How to Keep it Burning

By:  Jacob Burgei with Todd Mayfield

Just a few weeks ago I was at the Greater New York BattleCry at the IZOD Center.  I brought A LOT of students (don't ask me how difficult setting up transportation and food was!!).  Maybe you were there, or maybe you've been to an event, or are going to an event this summer like BattleCry-a life-changing connection of students and leaders hungry to change their world!  I know God did something in me, and in over 13,000 other people present.  But what God did in you and I shouldn't be over (or anyone that's ever been to any event of this magnitude).

How many times do we take youth to an event like BattleCry and see God set our students on fire, only to see the devil douse the flame with the water of this world? This is my 10^th year being a part of Teen Mania's Acquire the Fire and BattleCry events, and since a decade ago I have seen this happen so many times in the lives of young people. As a Youth Pastor, I want to see my kids continue to keep the fire of God burning in their hearts, and I'm sure that you feel the same way. So here are 4 principles that I've found that will help you to minister to your youth after an event like BattleCry.

I.  The Leader's Passion-Your craving for God must set the cultural thermostat for the entire youth ministry.  As John Maxwell says "everything falls and rises upon leadership."  Youth Pastor's must have a spiritual longing that continually grows.  And this isn't easy.  Amidst all of the distractions and priorities, we are fighting to feed and fuel this flame for God.  Do it!  Protect it.  Guard it.  Pour gasoline on it.  Put it on steroids.  If you want to increase your youth ministry, then grow your spirit! Many times we think that an event will make our youth ministries grow, but in reality it's when our spirit man grows that we will see growth take place in our youth.

Here's some vital keys how:  Guard your time with God.  Set an appointment with him and allow practically nothing short of a family emergency to interfere.  Get yourself ready for this time.  Whatever you can do to be fresh and focused.  You don't go to meetings with the boss disheveled and without your notepad.  Now God takes us as we are, even looking unkempt at 6AM!  But get your mind and your schedule into a state in which you can focus on him.  Unplug from all of the electronic distractions  you have.  Cell phone, laptop, news media, etc.  Put on some worship that entices your soul and dig in with God!

II.  Empower your workers to invest into the youth. Without your students getting a personal connection and some type of discipleship/guidance you CAN expect that the fire from an event like BattleCry will wane in most cases. 

IF you have youth workers=Have them take time with each youth to ask what God did during the week of BattleCry. This can be done one-on-one, but if not, do it in groups of 10 or less. You can even take youth service or Bible Study time to do this.  It's a way that youth can open up about what God spoke to them and cause accountability to take place with each youth and the workers.

IF you don't have youth workers=Don't just go it alone.  Maybe recruit another chaperone that went to the event to help you in this.  It's vital that you raise other adult leaders to help you out.  As your leadership capacity expands so does your capacity to influence with more depth and more width.

III.  Don't just go to another event!! As summer approaches there are many events, conferences, theme parks, and beach parties to attend, but make sure that you're not just doing an event to do an event. Take your youth to something that will build upon what God did at BattleCry or whatever prior event you've been to. Ask your youth what they would like to do to add to the fire.

Have you considered taking your youth for a local outreach, service project or even an international mission trip?  Being Jesus' hands and feet together is a sure way to keep the fire burning.

IV.  Dream, Plan and Build.  What next?  What is God brewing in your heart?  Take the seeds of the dream and turn them into a plan.  I'm serious.  Planning sometimes is our least favorite part of the process.  But take a pen and put some direction on paper.  Maybe not every idea you'll be certain is a "God idea", but we can be confident that "Many plans are in a man's heart, but the counsel of the Lord will stand."  (Proverbs 19:21)

An effective youth ministry isn't birthed on accident nor is it built overnight.  Just like a child, a dream is conceived, but it must gestate, and us accordingly must plan.

Let me leave you with this thought:  "What gets measured gets done."  What is the first plan or goal that you can set, that you can write down, share with your workers, and start building towards?  I dare you to write it down, make it plain, put it before your leaders, and start building towards it.

Jacob Burgei is a member of the Greater New York BattleCry Steering Committee, and the Youth Pastor of Faith Generation Youth Church-a ministry of Faith Fellowship Ministries, Sayreville, NJ. www.faithgen.com

Todd Mayfield is the Director of the Greater New York BattleCry and is the ATF Contact Center Training Manager at Teen Mania Ministries' campus in Garden Valley, TX.  www.battlecry.com

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