Seizing the Campus: A Blueprint for Youth Pastors
By: Will Cumby, National Fuel Network Director
Some years ago, I was a new youth pastor, attending every conference I could to improve at doing what I loved. Teaching and helping teens grow in their relationship with Jesus. I will never forget walking into a workshop titled “Fish Swim in Schools.” It was at that moment that everything clicked. Being an excellent youth pastor was more than Sunday morning sermons or events geared at getting kids in the room. Just as Jesus is God with us, youth leaders are to live the Gospel daily and do life with the youth they serve.
So, how do we get beyond the four walls of our churches and into the spaces where students spend most of their time?
1. Seek to serve and not to be seen.
Luke 14:7-11 (NLT)
“… 9 The host will come and say, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then you will be embarrassed, and you will have to take whatever seat is left at the foot of the table! 10 “Instead, take the lowest place at the foot of the table. Then when your host sees you, he will come and say, ‘Friend, we have a better place for you!’… For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
When I got home from the conference, I registered to volunteer at all the school districts in our community. Then, I reached out to the schools in my area and looked for opportunities to volunteer. I was open to everything from reading to elementary kids to helping at High School events. After that, I researched Christian clubs and organizations on high school campuses. I discovered programs like YoungLife, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and student-led Bible studies.
Building relationships with campus leaders and students based on service and not your church title will create opportunities. Luke 6:45 reminds us that our natural conversation comes from the overflow of our hearts. You don’t have to tell people that you study God’s word, talk to teens regularly, or that you have a heart for hurting youth. Conversation will reveal your cares and create platforms. The relationships I built through service allowed me to discover areas where I could create programming and open doors for more significant campus influence.
2. Be a resource.
Matthew 25:29 (NLT)
“To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away.”
Look for areas of need at a particular campus. Before you go after a whole school, the schools in a feeder pattern, or all of the schools in a district, consider one need at one campus. It may be a classroom teacher who needs supplies, snacks for the teacher’s lounge, support for the school garden, or a coffee maker for the teacher’s lounge. There may be items in your ministry or resources in your community that you can connect to a campus. We all know the Bible story where the widow was asked, “What’s in your house”? Within your immediate reach is an answer to a problem at your local school. Speaking of in your house. Doing a poll at your church. Discover the teachers and school administrators in your congregation. Ask the teacher, the coach, the classroom assistant what they need and look for ways to meet it.
3. Be Consistent.
Luke 16:10 (NLT)
“If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities.”
After a couple of years of supporting programs at one of the high schools in my community, one of the football coaches asked me to pray with the team before their next game. That one night in the locker room became a weekly devotional with the players, opportunities to do devotionals with multiple other teams, and the chance to pray for the team I started with at their state football championship game. I have also built great relationships with the players that extend beyond high school. It is a personal joy to pray for them and offer advice on their life journey.
Ministry extends beyond Sunday and is possible on school campuses. Prioritize serving first, be a resource, and stay consistent. Building quality relationships is crucial to ministry, influence, and life growth. If you need more support in getting into local schools, I challenge you to connect with a Fuel Network, or partner with other ministries and programs in your community. By collaborating with others, you can share resources, support each other’s work, and be a united force for change.
Go to the schools—that’s where the fish are!
The Fuel Networks are powered by UYWI and DVULI. To learn more about joining a Fuel Network and how we serve urban communities nationally, visit FuelNetworkPartners.org or contact us.
