The other day I was asked: “Jeremy Zach…once a student has gone through your youth ministry program what is one thing you want them to have internalized?”
My answer: That every teen KNOW they are a full time missionary in every facet of their life. They are missionaries in their neighborhoods, schools, athletics, house, movie theater, restaurant, etc… They have the ability to see God moving everywhere–in and outside of church. I call this teenage missional living.
20. Start a lunch time prayer meeting or Bible study during school
19. Serve, love, respect, & obey parents (Romans 1.30, Ephesians 6.1, Colossians 3.20, 2 Timothy 3.2)
18. Respect teachers and coaches authority
17. Buy a non-friend lunch and eat with them
16. Serve at the local shelter
15. Babysit for free
14. Provide free tutoring
13. Pick up trash around the community
12. Hang with “other” clusters of students on the weekends
11. Do an after school sport, club, and drama that you would not normally do
10. Stand up for the non-cool kids at school
09. Help school janitor during study hall or lunch time
08. Host study groups (don’t just give away all the answers)
07. Befriend non-believers and actually listen to their belief systems
06. Throw fun, but safe weekend parties. These party need to be so cool, the “real” party people want to come. Also make sure your students are getting invite to other non-Christian parties. Your students need to be seen as the party starters and not the party poopers.
05. Intentionally have discussions with biology, physics, and science teachers about Intelligent Design
04. Bring extra gum to school
03. Get involved in school events
02. Hang out with the school administration. Administration are always looking for reliable and honest students as their liaisons.
01. Talk a lot of about Jesus and how He has changed your life
Good clear and simple set of practices. Thanks for putting this stuff out there for youth and youth workers.
I LOVE this.
this summer, we’re opting – for various reasons – to do “local” mission trips instead of a trip.
should be exciting and – hopefully – will lead to teens being able to imagine themselves as local missionaries.