New Leader Training
This is your pathway for becoming a successful Switch leader! In this 10-step process you will discover new ways to think about how to reach the “lost” and disciple the “found” as you step into youth ministry. Let’s dive in with Step #1…
Step #1: The Mission
Listen:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/7tknYjC1OYM8NOyETgaMQJ?si=ea4045a6d4de434c
Grow:
Message your coach the answers to these questions:
- “You can’t replicate what you haven’t experienced.” Where are the opportunities to grow in your own discipleship to Jesus? How will you seek to grow in those areas? Who can you bring along to help?
Go:
- Commit to reading one chapter from the Gospel of Matthew each day and ****share one thing you learn with someone in your life. This exercise will not only help you keep your eyes on the One this is all about, it will also give you reps talking about the Bible with others. A really easy way to do this would be to start the Bible Plan, Learning the Jesus Way of Life, with your coach.
Step #2: Pursuing Jesus
Listen:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/6qr2k4sl9AOdSjZ3cB3OfV?si=02a984f2e23b46e7
Grow:
Message your coach the answers to these questions:
- “Be with Jesus. Become like Jesus. Do what Jesus would do if He were you.” In this season of your life, what does it look like for you with be with Jesus? In what area do you see yourself becoming more like Him or needing to become more like Him? How will you practice doing what Jesus would do if He were you?
Go:
- Continue reading the Bible Plan: Learning the Jesus Way of Life with your coach.
- Add a few minutes of silence and solitude to your Bible reading time this week. Set a timer for 5-10 minutes, get still and quiet, and just be with Him. This will strengthen your relationship with Jesus and help train you to hear His voice in the midst of the chaos and crazy that is often youth ministry.
Step #3: Leading Like Jesus
Listen:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/2ChR5pyWvPwsYnb8BivETL?si=f12c70c8361f4ce2
Grow:
Message your coach the answers to these questions:
- “Create a rhythm of rest. Cultivate a non-anxious presence. Create moments of joy.” If you aren’t relaxed under pressure, what needs to change about your habits and schedule so you can experience more joy and less stress? Track your energy or emotions for a week in a journal and figure out where you need to make a change. Then, make a plan and make it happen!
- Journaling prompts:What did I do that energized me today? What did I do that was draining?What emotions did I experience today? Where was I when I felt that?
Go:
- If you don’t have people you’re deeply connected to, then talk to your Youth Pastor and ask them to help you find a LifeGroup. You need people to go the distance in ministry.
- Continue reading the Bible Plan: Learning the Jesus Way of Life with your coach.
Step #4: How To Have Integrity
Listen:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/3MzByDXNLIJuWKxZ5SpX9r?si=b84edb7926f3488e
Grow:
Message your coach the answers to these questions:
- “How do we develop our integrity? Confess and repent. Confess: Be honest about what’s on the inside. Repent: Change what’s on the outside.” What sin do you need to confess? What change do you need to make?
Go:
- Now, go do it. Text that friend, ask to have that conversation. It’s hard and it’s scary, but it’s absolutely worth it. After you confess, make a plan and put the appropriate guardrails in place to support you as you make the change. Like, ask your coach to follow up with you weekly in a text about how you are doing with the commitment you made. Finally, pray. The Holy Spirit gives us the power to do what we cannot do on our own.
- Continue reading the Bible Plan: Learning the Jesus Way of Life with your coach.
Step #5: Making It Personal
Listen:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/4JaCF7vOBSJQlwz8pmXZgi?si=2cad71b0783a4c9a
Grow:
Message your coach the answers to these questions:
- “People don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.” Reflect on a time someone took a personal interest in you. What did that investment in your life look like? What difference did it make? If you can, reach out to that person and thank them today.
Go:
This week at Switch, pick a student and…
- Learn their name
- Figure out what matters to them
- Tell them what you see in them
Then, debrief and repeat every week until you have “made it personal” with every student in your small group.
- Finish reading the Bible Plan: Learning the Jesus Way of Life with your coach.
Step #6: Leading Small
Listen:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/4969txJPKt8psAQ5v9CaaN?si=493d0f1f125e4ea6
Grow:
Message your coach the answers to these questions:
- “Do for a few what you wish you could do for all.”
Be present by…
- Showing up consistently – What will this look like for you?
- Showing up mentally – What will this look like for you?
- Showing up randomly – ****What will this look like for you?
Go:
- Ask your coach or co-leader for feedback about the environment of your small group. What were your reactions like? Did your questions show genuine curiosity or did they create a feeling of dis-ease? We are committed to doing whatever it takes to create a safe space for our students!
- Start reading the Bible Plan, Becoming Like Jesus: Community, with your coach.
Step #7: Partnering with Parents
Listen:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/7yeO6s20M8MWj37PT601ds?si=a541b86f40174963
Grow:
Message your coach the answers to these questions:
- “There is no one more influential in the life of a student than their parents.”
So, as you lead your students, make it a priority to partner with their parents. Here’s how:
- Meet them.
- Give them access to you.
- Leverage technology to connect regularly.
- Show up where they show up.
- Help them find answers.
- Say something positive about their kid.
What are you already doing well? What gaps do you need to fill for your students and their parents?
Go:
- Activate on filling the gaps you have identified. It might be difficult to get in touch with your students’ parents, but it’s so worth it for impact it can have on an entire family and their future!
- Finish reading the Bible Plan, Becoming Like Jesus: Community, with your coach.
Step #8: Knowing Your Audience
Listen:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/0wev5a2KCNQs7gfG8mRwFu?si=af08198a612f4c9e
Grow:
Message your coach the answers to these questions:
- “If you want to lead students somewhere they’ve never been, start by meeting them where they are.”
Three things to answer for yourself:
- What do you believe? And why do you believe it?
- What motivates you? What does a successful life look like in your eyes?
- In what ways is technology working for you? In what ways is it working against you?
Go:
Three things to find out about your students:
- What do they believe? And why do they believe it?
- What motivates them? What does a successful life look like in their eyes?
- In what ways is technology working for them? In what ways is it working against them?
- Start reading the Bible Plan, Becoming Like Jesus: Confession and Repentance, with your coach!
Step #9: Managing Expectations
Listen:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/7sovIOxwODTUgdqjGgJF0P?si=55fd0f2bc4a74e72
Grow:
Message your coach the answers to these questions:
- “Some of the best moments in your small group will come on nights where nothing goes the way you thought it would.” How do you manage your own expectations in other areas of life (relationships, work, etc.)? How could those techniques translate to Switch?
Go:
- You can only control what you contribute. How do you need to adjust your expectations for the individual students in your group? How will you contribute to their journey with Jesus as a Switch leader each week? Write down your adjusted expectations and how you will faithfully contribute to the lives of your students.
- Continue reading the Bible Plan, Becoming Like Jesus: Confession and Repentance, with your coach!
Step #10: Owning Your Growth
Listen:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/0JflXx4WdSSEoIlO3uejsP?si=37a474f1f4414542
Grow:
Message your coach the answers to these questions:
- “Growing as a disciple and developing as a leader is a lifelong process.” What are your strengths as a Switch Group Leader? What area would you most like to focus on in your personal growth? What changes does the Holy Spirit want to make in your walk with Jesus?
Go:
- Where to next? That’s up to you! What strength do you want to sharpen? Ask your youth pastor for resources to help. What personal growth would you like to see happen? Ask for feedback from your coach or co-leader about that specifically each week. What changes does the Holy Spirit want to make? Pray and ask Him and submit to the work He wants to do in you.
- Finish reading the Bible Plan, Becoming Like Jesus: Confession and Repentance, with your coach!
