Category Student Ministry Strategy

Apr 17 2017

Easter Not Enough? 6 Top Resources on Resurrection

resurrect

Did you feel like Easter wasn’t enough? I don’t mean that Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection wasn’t enough. I mean, do you feel like your students need to really understand Jesus’ RESURRECTION even more? Here are my 6 favorite resources on RESURRECTION:

“The Jesus Series: Jesus’ Resurrection” https://youthgrouptruth.com/2014/10/22/the-jesus-series-jesus-resurrection/

“Following Jesus: Into His Resurrection” https://youthgrouptruth.com/2012/05/31/following-jesus-into-his-resurrection-luke-24/  Continue reading →

May 28 2016

“What Is My WHY?” (by Christian Romano)

christianromanoChristian Romano is Liberty Students first year-long Minister in Residence. Even though Christian is still in college and working at Chickfila on the weekends, he is making a tremendous impact on our student ministry team and in our middle school ministry. I’m honored to post his article to my blog. 

Have you ever asked yourself why you are currently doing all the things in your life right now? Whether it is going to school, working, or hanging out with a certain group of people. Well these were and sometimes are questions that I ask myself. My name is Christian Romano and I am 21 years old living in Hampton Roads VA. I have four brothers and two wonderful parents. Currently I work at my Church as a Minister in Residence which is a pastor in training and I love my job. I am also a full time student and I know that this is the season of life that I am in right now but one question that I am constantly asking myself is why am I doing this right now? Why should I continue doing the same thing every week? The biggest thing that I have learned during this stage of life is what the “Why” is behind what I am doing. What I mean by this is what is the purpose or reason I am working two jobs, living in Hampton Roads and why am I in school.  Continue reading →

Apr 19 2016

How to Maximize Your Student’s Memory

memory

I believe our student ministry has experienced a breakthrough in maximizing our students’ ability to remember what we preach and teach.

Let’s be honest. We can spend hours upon hours on studying for sermons and lessons. Then we all have the same haunting questions, “Was it worth it? Will my students remember this stuff? Am I making a difference? Am I wasting my time?”

On one hand, we have to remember that God’s Word is never returned void (Isaiah 55:11). On the other hand, we have to be honest with ourselves by asking, “What are my students actually retaining?”  Continue reading →

Apr 17 2016

Why We Need to Get Back to The Sunday School Answer

sundayschool_answer

Every youth pastor can share frustration about students only offering up Sunday School answers during small groups or discipleship groups. Many Sunday School lessons or small group curriculum are written as a time of question and (one-word) answer instead of helping students to engage in conversations.

While I can completely share in these same frustrations at times, these aren’t my greatest frustrations when it comes to students’ answers in groups.

Not only are Sunday School answers simple one-word answers from students, but they also are the ones that students repeat over and over again. The reason students repeat the same answers over and over again are because most questions are written to be answered by those same answers.

“Over the years in youth ministry, I feel like the Sunday School answers have changed. The go-to Sunday School answer over the past several years has seemed to morph into “God’s glory.” While I’m all about God being glorified, I believe that the vintage Sunday School answer better clarifies and personifies God’s glory: JESUS CHRIST.”

I want to share with you many reasons why I believe we should get back to the Sunday School answer of “Jesus.” But first, I want you to know that I believe not only every Sunday school answer, but also every lesson, sermon, study, devotion, event, and trip should ultimately culminate in Jesus. Jesus should be the reason and the motivation for everything we say and we do.

“I am certainly not a Jesus-only student pastor, but I am Jesus-always!”

Here are 10 reasons why I believe we need to get back to Jesus as the Sunday School answer.  Continue reading →

Apr 15 2016

What Holds Every Youth Pastor Back

blindspot

Everybody has blindspots. I remember renting a Dodge Challenger. I loved driving that car around town while my Charger was getting worked on. The problem is the Challenger has terrible blindspots.

As leaders, we have to admit that we have some pretty bad blindspots. Even though people clearly see them, we cannot because we’re blind to them.

Blindspots in your leadership are what hold back your ministry.

Every leader has blindspots. Think about the greatest leaders in the world; they are no different than us. They have blindspots, we have blind spots, every leader has blindspots.

Moses, 0ne of the greatest leaders God has ever used, had obvious blindspots. Fortunately, God put a mentor in Moses’ life to expose his blindspots in leadership and ministry.

Every leader needs someone older and more spiritually mature to be lead by.

Here are 5 Leadership Lessons I see from Exodus 18.  Continue reading →

Mar 27 2016

LSM Summer Camp EARLY BIRD PARTY: Wednesday, May 11th

Student Camp 2016 - All Registration Pricing - ad1.jpg

ITS OFFICIAL! The best camp company in the country (FUGE Camps by Lifeway) is going to throw our own summer camp for Liberty Students!

Parents, you will be able to sign up your students THIS WEDNESDAY (May 11th) at the LIBERTY STUDENT AREA for our EARLY BIRD PARTY. 

This camp week will be:

For 6th – 12th Graders

August 1 – 5, 2016 Continue reading →

Mar 12 2016

What is CENTRIC?: 4 Step Student Ministry Strategy

What is CENTRIC? CENTRIC is a word born from a God-given conviction to be unashamedly Christ-CENTERED in everything I preach and teach in student ministry. Not only preaching and teaching, but also in every way I lead, counsel, strategize, disciple, and live missionally.

Over 10 years, CENTRIC has expanded from a conviction to now resources, a wholistic student ministry strategy, and conferences.

CENTRIC Resources are Gospel-centered resources that are designed to take your student ministry creatively through the whole Bible and all Christian doctrines in 6-7 years. These resources not only span over 6 years, but also include over 80 different series, over 4000 files, and over 12GB’s of info. You can now download all of the CENTRIC Resources for only $99. Here is the packet for more information: CENTRIC Student Ministry Resources

The CENTRIC Student Ministry Strategy is both wholistic and integrative. This student ministry strategy is wholistic because it drives everything we do, and it is integrative because it connects everything we do. Our CENTRIC Student Ministry Strategy is boiled down to 4 Words: GOSPEL, RELATIONAL, DISCIPLE, MISSIONAL. I exist to send out Gospel-centered, relational students who make disciples that are on mission with Jesus.

The CENTRIC Conferences is what I’ve had the privilege to preach in many church, in many states, and in many student ministries. I absolutely love to pass on the CENTRIC Strategy that God has given me to Student Pastors, Student Leaders, and Students. Here is my personal preaching packet if you’re interested in booking me: Chip Dean Preaching Packet

Mar 11 2016

GOSPEL: Step 1

GOSPEL is the first step in our CENTRIC Student Ministry Strategy.

The Gospel isn’t just something we preach in Student Ministry, but it must be the power of God that is unleashed to start His unstoppable movement through your student ministry.

I believe the Gospel is the central theme of all Scripture. Every passage, event, story, character, etc of Scripture is ultimately pointing us to the Gospel. But also, every passage, event, story, character, etc of Scripture is deepening our different perspectives of the Gospel. I believe this so strongly, that I’ve committed my life to preach through the whole Bible and all major Christian doctrines to my students so that they see the Gospel from all Scripture, all doctrine, and every perspective. Here is our 6-7 year plan through the Bible and all doctrine: All Bible and Doctrine Series Flow Plan Liberty Students

Not only should the Gospel permeate everything we say and do in student ministry, but also the Gospel should be simplified and clarified for our students. (1 Cor .15:3-4)

The Gospel is the POWER of God (Romans 1:16). 

P – Person of Jesus (Jesus is both fully God and man)

W – Work of Jesus (Jesus’ life, death, burial, and resurrection)

R – Response to Jesus (We must repent of sin, believe on Him, and follow Him as Lord)

This has been the best tool to see students understand the Gospel in a simple, memorable, and reproducible way.

The Gospel is not only God’s plan of salvation, but the Gospel is also God’s plan of sanctification. We know that if we are believing the Gospel, then we will be living the Gospel.

Here are my personal sermons through a whole series on the GOSPEL called GamePlan:

Gameplan – 1 – GRDM Overview – Luke 24 (sermon)

GamePlan – 1 – GRDM Overview (curriculum)

Gameplan – 2 – GRDM Person of Jesus – Luke 24 (sermon)

GamePlan – 3 – The Work of Jesus (curriculum)

Gameplan – 4 – Response to Jesus – Luke 24 (sermon)

Mar 11 2016

RELATIONAL: Step 2

Relational is the second step in our CENTRIC Student Strategy.

The Gospel isn’t just something we believe in student ministry, but it is what drives us to love others because we understand God’s love.

The essence of the Gospel is that even in our sinfulness, Jesus came to earth to save us. He did the most loving act imaginable by leaving the comforts of heaven, becoming a human being like us (while remaining fully God), resisting sin and obeying God every single second, becoming our sin on the cross, and raising from the dead. All of this was so that God could have a relationship with us. God did not create us because He was lonely, but because He wanted to love us and give us as a love gift to His Son, Jesus.

In Luke 24: 13-17 right after His resurrection, we see Jesus joining two of His disciples on a walk. “Their eyes were kept from recognizing Him” because Jesus was in ninja-mode. These disciples were already discussing His death because the miracle to His death and resurrection are so powerful that they naturally dominate our conversations. Jesus played dumb and asked them what they were talking about. They did everything but unknowingly call Jesus stupid and told His stranger-self about all that had just happened.

The point is, without them knowing it, Jesus stepped into their conversation and came in on their level. In verses 25-27, Ninja Jesus strongly taught them what really had happened by reminding them of ALL the Scriptures have spoken. He went on to tell them how all the Bible is about Jesus and the Gospel.

Because of this passage, the 2nd step in our CENTRIC Student Ministry Strategy is RELATIONAL:

  1. Our RELATIONSHIP with Christ.
  2. Our RELATIONSHIP with Christians.
  3. Our RELATIONSHIP with Not-Yet Christians.

We know that the Gospel has entered our LIFE when it has affected our LOVE.

Students Ministries should strategize to train students RELATIONALLY by:

  • Encourage their students to enter into daily devotions from the Word.
  • Train their students to have powerful times of personal prayer with God.
  • Design their Small Group experience as discussion and application.
  • Equip their students to have conversations with the lost about Jesus.

Here are my personal sermon on RELATIONAL:

2 – CENTRIC – Relational – Luke 24_13-27 DNOW Camp Conf 2

 

Mar 10 2016

DISCIPLE: Step 3

10 Articles on 10 Ways Student Pastors Can Kick-Start Disciple Making in Their Student Ministry: https://youthgrouptruth.com/disciple-making/

A call to the Gospel includes a call for all Christians to make disciples. Jesus clearly commissioned every Christian in Matthew 28:18-20 saying, “Go make disciples of all nations.”

We need to be honest with ourselves, what Student Ministry has been doing has not been working. Researchers and statisticians tell us that 70% of our churched students will leave the church soon after graduating high school and never return to any church faithfully again. The number reason: they never owned their faith (1 John 2:19). Unfortunately the answer isn’t as easy as a better transition plan into college ministry. I firmly believe the answer is that these students never received the Gospel for salvation.

Student Ministries have never been so good at mega-services, conferences, and camps. We  have never been so strong at packing out a room, but we’ve never had weaker Christians. Its almost like there’s something we’re not doing. What we’ve been doing is not working.

If I asked you to sit on a two-legged stool, you would decline or fall over. It doesn’t matter how study the legs are or how well they are attached, two legged stools aren’t designed to stand.

Two part Student Ministries aren’t designed to make disciples. Worship services and small groups alone are two legs to the stool that need a third by the sturdy.

What if Student Ministries were capable of far more than raising up students who were faithful church attenders? What if the WIN in student ministry was to disciple our students so that they could make disciples for the rest of their life? What if God’s design was not for Christians to simply invite friends to church, but to multiply themselves by making disciples?

What if Making Disciples was so easy even a Christian can do it? As Christians, we are notorious for complicating things. What if we’ve complicated disciple making that only pastors, professors, and professionals can do it? What if Jesus meant it to be so simple that our students could be making disciples while in student ministry?

I believe the reason we’ve made discipleship so difficult is because Jesus made it so easy and we thought “Surely, this can’t be it!” I believe Jesus did expand on disciple making. He expounded on how to make disciples in Luke 24.

I believe that Luke 24 is the expansion of Jesus’ Great Commission where He expounded on how to Make Disciples:

Bible (Luke 24:44). Disciple Making starts with the Bible. While it is not a Bible study only, it always involves Bible study. The first step in making disciples is studying the Bible together so that God can speak into the conversation.

Gospel (Luke 24:45-46). Disciple Making points to the Gospel. The Bible has not accurately been studied unless it has been understood through the Person and Work and Jesus. When we study the Bible in light of the Gospel, then we are becoming disciples of Jesus. Jesus opened their minds to understand the Bible, and that revelation was Gospel-centrality.

Personal (Luke 24:47). Disciple Making gets Personal with each other. The biggest difference in making disciples and doing small groups is the ability to get personal with one another. Small Groups are usually larger and open groups while Disciple Making Groups are smaller and closed groups. Jesus said that our study of the Bible and understanding of the Gospel leads us to sharing personal needs of repentance, forgiveness, and witness (24:47). These personal discussions lead Disciple Making into Missional Living. We can’t proclaim these things until we discuss these things.

Like Jesus, I believe we should pour our lives into the 3 that God gives us for 12-18 months using Bible, Gospel, Personal.

The WIN in Disciple Making is when our disciples are making disciples. In fact, we haven’t made disciples unless our disciples are making disciples.

Step 3 in our CENTRIC Student Ministry Strategy is disciple our students to that we can send them out to make disciples for the rest of their lives!