Youth Ministry Booster
Welcome to the Youth Ministry Booster podcast! The most honest and hilarious podcast in student ministry. Hosted by Zac Workun and Chad Higgins. We are the biggest fans of youth ministry leaders like you!
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Youth Ministry Booster
Invite Culture: When Youth Ministry Looks Life Life Change w/ Alleigh Jezek
Alleigh Jezek shares how she revitalized a youth ministry by creating an inviting atmosphere, multiplying small groups, and building an authentic community where students feel empowered to lead and invite friends.
🧠 IN THIS EPISODE:
- 🌀 Creating welcoming environments is in the details like cleaning and organizing the youth space
- 🌳 Multiplying small groups from 6 to 12 groups allowed for deeper connections and more meaningful conversations
- 🛠️ Building an "invite culture" by celebrating students who bring friends and equipping them with shareable social media content
- 🧍♂️Supporting volunteer leaders by ensuring they're spiritually nourished and placed in roles that match their strengths
- 🔍 Building an "invite culture" by celebrating students who bring friends and equipping them with shareable social media content
Connect with Alleigh @alleighjezek Instagram or email her with questions about youth ministry strategies or even how to run a game of Scatter Ball! It's a blast!
A snap podcast. Sometimes it's too early in the morning to say it that quickly. Sorry everybody, but I'm here with my favorites. This is the one, the only Allie.
Speaker 2:Jessing. Hello guys, so glad to be here.
Speaker 1:Hey buddy, how are you doing? Today I am doing great, oh man, we finally got you back from camp and all the other things that you had going on this summer, so we are so glad that you're here with us hanging out in the garage on a Friday morning. I feel like a lot of youth pastors. This is the best time to do a little bit of Fridays.
Speaker 2:Right, Fridays is a little catch all day. Yeah, it is. We get a little bit of relax to download the week.
Speaker 1:Yeah, a little processing. Yeah, when are you at today, like so this is a Friday, it's the heat of summer, are you riding high? The last couple episodes we've talked about kind of like some of those summer slump feelings or post-camp brain. Just do a little quick vibe check, allie, where's your brain space today? Where are you at today?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I feel like right after camp I hit the. I need a break.
Speaker 1:Like I need rest, like in a good way, like I need some time with me and the Lord to just rest and reflect. Yes, I need some time with me and the Lord to just rest and reflect, yes, renewed.
Speaker 2:See my family, see my little niece you know just the good things. And now I'm like refreshed and renewed and ready to go, like I'm ready for the school year to start.
Speaker 1:Is that coming like a wave for you Like is it one of those that, like you just know, you need like a week or a few days and you bounce back? Or like what do you have what's you have like a certain protocol of like I need a day alone a day with my family.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, I come home.
Speaker 1:I have a privilege of still living at home and I just need to go and shut my door for a little bit and just rest.
Speaker 2:I can tell when I start to get short with people. I'm like, okay, I need, I need to rest, I need to spend time with the Lord and I need to pray, I need to spend time with the Lord and I need to pray and I'm not super extroverted. So a week of camp is a lot.
Speaker 1:So I come home and I'm like Depletes the batteries.
Speaker 2:Yes, oh, I'm depleted and I'm like let me spend some time with the Lord, let me get a couple hours, and just to celebrate the wins, like I have to remind myself, like man, this is why we did what we did. And God you did, and that will always refresh me and get me ready.
Speaker 1:Do you do journal that, do you write that record that, or is that more just kind of like an internal, like kind of process practice for things?
Speaker 2:I'd say it's internal. Sometimes I get in the swing of like writing out things If I'm feeling unfocused.
Speaker 1:I've got to write it out, or else my head is everywhere.
Speaker 2:But also I get the privilege of coming home to my family and like celebrating all the wins with them talking it out, talking to Pastor Keith, you know he didn't come to camp this year so I got to like come and share everything with him and it was awesome, so I got to download it with people I love and care about.
Speaker 1:Cool. Well, I want to. I want to hear a little bit we were talking before on the show Some of the things that are just kind of happening in. I You're serving in a place neighbor here, love having some of our Tulsa family come drop by the studio, but some of the things that, like your kids are really into, because this is always just that like where's everybody else at?
Speaker 2:for stuff.
Speaker 1:So I don't know for folks at home, but for right now your boys are like all about what?
Speaker 2:Yep, they're about Clash Royale. Okay, I walked in this Sunday morning and they're all just like sitting on their phones. Like, I walked in this Sunday morning and they're all just like sitting on their phones and there's ping pong, there's board games, there's foosball.
Speaker 1:There's plenty of options, but not checked out. That was the part. It wasn't like they were on their phones as like an act of rebellion.
Speaker 2:No, no, Like they're leaders sitting there on their phones. So I walk in the room and I'm like what are you guys?
Speaker 1:doing. And they're like.
Speaker 2:Clash Royale, yeah, and I offended them saying like, oh, that's like Clash of Clans, absolutely not.
Speaker 1:How dare you, how dare you no?
Speaker 2:exactly. I even mentioned. I got on stage and I was like so I hear the new thing is like Clash Royale and the girls are like no, but the guys are like yeah, and I'm like, hey, at least you're like doing it together, that's right, we're playing together, but don't get their obsession wrong.
Speaker 1:Listen, yeah, if somebody's really into something, call the thing by its name, that's right, don't confuse it. Yes, yes, this isn't Pokemon, this is, yeah, we're clashing Exactly, exactly.
Speaker 1:Oh my gosh. Well, one of the things that I was really excited to have you come by and share is you are in a church that you know, but in a new way in the last year or so. So one of the things that's really going to flavor our conversation today is that, in a new way, like and that's, I think, for a lot of youth ministry friends one of the growing trends or statistics that we've seen over the last couple years is that there's a lot of people that may or may not be new to their church. Either they were hired internally or they've kind of shifted roles. But a lot of people are experiencing kind of a we'll call it new season, like a new season of life, and some of those are met with a lot of frustration because it feels like they're having to do cleanup or like fix problems.
Speaker 1:But for some other friends, things are going pretty excellent, not without effort, not without hustle, not without prayer, not without labor, but there's some things that are good, and so I wanted you to make sure to share some of those things along the way, because, again, it's always fun to have neighbors by, because it feels like I can validate the stories are true. Sometimes we have people come by and it's like I mean, that sounds good, I have. No, I have no idea but for, but for you and for your ministry. I know it to be true, but there's been some things that have been really exciting opportunities and growth and baptisms and change and just maybe I think almost like attunement. But say more about this last year of season and if you saw it coming or if it surprised you, Tell us about the goodness of God in the last year, Allie.
Speaker 2:Oh, it surprises me. As I was just driving over here, I was thinking to myself Lord, I can't even believe. Like where I'm at one and like what you're doing in the ministry, like shocked. Every single day, whenever I moved over, I was so nervous and I did not want to do it, like I was already working in the place. I love. You know one church, but moving over was hard.
Speaker 1:Yeah, One church new location. Yes, One church new location, you know.
Speaker 2:But I had my community, my friends were surrounding me, I had my students, but the Lord made it like, evidently clear, and so I would say one thing for the new person is like my prayer was like Lord, make me excited. Like Lord make this fresh, make me excited.
Speaker 1:Get me ready.
Speaker 2:And I'll tell you that a week before I started, I was ready to go. I was like, get me out, I'm ready, like here we are. And so the Lord answered that prayer of just like excitement and I got in and I like observed for a couple of days like okay, let's see what things are like yeah over here and then I started moving really quick, but with relationships.
Speaker 2:So it wasn't like let me come in and change everything you guys have done. It's like hey, what are your favorite parts about your student ministry? And I gathered those things. And I was like okay, these are like what I need to keep Like. These are foundational to these students, to these leaders who have been here way longer than I have. And then, what are some things that you guys want to see grow?
Speaker 2:and how can I be a part of that? And so I'll tell you. It started with the most simple thing. The first thing I did was I cleaned the building.
Speaker 1:Okay, and I mean can we just, can we just take a pause? This is why, this is why you're one of my favorites. This is why I appreciate you so much. This is, I mean, literally getting the house in order. Sometimes means getting the house in order. Like I think a lot of folks use phrases like vision and strategy, but sometimes the biggest win starts with the cleanest room.
Speaker 2:Yes, it does and honestly, you know, I've been reading like Leviticus and Numbers.
Speaker 1:That's a ply closet. It's got to become your prayer closet.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but honestly, like I just read it and I'm like man Lord, you really did care about what your temple looked like.
Speaker 1:Like you, were very specific and so I cared.
Speaker 2:Plus, you want to create an environment where, like when a new student walks through the door, they're like oh wow, this is really cool.
Speaker 1:Not like look at these boxes of old t-shirts or all these like rolling office chairs, like you know just unless that's the game, or sorry.
Speaker 2:That's so true.
Speaker 1:Yes, just office chair bowling.
Speaker 2:Like that's sorry hey can't recommend it.
Speaker 1:Check your insurance policy first. Yeah, yeah, that sounds fun, maybe, maybe, maybe. Yeah, that's a good idea.
Speaker 2:But yeah, I just cleaned and I didn't do it alone. I like asked some students and leaders to come, which I will tell you, the student and leader that came and helped me that day. Just, I mean, organize, move couches, make their rooms more suitable for kids to set and have small group time, just to add some of those things Like I have the best relationship. I've had with any student leader because I spent that time with them and I remember that, like Sunday people coming in, we're just like, oh, like it looks different.
Speaker 2:And sometimes just a little change is nice.
Speaker 1:So let's go ahead and say it, Cause it's timely. It's the end of summer. Some of you are itching to do a new thing in your ministry. That new thing may be painting a wall Like can we just talk about the ministry of painting a wall every four?
Speaker 2:months.
Speaker 1:Just just, uh. Yeah, sometimes you take the couches you have and you rearrange them and and it it feels new again. Yeah.
Speaker 2:New life, yeah, and even with, like the, the dream team room, like where dream teamers were huddling, like that atmosphere needed to be upgraded. I wanted them to have snacks and Alani's that's their favorite.
Speaker 1:Oh, okay, dream Teamers, they love Alani. What are the flavors? Is there like a rank, like a force rank flavors, or does it matter?
Speaker 2:See, it probably does matter. I should ask them, I just buy the ones that I'm like. Oh, there's the Alani's, oh yeah.
Speaker 1:Just Costco Sam's Club kit Get them in like two weeks.
Speaker 2:Perfect, we need more Alani's, but just like, energize your team. Yes.
Speaker 1:Yeah, caffeinate, yeah, yeah, caffeinate and hydrate.
Speaker 2:And give them snacks. Like they want some things in the morning and so just even opening that space was nice, Like you could just tell they were like oh, because it shows you care.
Speaker 1:Like whenever you'll do the, when you do the detail stuff it can show up.
Speaker 1:No, that's 100%, 100%. What were some of the things that like organizationally were a part of, but also like the mobilization of student stuff too? I think that's one of the things that's become kind of like a conversation point for the excitement around what's happening at your campus. Is the students feeling really mobilized around what's happening at your campus? Is the students really really mobilized? Is there something that changed or shifted, or is there just some inner momentum that was built, or can you share more?
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's been crazy. We started with, like I think, six community groups total. And we're at 12 now to date and I think, students, we started this invite culture like come on, bring your friends. Like this isn't just about you guys, it is about you guys I love you guys.
Speaker 1:It's also about your friends and you need to go into your schools.
Speaker 2:And so I started going in their schools. I started showing up to their sports like just doing things that they saw that hopefully they would then reflect me, that my leaders would be like, Ooh, I want to go to their sports and be a part of this. And it just started to grow this like energy that wasn't necessarily there before of like, wait, this isn't just the small ministry we've had. Let's grow this, keep that family feel and let's go be on mission for the Lord and so that invite culture.
Speaker 2:just time after time and showing up, they saw what it could look like to do that for their friends.
Speaker 1:Tell us more, because invite culture is a phrase that I think is really significant for youth ministry because it does, I think, name a feature that a lot of people have hoped for in their ministry. Can you break that down even more specifically in the ways in which were you instructing students to invite to an event? Was it something that you preached about more? Was it something that, like, did you train your students on it? But, like, what are the elements of the culture of invite for you?
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, so the first thing I did is I found the students who were doing it, because there were some, and I celebrated them all the time.
Speaker 1:Shout out to Stephanie and Tim yeah.
Speaker 2:Yes, and just like, shared the stories of their friends that were coming. Like hey, because of this students, you know faith. They went and they invited their friend and they're like from the platform, like when you're.
Speaker 1:You're like this is part of this is part of the weekly message. Is students by name? Were you like? Oh, yeah, okay, okay, yeah, okay, okay.
Speaker 2:Definitely I will celebrate them. I actually just this Sunday well, not this Sunday, it was a Sunday after camp a student invited a friend to come to camp and in the middle of like main service, like I had the two kids stand up and I was like hey church family Like okay. I want you to see that this student invited this friend. He got saved and baptized at camp and like here he is, and that can be a lot for a student. They're probably like Allie why are? You doing this, but it does create excitement.
Speaker 1:Well, but this is if we live in an influencer culture, right or wrong. I've got mixed feelings too. The DNA of that is that people are looking to other people in ways in which to point the way or to model or shape or influence their lives.
Speaker 1:And so we have to kind of call it up or call it out, right, like I mean even if the student you know this year got it and next year is going through a rough patch and maybe we wouldn't have them stand in front of their peers. But that's, that's kind of part of the, the, the larger culture for this particular work. Yeah.
Speaker 2:That's so true and that makes me think another thing with invite culture. One thing I did is I tried to have like a greater social media presence and I would send all those things to the kids and be like you need to post this everywhere you can.
Speaker 1:Okay, so with instructions, it wasn't just like Allie's posting.
Speaker 2:hey, our campus is doing this thing, but you were sending the assets to the students that they could use, with even instruction of of when and what to okay yes, yeah, when to show up what we were doing, why they should be there, I would record videos of like myself and like, tag them in it so they would repost.
Speaker 1:Yeah, all that, oh the power of the repost. Like that is like, because for so many students like, like, asking them to create a post to share with their friends is like a lot.
Speaker 2:But to tag or collab or, um, again one layer more to send and do it's, it's what's required, yes, and it makes a difference and I started seeing like I would look at my stories and be like wow, there's a lot of students liking my Instagram story.
Speaker 1:You know like I've never focused on that, but I saw it and I was like, okay, this is important, like they're watching stock. Yeah, they're interested in it.
Speaker 2:So I just started doing that and then it was every single night. It was hey, you need to be inviting your friends. There was one Wednesday night, I remember we had a salvation moment and I was. I had it planned, I had the prayer written. You know, like I'm ready to go into this, and I just looked around and there was not a single new kid that that night, and so I stepped off the stage and I said, hey, we're going to have a family meeting really quick.
Speaker 2:I'm really proud of you guys, like I acknowledge, because they are great. If we don't bring new people in to what we're doing, we're missing the point here. Like, we want to see kids' lives changed for eternity, and I know in your schools, in your homes, there are people who need to know Jesus, and so if we're not bringing them into what we're doing, then it's useless. Like I know you're growing spiritually, which is awesome. We want that too, but more than anything, we need new people to come in and see what God is doing.
Speaker 2:The church is not these four walls, it's out of this. You are the church, you are the body, and so I challenged them. Anytime I'm like where are the new, where are the new people? And so they feel that they're like okay, wait, it is my responsibility. And I actually had a student. I was talking to them about the importance of consistency this week at lunch. I had lunch with a couple of them and the student said I loved this. He's like you know, if I'm not there consistently, then my new friends who I've invited now are coming and I'm not there, and it is my responsibility to reach out to them to make sure that they're coming back and that they feel connected.
Speaker 1:And I was like that's it.
Speaker 2:That's how every student, that's how I should feel. You know, that's how every student, that's how I should feel you know, that's how every student and leader should feel that it is our responsibility to go do that.
Speaker 1:So the culture just grew well, and that's and that's to have them voice that um, and for you to, I mean to capture that and share that and reshare that like that is, um they need to feel the burden of. I think that's one of the things, that's that's such an important shift, um, from the frustration that many of us have of passive or consumer churchianity. Christianity, uh, is to just wait and see what happens, instead of feeling, like, again membered to the body not, you know, member of, but membered to that like. My presence here matters, matters. My consistency is not just for me but for others is, um, that's huge and I um was there. Was there something that kind of triggered in that young man that way, or like not to like pry into his life? But it feels like you don't have a revelation like that unless like was there, like another, like person that I don't know is it was there? Is there more to that that can maybe help us?
Speaker 2:see you understand, okay, yeah, so this student has done a really great job like building his community group. Okay, he has been there since the beginning. His parents are a huge part of of our church and so he's invited all these boys in and created this a really fun community where, like, these boys are cool yeah, they're cool and they're showing up.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I'm like this is awesome and that group actually. So boys groups are my favorite when they kind of galvanize that way or whatever, when they become like the squad or the bros or like the wolf pack or whatever. It really is something. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. No, they're awesome.
Speaker 2:Every day. I'm like you guys are coming here, like this is the goal, like this is what I need. I need more of you guys in this building. And their group got so big we needed to multiply it, which was hard for these boys because they also have a phenomenal leader that they look up to, but they have three or four phenomenal leaders. So it was ready, like we were ready, to multiply, and so I think we started talking to them and maybe early May about this, telling them hey, this is going to happen at camp.
Speaker 1:I always like to prepare people for what's going to happen. I never just want to surprise them. You prepared them for the split.
Speaker 2:I did, I did. I've learned that it's the best way to go about it. I have seen them be shocked and just be in tears and distraught.
Speaker 2:I would rather them be mad at me and in tears and distraught months before it happens, so that I can challenge them to pray, to seek the Lord, to make it fun. Hey Lord, would you make this exciting? And if it's not your will, would you let it not happen? You know which is true? I want to ask the Lord that, Like Lord, am I making the right decision here? So we got them ready and it multiplied and it's going really good, and so I think this particular student sees like the fruit, you know, like wow.
Speaker 2:Now this is two groups and now there's even more students coming in because there's more space for them.
Speaker 2:There's more space for them to talk, and there's more space for them, there's more space for them to talk and there's just all these kids that keep flowing in, and so I think it gives them that responsibility, because I told him, I said you're a leader, you are like a huge reason as to why this is happening, and so he feels that in him he knows he's a leader, he knows it's his responsibility and he has accepted it.
Speaker 1:So it's cool to hear him say that, though that's really cool, okay, well, one of the claims we always want to ask folks are some of the pieces of their ministry puzzle. I mean that's youth ministry seems to have these kinds of seven or eight big buckets or tentpoles of things related to a weekly program and and and events and student leadership opportunities. It takes volunteers and parents, but small groups, like small groups, call it by whatever you want C group, d group, life group, whatever the phrasing is a smaller cluster of students, usually with some kind of leader or guide or mentor, is a big piece of it. What does that look like at your ministry? In what ways has it changed? I know it's a big part. I don't want to give it away.
Speaker 1:I know it's a big part I want to hear you share a little bit the vision of that piece of your ministry, because I do think there's some things there for everybody, but also some exciting like unique things too. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:Definitely. Small groups are the reason our church happens and it's the reason kids want to come. Like they want to be there because of their small groups. So I'll give you like the logistics. Sunday morning we have no worship in students, and I mean like verbal worship praising God you know um we have a song free.
Speaker 1:Yeah, song free. That's for later. That's for later, yeah it is, it's.
Speaker 2:Hey, you need to go to main service that under the teaching of our senior pastor. He's got something for you too.
Speaker 1:And the band's not bad. The band's pretty good, pretty good, yeah, yeah, right Right.
Speaker 2:And so we do a short message, and by short I mean we're trying to keep it 10 to 12. Yeah, For me that's hard, yeah.
Speaker 1:So I like to let other students do it, I'm sure. Oh, okay, I I think 10 or 12 would be hard, but you actually, you're like, it's so hard for me, I delegate it, say more.
Speaker 2:I do, I delegate it. Sunday mornings are cool because it's like not super formal, like I'm going to have a dream team. My goal is that I'm not on stage on Sunday morning.
Speaker 1:Honestly like this is.
Speaker 2:I want to see my students lead. I want to see my dream teamers lead. They've got this and so they'll do that and then we'll go into small groups which, whenever I got over to where I am now, there were, like I said, six groups okay and there were like six is that?
Speaker 1:is that give us a little bit of the lay of the land that's um grade and gender. Are they choosing it like? Is the six like literally just a sixth grade, a seventh grade, eighth grade or like what does that look?
Speaker 2:like, yeah, so they were great in gender, but all high school girls met together.
Speaker 1:Every high school girl.
Speaker 2:It was like a group of like twenty five girls with like five leaders, and I was like that's different.
Speaker 1:That's almost like a little mini ministry. It was like a mini ministry which they loved it.
Speaker 2:I mean they were having fun.
Speaker 1:but we also have 40 minutes on Sunday morning to have group time, so 40 minutes divided by 25 plus five plus intro means that no one's really talking or sharing.
Speaker 2:Right, yeah, they're there, yes.
Speaker 1:But the depth is probably minimal.
Speaker 2:Right, we just got through the excitement of our weekend and now we have prayer requests.
Speaker 1:We did highs and lows and then we left.
Speaker 2:No, really.
Speaker 1:Yeah, Mom's like what'd you learn today? You're like well, sally had a great weekend. She went to the lake and Christine broke up and Carissa is worried about a test. Yeah, great, great Again. Not wrong, not wrong, but maybe not as deep as. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so we had that high school girls group, we had a middle school girls group which was seventh and eighth and then sixth, kind of started their own.
Speaker 1:And then there was the babies. Yes, sixth kind of started their own, okay.
Speaker 2:And then there was the babies, yes, the babies. The babies had their own little sorry.
Speaker 1:I'm sure you're so grown, so grown, yeah, sorry.
Speaker 2:They are, they're young, they're so young?
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's so young and little.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I know, I'm like no-transcript.
Speaker 1:He's already gotten taller, but yet everybody he's around is even bigger than he is, and it's a lot, it's a lot.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's scary. And then we had a high school boys group grade okay, ninth and tenth grade, we're separate from that and then one because they weren't as cool, right like that, yeah, yeah, yeah, you'll never catch a senior with a freshman.
Speaker 1:Get out of here yeah, uh what was so cool? I'd rather be dead. No kidding, no kidding. They're like no way.
Speaker 2:No, way, this is our own little group we've been here since the beginning.
Speaker 1:You know they're like right. We know they'll grow up one day.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, yeah, but they all just had a lot of leaders, which was awesome okay. It's like, wow, we have a lot of bought in leaders, and so I was like, well, we're going to multiply these groups because to me, the smaller the better. And I didn't used to love this. I was a community group leader before I was on staff. And if they would have tried to tell me I needed to multiply my group.
Speaker 1:I would have been like no, you keep saying multiply with a real positive tone. I don't know. Yeah, give us the other side of that, because sometimes we're like, yeah, we're out here, we're multiplying, and I'm sure the leaders are like you're splitting my group in half, yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, split is the word I use always. And then I was like, yeah, there's a negative connotation around this. Because it's like, yeah, there's a negative connotation around this Because, while, yes, we are like splitting the group, really what we're doing is multiplying your group and creating a space where you can talk, where you have that time, you can go deeper than your prayer requests, your highs and lows, you can get to know your leaders better, like you can grow that really strong relationship with them. But also, when the new student comes in, they're 10 times more comfortable coming into that and they're actually seen and it's not like, oh well, I don't have to show up to this because there's 25 other girls, no one's even going to know. When there's five girls in a group and one's gone, everybody knows that that girl is gone.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And so I just started thinking okay, we got to. You know, multiply just gives it a better, it's just more positive.
Speaker 1:It really is. Words build worlds and it. But it matters and it's not. That's not trying to be like try it about it. It really does matter, cause it. I mean the words, are the things that solution?
Speaker 2:Yes, yeah, and so what I like to do, like I said, is give them a pretty good heads up and always cast the vision to those groups. So, going in on so this is Sunday morning we're still talking about I specifically was like casting vision to these groups and explaining to them. I even told my leaders this on Sunday If you have 10 students, 10 students in a community group and they all go through an icebreaker question, you have now spent 10 minutes of your time doing that.
Speaker 1:Then, if you do prayer requests, if you're a girls group, you've spent about 20 now you know going through those middle school girls maybe even more, because you've got to have the backstory on the cat we're praying for.
Speaker 2:That's true, yes. Or like the math test, that's coming up Right, right, right.
Speaker 1:Here's the actual geometric problem I'm worried about.
Speaker 2:Yes, yeah, yeah, this become tutoring.
Speaker 1:Yeah, seriously yeah it cracks me up.
Speaker 2:It's so sweet though. I love.
Speaker 1:Oh it's, it's the best.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, cause it's real.
Speaker 1:Like, like, that is sorry, this is super sidebar. Middle school prayer requests are my favorite because it's such a refreshing thing from sometimes when you are in adult classrooms and they pray and it just feels like a medical chart of everybody's like injuries, wounds and kidneys that we're praying for. That like when, like the middle schooler is just like. I'm really worried about Tabitha. And you're like who's Tabitha, my tabby cat.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yep, tabitha, my tabby cat. Yeah, yep, oh, it's the best, it's the best.
Speaker 1:And it seems so small to us, you know, but it's a big deal to them, and so I'm like, all right, let's, let's pray for that cat, yeah, yeah, no, we're going to. We're going to maybe not its soul, but we'll pray for its health.
Speaker 2:Yes, yes, it's the best. We casted vision towards that of like. Okay, now you've spent 35 minutes in your group and you've gotten nowhere. You know you have.
Speaker 1:You've gotten somewhere, you're connecting well, but not week over week, and that's that's. That's one of the things like even that, your management of the economy of time that we have, because this is one of the things for our friends listening, I think sometimes we measure small groups week to week as like how did this week go? But because they're meeting week over week, it's like a TV show that's either episodic or like like, yeah, this week was fine and the leaders were there, the kids didn't get hurt, we read the verses and we prayed, but there wasn't anything from June to July, there wasn't anything from October to May.
Speaker 1:And that's some of the small group vision that you've got to cast beyond. Just like we made this week happen versus like okay, but in four weeks time is this group whatever word deeper, more connected, more studied, more spiritual, like that? Those things matter in a way that like true growth happens and not just like, well, we did the thing. Yes, yeah, no kidding, no kidding.
Speaker 2:I mean, there's only like 51 Sundays. So you've got 51 hours Now part of community groups, so a Sunday morning, you know, we multiplied those groups and the kids actually appreciated it because they were like, oh wait, you're right, ali, like we've got some time now to talk about some things. And it also pushes our introverted friends to not just be able to hide, which is their. Their desire often is to want to hide, and those are the students who have struggled with what I've done the most.
Speaker 2:But they also understand like wait, I have a voice, you know if I'm going to grow?
Speaker 1:Has the smaller group helped them find that voice instead of the 25?
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:What has been some of the tension there? Because you shared earlier that you're an introvert. So, has there been like levels of? Have there been planes of connection or conversations that maybe you could share with us, that we could take and share with our students?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think one of my favorite conversations I've recently had. I just multiplied a group and one of the girls she just doesn't love to talk, which is fine, but she's so wise and so I had the I said you are so wise, you are such a leader. These girls they want to hear from you. You know, try this out.
Speaker 2:And two Sundays ago that group decided they wanted to do a Bible study outside of church, and so it has given them those avenues to lead in different ways to walk outside of the church to where that group wasn't doing that. But because it got multiplied, those girls were actually like, oh wait, hold on. Like we could go have a Bible study, you know, and it's allowed them to grow closer to one another and to grow deeper in their faith, because they do have to now share some of those things.
Speaker 2:They didn't love it but they're getting there and it takes time, like it takes time, and that first week they were like this is not a good idea. Second week they're like we want to start a Bible study and I'm like okay good. Must be going good. Uh, so it does. Some of those like just that sweet conversation with that girl, though, of just like okay, like I'm going to try this out.
Speaker 1:Like.
Speaker 2:I understand what you're saying. I'm really grateful you see me as a leader.
Speaker 1:Let's see how this goes. That's so good. That's so good. Well, one of the things we wanted to talk about because this is part of your story, if you want to share a little bit more church as a thing growing up, so we always talk about most youth ministers either grew up in it and had a really great experience and they want to give back. But for some folks, they grew up in church and it was a great experience, so they're like almost trying to redeem the time. Church for young Allie was not fun, not great and maybe a little bit awkward. Can we use the safe cover word? What are some of the ways in which, like from your story to now your ministry leadership, that you've tried to reconcile what youth ministry is for folks and how it like can matter and it is fun, but it's not silly, but it's also serious and just all the things.
Speaker 2:Yeah yeah, church was so tough for me growing up, whenever I was forced to go, and I just remember walking through the doors and always feeling like it was just about everybody's feelings, and what I always wished I would have had was something I could have done when I got there that didn't require talking. I'm saying the small things here nine square ping pong video games.
Speaker 2:All those things are very helpful for that kid who's walking in knows not a single person in the ministry, but when they get here they have an avenue to make them not feel isolated which is to jump in nine square.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Don't have to say a word in that game you just hit the ball and you get back in line, but it does make that person feel more comfortable.
Speaker 1:They know where to stand, like it is Well, cause that's one of the things that. So one of our other questions to talk about are just some of the like the pieces and the rituals of of being a part of the ministry and like I think we take for granted, even for our folks that are like semi-churched or de-churched or whatever like you know statistical word you want to give them, is that like it's kind of an awkward thing to like, I mean, sitting in a circle and talking about how your week went. If you don't regularly do that is odd. People praying for their cats is weird. Like it lands weird on our ears too. Uh, and so just having some of those like oh, that's a switch, they're playing Marioio kart, I know what to do. Oh, there's a basketball or ping pong, I know what to do. Oh, we're all making coffee drinks, I know how to do that.
Speaker 1:Yeah yeah, yeah so just the again. It's not that we're like just doing like consumery secret like this is just like I. I know how to be in this place together, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:So it gives students just what's interesting yeah to them what will? Give them a place, and I think events are huge this is the clash royale corner. Yeah, no, I mean seriously, though there could be that boy, you know who they? Come and they're like wait, they play clash royale here.
Speaker 1:This is the coolest place I've ever been time to get some cardboard crowns in a little corner of the world.
Speaker 2:No kidding, I bet one day I'm in a year I'm going to be playing classroom. It's coming for you. It is, it is, it is, but it is. It's just helpful to to meet them where they're at, make them feel comfortable first, and then you've got to make it fun.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Like I thought church.
Speaker 1:Talk about fun in your ministry Cause, as someone who, like grew up thinking church wasn't fun, how have you made it your quest to make church fun?
Speaker 2:Yeah Well, first of all, I switch it up Like we don't follow the same flow every single week.
Speaker 1:There's no template, there's no like, like, like. The same thing happens every time.
Speaker 2:I mean we definitely have worship and like a message, but the like flow of service it's going to be switched up all the time because I just don't want kids to walk in and be like, oh, we do this.
Speaker 1:And then this, and then I can show up late, for yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:Right, yeah, like, let me miss this part of service that I don't like. Yeah, they'll walk in and be like oh man, I miss the part. I do like, because they switched the service up God the songs were first no, yeah, yeah, yes, right, and so we just change things up. We play games, but games that I know these kids are going to enjoy.
Speaker 1:So a game we won't play what's your, what's your field? Yeah, give us your game filter. This is where, like, everybody says fun's important and then, when we say the small things, people start to disagree.
Speaker 2:So give us the yeah, yeah hey, game, you won't see me playing okay it's four. Okay, okay, they do it in school. Yeah, it's part of gym class.
Speaker 1:How many kids like school? Yeah, not very many, okay.
Speaker 2:And so I'll knock that one out quick. I just think they're too old now. Maybe if I was a sixth and seventh graders.
Speaker 1:They would love Four.
Speaker 2:Corners. My high schoolers are like why are we playing this?
Speaker 1:I don't want to run at all.
Speaker 2:Yes, so we actually try to take trending games and play them on a Wednesday night. So, for example, a favorite is called Silent Library.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:Have you ever watched those TikToks where they're like opening a can, like in the mic, and they're trying to do it as quiet? As they can we have the little like sound thing and we like record them, so the whole room is just like silent and they're listening to this kid like crack a can open and then burp and they're trying to do it quieter than the kid that's going next and it's something they've seen on Instagram.
Speaker 1:So they're like oh, this is different but it's also quiet, which is again I. Anything that plays counter to the dynamic right Like like fun Isn.
Speaker 1:Like fun isn't just let's get everybody into like a frenzy. Fun is like the room is like there's stakes and there's like I mean there's a competitive stake of like someone might win, someone might lose, but then also I'm invested in what's happening. Like that's where I think some folks like do like a trivia thing. The trivia doesn't matter. It doesn't matter whether it's about like motorcycles or countries or factoids, like it is. It is all about like the middle school girls are about to beat the boys in minecraft, whatever, like it's. It's the it's the stakes, yeah. So like literally cracking a can of soda more quiet. Someone else is so entertaining, it's so good, yeah yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:Another one that we've done recently that's just been really fun is we played we're meeting them where they're at. It was like brain rot jeopardy, oh perfect, so just I mean questions that I'm just like what are these kids even? Just so cringe yes, and like jimmy the associate at the time, they shows up in a suit yeah like he is in a suit. He's hosting the game and character commitment so that's.
Speaker 1:That's the other one that I think is so important for folks is that, like, if you're gonna do it, do it don't do trivia in your street clothes, don't, don't, don't do. If you're gonna do four square, uh, there needs to be a mascot on stage with you, or you need to be. Or treat it like middle school gym, where you come out and sweats in a whistle like it needs to be. Yeah, if we're playing pirates orders, there better be a pirate hat and probably some Pirates of the Caribbean soundtrack.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:If Jimmy walks out to a quiet stage, get out of here. It's going to go over like a lead balloon, Right yeah, so we just try to like get some fun games in.
Speaker 2:I'll ask my students all the time what do you guys want to play? It matters more what they care about anyways.
Speaker 1:And so I feel like a formal group or kind of like an informal like kind of like read the room, kind of thing.
Speaker 2:It's kind of an informal group. We have a student leadership team, and so a lot of times I will lean on them but, sometimes I'll just text a couple of kids and I'll be like, hey, you're hosting this week.
Speaker 1:What are you playing?
Speaker 2:You know, and I'll let them lead it, because when students are on the delegation.
Speaker 1:It's so good.
Speaker 2:I love delegating. It's really fun, and those students love it too, like they love the opportunity. It gives them that ownership in the ministry. Like, oh, this is mine, yeah, and so we'll play those fun games. That keeps things fun, but we don't play a game every week either.
Speaker 1:Okay, it's not needed this week. Okay.
Speaker 2:Right, no, not expected. I kind of just like plan out the year on a really big calendar and I try to make sure we have enough games mixed up. But like the week after paint war, we're going to play a game because, we want some of those kids who came to come back.
Speaker 1:The fun and they want that Chain link the fun to the fun. Yeah.
Speaker 2:But then the week after that we can take a break from a game and have a service, which doesn't mean that it isn't fun. That's the other thing Like discipleship. Church is fun without having to add all these like crazy elements. A lot of it is your leaders and your students like just creating that environment. So even when it comes to like the fun and like making church a place where, like a kid like me would want to go growing up, is them feeling welcome knowing where to go.
Speaker 2:I just remember walking in and being like where am I supposed to set? And just like setting alone. And so it's like how do we eliminate that as a whole? You know, make these girls feel comfortable. And so a lot of times it'll still happen. Like students are awesome, they'll still leave a kid out part of life unintentionally, and so. I'll find them and I'll be like hey have you seen Sally Go? Include her right now. Like go grab her, love her, and they'll do it. They just need that reminder.
Speaker 1:Well, in the direction right Like this is. That's part of the formation of you know what we're about, what we're doing, how it is different than school.
Speaker 1:And I think that's one of the things that's always so important to keep in mind is like that you are, I think, in program spaces, in small group relationships, you are working against a lot of the cultural norms they experience in a school that stratifies based on, like, affinity groups or relationships that tend to insulate or isolate, like that is. That's some of our work is to do some of those, not just like what I'm going to say to the room, but also the ways in which we're going to shape how they relate to each other too.
Speaker 2:So, yeah, and one thing I was thinking about. When it comes to games, I don't know that any like student minister gets like thrilled about the extra activities and things. One thing I like really preach to myself is don't ever sacrifice your excellence because of craziness. So, for example, they love this game called scatter. Okay, it means that we have to move to the other building. We have to pick up every table and every chair and make barricades from our technology because, they love. They love this game though.
Speaker 2:Like kids will come to church because we're playing scatter ball. It's. It's basically dodgeball free for all. It's scatterball night. Yeah, oh no, like I I actually I have the funnest videos like I'm just standing in the middle and I'm like, okay, everybody start chanting scatterball and I'm like it's just the hypest moment ever, like they're ready, but it took. It takes work, like even getting your dream teamers to do it and helping you.
Speaker 2:That's like delegation is still work but you cannot sacrifice the excellence because you're feeling lazy, Like I don't really want to move a lot of chairs which sometimes that can be our leaning Cause we're like, well, I'm just going to teach the word and they should be here because, but it's like, nah, we've, we've got to make it, got to make it fun, and we can't sacrifice because of how we're feeling that day. So it's one thing I've got to tell myself all the time.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's good, that's good. Well, one more quick question for you. Thank you so much for coming by today. You've started with a lot of leaders. It takes a lot of leaders. What is something that you would give to youth ministry friends to help them keep their volunteers motivated and excited at the end of summer? Them keep their volunteers motivated and excited At the end of summer? We've made a lot of ask. School is right around the corner. You talked about the importance for you to unplug and renew. What are some of the things you would say, do or provide or you are doing or would recommend for others to do to keep those folks that help make ministry happen encouraged and inspired?
Speaker 2:I think this is the biggest deal in, in your ministry and it's easy to get burnt out. I mean you got to think about your volunteers have? They have families, they have kids they have a job, so they go from their job to church, to home to make dinner for their kids to go to bed, to repeat that.
Speaker 2:And so I think acknowledging the weight of what they do for you is big, Like they can tell whenever you like care about their time, I would say. But the biggest thing, the first thing that I like make sure my dream teamers are doing is like they've got to be attending service, Like it's the small things they need to be poured into and they need to be spending time. In the word. You can tell whenever people are spending time in the word.
Speaker 1:You can tell whenever people are spending time in the word, because for your folks, if they're serving on a sunday or a wednesday, what, what is? How do you? How do you make the split so they're not always tied up all week long, is it? Is it they either help on sunday or wednesday, or how do? How do you juggle some of that?
Speaker 2:I prefer that they help on both okay but there is flexibility the reason I prefer they help on both is because they're going to grow to love their students. Their students are going to grow to love them more. They're going to see more return, honestly, and it's going to get them excited.
Speaker 1:But this is some of the encouragement of having multiple services on Sunday is to pay for them, okay.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but yeah. So if they just want to serve on Sunday and not Wednesday nights, that is, that's okay with me. But if they can serve on both, they can serve on both, they can serve on both they just want to serve on Wednesday nights like we're gonna make that happen for them um, but definitely just making sure they're in their word, that they're getting poured into first, or else there's nothing for them to pour out.
Speaker 2:So that's the most important, and then I'd say, celebrating the wins all the time, like they need to hear it every single day because they may be in a group where they're not making. They don't feel like they're making ground with their kids.
Speaker 2:but another group is. And so to get to say, hey, you know, this community group was where you were, you know, working real hard, feeling like is anything ever going to happen? And now look at, look at what God has done, and so celebrating those wins, reminding them of the why, like, hey, why did you, why'd you start serving?
Speaker 1:here in the first place.
Speaker 2:You know what brought you here. What's our mission is gonna keep them around and keep them wanting. You know it's not out of obligation, it's out of I want to be here because yeah I know these students need it, so you've got to remind them of their why. The other thing is like recruit the right people. Sometimes we just need people. We just need more bodies.
Speaker 1:I need five more.
Speaker 2:I need five more, please, yeah, yeah yeah, yeah, and it can be hard, you know, whenever you're in that spot because you really do need people, but when you recruit the wrong people they're going to burn out. So you've got to find their sweet spot, like, really, there may be a leader in your ministry who they're not great as a community group leader, so to speak, but they would do great at check-in and they would love to write cards for kids you know and send them in their mailbox.
Speaker 1:Like I have a team who does that. Imagine the work that you can delegate. Yeah, that's right. Yeah, yes, it's amazing and it means a lot.
Speaker 2:Like I went on vacation and I came home with a card in the mailbox from my check-in team saying we miss you, we love you, and I was like this is like this is sweet. And so just making sure people are in the right places in your ministry is huge, because that's why they want to be there, and if they're in the wrong place, they're never going to love it, because they're not in their sweet spot. They're not using their strengths that the Lord has given them.
Speaker 1:Obligated volunteers, just as an observation, don't last long and don't serve well.
Speaker 2:So if your recruitment was the shame of obligation, or you ought to instead of. Do you want to?
Speaker 1:Yeah, yes, and you realize it quick. And they do too. They're like I don't want to be here anymore. And you're like actually, I actually hate this, and I was like I see that yes, yeah.
Speaker 2:So it's just important. And I think the other thing is don't waste their time, like don't waste the volunteers time um, this is our job, yeah, and so we do it every week, and delegation is huge. It's super important, but also, like when they're serving and they're cleaning up, and it's a huge event, like if you're able to help them, it does mean a lot. Like, if you're in a conversation with a student, you're sharing gospel like obviously do that, and I would say that to the same leader right.
Speaker 2:But like also, just like, step in and show them like, hey, I'm willing to do what I'm asking you to do.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:You know, because some of it is mundane and it's boring to take down nine square and put nine square up, and so just serve them whenever you can Appreciate them, take them to lunch, make them feel involved, ask them where should we grow? Yeah, do you enjoy being here.
Speaker 2:Like so many leaders. When I called them at the beginning of the year just to ask, are you enjoying surfing? We're like oh, thank you for asking, right, so it means a lot. Just don't waste their time and care for them really well and they'll love that. And then, whenever they are feeling a certain way like man, I'm feeling burnt out they're going to tell you like they're going to feel comfortable because you've opened that door and then you can help them. Maybe give them a week to rest, or maybe they need another encouragement. You're like wait, hold on.
Speaker 2:let me remind you of what you have done, and then they're like oh wait, thank you, my mind was just in the the wrong place, so care for them love them.
Speaker 1:They're volunteers, they're not paid. Yeah, they're doing out of the love of their hearts for the lord their pay is in the love. Well, yes, Uh. So gratitude and love.
Speaker 2:Yes, yeah, so good.
Speaker 1:Well, friend, thank you so much for coming by today. Uh, if folks wanted to connect with you more. Uh, it sounds like you have some things on social worth watching. I'm going to go find some scatterball hype videos. We need to set some of those to Braveheart. Uh, I'm going to get a little alley blue face paint. Yeah, for the next time you do it. But where can folks find you? Connect with you, learn more from you.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean, instagram is a great place to just connect with me. I'm on it, I'm checking it. You can always email me if you're like, I have a question about what scatterball is like.
Speaker 1:Hey, I will be some rules, yeah, so you can email me you.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we put in the comments below too great, it'll be in the comments below so you can get my email there, but I'm always open for an email and then if we need to have a phone call, like let's talk. I love getting to learn from other people too, so I'm sure, as you ask me questions, I will have questions for you well, friend, we're always learning from you and I'm excited for what god has next for you.
Speaker 1:so thank you so much, friends. We'll see you back next week on episode of the youth ministry booster podcast. Be back next week on episode of the Youth Ministry Booster Podcast. Oh snap, oh yeah. Hey everybody, thanks for coming to this episode of Youth Ministry Booster Podcast. It's been so great to have you stop by and hear from our friend Allie. Check out the other episodes from folks in youth ministry places all across the country serving, learning and growing. We are doing it better together and you can learn more inside of our community. At youthministryboostercom, you can be part of a cohort of youth ministers serving and learning and growing like you. Check it out and if you're a big podcast or YouTube fan, give us a like, rating, subscribe and review. We'll see you again next week.
