friday gives me hope because I was once cast in a dry well to die, but God had already sent a caravan to pick me up

It is miraculous because I was a prostitute that committed high treason to help God’s people, and found out that my past doesn’t predetermine my future

It is good because I was thrown in the pit, but God already decided I wasn’t the lions next meal

Friday is good because God met me in self-exile, then used me to set His people free

It is so good because I once murdered a man to have his wife, and God didn’t allow my worst day to be the final word

It is really good because I once sat in a desert abandoned but not alone, I knew my God was with me

It is good because I was a timid girl from an exiled people, and God decided to make me a queen

Friday is good because even though I stared in the face of trouble day after day, I could still rejoice in the God of my salvation

Friday is good because “He himself bore our sicknesses, and He carried our pains… He was pierced because of our rebellion, crushed because of our iniquities; punishment for our peace was on Him, and we are healed by His wounds” (Isaiah 53:4a-5).

Friday is good…and is still good, because you can’t have resurrection Sunday without Good Friday.

Connect with SLU:

• Instagram
• Register for SLU
• Learn more about The LIFT Tour
• Learn more about YPS

Connect with our Hosts:

• Brent's Instagram
• Brent's Twitter
• Jeff's Instagram
• Jeff's Twitter