by ChaseSnyder | Feb 6, 2017 | Leadership, Ministry
There’s no doubt about it, words have power.
Words can be the cause of stress that robs you of your passion, joy, and zeal to serve others. That kind of stress can trick us into believing that the grass is greener somewhere else and that no one — where we are at least — will ever appreciate the work we do to encourage and equip people to make much of Jesus.
If you are on the verge of throwing in the towel or simply need a boost of encouragement, be intentional about the words you allow into your heart and mind! Fill your day with words that affirm your calling, whether that’s through Scripture, quotes, or encouraging words from a friend or fellow ministry leader.
[bctt tweet=”Ministry leaders must intentionally filter the words they allow to fill their hearts and minds. ” username=”chasesnyder12″]
To get you started, here are eight quotes from ministry leaders and eight Bible verses that will remind you of the importance of your faithfulness.
8 Quotes That Will Encourage You To Keep Serving
“The first question which the priest and the Levite asked was: ‘If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?’ But the good Samaritan reversed the question: ‘If I do not stop to help this man, what will happen to him?’” – Martin Luther King Jr.
“If you can’t feed a hundred people, then feed just one.” – Mother Teresa
“There is no passion to be found playing small — in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.” – Nelson Mandela
“If you have men who will only come if they know there is a good road, I don’t want them. I want men who will come if there is no road at all.” – David Livingstone
“When I cannot read, when I cannot think, when I cannot even pray, I can trust.” – James Hudson Taylor
“Our greatest fear should not be of failure but of succeeding at things in life that doesn’t really matter.” – Francis Chan
“There are many of us that are willing to do great things for the Lord, but few of us are willing to do little things.” – Dwight L Moody
“To be right with God has often meant to be in trouble with men.” – AW Tozer
8 Scriptures That Will Encourage You To Keep Serving
“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” – Galatians 6:9
“Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this.” – Psalm 37:5
“Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.” – James 1:12
“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” – Proverbs 4:23
“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” – Romans 12:18
“Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” – Isaiah 41:10
“On this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.” – Matthew 16:18
“And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:19
Now What?
What words, quotes, and Scriptures have meant the most to your ministry journey?
by ChaseSnyder | Feb 1, 2017 | Discipleship, Leadership, Ministry
How was your energy level after serving at church on Sunday?
Every volunteer, staff member, and pastor walks through passionless seasons of ministry. We feel frustrated, burned out, under-appreciated, and we spiritually disengage months (maybe years) before we actually transition out of our role.
[bctt tweet=”Every volunteer, staff member, and pastor walks through passionless seasons of ministry.” username=”chasesnyder12″]
If you are experiencing a passionless season of ministry the cause may reside with you more than your organization or leadership. Granted, I do not know your situation. I have served in incredible organizations and some that had extreme cultural issues. But I know that our initial reaction is to blame everyone else when we are dissatisfied.
Yes, there may be sizable changes that your organization may need to make, but if you are leading from a place of spiritual passion (the zeal mentioned in Romans 12:11) you can be a spark God uses to usher in a new wave of ministry within your church.
3 Signs You Are Losing Your Passion For Serving Your Church
You Are Avoiding Relationships
Are you late showing up to serve? Are you looking to travel the quickest route to and from your car to avoid extra conversations? Without relationships, ministry fails. Avoiding others is one of the first signs that you are losing your passion for serving others.
[bctt tweet=”Without relationships, ministry fails.” username=”chasesnyder12″]
You Are Avoiding Spiritual Disciplines
How are your spiritual disciplines going? Personal study, worship, prayer, confession, and solitude are key pillars of your spiritual life. These disciplines align our heart and mind to do passionate ministry in the first place.
You Are Cynical of The Leadership
Do you find yourself questioning every decision the leadership team makes for your specific area of service? It is one thing to ask questions, seek clarity, and present potential pitfalls, but it is another to reject their leadership or, even worse, undermine their authority. Having a cynical view of the leadership is a sign that your service is more obligatory instead of an overflow of your passion.
Now What?
Questions to wrestle with and pray through:
Is there a broken family, work, or church relationship that you need to mend? Humans are relational people. Ministry is based on our relationship with Jesus and others. Unvoiced frustrations, emotional pains, and rejection will cause us to withdraw from the people we are called to serve.
How is your personal, family, and corporate worship? Are you walking with Jesus each day? Do the truths that you teach on Sunday transform your Monday? If you fail to be invested in God’s Word, prayer, and in a small group of others your energy, passion, knowledge, and creativity will run dry. It is impossible to point others to Jesus if you are not orienting your life toward Him.
Has your passion for the specific areas you are serving in shifted toward another group, phase, or area? Seasons of life often shift our desires to serve. It’s easy to confuse frustration with our current role and frustration with the organization as a whole. Perhaps you need to meet with your church’s leadership and discuss how you are gifted and see what other areas you can get involved in.
by ChaseSnyder | Jan 17, 2017 | Ministry
Small group leaders are the unsung heroes of student ministry. Without their hours of service and investment, student ministries would fail at reaching their community.
- They are the ones who ask students tough questions about Jesus.
- They are the ones who serve on the front lines of student ministry.
- They are the old-timers who are still game to stay up for a lock-in!
Their spiritual investment into the lives of the students at your church should not go unnoticed.
Before they lead a small group this week here are three simple ways that you can appreciate all of the work they do.
3 Simple (And Free) Ways To Appreciate Your Small Group Leaders This Week
Respect Your Small Group Leaders’ Time
Clear and consistent communication is the easiest way to respect your leaders’ busy schedules. Get their lessons, announcements, and reminders to them via email, print, or text in a timely manner. There is nothing worse than waiting on someone to send you the lesson that you want to prepare.
Brag On Your Small Group Leaders To Students’ Parents
As the senior leader of the student ministry, it is your responsibility to create an environment of encouragement. An easy way to be an encourager is to brag about a student’s small group leader the next time you walk by a parent in the hallway. Small group leaders are the connection point between parents and the student ministry. Build this connection and it will build your student ministry.
Send Your Small Group Leaders A Prayer Message
Spiritual leaders cannot neglect the importance of prayer. Take a few minutes this week to pray for one small group leader. Don’t pray a quick one-liner (“Lord, bless Timmy”). Instead, intentionally pray for your leader’s family, group, work, spiritual journey, and health. I like to send the leader a quick text and let them know that I’m praying for them and ask if they have anything they would like for me to pray about.
Now What?
What other easy and free ideas do you have to encourage your small group leaders?
by ChaseSnyder | Dec 13, 2016 | Leadership, Ministry
Regardless of your leadership capacity there is one area that you can excel in: encouraging others.
People willing follow a leader who encourages them. Why? Because people want to feel needed, valued, and want to be developed to do more for the sake of the Gospel.
[bctt tweet=”People willing follow a leader who encourages them. ” username=”chasesnyder12″]
I understand that for many encouraging others seems like a foreign concept. Many leaders find it hard to encourage people. It just isn’t how their are wired or how they think. I’m not advocating that you need to completely change the makeup of your personality (which is impossible and unrealistic) but there are a few small habits that you can add into your day that will communicate value into the people that you lead.
Whether you are a small group leader, pastor, spouse, or senior leader, these three areas will help you connect with people and encourage them to continue along the journey.
3 Ways You Can Be An Encouraging Leader
Be A Person Of Prayer
Daily prayer will shape your heart and mind to be that of Jesus Christ. Nothing can combat cynicism like a daily habit of prayer. As you pray for others you will begin to follow up with them. Prayer also reminds us that we are all sinners in need of Jesus. It is our communion with Jesus that brings ultimate encouragement and unity with one another.
Celebrate Wins
When was the last time your team or group experienced a win? Perhaps you need to define what a win is for your team (that the group engages in conversation, that students hear the Gospel, that the staff brainstorms ideas during this meeting) then you can celebrate the win – no matter how small it seems to be. People need to know that their contributions are needed and beneficial. Simply stating that there was a win can go a long way to encourage others.
Coach Instead of Demand
In my opinion, a basketball coach is the best description of a leader. A coach spends intentional time preparing his team for a game, but once the game starts the coach doesn’t sit on the sideline and lets the game happen – he is active in making adjustments, encouraging players, and aligning for success. Leaders who encourage others are intentionally coaching other people. They assess the situation and give constructive feedback that develops the individual. Viewing your role as a coach may help you remember the intentional role you play in other’s lives.
Now What?
Would your small group, team, or office say that you are an encourager? What steps can you take to encourage a couple people this week?
by ChaseSnyder | Nov 23, 2016 | Ministry
Great ministries operate well because of their incredible volunteers.
While there are some incredible ministry leaders out there, none of them could lead a church or non-profit without the support of volunteers.
Volunteers give their time, money, and resources to further a mission, not receive a paycheck. And because of their selfless hearts, we want to communicate that we not only appreciate what they do, but who they are.
Here are 17 reasons I’m thankful for our volunteers. This isn’t an exhaustive list, but shows the highlights of all that they do for our church and community.
[bctt tweet=”Volunteers give their time, money, and resources to further a mission, not receive a paycheck.” username=”chasesnyder12″]
17 Reasons I Am Thankful For Our Volunteers
Volunteers are the unsung heroes who support the weight of weekly programming.
Volunteers believe that there is power in the name of Jesus.
Volunteers desire to extend the grace of God they have received.
Volunteers see people as those created in the image of God.
Volunteers lay down their own comfort to invest in the lives of others.
Volunteers don’t have to attend events or serve, but they are willing to give their time.
Volunteers know that the “harvest is plentiful and the workers are few” and still decide to step up and step out on faith.
Volunteers are the 20% who are doing 80% of the work.
Volunteers serve behind the scenes in areas others take for granted.
Volunteers lean on the Gospel to lead others when they feel unqualified.
Volunteers pray for God’s guidance and strength.
Volunteers put up with people who are hard to love.
Volunteers serve for the long haul.
Volunteers give above and beyond their full-time responsibilities.
Volunteers give their vacation days to attend events.
Volunteers apply their God-given gifts for Kingdom impact.
Volunteers understand that each person is expected to live out their faith in Jesus.
by ChaseSnyder | Oct 14, 2016 | Leadership, Ministry, Top Posts
Veteran ministry leaders understand this truth: There is nothing more terrifying than handing someone else a microphone.
[bctt tweet=”There is nothing more terrifying than handing someone else a microphone ” username=”chasesnyder12″]
This isn’t an arrogant statement! Most of us love bringing in guest speakers!
A statement like this is made because speakers have used inappropriate language, spoken 30 minutes longer than their allotted time, or made the service a commercial for their newest T-shirt line.
Even with the risks, I firmly believe that guest speakers can deeply impact your student ministry events.
I love bringing in guest speakers for our events, retreats, and midweek worship services so that students can see other adults who are passionate about Jesus, hear another voice on a particular subject, and connect with another person’s story.
Read: 5 Reasons You Should Use Guest Speakers In Youth Ministry
Before I bring a guest speaker to our student ministry I make sure that they line up to a specific list of characteristics that will maximize their impact and the Gospel.
I do this for two reasons:
- To protect our students from a negative situation.
- To protect my job at the church.
Below is the checklist I use to gauge a guest speaker’s effectiveness for our ministry.
7 Characteristics Of An Incredible Guest Speaker
Someone Who Will Bring Us To The Throne Of God Without Sitting On One
The event is not about the speaker. The event is not about the band. The retreat isn’t even about your students. Everything you lead should glorify King Jesus. I desire to bring in a speaker who is going to magnify Jesus, not their ministry or personality. There isn’t a fool-proof method of screening, but I diligently spend hours networking, screening, and researching a potential guest’s materials, social medias, spiritual growth, and reputation.
Someone With A Positive Social Media Following
After the event our students are going to follow the speaker on social medias. This means that the speaker will be influencing my students for months, maybe years, after the event. Obviously this can be a positive or negative situation. We want to bring in someone who uses social medias to minister. In contrast, we will not pick a speaker who inappropriately uses medias.
Someone Who Is Passionate About Students and Ministry
Joy and passion for Jesus are contagious! We want to surround our students with adults who are joyfully living out the Gospel of Jesus. Joy cannot be faked. This is a mark of a disciple of Jesus who is journeying with their Savior.
Someone Who Will Honor Our Retreat/Event Theme
When a speaker goes rogue on the teaching points our students are often unable to make the connection with the theme. We have been preparing every detail of this event for months. The speaker must realize his/her place in achieving the greater vision of developing disciples.
Read: 7 Things You Should Know Before Your Next Retreat
Someone Who Aligns With Our Theology
One of the primary roles of a pastor is to ensure that your congregation is protected from false doctrines and incorrect teachings. I have conversations with our guest speakers and find out what their views on baptism, Jesus, salvation, and sin are before we bring them in. Since we leverage our speakers to share the Gospel of Jesus, we want to ensure that the Gospel presentation lines up with our beliefs.
Someone Who Will Interact With Our People
Relating with students from the stage is one thing, but interacting with them between sessions is a necessity for us. I don’t expect a speaker to participate in every aspect of our programming, but I do expect them to build relationships with our people.
Someone Who Is Professional
Working with unprofessional people drives me crazy! There is nothing worse than a speaker who is slow to respond to emails, ignores phone calls, disregards our time limits, and isn’t prepared for the event. There is not a dichotomy between being relational and being organized.
Now What?
What characteristics do you look for when you bring in a guest speaker?
