Junior Church

Duties and Responsibilities

As a Junior Church preacher my duties consisted of preaching a twenty to thirty minute Bible lesson to the first and second grade children. In this situation the preacher has to custom fit the sermon to the mindset of a child. He must also deliver it in a way that will bring attention and excitement to the lesson, all the while maintaining control and order of the children.

Preaching in Junior Church requires that the preacher understand the true attention span of a child. By true attention span I mean that amount of time the preacher can focus on any one concept before the child will loose interest, not necessarily how long the child’s capacity to listen is. As a rule of thumb a child’s attention span is equal in minutes to his age in years. In other words the average five-year-old child will have roughly an attention span of five minutes. This does not mean that a five-year-old can only listen for five minutes at a time, it simply means that he or she will only be able to follow one particular concept for the space of about five minutes.

In order to preach a twenty five-minute sermon you must strategically break the sermon up into five, five-minute conceptual sections. Each of these sections must have a common link to one or more of other sections that reflects the main truth of the topic or passage. The more sections the link can include the easier it will be for the child to not only remember the message, but understand it as well. It is most often helpful to ensure this link is something of consequence that will ‘stick’ with the child’s memory. For example role-playing using a child from the audience, an illustration involving a ‘funny’ animal, a funny gesture or repetitive phrase; any and all of these things can be done to link the sections all together.

A Junior Church preacher must also recognize the fact that he must communicate on the child’s level. Low level, direct communications work best. Sarcasm and subtle hints have no place in Junior Church, more often than not those tactics will either confuse the child, or make them feel inferior because they do not understand. Children take great pride when they are able to understand what you are teaching them, so it is paramount that your speech is simple, direct, and to the point. When a child is able to understand what you are trying to communicate to them they will want to listen even more intently because they value that understanding so much.

The application here is enormous. No other ministry will have such a great impact on the future of the church as children’s ministries. It is a proven fact that the closer a lost soul comes to adulthood the less likely they are to accept Christ as savior. Since the church’s role is to fulfill the great commission, childhood evangelism must be something that is never neglected. In fact, the children are truly the lifeblood of the church. Many times you will hear people refer to children and teens as the future of our church. This is a true statement; but they are also the church here and now. Great care must be taken to ensure they have adequate space and adept preachers.

I have been involved in children’s ministries since I was a teenager, whether it be leading songs, performing puppet skits, or preaching the word of God. The mind of a child is one of the most precious and fragile things we may ever deal with in the ministry. Children’s church is an amazing thing. The innocence possessed by a child allows them to be more open and honest with themselves about who God is and what love means. Human logic has not evolved in their minds enough to interfere with their belief in the Bible.

I have learned that it is so important to have good helpers in the Junior Church. The person leading the singing should be larger than life and energetic; the song service should allow the children to not only to release some of their bundled up energy, but also to experience the joy of singing praises to a Holy God. Other helpers in the service can go a long way in helping to control the children during the service. Rather than having to stop mid-sermon to correct a child, many times the preacher can simply point in the general direction of the disturbance and the worker will help quiet the situation.

Sunday School Teachers Meetings

Duties and Responsibilities

Sunday school teachers’ meetings are held each Wednesday evening before church. Each Sunday school teacher is required to attend these meetings. Responsibilities include reporting the previous week’s contacts and in home visits as well as discussing any ideals for upcoming campaigns or big days.

Each meeting consists of three smaller meetings. First there is a superintendent meeting, which includes the superintendent from each department in the Sunday School; this meeting will be covered in another section. After the superintendents meeting there is the departmental meeting. The departmental meetings allow each superintendent to echo what the Pastor has shared in the previous meeting in a supportive and customized manner, tailoring it to the personality of that specific department. This is also the time where superintendents can solve issues that have arisen in their department in a semi-private fashion. The roll is called and each teacher reports the number of contacts and "in home" visits made with students during the previous week, the lessons for the next week are given out at this time. Discussions of any issues are brought up including special needs or discipline problems; all issues similar to this are addressed at this time. Scheduled days off are made at this time, two weeks in advance if possible, this gives the superintendent time to find substitute teachers and get them into place.

The Departments then dismiss to the General Teachers meeting. The general meeting is opened with the Pastor who does a verbal roll call to each department for their numbers for the week. These numbers include the number in attendance, contacts, in-home visits, salvations, baptisms and so on. Not every class will have the additional categories, but they will still report on the attendance, contacts, and in-home. The structure of this opening session is to excite the teachers, to create a small sense of competition between departments as the numbers are read. This report is followed by a "Praise God Report," where the floor is opened to anyone who has a particular answer to prayer, or something to praise God about. Many times this will be something relating directly to the Sunday School. After the business portion of the meeting has concluded, the Pastor will give a short three to five minute message regarding the Sunday School. This message may deal with the philosophy, mechanics or operations of the Sunday School, or it may simply be an encouraging word to the workers to let them know how important they are. In a church that uses a unified lesson, either someone on the pastoral staff or the general superintendent will teach the lesson to the teachers. As much as possible he will try to give illustrations and ideals for the various departments. This helps the teacher in their studying of the lesson material, as well as helping them to be prepared to communicate that material to the students.

Teacher’s meetings are a very good way to keep your teachers organized and prepared. The department meeting is a time when pertinent information can be relayed directly to each teacher from the head of his or her department. It is far easier to handle specific issues and problems in a small group environment that it would be in a meeting with over one hundred people in it. The general teachers meeting is a time where all the teachers can come together and share the opportunity to collect ideals and insights into what each lesson can teach their students. In a general sense the Sunday School teachers are the leaders in your church; and having them all on the same page is vital to the unity of the church.

I have watched the Sunday School evolve over the past several years. I have learned that almost any issue that may arise in the Sunday School can usually be handled at some point in the Wednesday night teachers meeting. Sunday School teachers have been called the heartbeat of the church, if that is so, then the teachers meeting is pacemaker. The fact that the Wednesday night meetings are so important makes the attendance of these meetings important as well. My personal view of the purpose of the teachers meetings is very positive; however, there are two areas I feel could be adjusted or improved. The first is the part of the meeting where the lesson is actually taught; I believe that the Sunday School should help build the teacher by forcing him or her to study the lessons they are to teach. I feel the combination of providing a mostly developed lesson and then teaching that lesson to the teachers robs them of the opportunity to discover these great truths of the Bible with the guidance of the Holy Spirit. If we do not force our teachers to study we may follow the trend of having our people regurgitate what we tell them rather than have them learn and teach it from the heart. The second area I feel could be improved upon is having the meetings be a requirement to be a Sunday School teacher. As I stated earlier, I feel the purpose meetings are important, but to further clarify, the content of the meetings is what is most important. In the modern day in which we live where copies are a dime a dozen and internet access is as common place as cable television, I feel that the information communicated during the departmental meetings could be disseminated in other additional ways. There are means by which we should accommodate the teacher and their schedule; after all we are working with volunteers, many of whom have jobs that are not flexible. I fear that often times we discard well-qualified and caring teachers simply because their schedule does not allow for them to attend a teachers meeting held at six thirty in the evening. Churches need to be flexible in helping their people get involved in ministries.

Sunday School Superintendents Meeting

Duties and Responsibilities

Sunday School superintendents meeting is a small group meeting that includes the pastor and the superintendents of each Sunday School department. These meetings are absolutely necessary for the success of the Sunday School as a whole. The superintendents are charged with helping and overseeing the operations of their department. They are to manage the logistical issues as well as any discipline issues and communications with bus captains. They are in charge of keeping records of attendance, contacts and in home visits, as well as help to schedule Sunday School outings.

The most important duty of the Sunday School superintendent is communications. When needs arise in their departments, whether it be a struggling teacher, or troubled child, or even a spiritual or physical need the superintendent should communicate this to the pastor. In turn the pastor communicates through the superintendents to the teachers. This whole arrangement allows the pastor to have a good knowledge of what is going on with each department without having to dedicate his whole week to meeting personally with each teacher.

The Superintendents meet before the Teachers’ meeting begins. A superintendent meeting allows the Pastor to lead the leaders in the direction in which he feels God is leading him. Specific problems are dealt with during this time; this allows the Sunday School to retain a ‘well oiled machine’ appearance. Many times problems are identified and solved within the confines of the leadership without ever affecting the teachers or students of any department that is not directly involved in the problem. Other times, specific problems may be dealt with in the general meeting, in a non-specific fashion without creating tension between the teachers and the superintendents. The need for new teachers or transfer of teachers is announced at this time. All other announcements are given at this time, as well as reminders and ideals for upcoming big days and campaigns.

Superintendents meetings are key to the Sunday School ministry. Without these meetings the link between the heart of the pastor and that of the teachers is broken, and the direction of the ministry will have no clear path. It also creates an accountability factor. The teachers are responsible for the needs of the students, the superintendents are responsible for the needs of the teachers, and the pastor is responsible for the needs of the superintendents.

The superintendent meeting is truly a meeting for the leaders of leaders. There is probably more influence shared by the Sunday School superintendents than that of the deacon board. For this reason it is vital to choose superintendents that will follow the leadership of the pastoral staff. There is some debate over whether women should be placed in these positions over men; however the pastor of each individual church should be the deciding factor.

My personal insight on the meetings is that is an atmosphere where the pastor can be both straightforward and stern with the people. There is an expected level of commitment and performance from the superintendents and the superintendent meeting is exactly the place where leaders will be held accountable for their actions. At the same time it is a great source of encouragement for these leaders. They have the opportunity to learn things from their pastor in a small group setting that they would not otherwise have the opportunity to do.

Teaching Sunday School

Duties and Responsibilities

Becoming a Sunday School teacher is a sacrifice in and of itself. While there are great rewards there are also great responsibilities. Teaching Sunday School includes several duties and responsibilities, some of which are outward actions, and some of which are internal heart conditions. If either one of these ingredients is missing the Sunday School teacher will not likely enjoy the full blessings of God upon his or her ministry. The are two general duties that a Sunday School teacher must perform, the first is building relationships and the second is learning more about the Word of God.

In order to build relationships with the students it is wise to limit class size to ten students. Limiting to this size will benefit the class and teacher in several ways. A small class allows the teacher to give each individual student the attention they need. For instance if a child is misbehaving, it is much easier to help them stay focused on the lesson when there are only ten children to manage verses thirty or more. The small class also helps the teacher keep track of who is not present. Outside of the classroom it provides the teacher with a manageable amount of students with which they can build a relationship. Part of the relationship building is contacting the students and visiting them in their homes. This would be a much more difficult task if the teacher had a large amount of students and would more than likely never get done. The relationship building is not only with the students, but with God as well. As a person grows closer to the Lord they will become better teachers and better at building relationships with their students.

The second half of the equation is learning more about the Bible. This should be every Christian’s goal, but to a Sunday School teacher it should of greater importance because they are learning things about the Bible that they will then teach to their students. An ill-prepared teacher will be transparent to the student, no matter what their age. The more a person learns about the Bible from their own independent study, the greater the capacity for their minds to fully grasp what the content is that the Bible holds. Sunday School teachers should be masters at building relationships and studying the Bible. Regardless of the age of their student the teacher should always strive to get the most they can from the lesson, and from God in order to share what they have received with the students.

The impact that the Sunday School has on the church is tremendous. When ran properly the Sunday School will feed the church. As people are reached, by whatever means, they should first be introduced to the particular Sunday School class to which they should belong. This will immediately involve them in a small group setting where the teacher can begin the relationship building process. This also creates an accountability factor. Several people that they will get to know the very first time they attend class will want and expect them to return the next week and will continually encourage them to do so.

Many times a new prospect will attend Sunday School for the sole reason that they enjoy the company of friends they have made in the class. This is where the Bible lessons come in; a consistent exposure to the Word of God is a tremendous power that can allow the Holy Spirit to do wonderful things in the life of the prospect. What will begin as a loyalty to friends in the class will grow into dedication to the Lord and a sincere heart for ministry.

I found one of the most difficult things as a Sunday School teacher was to let go at the end of the year. When it is time for the students to move up in a graduated system of classes the feeling is bittersweet. On one hand you have the excitement of ushering in a new group of students that bring new personalities, new challenges, and new relationships into your life. Then on the other hand you are watching your other students move on, going to a new class or department. That weekly time of fellowship and learning will be no more. The relationships built will last for years, the influence you hold with your students can last a lifetime; but when it is all said and done your Sunday School class will never be the same. My greatest lesson learned was how important those relationships can be. As Sunday School teachers we should never view our position as a job, but rather an opportunity for God to introduce us to some wonderful people.

Financial Planning Meetings

Duties and Responsibilities

Each year the deacons meet with the pastor to go over the proposed budget for the next year. This is a meeting where each category is explained, the budgeted amount for that year is given, and the reason that the expense increased or decreased from the previous year.

The philosophy is a mixture of faith and facts. There is a delicate balance between what a church can do with the funds it has, and what God is leading them to do in faith; the purpose of the financial meeting is to bring that balance. The meeting is run as any other deacon meeting, explanation of the topic followed by some questions from the men, followed by more explanation. As far as the planning goes it is very similar to the way a secular business would model it’s own budget. Liabilities and assets are each broken down into general ledger accounts or categories. Each category is then compared to the previous year’s average and adjusted for any increase or decrease to the category.

In all of this there is the X factor. The X factor is the income of the church. The members of the church determine this income. There is nothing the pastor or deacons can do to increase this unless the people are willing to contribute. By it’s very nature, regardless of the faith of the people, the tithe will increase and decrease. Take for example a small rural town where ninety percent of the congregation works at the local mill. If the mill suddenly were to shut down the operation the people would not have any increase with which to tithe. However, if you take a booming economy with equally faithful tithers they will be able to fund many more facets of the ministry. Because there are so many different factors that can change the tithe of the people, it must be considered an X factor.

Plain and simply put there are some ministries that require money to function. You can have all the volunteer labor you need to fully staff a homeless food kitchen and seven bus routes; but if you have not budgeted money to stock the food kitchen or to supply gas for the busses then those ministries will most likely never come to fruition. The key is to realize how much money each ministry actually takes and then plan accordingly. What this means is that there may be ministries that will be eliminated for lack of funding. Elimination of a ministry should not be taken lightly and if the primary cause is lack of finances it should be done only as a last resort.

A good financial plan will fall in line with the pastor’s vision for the growth of the church. If a pastor feels that God is leading the church to support more missionaries, then the budget should be adjusted to help reflect that vision. However, reality must come into play because while the pastor may have a vision for a five million-dollar fellowship complex, a church with forty-five members will simply not have the budget to support that vision until considerable growth occurs in the local church body.

In order to be a good steward of God’s money, a financial plan must be in place. In order to develop a good financial plan for the church a financial planning meeting is necessary. The fact of the matter is that in our day and culture running a church takes money. Almost every expense people have in their own home is one that the church has. In that aspect a church has many of the same expenses as a normal business.

Any time there is money involved, and especially when dealing with God’s money, extreme care must be taken to ensure that things are handled in a scriptural manner and above reproach. In order to achieve this there are several key strategies to employ. The first and most important is to ensure that the men who are helping to develop the financial plan are God fearing men of honesty and integrity who will not benefit monetarily from any item or allowance in the budget. This ensures that each person on the finance committee will be acting on the behalf of the church congregation, and not for his own benefit.

Secondly, there must be a fully detailed disclosure to the members of the church. After all, the church is accepting funds on behalf of God, anything less than complete transparency creates room for doubt. This disclosure should be line item in nature, disclosing every expense in the entire budget in full detail. The third most important issue when planning the finances for a church is fiscal responsibility. The whole point is to be responsible with God’s money, if the financial plan does not serve that purpose because it lacks proper financial principles then it is a waste of time.

Deacons Meetings

Duties and Responsibilities

Each deacon, as a part of his duties, attends a deacon meeting each month. It is important for the deacons to meet because as leaders of the church they need to be aware of current events in the church as well as the future direction of the church all for the sole purpose of serving that ministry. There is no substitute for deacon meetings. They are imperative to a well-run deacon board.

Once per month the deacons will meet on a Saturday afternoon. Sometimes before the meeting there will be a potluck style meal with time for fellowship. It is a good way to start because it gives the men a time to relax before the meeting officially begins. In most cases there will be a member of the board who will takes minutes of the meeting, so there will be an official record of each meeting in writing, the deacons will have the option of reading these minutes at the beginning of each meeting.

Once the meeting is underway items that were postponed or tabled at the last meeting will be brought up for discussion. The pastor will generally direct the meeting to ensure that all items of business that need attention get adequate time. The pastor sets the tone and the pace for the deacons meeting and will call to a vote any items that require such action. This meeting can also be used to allow the pastor to share his spiritual burden with the deacons. Just as the deacons of old were to serve tables for the widows to help the pastors devote time to study, the deacons of today’s church can help the pastor accomplish things that he would not otherwise be able to do without neglecting his studies.

The office of deacon is a Biblical office, an office of servitude. As servants must know what their masters bidding is, deacons must know what their church needs. The deacons meeting is the way to facilitate this task. As the pastor leads the church by following the direction of God, he will from time to time need to involve the deacons of the church in what he is trying to accomplish. Business dealings that arise may require a church vote, these matters are best communicated through the deacon board so that they may make a recommendation to the congregation. There may be church discipline issues that arise that are better handled in the privacy of a deacons meeting than broadcast before the entire church.

The deacons meetings are vital to disseminating information to the congregation. While the deacons should not run the church, they should represent well the members of the church. Oftentimes people view the deacon board as an extension of the pastor. Because of this it is very important to make sure the qualifications for a deacon found in the Bible are adhered to stringently. The original purpose of the office of a deacon was servitude. This must remain true today and everything that is done involving the deacons should be centered around this role as servant. This means the meetings should be focused on what the deacons can do to help serve the people of the church. While some churches elevate a deacon to a position higher than that of the pastor that is not what the Bible teaches about this position. Overall the deacons meeting should be a time where the pastor can pour out his heart to Godly men concerning the spiritual and financial direction of the church. It is then their responsibility to help him in leading the church in that direction, whether it be through recommendations to the church or physical actions, if they are all on the same page, the entire church will run much more smoothly.

Hospital Visitations

Duties and Responsibilities

Every church should have one or more persons who are responsible for visiting those who are in the hospital. These are personal visits by a member of the pastoral staff or deacon board if possible. When a member of the church, or a relative or friend of a church member are sent to the hospital it is good for the church to show their concern by making a personal visit to that person in their time of need. The hospital visit is the perfect opportunity to show someone that their church family loves them.

It can be difficult to schedule hospital visits, especially for those in emergency situations. For this reason it is a good ideal to have someone on call for these types of circumstances. Other visits may be scheduled or be impromptu depending on the schedule of the person making the visits. Generally speaking the church secretary will compile a list of those in the hospital and forward it along to the pastor so he can go visit them. Having the correct information is important in this ministry because there are some situations where there will be a small window of opportunity for a visit, and if time is wasted looking for room numbers or calling different hospitals that opportunity may be missed.

During the visit to the hospitals it is important to stay focused on the task at hand. Sometimes a nurse or other medical staff member may question the intent and authority of the pastor’s presence. The fact of the matter is that the pastor has as much right to be there, if not more, than any other visitor in the hospital does. While maintaining a good testimony the pastor must simply go forward with his visit whether the hospital staff is helpful or not. It is important however that he not overstep the bounds that are in place for safety and security; you would not want to worsen the situation for the patient by making a huge scene or by putting them at risk.

The actual visit itself should be brief and to the point, do not loose focus of the fact that the person is in the hospital, so they probably do not feel very well. Show interest in the patient and their condition, what treatments they are having, and what things the doctors have planned for the near future. Make sure to let them know that they are missed in the church services, so they know how important they are in the church. If family and friends of the patient are there, time should be spent with them as well; comforting them in a time of trial, or rejoicing with them in a victory. Each visit should be closed with prayer for the situation.

Hospital visits are needed. As ministers we should do everything we can to help people in their time of need. A simple hospital visit can go a long way to showing a person exactly how important they are to you and more importantly how much God loves them. Aside from making the one with the condition feel better, it also provides an opportunity to share the gospel with their family, friends, or other people in the room. There have been countless stories about members of the nursing staff being saved, or a long lost uncle coming to Christ during hospital visitation.

Hospital visits can be a blessing to the ones who are suffering. To know that their pastor or staff member cared enough to spend time to come visit them can mean a world of difference. There is no substitute for the hospital visit.

Funerals and Weddings

Duties and Responsibilities

There are two tasks that the pastor of any church will be called upon to perform from time to time. When a family suffers the loss of a loved one, they will look to the pastor to not only console and minister to them, but they will also want him to perform the funeral for them as well. Likewise when a couple decides that it is God’s will for them to join each other in holy matrimony they will turn to their pastor for premarital council. They will also expect him to perform their wedding ceremony as well. These are two pivotal times in people’s lives that they turn to their pastor for direction and help.

Whether it be a funeral or a wedding, the Pastors job is to focus the hearts and minds of the people on the things of God. Obviously in a funeral for a departed brother or sister in Christ it is a bittersweet event because we know we have only temporarily said our good-byes. The pastor, while recognizing the earthly loss, will paint a picture of peace and rest for the dearly departed, and a glorious hope we have of seeing them again in heaven. In a funeral for a lost person the message will not include this same picture, but will instead focus on everyone’s need for God and the brevity of life. These are two different scenarios but both point to God, they both recognize the existence and providence of God and His love toward us.

In a wedding the pastor will point to God in a different way. Marriage is ordained by God, God holds it as something sacred and special. The pastor is not simply performing a ceremony he is actually assisting in God’s plan for man and woman. The pastor will point out that the vows that are taken during the wedding are before man and God. He will often speak of the relationship between God and the church and the corresponding relationship between man and wife according to the Word of God. He will also point out that while he is granted power by the state, it is the power granted him by God that he is able to pronounce them husband and wife.

It is a fact of life that people are born; they grow up, get married and eventually die. The church congregation relies heavily on the pastor for the last two events. In both instances the role of the pastor will be critical. The way in which he handles the wedding ceremony will be remembered and hopefully cherished by the couple for years to come. They will remember the wise counsel he provided in the weeks and months preceding the wedding. They will be thankful for the time and attention to detail he took in helping them prepare for their big day. They will recall the sweet moments he spent in prayer with them before the wedding. All of these things are important to every human being, some more than others.

Sometimes a nonmember will call upon a pastor to perform a funeral. Occasionally the deceased was not a professing Christian so the pastor must take care to console the family without loosing focus on God. When performing a funeral for someone who is lost we must never make mention of this condition. Most importantly no one truly knows if the individual was saved or not, only that person and God. Also there is not much consolation in the thought of a loved one burning in the eternal flames of hell. The best thing that can be done is to focus on the family of the lost one and point them to the love and comfort of God.

The performance of a marriage is something that a pastor should take very seriously. The pastor has the right to refuse to marry someone if he feels that the situation warrants it. Most pastors require that a couple have at least a minimal amount of premarital counciling before they will perform a marriage. It is important the couple understands the permanent severity of the decision they are making, and the detriment that may come about if the decision was made outside of God’s will.

Both of these events will change the lives of people forever. They need help and guidance during this change; they need support and prayer. They need a pastor who loves God, and loves them enough to help them along this journey that God has placed before them. These times are truly when we need God the most but He often takes a back chair to our own personal feelings. The pastor’s duty is to keep the focus where it should be during the joyous and sorrowful times, and that is on our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Youth Activities

Duties and Responsibilities

Youth activities can be one of the most challenging and energy consuming tasks in all of ministry. On the other hand they can also be the most fun and memorable events as well. Organizing a youth activity involves as much, if not more time in preparation as it does to actually run the event. The key is to make the activity something that is fun, and at the same time it should bring the youth group together, strengthen bonds and develop friendships.

The old saying that goes, "Idle hands are the devil’s workshop" probably goes double for teens. To this end it is good to have activities from time to time so that they will have something wholesome to be involved with. A teen event should be about having fun as a Christian. Not only does it show the members of the youth group that living the Christian life truly is the best life there is, but it also teaches the world the same truth.

There are many types of activities that can be planned. Parental involvement is a great help to the youth leader and should be encouraged in most cases. There are some instances where the teens will enjoy time away from their parents, so there might be some instances where other volunteers or staff members can help run the event. Teen activities can help promote friendship between members of the group and provide a fun and safe outlet for stress created by daily issues that each teen must deal with.

There are as many ideals for youth activities as there are youth groups. Many of the old standbys such as progressive dinners, lock-ins, scavenger hunts and outdoors activities are still popular with today’s youth groups. There are newer activities that can also be enjoyed such as paintball competition, laser tag, and gaming, however these activities require money and resources that may not be available to every group. On that subject it is important to keep the cost of each event to a minimum to ensure that every one gets the chance to participate. In general the more the merrier applies so it is a good ideal to be inclusive as possible.

Youth events are essential to the youth ministry. The youth ministry is essential to the church for several reasons. The first reason is that the members of the church are trying to raise Christian young men and women. To help accomplish this the church needs to provide a youth program that will act as a supplemental source of spiritual nourishment. While the parents are the ones responsible for their children, it is important that they have additional positive reinforcement. The youth activities will help maintain the positive attitude toward not only the church, but also the Christian lifestyle.

For a parent, youth pastor, or any other person involved in a teen activity it can be a wonderful opportunity to learn about the youth as a group and individually as well. You can learn how the group as a whole is maturing both mentally and spiritually. This can provide insight what they may or may not need. You can learn what smaller group or clique is leading the rest of the group. You can understand what they respond to as well as what is not effective. In individual capacity you can learn much about various personalities, who is the clown of the group, who is the most serious about their Christian walk, or even who has a crush on whom. These pieces of information are what make up the youth group. The more you know about them the more you can ask God to give you the things that you need to give them.

Preaching in High School Chapel

Duties and Responsibilities

The High School Chapel is a time during the school week when the students come together to have a time of worship and Bible study. As in Junior Church, this sermon must be custom fit to the mind of the audience. There are two sources from which we can understand the mind of the teenager. The first is our own experience. No matter how old we are, we were all once teenagers. If we will think back to that time we will recall some of the thoughts, struggles, doubts, and rebellions that we experienced as teenagers and determine what Biblical truths would have helped at that time.

The second source is present day teenage culture and it should be used as an overlay for the first. In essence we take our teen experiences, line them up with modern day teenage culture and view them in light of God’s word. The same truths that would have helped us as teens will help the teenagers of this day and age.

Preaching to teenagers can be a most formidable task because they can be the harshest of critics. They hold no emotions back and they let no mistake go unnoticed. On the other hand, they never cease to be amazed when you preach on a subject that hits close to home. When they realize that you are not there to judge them but rather to help them walk closer with God they will give an ear. Keeping the attention of the teen is somewhat different; they will not be as amazed by the story of Jonah and the whale as the elementary children are. They may however, be captivated by the dynamics of friendship displayed between David and Jonathan. They will admire the brave heart of Stephen and take great interest in Biblical prophecy. These are the subjects that best help the teen come to the realization that the Bible is written for them. When they are shown how they can apply the Bible to their lives it becomes real to them and not just motions that they are required to go through.

If a church is going to have a Christian school, it is important that they have a chapel session to help the students. Chapel time will acclimate the students who are possibly not as experience with church services to that type of environment, ultimately preparing them to participate in the weekly worship service.

The high school age audience is difficult because they are at the stage where peer pressure can cause them to be nonchalant about anything spiritual. They do not want to be different from the group by truly living for Jesus; so they sometimes suppress any outward show of emotion that would make them stand out from the crowd. To overcome this situation it is sometimes helpful to be blunt with the teenagers; telling them the way it is in black and white. If they are involved in things that will ruin their life spiritually, then they must be made aware of it. Not in a specific way, but rather through examples that allow them to realize you could very well be talking about them, but not so specific that anyone would feel ostracized or betrayed.

A danger that lies with this group is the fact that if the preacher is not very careful the teens will begin to substitute an outward behavior, having the appearance of Godliness for the real thing. They do this because they simply have not matured enough to realize that true spiritual growth comes from the inside out. Preachers must be cautious not to give undue focus on outward matters.

Discipleship Training Course

Duties and Responsibilities

When an individual or couple decides they are going to disciple someone they must complete a discipleship training course. It is important that they complete this course prior to beginning their discipleship to ensure they have every chance for success. This course will familiarize them with the methods and materials used in discipleship. There will be instruction on virtually every facet of discipleship, giving the mentor the tools he or she needs to be effective.

When a church begins a discipleship ministry there must be a common foundation and method. The foundation will obviously consist of the Bible, however the method will need to be clearly laid out. This is done via the discipleship training classes. The material can either be covered during an intense one-day session, or broken down into several shorter sessions. With modern media becoming such an integral part of our everyday lives, alternate methods such as interactive DVD and online delivery can be useful ways to instruct those who wish to participate in discipleship.

While the method used to convey the information of the meeting might vary, the philosophy is the same. The purpose is to take a couple or individual and teach them how to teach another couple or individual more about the Bible, through direct personal lessons. The very nature of teaching in this manner will allow the disciple to ask honest and direct questions without fear of looking unintelligent in front of a larger group. This will increase their strength in Christ and give them the base knowledge and confidence they will need to disciple someone on their own. This will also create a bond of fellowship that will provide each couple with a support system in times of trouble or heartache.

The average faithful church member will spend more time in the in their vehicle than they will at church on any given week. Compared to the time we spend on everything else, time spent at church is minuscule. That small influence in a world where evil men and seducers wax worse and worse must be supplemented. For the new Christian the choosing of a source for this supplementation can be a confusing task.

The purpose of the discipleship program is to help the new Christian learn the fundamentals of the faith. As each topic is covered, the disciple is given several scripture references for each lesson along with a Biblical explanation and a real world application. This combination helps the disciple understand not only what the Word of God says, but how they should react to what it says.

The training class is vital to the success of this program. If there were not at the very least some guidelines you would have no consistency in your training. Certainly, within the confines of the structure, people are going to run their discipleship time according to their own personalities. Regardless of personalities though, each member of the discipleship team needs to be on the same page. The key to the longevity of a discipleship program is aligned diversity, in other words, different people with different styles of teaching all teaching and running their programs in a similar fashion, yet retaining their own flavor. When the program is run in this manner, common problems can be solved with common solutions, therefore making the entire program more efficient.

Discipleship of a Couple

Duties and Responsibilities

Discipling a couple is a very special task. Each week the couple will meet for a time of fellowship and Bible study. The person that is going to teach the lesson must be well prepared. The material must be understood thoroughly because the person teaching the lesson must be able to articulate the passages and concepts as well as answer any questions that the couple being discipled may have.

When a couple decides that they would like to be discipled they can either meet with the discipleship director or they can go directly to the couple whom is doing the discipleship. Many times the couple will choose to seek out someone whom they already know because they feel comfortable with them, and would not feel threatened in a student-teacher environment. If a couple is new to the church, they will go to the discipleship director. He will then compare their personalities with the discipleship couples and match them to someone with whom they are compatible.

The next step is for the couples to agree to a specific time each week that they will have a discipleship session. This time will normally be after work, or on the weekend. While it does not have to be a specific day each week, it is much better to plan on one day per week and keep it the same. This helps when each couple is planning for their week, they know that one evening is already taken for discipleship.

The actual discipleship session can vary in length. I have had sessions that lasted only one hour, and some that have gone into three and four hours. It is best, if possible, to have someone watch your children if they are younger. Too many times they will be a great distraction to either the speaker or the student. If this is not possible then it is best to have something ready to hold the attention of the children while the lesson is being taught.

There is a fellowship aspect of discipleship that is vital to the success of the program. If you barely know your people you will have a hard time making each lesson applicable to their lives. In order to increase the fellowship factor it is good to incorporate dinner into your discipleship lesson. Couples can alternate each week to share the burden of purchasing and preparing a meal. It is up to each individual couple the order in which they choose to conduct a discipleship session. One way is for the meal to be eaten at the beginning of the session, then the lesson is taught and that is followed by discussion of the material covered. It creates a relaxed environment that is void of judgmental attitudes that are such a hindrance to spiritual growth.

Discipleship is one third of the Great Commission. If we fail in this area, we have failed at the mission. While the church may be evangelistic, and it may even encourage new believers to be baptized; if it fails to properly disciple the members the Great Commission has been left incomplete. Growth, spiritually and in number, will be highly dependent upon what is done with new converts. As babes in Christ if we leave them to survive by themselves they will most often stagnate in their growth or worse yet disappear from the church altogether.

Discipleship can be an educational time for both the student and the teacher. The more one prepares to teach a lesson in a discipleship class the stronger one becomes in knowledge of that area. The more knowledge they have of the Bible the more they can understand God and how He wants us to live. The same can be said for the student, the more that they learn from the discipleship sessions the more they will be able to grow spiritually.

Discipleship brings a couple closer together in the Lord, it creates a common bond that is built upon the things of God. Discipleship creates accountability toward one another. That accountability is born out of respect for God and for their fellow Christian. Discipleship should be just as important a part of any church as soul winning and baptism are.