Apostolic Information Service

How You Might Be Inviting Burnout Into Your Ministry
Aaron Helman

I asked youth workers if they’d like less of their WORK stress to follow them HOME at the end of the day. One hundred percent said enthusiastically, “YES!” But when I asked them what they were doing to make that happen, I received only a vacant sea of blank stares in return. The more I talked to these people, the more I realized one crazy, important truth about burnout. The most important reason that burnout creeps into our lives is because we allow it to creep into our lives.

You probably already noticed that I haven’t written very many words over at Smarter Youth Ministry in the last few weeks. That’s because I’ve been on a paternity leave vacation, and vacation isn’t vacation if you’re working. Furthermore, since I work in youth ministry AND blog on youth ministry, writing a youth ministry blog feels an awful lot like work. I don’t know about you, but I only get 15 vacation days all year, and I certainly do not want to use those precious days to do more work.

You can ask anyone who’s ever excelled at an endurance sport: Sometimes the quality of your rest will dictate the quality of your work. Truth is, most of us suck at resting.

We check and respond to emails at stoplights because we can and because we’re bored.
We take our laptops on vacations.
We pretend like Andy Stanley’s books are the kinds of things we should be reading poolside during our spring getaway.
And then we complain about how worn out we are even though we never make the decision to stop working for more than an hour.

You understand how messed up that is, right? Stop inviting burnout into your life today.

How You Might Be Inviting Burnout Into Your Ministry By Aaron Helman – May 28, 2018

There are several triggers that help burnout invade the intimate confines of our homes and families. My advice? Just don’t do these things for the next two weeks, and then, if you’re feeling less stress, keep on not doing them. If your stress doesn’t diminish at all, feel free to come back and leave a comment to let me know how wrong I was.

1. Don’t check email at home.
For two years during my ministry, I lived alone in a small house with no cable and no internet (and sometimes no furnace, but that’s unrelated). During that time, people sent me emails during evenings and weekends, and I didn’t read them until I got back to the office. This literally never caused a single problem. If you have a smartphone, I know how tempting it is to check email while you’re waiting in line at the grocery store just because you’re bored, but don’t do it. You’ll thank me later.

2. Have a procedure for real emergencies.
If there is a real emergency, and sometimes there are real emergencies, make sure you have a clear process for people to get through to you. It might be a specific phone number or some kind of text message code that you develop. Either way, make sure people understand what constitutes a real emergency and what doesn’t constitute a real emergency. The stuff in the second category can wait.

3. Leave your laptop charger at the office.
I take my laptop home with me every night and will work on a few things in the evening after the kids go to bed. But if I’m doing more than a few hours of work, that’s a problem. Leaving your laptop charger at work creates an automatic shut-down point where work stops and real rest begins.

4. Encourage other leaders to set boundaries. If you expect your volunteers to always be able to do phone calls, emails, problem solving and conversation- it’s fair of them to expect the same of you. Encourage your leaders to treat their families as their most important priority and they’ll understand why you’re doing the exact same thing.

Does this really work? It does for me, and while I can’t promise anything for you, I can tell you this: It’s definitely worth a try. If you’re burnt out, stressed out, worn out or on your way out, take some time in the next two weeks to really rest. Don’t cheat your rest and don’t try to mix work into your rest. It’s amazing what rest can do to counteract the problem of tired.

Are you the person INVITING burnout to get into your life? Or are you actively working to evict it? Tell me all about it in a comment below. And as always, if you have a friend in youth ministry, send this post over to them right now.

Aaron Helman is on a mission to help end the epidemic of youth worker burnout. He writes at Smarter Youth Ministry to help youth workers with their biggest frustrations – things like leading volunteers, managing money, and communicating effectively. He is also the youth minister at Firehouse Youth Ministries in South Bend, Indiana.

The above article, “How You Might Be Inviting Burnout Into Your Ministry” was written by Aaron Helman. The article was excerpted from www.smarterym.com. The material is copyrighted and should not be reprinted under any other name or author. However, this material may be freely used for personal study or research purposes.

This article may not be written by an Apostolic author, but it contains many excellent principles and concepts that can be adapted to most churches. As the old saying goes, “Eat the meat. Throw away the bones.”

The Snapchat and Porn Conversation You Need to Have, Today
Megan Briggs

Does your teen use Snapchat? The widely popular social media app has launched a new service called “Cosmo After Dark” that promises X-rated content to users. If your child is one of the 75 percent of teens that use Snapchat, you should be concerned.

As Protect Young Eyes reports, “Cosmo After Dark seems to include a new, more pornographic level of sexualized content, even by Snapchat’s standards.” The article tells readers not to be so surprised since the app was originally started by college students interested in sexting.

Cosmo After Dark Is Bad-Really, Really Bad

But what is so concerning about this latest move by Snapchat is the content available through “Cosmo After Dark.” It is part of Snapchat’s Discover section, which includes articles and video advertisements from different media outlets like ESPN, Cosmo, Buzzfeed, E!, MTV, CNN, and others. You can imagine, based on the outlets providing content to this section of the app, that the content available here has always been a mixed bag of good and bad. But this new one, “Cosmo After Dark”, really pushes the envelope. The channel goes live each Friday at 6 p.m. EST.

Protect Young Eyes includes screenshots of the things they saw as they briefly scouted out “enemy territory”. What they share is not good, to put it mildly. One article they captured is titled “The 19 Best Sites to Binge-Watch Porn On”. Imagine your teenagers stumbling upon this article.

And stumble upon it they very well may. It’s unclear what content users may and may not see, depending on the birthdate they used when they signed up for Snapchat. You may want to take a look at your teen’s phone to determine whether he or she has access to the channel or not.

Lack of Parental Controls Exacerbate the Problem

It’s hard to determine whether or not your teen has stumbled upon this section of the app-whether deliberately or not. The only way for you to know after the fact is if your teen decided to subscribe to the “Cosmo After Dark” channel. If they did this (unlikely since you can still view the content on the channel whether or not you are subscribed), the channel would show up on their Subscriptions section of Discover.

The only thing Protect Young Eyes recommends parents can do is to ensure the birthdate is listed correctly for their underage user. Instructions on how to set the correct birthdate for a Snapchat user can be found at https://support.snapchat.com/en-US/a/settings-birthday

The Solution May Not Be Parental Controls, Though

So what can a concerned parent do to prevent his or her teen from accessing porn through Snapchat? The best prevention for promiscuous online behavior is always going to be relationship and honest conversation. Parental controls are good, yes. But they are hard to come by and they can’t protect against everything. For instance, you can have all kinds of controls set up for a phone or computer and your teen’s friend could send them an inappropriate picture out of the blue. Not to mention the things your teen might be exposed to at a friend’s house or on another person’s phone. The truth of the matter is, we aren’t going to be able to protect our kids 100 percent of the time. There are too many variables for us to control. Where safeguards and rules fail, we need relationship to help us know when there is a problem with our teens.

Do you have enough relational equity built up to be able to have frank conversations about sex, porn, sexting, and inappropriate content with your teen? If you don’t, I wouldn’t start with “Are you looking at that junk on Snapchat?! I certainly hope not!” If you don’t feel you have enough equity built up, personally I would start with a prayerful approach to grow closer to your teen, to a point where you can bring these things up (or better yet-your teen feels he or she can bring them up) without invoking the next Cold War. If you feel this kind of relationship is a long ways off and you’re really concerned now, is there another level-headed adult (preferably Christ-following) who can talk to your teen about this? How about the youth leader at church? It just needs to be someone your teen respects, trusts, and talks to.

If you do have relational equity built up with your teen, however, you are the best person to talk to your teen about Snapchat content. Honestly, you are. You are the one who cares for your teen with the best motives. So even if you’re not sure exactly how to bring it up, don’t let that stop you from doing something. Through the eye rolls and the embarrassed reactions and the sighs, deep down your teen knows you care about him or her. And they will be glad you said something, especially if you are rescuing them or preventing them from a lifetime of porn addiction. It can be a scary world out there on social media, and your teen feels that-whether or not he or she can articulate it

Start Asking Some Questions

So, with relational equity in mind, the following are some questions that you can use to strike up a conversation about Snapchat. (Note: Don’t pepper your teen with all these questions at once. Rather, start at a good point that is appropriate to your level of knowledge and ask a couple at a time as you are driving to school, sports practice, eating dinner, etc. Whatever you do, don’t knock on your teen’s bedroom door, say “we need to talk” and launch into a one-sided conversation that is really just a lecture. No kid ever likes this approach.) Your goal here is not to launch into a lecture. Your goal is to get your teen opening up about Snapchat. The less talking you can do, the better. If your teen discloses something concerning, take a few moments to process your thoughts, speak to your spouse if you’re able, and come up with a plan of action. But formulating this plan while you’re trying to get your teen to open up at the same time can be really hard. Always remember you can pick up the conversation at another time if you just don’t know what to say at that moment.

Do you use Snapchat?

Follow up (yes answer): What do you like about using it?

Follow up (no answer): Why not?

Would you ever use Snapchat (if you had a phone, etc.)?

Do your friends use Snapchat?

Follow up (yes answer): Do you ever look at their accounts?

Follow up (no answer): Why do people like it so much, do you think?

Have you ever looked at the Discover section?

Follow up (yes answer): What channels do you like to follow? Do they have good articles? Videos? What was the last one about that you read (or saw)?

Follow up (no answer): Oh so you just use it to keep up with your friends? What do they usually post about?

Have you ever seen anything on there that made you uncomfortable?

Follow up (yes answer): What did you do? Why do you think that made you uncomfortable?

Follow up (no answer): What do you think you would do if you did?

Have you ever seen porn? I promise I won’t be mad if you tell me. Nowadays you have to be extremely careful NOT to see it.

Follow up (yes answer): How did it make you feel? Why do you think it did that? How can I help you avoid it?

Follow up (no answer): What do you think you would do if you saw it?

Do you want to talk to me about anything?

If you’ve gotten to that last question and it feels like a natural flow of conversation (not like pulling teeth), this is a good time to talk about your family’s standards regarding content. These may be rules you have articulated until you’re blue in the face, but repetition can’t hurt here. You might even want to articulate those familiar rules as they specifically relate to Snapchat. If your teen is following those rules, don’t pass up the opportunity to praise him or her.

What About Not Allowing Your Teen to Use Snapchat?

Maybe you read those questions above and thought “Nope. No way my kid is going on Snapchat.” That is an option for you and your family. Protect Young Eyes suggests not letting a child under 15 on the app. Especially if you have a younger teen, like Jenny Rapson mentions she does in “SnapChat’s New Feature ‘Cosmo After Dark’ Is Porn-and There Are No Parental Controls”, just forgoing the whole thing might be your best option. The Discover section of Snapchat certainly isn’t the only reason parents should be cautious with this app.

Even if your teen isn’t on Snapchat, chances are high his or her friends are on it. Which means you probably want to have this conversation with your teen even if they don’t plan going to be on it. The fact also remains that with 75 percent of teens using SnapChat, it’s going to be hard for your teen not to feel left out at some point. That is another conversation you must have then, one talking through the reasons why your family is choosing not to participate in SnapChat.

One thing to keep in mind is that if your teen is moving off to college or out of your house in the next couple years or sooner, it’s often a good idea to give him or her some more liberties and freedoms in the wider world. If you think your teen will likely jump on the app the minute he or she is out from under your roof, I recommend considering letting him or her on it while still at home. That way when they make mistakes (and they will make mistakes!) they are still under your roof and your influence and you can help them walk through it. This is how they learn.

Whatever course your family chooses to take, this is the bottom line: You need to be talking to your teenagers about the content that is available to them on a daily basis. One thing I would emphasize is the concept of 1 Corinthians 6:12: “‘I have the right to do anything,’ you say-but not everything is beneficial. ‘I have the right to do anything-but I will not be mastered by anything.'” It’s true that with increasing age and responsibility comes greater freedom, but part of maturing is understanding what is beneficial for you and what is not, and acting accordingly.

The above article, “The Snapchat and Porn Conversation You Need to Have, Today” was written by Megan Briggs. The article was excerpted from https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/04/170421113306.htm

The material is copyrighted and should not be reprinted under any other name or author. However, this material may be freely used for personal study or research purposes.

This article may not be written by an Apostolic author, but it contains many excellent principles and concepts that can be adapted to most churches. As the old saying goes, “Eat the meat. Throw away the bones.”

7 Tips for Parents of Teens in a Technology-Crazed World
Brandon Cox

Social media is here. It’s not a trend. It’s not a fad. It’s part of the atmosphere we breathe in, like oxygen. Like it or not.

You and I who are parents of teens and preteens grew up in a very different world. I remember the first broadcast day for MTV. Remember the first video? It was “Video Killed the Radio Star.” And it was prophetic.

We also grew up at the advent of the Internet for home users, email and social networking when it wasn’t cool.

Email started out as a kind of inter-office instant messaging system. Now, seven out of 10 people check their email a minimum of six times per day.

In the first Internet generation, we would “dial up” and then “disconnect.” You could hear the modem scream and then hope for a “You’ve got mail” announcement.

Now, it’s always on. We’re absorbed in it.

I have a daughter and, as of this writing, she’s about to turn 15. I couldn’t be more proud of her maturity when it comes to social media and technology. But it’s something I think about every single day. I have two boys-currently seven and four-and I often wonder what else will develop in the world of social media by the time they hit their teen years.

Rather than seeing all of this as negative, I think it’s wise to apply a bit of a SWOT analysis to our current cultural conundrum.

Strengths of a Tech-Ready World
The strengths of our tech-saturated, social media generation include the ability to connect with people more readily and quickly, the freedom to communicate with family instantly across great distances, and the capacity to solve big problems-medical, political, educational, etc.-faster than ever.

Weaknesses of a Tech-Crazy World
The weaknesses have to do with our humanness. We humans tend to be creatures of habit, and some of our habits can become quite destructive.

We tune in online when we should be tuned into the person face-to-face with us.
We get anxious when we’re disconnected for too long.
We produce and access things we shouldn’t-hence the Internet porn epidemic.
We are so inundated with bad news that we disconnect from it emotionally.
We waste a lot of time!

Opportunities of a Tech-Enabled World
I believe the advent of social media affords us a ton of positive opportunities. I even wrote a whole book about how social media can help us share the love of God. We can use technology to our advantage:
to stay tuned in to what is happening in the world,
to be alerted to emergencies and urgent situations,
to lead and influence a generation in ways not possible before, and ultimately,
to meet new people and spread positivity further,
to spread the message of Jesus further and faster than ever before.

Threats of a Tech-Infected World
The threats of tech-everywhere range from the common, everyday annoyances to the Matrix-level conspiratorial stuff. But for most families, the threats are”
Cyber security issues, requiring us all to be aware of hacking and phishing.
Privacy issues related to people stealing and abusing our personal information.
Intrusion into our lives by people with ill-intent.
Porn. All kinds of it. Tons of it.

We need to think of all of this in a balanced way. We need an awareness of the dangers and what I often call the common “social media ism’s.” But we also need to know that social networking is our present reality. It is a reflection of and window to our culture.

And it’s a space where we can make a difference.

So how do you parent teenagers in the rushing rapids of our current technology-driven cultural change? Here are a few tips”

1. Anchor your lives in eternal things.

Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. No new technological advancement changes the nature of Jesus or of God’s Word. The gospel is and forever shall be the good news that the risen King Jesus saves and redeems.

Be about eternal things, not temporal things.

2. Be aware of the major trends.

You don’t have to sign up for accounts on every new social network that opens up. You do have to keep an eye on the potential threats. You need to know why Snapchat is so popular and how kids are using Instagram and why they don’t share all on Facebook.

You don’t have to be an expert. You do need to be aware.

3. Have intentional and honest conversations.

I know you want to make them feel trusted. But they’re still kids. They need us to ask tough questions and offer solid answers. The last thing they need is our silence. Don’t assume that you’re on the same page when it comes to standards of privacy and decency.

4. Engage with them in their world.

Your kids probably don’t want you joining in on their group conversations with their friends. In fact, it’s a certainty. But separately from those conversations, they’d probably be delighted if you occasionally spoke their language via text or direct message, or funny gifs and memes.

5. Develop an understanding about online privacy.

First, make sure they know that there is no such thing as online privacy. It’s an illusion. Someone is always watching. Someone always knows. That’s not a conspiratorial statement-it’s a fact. If you don’t know what a ping or an IP address is, you’re already in over your head.

6. Establish some standards.

In our home, our kids know that we’re not going to insert ourselves into all of their conversations. They also know that until they’re 18 and out of the house, their devices are our devices and are always subject to and available for inspection at a moment’s notice. It isn’t that we don’t trust their character. It’s that we know their character is still in the testing and development phase.

7. Let grace prevail.

If you parent using fear and intimidation and shame, your kids won’t turn to you when they mess up or encounter something they shouldn’t have. They might, however, open up to you when they know that there is grace available to them.

That doesn’t mean there are never consequences for disobedience or unwise choices. It just means that our love, affirmation and affection are based on grace, not on their performance.

You’re not going to navigate all of this perfectly. Neither am I. But it is possible to be wise, to be loving and to boldly lead our kids when it comes to how they interact with today’s rapidly changing social technologies.

Brandon Cox is Lead Pastor of Grace Hills Church, a new church plant in northwest Arkansas. He also serves as Editor and Community Facilitator for Pastors.com and Rick Warren’s Pastor’s Toolbox and was formerly a Pastor at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California. In his spare time, he offers consultation to church leaders about communication, branding, and social media. He and his wife, Angie, live with their two awesome kids in Bentonville, Arkansas.

The above article, “7 Tips for Parents of Teens in a Technology-Crazed World” was written by Brandon Cox. The article was excerpted from https://brandonacox.com/parenting-teenagers-social-media/.

The material is copyrighted and should not be reprinted under any other name or author. However, this material may be freely used for personal study or research purposes.

This article may not be written by an Apostolic author, but it contains many excellent principles and concepts that can be adapted to most churches. As the old saying goes, “Eat the meat. Throw away the bones.”

Signs of a Relational Youth Worker
Doug Fields

The healthy youth ministries I’ve observed are all relational by design. The foundation is adult team members who go out of their way to express love to students. A youth ministry strategy becomes irrelevant if it isn’t built on a foundation of love. We’re never more like Jesus than when we love others. Students don’t really remember our great Bible studies, but they do remember being loved. To be successful in youth ministry, you don’t have to wear the latest clothes or enjoy the latest music-you just have to love students.

Here are 4 qualities your leaders should grow toward:

Remember names. I know remembering names is difficult work, but it tells students they are important and value. You can only say “Hey Dude” so many times before they know you don’t remember their name.

Go to the student’s world. They go to their sporting events, plays, and performances to show they care.

Look for ways to be verbally encouraging. At school, students are put down, made fun of, and ridiculed. Even their best friends do it in the guise of kidding, but it still hurts. Students crave genuine affirmation.

Keep your eyes open. I tell our leaders to focus on a few students that God has entrusted to their care, they need to keep their eyes open for those on the outskirts who aren’t connected.

This file may be copyrighted and may be used for study and research purposes only.

Youth Counselor
New Life Christian Center
Deborah Bearden
2005

Job Purpose

The purpose of this job is to lead the youth of the church into a higher level of spiritual development, help them with questions they may have along the way, and counsel them through any set backs or problems they may encounter weather spiritual or personal. It is required that any advise that is given to a young person or any member of this fellowship be biblically based. Furthermore, if any problem arises that affects the spiritual health of an individual the pastor is to be advised of the situation.

Job Qualifications

– Must be filled with the Holy Ghost
– Must have a prayer life
– Must be a member of the church
– Must life by the guide lines put forth by the pastor for those in ministries
– Must be loyal and respectful to the pastor
– Must have a love for youth
– Must have a burden for the youth
– Must have a knowledge of the biblical teaching
– Must have some form of formal teaching on counseling (secular or private schooling)
– Must be living a life the youth can emulate

Job Responsibility

It is the responsibility of the youth counselor as well as any other minister to lead the prayer of the church. The saints of the church will always look up to the ministers for their spiritual guidance.

– Must meet early before church for prayer
– Must be at most if not all prayer meetings

Any person put over an area in the church needs to devote some time for that ministry. In order for a ministry to be successful it needs some one who will put time toward it.

– Must have a time set aside to fellowship with youth
– Must take the time to get to know the youth
– The youth counselor is for all the youth that needs him/her, therefore they most be open to all the youth even those who seem not to want to talk. Usually it is the students that seem to be okay that really need a person to talk to.
– Must be open to all youth
– Do not over look some one because they look okay

Organizational Relationships

This department needs to work with the pastor, youth pastor and the parents extremely well. There are a few more departments that is needed as well such as, the out reach, music, alter workers, etc… The purpose of the church is to perfect the saints and win the lost, so that should be on everyone’s agenda.

Training and Development

It is the responsibility of this department head to stay up to date with all the new research on counseling, youth counseling, and the evens of today’s world. You cannot ever hope to help a person if you have no idea of the issues going on in their life.

Other Duties
It has already been stated that the purpose of the church is to;

1) Perfect the saints
2) Win the lost

Therefore this is what you need to be thinking about all the time. Before you are a counselor you are a soul winner and that is why the church was made.

Job Goals

Over the next year our goals are;

– Develop a strong youth group
– Develop a soul winning youth group
– Grow spiritually
– Develop a relationship with the youth that cannot be broken
– Grow in number
– We are not loosing any due to their problems
– The youth we have are bringing people

Youth Activities Director
Bro. Joshua O’Bannion
First United Pentecostal Church of Parma-2005

Job Purpose

To organize & oversee all the youth departments activities to provide entertainment, social, & spiritual growth to the youth. The focus of responsibility will on games, camps, rallies, conferences, planning, & organization of the youth calendar. You are the central unit for all the activities for the youth department.

Job Qualifications:

* Must be filled with the Holy Ghost.

* Must meet the qualifications of church membership.

*. Must be obedient to the pastor & his final say.

* Must be able to work with others.

* Must carry a burden for young people.

* Must have energy, excitement for their job.

* Must show forth character of a leader.

* Must be faithful & dependable when called upon.

Job Responsibilities:

* Shall organize & oversee all operations of activities ran through the youth department & approval of all outings & major functions through pastor.

1. Shall prepare & organize the youth calendar:

2. Must attend the annual planning meetings to make sure not to double book functions conflicting with other departments.

* Shall be example of leadership to the youth department.

* Must attend all sectional, district, & national youth events: Rallies, camps, conferences.

* Shall oversee director of promotions & make known to the church & community of youth involvement.

* Shall be apart of youth committee & also be apart of pastoral training/leadership seminar.

* Shall conduct youth social activities:
1. Camping trip
2. Valentines banquet
3. Christmas banquet
4. Hayfest
5. Back to school rally

*Shall conduct youth spiritual activities:
1. Youth congress
2. Youth prayer meeting
3. Youth revivals

*Shall be apart of Barnabas program:
NOTE: Big brother/sister to a younger youth

*Shall train & teach others of their job.

Other Duties

*Shall provide monthly reports & statements of progress. -Shall attend monthly meetings.

*Shall assist youth pastor in anyway he needs assistance. -Shall attend all youth meetings & activities. -Shall help raise funds for the youth department

*Shall establish private account strictly for the basis of youth outings & socials.

*Shall perform any other duties asked by pastor, just being dependable & reliable for help.

Organizational Relationships

The youth activities director is accountable to the youth pastor & pastor. Each year this job description will be reviewed in a meeting with pastor & if necessary the youth pastor as well to improve & update anything that needs changed. Accountability of this job will require monthly reports, a full calendar of events, monthly, & a yearly on that can be updated. The director will work director with the other functions of the youth department, and other departments in the church to not conflict with schedules. Evaluation of this job will be done by the pastor on a annual basis. The term of this office if for 1 year. At anytime if the guidelines of this job description are broken, you can & if necessary will be removed from office.

Training & Development

Read the following:
1. Youth activities books

2. “Youth workers manual” by David Hyles

3. “How to organize activities & groups” by Richard Biggles

4. Any additional books given by pastor-these books will be given to you by the pastor of no charge unless unread then you will reimburse the pastor.

*Attend national youth workers convention.

Goals For The Year of 2005

* Assist in coordinating a full youth activities agenda.

* Organization of youth department

* Keep the youth involved, & excited about their youth group.

* Beginning of youth outings & socials

The above material was published by Apostolic Information Service. This material may be copyrighted and should be used for study and research only.

Assistant Youth Pastor
Brad Wilkinson
United Pentecostal Church – 2004

Job Purpose

To be a help to assist the youth pastor in any manner necessary relating to church and youth events. The major focus will be placed on scheduled youth events, and and helping out during youth services. With this being the focus we can achieve the necessary our goal of our youth group and our church.

Job Qualifications

1. Must be filled with the Holy Ghost

2. Must meet the qualifications for church membership

3. Must be loyal to leadership

4. Must have a desire to work with young people

5. Must have a God given passion for youth

6. Must be willing to learn and grow

7. Must love people

Job Responsibilities

* Will assume all operations of the Assistant Youth Pastor Ministry underneath the direction of the Pastor and also the Youth Pastor.

* Must fulfill this ministry with honesty, passion, love, faithfulness, and dedication.

* Shall insure that the basic steps of the Assistant Youth Pastor assistant position regularly.
a. Be outgoing, willing to get out of your shell
b. Write two cards a week to people in the youth group
c. Make hospital visits to young people as well as people in the church. Write a
devotional once a month for the youth group

* Shall get information on visitors before and after youth service
a. Make sure to get it in the hands of the youth pastor preferably the same night

* Shall have a running list of all of the information of every new young person

* Shall be at church at least 45 minutes early to greet people on the porch.

* Shall prepare for at least one youth service a month
a. The service will be in your hands
b. Get music together
c. You are preaching
d. Find M.C.
e. Prepare for altar call

* Must be ready to speak at one of the sessions of our annual youth retreat

* Shall be willing to make flyers for upcoming youth functions a. for district functions

* Shall be willing to go to district and state youth functions
a. Drive there and back
b. Wait at church until young people’s parents pick them up

* Prepare a Junior High Trip
a. Perhaps to an amusement park

* Prepare to teach a youth staff meeting once a every two months a. Have a hand out for us

Organizational Relationships

The position of Assistant Youth Pastor is directly responsible to first the pastor and second to the Youth Pastor. Each year, the pastor and the youth pastor will review this job description, and it will be updated and reviewed to improve the position as well as things to better the young people and the church itself. The term of this office will be for one year upon review.

Training and Development

* Read “Purpose Driven Youth Ministries” by Rick Warren

* Read “How- to Win Friends and influence People” by Dale Carnege

* Read ” The Next Generation Leader” by Andy Stanley

* Read “The Best Question Ever” by Andy Stanley

* Read any other books recommended by the Pastor or Youth Pastor
* Be willing to go to leadership training conferences

* Be willing to learn from pastor and youth pastor

* Must learn from your mistakes (try, try, try again)

Job Goals for the Year of 2004

* Begin and Perfect our youth group

* Make sure our focus is getting them to have a relationship

* Grow in your on skills, ministry and relationship with God

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Youth Praise and Worship Leader
Nathan Sexton
United Pentecostal Church of Auburn Hills -2004

Job Purpose

To administer, lead, and motivate the Praise and Worship teams of the Youth Music Department, in a manner that will encourage a spirit of liberty and freedom for the church and youth to participate in. There will be a major emphasis on Chorale, Special Groups, Special Songs, Instruments, and recording ministry. With an emphasis on these, you will also assist in accomplishing the main task of music, helping promote an atmosphere where God can move freely.

Job Qualifications

1. Must be filled with the Holy Ghost.

2. Must meet the qualifications for church membership.

3. Must be loyal to the Pastor and Youth Pastor.

4. Must work in one accord with other departments.

5. Must be able to instill fervor, excitement and energy.

6. Must be able to lead on and off platform and motivate.

7. Must have a desire for outreach and a passion for souls.

8. Must be faithful and dependable in all things.

9. Must have knowledge of the ministry provided.

10. Must desire to teach new material and stay on cutting edge.

Job Responsibilities

* Shall tend to and supervise all operations of the Youth Praise under the direction of the Youth Pastor and Youth Choir Director.

* Must approve all musicians and singers through the Youth Pastor to see if they reasonably comply with the Pastor’s policy on holiness.
* Must be reasonable in continuing to look for new material to develop the musical ability/talent in the Youth Department such as:

a. Soloist
b. Duets
c. Trios
d. Quartets
e. Chorale

* Shall schedule a separate practice time for each group-separating singers and musicians until ready to put them together.

* Must encourage participation among the church musicians and their performances. Must practice with them as needed.

* Must meet with Youth Pastor at least 20 minutes before beginning of Youth service to review the Praise and Worship song selection.

* Must plan, along with the Youth Pastor to support the Youth Praise night-talent amongst the youth of our church.

Chorale Responsibilities

* Must make sure that the Chorale is prepared to sing whenever possible.

* Must encourage faithfulness, enthusiasm, and full participation of members, purposing to develop a Chorale of quality.

* Must strive to utilize Youth talent: Soloists, musicians, groups.

* Must have a regularly scheduled chorale and Praise and Worship practice:
a. Director should be thirty minutes to one hour hour prior to practice to set up/prepare for practice.
b. Practice should start on time, whether or not all are present.
c. Always begin and end practice with prayer.
d. Make sure building is locked up/down with all requirements met.

* Must stress the vitality of spiritual preparation to each member before singing in any service. Ask that they spend time in prayer before service begins.

* Must plan involvement in all adult choir specials throughout the year: Christmas, Easter, and the summer special.

Special Singers & Groups

* Make sure that at least one special is arranged (even if not used) for every Youth service.
a. Produce a calendar one month in advance to allow time for adequate preparation- for singer and leaders.
b. Variety is a must! Be careful not to get in a rut or certain patterns.
c. Make certain that all participants of the service remain on the platform. This will reduce “dead time”, also making a positive appearance about the music of Youth service.
d. Inform all participants that just because they are on the schedule, things are subject to change-it is not there position.
e. Hand out a schedule of all tentative soloists and groups one month in advance-including practice times for each team and so on.
f. Pray for wisdom, knowledge, and guidance in service preparation and song selection.

Other Duties
* Shall work with Youth Pastor and Pastor to select an assistant to work with you in all phases of the ministry.

* Be cognoscente of Monday night (family night). We encourage this to be the “stay home” night.

* Must attend all Annual Planning retreats and monthly Youth Staff Planning Council meetings.

* Must be an example of faithfulness by attending all regular and youth church services and functions.

* Must be an example to the youth and adults in soul winning.

* Must meet with all members once a month for a motivation/leadership/prayer meeting.

Organizational Relationships

The Youth Praise and Worship leader is responsible to the Youth Pastor and Pastor. Each year, the Youth Pastor and Praise and Worship leader will review this job description, update and improve to make more applicable to the position. Accountability is key. The Praise and Worship leader is responsible for every member, singer and musician. The leader will work closely with all departments, but especially the Youth Choir director, Public Relations and Sunday School. Evaluation of performance of this position shall be performed by the Youth Pastor on an annual basis. The term of this office shall be for one year.

Training and Development

* Attend Music Fest in Indianapolis Indiana if possible.
* Read Let my People Grow by Tim Massengale
* Read books provided by Youth Pastor and Pastoral staff they deem necessary.

Job Goal for the Year of 2004

* Begin meeting with Youth Pastor 30 min. prior to service to review song selections.

* Help to improve and enlarge Youth Choir by working close with the director. Schedule time in your practice to run over choir repertoire.

* Produce a list of qualifications and responsibilities for Musicians, Singers, and Special groups.

* Explore possibilities of developing duets, trios and quartets. –Plan a summer Praise and Worship outing.

* Give all words to the multimedia department allowing material to be placed on the screens in service.

* Develop Job Descriptions for all interdepartmental positions.

The above material was published at Apostolic Information Service. This material may be copyrighted and should be used for study and research purposes only.

Youth Boosters Director
Alexis Vance
Christian Apostolic Church – 2004

Job Purpose

To administer and motivate the Youth Boosters Department in a manner that involves as many members of the church as possible. Major emphasis will be placed on fundraising, scholarships, youth function match-ups, and social involvement. In focusing on these areas you will help supply financial support to our thriving, hard working youth group. You will also provide an atmosphere for our youth and their family to grow closer to one another.

Job Qualifications

1. Must be filled with the Holy Ghost.

2. Must portray an upstanding Christian lifestyle.

3. Must meet the qualifications for church membership.

4. Must be loyal to the Pastor.

5. Must be willing to work in harmony with others.

6. Must carry a burden for our youth and their family.

7. Must be able to instill enthusiasm and excitement.

8. Must be able to lead and motivate people.

9. Must be a lover of the souls of youth and their parents

10. Must be faithful and dependable in accomplishing duties

11. Must have a knowledge of the operation/functions of the Youth Boosters Ministry.

Job Responsibilities

* Must oversee and supervise all operations of the Youth Boosters Ministry under the direction of the Pastor. Shall seek to implement this ministry with tact, zeal, dedication, respect, and love.

* Must take an active interest in planning and participating in:
a. The Fundraisers for the youth boosters- in order to aid them financially.
b. The Social events of the youth boosters- in order to unite the youth with their families.
c. The Scholarship committee of the youth boosters- in order to give financial aid to those continuing their education.

* Work diligently to involve as many people within the church in the youth boosters department.
a. Put out a monthly Youth Boosters News Letter

*You must coordinate at least one meeting a month where you will start off with prayer and then discuss the following issues at their appropriate time:

a. Fundraising Projects such as:
1. Sweet-Corn Festival
2. Car Show
3. Easter Candy
4. Christmas Breakfast/ Bazaar
5. Christmas Devotional
6. Knox County Fair
7. Valentine Cake Auction
8. Tour of Homes

b. Social Activities such as:
1. Cincinnati Reds Game
2. Wednesday Night Church Picnics
3. Columbus Zoo Festival of Lights
4. Church Skating Parties
5. Super Bowl Party

c. College Scholarship information such as:
1. Who is on the committee?
2. What information should be on the application?
3. Who is eligible to receive a scholarship?
4. Who has or is planning to fill out an application?
5. How much money is allotted for each scholarship?
6. How do you judge who gets a scholarship?
7. Finally, who will actually receive the scholarships?

d. Camp Registration Forms:
1. Who is going to camp?
2. Is their form in on time?
3. Are they a member of the church?
4. Finally, who will get sponsored to go to camp?

* Must assist the Pastor in appointing a Scholarship Committee, made up of 6 members (excluding yourself) to assist in the Scholarship reviewing process. The committee will need to be made up of an equal amount of men and women over the age of 30. They will be the ones who review the actual applications, and sit in on the interviews.

* Must be available to youth who have concerns about their financial situation.

* Work together with the Pastor and Youth Pastor to head up a secret sister/brother, or mentor program between the youth and those faithfully involved in youth boosters.

Other Duties

* You will not schedule any departmental activities on Monday night. Monday will be known as “Family Night” and all church members are encouraged to spend time with their families.

* Must be an example by attending all church services, prayer meetings, and other special church functions.

* Must attend all Annual Planning Retreats and Monthly Departmental Planning Councils.

* If unable to attend because of an emergency, it is asked that you inform the Pastor as soon as possible so you can have another person from your department at the meeting.

* Must hand in a monthly progress report at the Staff Council.

* Show excitement and enthusiasm while doing the Lords work.

* Be willing to work well with all departments to get the job done.

* Perform additional duties where required. Organizational Relationships

The Youth Boosters Director is responsible directly to the Pastor. Each year, the Pastor and Boosters Director will review this Job Description, update and improve it to make it more applicable to the upcoming year. The Director is responsible to oversee all interdepartmental staff such as the Scholarship Committee, and other delegated positions within the department. The director must work closely with all departments, but especially the Youth department. The Pastor will evaluate this position annually. The term of this office is for one year.

Training and Development

* Read “Let My People Grow” by Tim Massengale – Wonderful book! *Talk with other Youth Booster Directors in other churches to find what works for them.

Job Goals for the Year Of 2004

* Assist the Pastor in developing a Scholarship Committee.

* Begin Boosters Newsletter.

* Involve as many parents of our youth in this department.

* Explore the possibility of beginning a secret sister/brother program.

* Develop Job Description s for all interdepartmental positions.

The above material was published at Apostolic Information Service. This material may be copyrighted and should be used for study and research purposes only.

Youth Music Department Director
Sis. Lia Matthews
Christian Life Center
2004

Job Purpose

To administer and motivate the Youth Music Department in a manner that will create a spirit of worship for the youth participating. Major focuses will be placed on Youth Choir, Youth Ensemble, and Expression of Praise, and Youth Worship Teams. In focusing upon these, you will assist in accomplishing the main tasks of music, this being, to promote an atmosphere in which God can move.

Job Qualifications

Must be:

1. Filled with the Holy Ghost

2. Meeting the qualifications for church membership

3. Loyal to the Pastor

4. Willing to work in harmony with others

5. Carrying a burden for Youth Music Ministry

6. Able to instill enthusiasm and excitement

7. Able to lead and motivate Young people

8. A lover of the souls of young men and women

9. Faithful and dependable in accomplishing duties

10. A knowledge of the operation of the Music Ministry

Job Responsibilities

* Shall oversee and supervise all operations of the Youth Music Ministry under the direction of the Pastor, Youth Director, and Music Director.

* Shall seek to implement this ministry with tact, zeal, dedication, and love.

* Shall approve, through the Youth Director and Music Director, all musicians and singers to see if they reasonable comply with the Pastor’s policy on holiness.

(All new converts should have completed the Christian Development Course and signed their Covenant of Commitment form before being used in the music ministry, unless special permission has been obtained from the Pastor.)

* Shall be responsible to continually look for and develop the music talent in the youth such as:
1. Soloist
2. Small Groups
3. Choirs
4. Stick Drama

* Shall schedule a regular separate practice time for all youth choir, youth singing groups and scheduled youth soloists.

* Shall encourage participation in youth and church services and oversee their performances. Shall practice with them as needed.

* Shall direct or over see a dynamic you music program that is well equipped and well trained. The music should be:
1. Varied, as to different styles to minister to all backgrounds of all ages
2. Spiritual
3. Skilled
4. To the glory of God

* Shall see Music Minister 30 minutes before service to review choir and special song selections.

Choir Responsibilities

* Shall see that the Youth Choir is prepared to sing one Sunday night every month and on special occasions.

* Shall encourage faithfulness, enthusiasm, and participation of all youth choir members, endeavoring to build the choir in both quality and quantity.

* Shall endeavor to utilize youth talent (soloist, groups, and instruments) as much as possible in youth choir selections.

* Shall have scheduled youth choir practices:
1. The Director should arrive at least 15 min prior to practice to set up and prepare for practice.

2. The youth choir practice should start on time, whether full choir is there or not.

3. Always begin choir practice with time of prayer.

4. Work out special arrangements with musicians, soloists, etc., prior to the practice.

5. Shall insure that building is locked up, air/heat/lights/sound turned off after any choir practice on off church nights.

6. Sunday night youth choir practice MUST be through by 5:45pm sharp.

* Shall impress the importance of spiritual preparation to each youth choir member before singing in a service. Ask that they spend time in the prayer hall directly after practice before service begins.

* Shall keep choir sheets filed away neatly (pick up after service).

* Shall see that the standards of platform leaders are abided by.

* Shall pray that the youth choir will be an instrument to the glory of God.

Other Duties

* Shall work the Youth Director to select an assistant to work with you in all phases of the youth music ministry.

* Shall hand in an official monthly report to the Music Director to be reported at the Monthly Staff Council.

* Shall be an example to the youth in faithfulness by attending all church services, youth services, and functions.

* Shall be an example to the youth in soul winning by being continually involved in the Home Bible Study Ministry, or some other form of outreach ministry.

* Shall perform additional duties as required.

Organizational Relationships

The Youth Music Director is responsible to report directly to both the Music Director and Youth Director. Each year, the Music Director and Youth Music Director will review this Job Description, update and improve to make more applicable to the position. In turn, the Pastor must approve the revision of the Job Description. Accountability shall consist of a monthly report of all youth music activities and upcoming events. The director will work closely with all departments, but especially Youth Department and Music Department. The Pastor and Music Director on an annual basis shall perform evaluation of performance of the position. The term of this office shall be for one year.

Training and Development

* Attend at least two music seminars (Music Fest is required)

* Read book (s) provided from Music Director, Youth Director, and/or the Pastor

Job Goals for the Year of 2004

* Develop a Youth Worship Teams and Youth Ensemble. Improve and enlarge the Youth Choir (schedule practices and at least five additional youth).

* Develop a list of qualifications and responsibilities for the Youth Choir, Youth Musicians, and Youth Special Singers membership.

* Develop and begin using a Youth Worship Team every Thursday night for youth service.

* Place all songs on PowerPoint for each service.

The above material was published by Apostolic Information Service. This material may be copyrighted and should be used for study and research purposes only.