Teaming With Your Senior Pastor

By:  Todd Lee Mayfield

Each of us is wired with a desire deep down inside of us to care for the next generation.  We're all trying to cultivate this desire, grow it, and spread it.  We want to win a generation back, and we need the entire church body to be a part of this fight.  As you're sounding the battlecry for a generation in your own church and community, we've got to have all hands on deck:  parents, concerned adults, volunteers, everybody.  As you are dreaming, planning and building your youth ministry the most critically important partnership for you to foster is that with your senior pastor.

God's plan is set up for us to partner closely with the head of our local Christ-Body-our senior pastors.  If your youth ministry is thriving, good communication with your pastor is probably a constant.  And you two are probably sharing insights about youth ministry plans within the context of the vision of your localized church.  Many youth ministries remain ill because this very relationship is not cultivated.  Despite any discouragement any youth pastor has ever faced in building this relationship and bringing the youth ministry under the senior leader's vision and direction, it IS possible to develop a closer relationship that is conducive to building effective ministry.

There are many components that apply to each of us as we are seeking to team with our senior pastor to advance God's kingdom in our communities.  The first principle may or may not apply to you, but stick with me as I share what I've personally found.

Ask for His Leadership

One of the first things you need to do is invite your senior pastor's leadership into your life-to a certain extent, you need to ask him to give you mentorship.  And you need to verbally ask him for it.  If he is already offering you insight and direction in your life and in youth ministry, thank him for it, and ASK for more.

Here's why this is imperative-your relationship with your senior pastor MUST be growing stronger than it is today.  If he sees your humility and desire to grow, he will share with you his vision and is going to be more receptive to your insight and plans for the youth and how the parents and adults are intricate to ministering to the youth.

If there is some distance between you and your senior pastor, ask him for his insight ASAP-if you want to thrive, grow this relationship.

Weekly One-On-Ones

This point might seem too simple, or even "corporate".  Understand, this is a loaded lesson to learn.  It may be difficult to meet with your senior pastor consistently, but ask for a 15- or 30-minute meeting a week at the minimum.  I meet with my direct-reports (those who report directly to me) off the cuff frequently throughout the week-but they know that we will have a weekly meeting I expect them to be prepared for.  They are supposed to come with questions, plans, and an outline of the progress they have made over the previous week and definitions of what they are going to achieve this week.  I also do this with the person I report directly to.  Accountability and clarity are rarely lacking when this is reliably done on a WEEKLY basis (my weekly meetings are typically 30 minutes in length).

Make sure you are prepared for these weekly meetings-what gets measured gets done.  Come with your progress from the previous week, quantifiable goals, where you are going, and any pertinent questions for your senior pastor.  You can accomplish this in a 15 minute phone call if necessary.

Engaging the Parents

Where does the most important youth ministry takes place?  It's not in the church-it's in the home.  Every good father and mother wants to raise great, godly kids.  But why are so many struggling to see this become a reality?

Let's help parents recreate the atmosphere in their homes-let's help them create a culture in their homes stronger than the culture that is deceiving their kids!  (Ron Luce has written an incredible resource for parents on this subject entitled ReCreate).

Ask your senior pastor how you can work together to engage the parents to train them to reach their kids and build strong homes.  It will take both of you.  His pastoral voice and authority is needed as well as your keen insight about young people.

There are several ways you can engage the parents in your church, but find the right mix that matches your congregation.  Two of my friends on staff here at Teen Mania this month are doing two full-training sessions on Sunday afternoons at their church to educate parents on society, youth-culture, and how to reach and raise their students.  Meeting with the parents on a monthly or at least quarterly basis is imperative (would the senior pastor join you?).  You might choose to send out a monthly e-newsletter that let's the parents know what's coming down the pipe before it hits-sermon subjects (and scriptures so the parents can support their student's growth), dates for events and even fundraising needs.

There are other ways to engage the parents-and the whole congregation.  Ask if you can share testimonies, statistics or other information on a weekly-basis at Sunday morning services.  Do this in order to engage the hearts of all the believers.  You can even show a video about what students are facing (check these out:  In 2 Hours  and Casualties of War).  Put something in front of their eyes that is going to make them aware of the war that is being waged for young people's hearts!

Church Involvement

You may also want to ask your pastor how the youth can serve your local-body.  What better way to engage and serve the church?!  This might be the doorway to the youth being known, cared-for, and respected as a viable and highly important priority in the church.

Now, when volunteering the youth to service, don't bite off too much too early!  Learning how to manage the execution of the volunteer opportunities and seeing how responsive the students are to volunteering is a must upfront.  So, don't volunteer to a weekly or monthly act of service yet, try this out a couple of times and build from there.

How Do I Move Forward From Here?

PRAY!  Ask God how to connect and build a teaming relationship with your pastor.  Your role isn't to take care of kids.  You're no babysitter!  You're role is to implement what the church body wants-to provoke a young generation to passionately pursue Jesus Christ.  You are there to help parents become the priests of the home they were designed by God to be.  True youth ministry takes place in the home and is also a responsibility of the entire church.  Connect with your senior pastor and grow from there.

Todd Lee 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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