Building a Student Serve Team

Do you remember walking into your student ministry for the first time? More than likely, you, along with everyone else, probably experienced some level of awkwardness as you tried to figure out where to go, where to sit, and who to talk to. I’m confident that as student ministry workers, leaders, and volunteers, we have witnessed new students walk into our ministry for the first time and experience those same emotions and challenges. They are meeting new people, they are in a new place, and are possibly hearing the Gospel for the first time. It’s a lot to take in all at once!

Recently, I’ve been convicted of the first-time guests walking through our doors at church. I’ve asked myself:

• Do they feel welcomed?
• Do they know where to go?
• Are they worried about fitting in and making connections?
• If so, how can we break down those barriers to create meaningful relationships?
• What can we do to make new students feel more at home when they walk through our doors?

 I believe the best way for new students to get connected is to be connected with other students and peers their age. Having a Student Serve Team is one way to help make those connections. Here are a few ideas to consider while building your own Student Serve Team.

 Give Students Ownership of THEIR Ministry

We know that students are not just consumers. They want to be a part of something that gives them a sense of belonging and identity. Our student ministry environments are a great place to give students a portion of the ministry to serve in. When a student begins to serve, it gives them a chance to look away from the mirror and out to the crowd. They start to think of others, serve others, and feel like they are a part of the Kingdom’s work. Having a Student Serve Team will help you live out Ephesians 4:12, “…equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ.”

 When a student feels a sense of ownership of their ministry, whether it be over planning and organizing a game, reading Scripture before worship, or coming early to help set up and pray over chairs, they will be invested in what God is doing in their Student ministry. Not to mention, when students own their ministry, they start inviting their friends to come to see what they have been able to help build and create.

 Student Lead Team Expectations

As you begin recruiting students, having clear expectations is helpful to help guide them and the Serve Team as it grows and develops. Here are a few helpful expectations to get you started:

• Lead By Example. This looks like modeling notetaking, bringing your Bible, worshiping, sharing in small groups, inviting new students to sit with you, and encouraging those around you to do the same.
• Serve During Our Student Programming. Areas to serve in: Worship Team, Café Team, Welcome Team, Game set up and tear down.
• Attend Student Lead Team Meetings. Make sure that we are also investing in the students who come early to serve. Who knows how the Lord will use them or call them to ministry?

 First Impressions:

Back to the main point, the best way for new students to get connected is to be connected with other students. When a new student walks into our student ministry, our Student Serve Team lives by these four easy ways of making first impressions:

•  10-Second Rule
• Every student should experience some sort of conversation with someone within the first 10 seconds of arriving. New students’ barriers are instantly broken down when another peer greets them.
•  3 Conversations
• Every student on the Student Serve Team should engage in conversation with at least three different people outside of his or her friend group before leaving. Talk to new students, younger/older students, or people you do not normally talk to.
• Don’t Tell, Take!
• When a new student asks where something is located, be sure to take them there rather than tell them. Be intentional with every encounter.
•  No One Goes Alone!
• When you see a new student or students who come regularly sitting or standing alone, make an intentional effort to sit with them. It may be uncomfortable initially, but it will make a lasting impression.

 Equip Students To Be On The Frontlines Of Serving

 Having students join a Student Serve Team is a great goal to have! However, I encourage you to offer a variety of serving opportunities to your students. Too often I hear friends in ministry share that their student ministry feels like it's separated from their church. Meaning, the student ministry feels like its own separate gathering within the church. Although you can make the case that students should have their own space to grow, connect, and serve, they should also be a part of the church as a whole.

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 With that, our student ministry has started equipping students to be on the front lines of serving. Our Student Serve Team is a part of our church's “Reach Team,” which is an all-encompassing serving ministry for leaders and volunteers throughout the entire church. This consists of a welcome team, production team, kid’s volunteers, worship team, facilities team, and a few other ministry areas. Students are given an opportunity to serve alongside adults, pastors, and ministry leaders. This has been highly beneficial for both the students who are serving and the ministry areas in which they are serving. It allows students to be a part of the “body” and the “body” to build up students.

 Above all, the goal should be to model to students what serving looks like as a follower of Jesus. He put others before Him, loved the unlovable, served the people around Him, and made people feel welcomed in His presence. Having a Student Serve Team will allow you to model that even more in your ministry.

 Share your thoughts with others in our YM360 community:

• Do your students have any “ownership” in their ministry, or are they consumers of your ministry?
• Are students a part of the overall “body” or just isolated to student ministry? How can you encourage them to serve in the church?

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