Video Transcript: Lesson 8 Section 3

Jesus set a clear example that we are not to do the work of ministry alone. He called disciples  and empowered them to serve alongside him and carry on that work after he was gone. And  the Bible also tells us that young people can lead and serve regardless of their age. Let's look  at specific ways we can invest in teenagers to develop student led ministry teams within our  churches. First, you will need to create a culture where teenagers want to engage in ministry  opportunities. Young people today are part of a generation where everyone wants to  contribute and feel they have something to offer. This is a great foundation to build on. Think  of different opportunities that can accommodate students of varying levels of spiritual and  emotional maturity. Be open to involving as many teenagers as possible. However, you will  still need to be selective. Just because everyone has something to offer does not mean  everyone should have the same role or level of leadership continue to develop a culture of  ministry. By building on the desire teenagers have to do things together. Their need for  community is strong at this age. Think about developing cooperative ministry opportunities. A good approach is to assign an adult mentor every two to three students serving together on a project. The mentor guides the process of cooperation, as well as ensure goals are met. Even  if the ministry activity can be done by one student. isolating them may feel discouraging.  Teens will want to work alongside others. And this can be an opportunity for an older student  to train the younger. Build time into the schedule for the ministry team to plan and pray  together before serving the bonds that are built through cooperative ministry. Will also further each individual's faith journey. The ministry team culture you create needs to encourage  spiritual growth and learning. Let students suggest ideas to make ministry their own as the  teenagers begin to take ownership. Recognize that things will not always go as planned. Allow for failure in moderation. To help youth succeed. Plant safe risks. This will ensure the setbacks will have a minimal effect upon the overall work and will act as a learning opportunity for the  participants. Don't overlook the limitations of student led ministry teams. It is likely that each  teenager has other commitments outside church understand and honor the time they need to commit to family, school and extracurricular activities. These other responsibilities will impact how much the ministry team can do. To offset this continue to encourage more students to  become part of the team. They can rotate responsibilities and increase the scope of what they can accomplish. The last suggestion to create a ministry team culture is to make serving fun.  This is not the goal, but it is an important element. Teenagers need to have healthy outlets for fun and enjoyment with each other, and adults. For example, plan for the team to eat a meal  together or spend time as a group outside church. fun activities will build a deep sense of  community and will cement the culture of serving the needs of the church and each other.  The second thing to do when developing student led ministry teams is help teenagers identify their spiritual gifts, abilities, and passions they can use to serve. Let's look at each of these  more in depth. Spiritual gifts are given by the Holy Spirit to accomplish God's purpose. You  can read on your own I Corinthians chapter 12, for insight into specific spiritual gifts. Let's  look at some of the principles this passage teaches us. There are many spiritual gifts, but one  God who gives them they have one source and one purpose to empower God's people for  works of service. This passage also teaches that spiritual gifts are given for the common  good. In other words, it's not about you. The purpose of exercising our spiritual gifts is to help  others grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ. Finally, spiritual gifts are given at God's  direction. It is important for teenagers to know that God chose to give them specific gifts to  fulfill His purposes. Ephesians chapter two makes this clear. For we are God's handiwork  created in Jesus Christ to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.  Discovering your spiritual gifts provides guidance on where you should serve in the church.  Students may volunteer for several different ministry opportunities. Maybe they want To be on the same ministry teams as their friends, or they might not know the service opportunity they will enjoy most. Encourage them to explore, but not over commit. Being too busy doesn't help the student or the ministry guide a student to identify their strongest spiritual giftings and  participate in a ministry team that matches those. Knowing your spiritual gifts also gives  confidence to serve. When a teenager knows that they can contribute, they will feel  empowered to do so well. A final benefit is that serving with your spiritual gifts provides a  sense of purpose. Teenagers are searching for significance. We are in a unique role is youth 

leaders to help them understand that God has a purpose for them, and has uniquely equipped them to fulfill it. identifying their spiritual gifts can be a great first step towards living out their calling, and embracing a powerful sense of purpose. Now that we know the importance of  helping teenagers discover their spiritual gifts, let's turn them to the second category, their  abilities. God also created each person with unique abilities, natural gifts to use in serving  others. This is all part of God's perfect design of our lives. I Samuel chapter 16, tells the story  of King David and the God given abilities he had as a youth. David was selected by God at an  early age to become the next leader of Israel. But it was many years before David ascended  to the throne. And during those years, he used his abilities to serve God and others, including  Saul, the current king. The Bible teaches that our abilities can be natural or developed. David  had a natural musical ability that was recognized by others, and even valued by the king. His  bravery as a shepherd showed he also had some leadership capabilities. Later in life, he was  noted as a warrior. And even as a young man showed bravery defending his flock of sheep.  David also developed skills he trained in the military, becoming an armor bearer for King Saul. He also developed his leadership skills by watching and learning from King Saul's rule. Both  his natural and his developed abilities prepared him to serve in the special role God had  called him to. Here are some helpful questions to ask your students to help them determine  their natural abilities. What do you enjoy doing? When do people seek your advice? What are  your desires? Where do you spend your free time? Reflecting on these questions, and  answering them honestly will show the teen areas where they have natural talent and can  add value to the lives of others. The challenge for you as the youth leader is to connect their  God given abilities to opportunities to serve. There is one last thing that is helpful in guiding  your students to serve effectively on a ministry team. And that is passion. Passion is a source  of energy that compels a person to action. Passion shows us the areas we care about deeply  and that we want to be involved in. When Jesus angrily turned over the tables of the money  changers at the temple, he was displaying passion. He was motivated by righteous anger  against those who were disrespecting his father's house. This can be a helpful question for  students to discover areas of personal passion. Are there any issues toward which you feel a  righteous anger? The source of that anger is probably an injustice they see. Another emotion  they might feel is a great sadness or grief. Or they might feel an urgency to make a situation  better, or fix a problem for a group of people. All of these feelings indicate an area of passion  where they should focus their attention to serve. Another helpful question to ask your  students is what have you always loved to do. This also points them to the things they are  passionate about. What is an activity they can't imagine living without, for example, music,  singing, or a sport they've invested the time in. This could also be an area of ministry that  excites them, and they look forward to the areas we feel naturally drawn to are an excellent  indication of where we should spend our time. As you help students through each step of this  process, you will get to know them better, and be able to more effectively connect them to  the right student lead ministry opportunity. Remember, the goal is not perfection. You may  need to try different things before you find the right combination. Just because you recognize  a gift in the student doesn't mean they will see it right away or know how to use it. You play  an important role in guiding students in this pivotal journey that will not only show them how  to serve the church, but how to make a difference in any community. They are part of