I have been involved with youth networks for over ten years. During that time, I have seen great networks with youth pastors working together to make Jesus famous in their communities. But something or someone seems to be missing from the table that just might make the network have greater impact. Over the past three years I have found there are quite a few people missing from the table of youth networking: lead pastors, business people, parents, youth volunteers, parachurch organizations, and the unsung heroes of youth ministry-the bi-vocational youth pastor.
One of the biggest problems I have seen is that many people don't have the time to get away from their work during the day for a two-hour youth network meeting. Many times the people around the room are youth pastors with full or part time jobs. While a few others have the flexibility in their schedules to come to the standard youth network lunchtime meetings. This is a great time for the youth pastors that have the time to meet, but what about all the rest of the people that I mentioned? In this blog I want to focus on the heart of networking with the bi-vocational youth pastor.
Let me give you a glimpse into the world of a bi-vocational youth pastor:
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40 plus hours in the job that pays the bills.
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Many have a family that they need and want to spend time with
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Doing full time ministry because ministry is about people and serving people. This is a full time calling regardless of the paycheck.
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NO or a very SLIM youth budget so the youth pastor often makes up the difference from their own pocket.
This is not a call for bi-vocational pastors to find a paid position. Instead, it is an attempt to give us a clearer picture of what bi-vocational youth workers go through on a daily basis. How do I know this? Because my wife and I lived this out when we first started in ministry.
This is where youth networking could be one of the greatest asset in the Kingdom. I would venture to say that there are far more bi-vocational youth pastors than there are full time youth pastors. I have been in youth networks that seem to think success would be defined as getting the big church's youth pastor to attend the network meetings. But in the attempt to win one youth worker, we passed over the needs of countless churches whose youth pastors need to use printer paper twice (both front and back) in order to conserve money. I have done it.
I am not advocating that it should be one over the other when it comes to youth networking. We need both. If we truly are better together, "have you considered how incorporate people who have not been privileged with the opportunity and calling to be paid full time ministers?" Like I said, all ministry is full time. One is compensated for a standard work week, and the other is not. Before we start saying that small churches should close, think back to the early church in Acts. It wasn't about who was bigger and badder. There was Paul, a tentmaker, who would be considered bi-vocational. Would we say that he was wrong and should have found a big church to hire him? No! Going back to my point, how can we facilitate a youth network that would bring more people to the table?
Over the past few years I have floated an idea around with a few other youth pastors about launching a different kind of youth network that would meet in the evenings every 6 to 8 weeks. The focus would be on building relationships and prayer and then allow the Holy Spirit to guide us on how to share resources and create strategies to help students come to know Jesus. We would open meetings up to youth pastors, volunteers, lead pastors, parachurch leaders, parents, bi-vocational youth pastors, and more. It would be about welcoming people to the table — people who love Jesus and love teens with a heart to make Jesus famous in their community.
The focus of the meetings would be on the heart and souls of those in attendance, not on the next big thing, event or having a big-name guest speaker. Here's a little unknown secret: most people don't need to hear about how to "do" leadership from yet another church with ten times the people and ten times the budget. Yes, anyone can get great ideas and transfer them down to their context, but every church culture is different from their leadership structure to their style of worship. We tend to want to spend our time on logistics and concepts that are hard to transfer. This network would focus on the leader's soul - such as one's prayer life, honor of leadership, having a sound mind, etc.
The emphasis would be on things that every leader deals with regardless of the size of their budget, building, or title. From the relationships built in such a gathering, there could be side conversations about logistics and leadership philosophy. This is where those of us with budgets and resources can share with those who don't have the finances or resources to go to conferences or buy the newest and best curriculums. These relationships help all involved. Those who are in larger churches can learn a lot from some smaller churches if we are willing to humble ourselves. Those who don't have a youth budget have to rely on God, whereas we who have earthly resources can sometimes just charge it to the church credit card.
I saved the most important thing to talk about for last: we would pray together. This is key; cities and communities are changed by prayer. At youth networks, when people from different churches come together to pray something amazing happens. We are being the Body of Christ to the community. At times I feel that we look for what makes the biggest flash at the cost of what makes the biggest impact. There are a lot of things that can be flashy and draw a crowd for a season. If instead we seek impact, it may take longer to see results, but those that encounter it will be forever changed.
In the fall of 2017 we launched this concept of networking in Northwest Arkansas. We call it "Revive". We are still in the infancy stages but are gaining traction and momentum. We have plans to create a few meetings where even the youth pastors' spouses can attend by providing childcare free of charge for them.
Why?
Because many times an even lonelier place than being a youth pastor is being the spouse of the youth pastor. We want to try to change the trends and statistics of youth pastors and leaders leaving the ministry in any way we can. The greatest thing these youth leaders and their families need is not another conference, not more leadership training, not a bigger event, not more fun, not free food. They need an authentic community in which they can be transparent and know that there are people who care about their souls. If the soul of the leader is healthy, then everything will be aligned for God to do great things in and through this individual.
Please, hear me when I say that this is not a rebuke to how you might be networking; this is a different perspective on how we can be better together.
How to a launch a bi-vocational youth network
It's simple, but not easy. If you have a heart for it, then you have the most important asset already at play. Here are a few pointers I have found:
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Look for others with a similar heart to create a bi-vocational youth network. Look beyond other youth pastors to lead pastors, community leaders, parents, teachers, and para-church leaders. The key is clearly defining "why" you are doing this; let "how" and "what" you are doing come in later.
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Look at your community and find a time that works best for most of those you are inviting to the table. Not everyone that you ask will attend or want to be a part.
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This is not about one person.
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Set the vision of the group and speak to it each time you meet. We talk about building relationships, praying together, sharing resources, and creating strategies together each time we meet. Each topic does not have equal time in the meetings, but they are all talked about.
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Remember that it is about being the body, so beware allowing any one person or event to dominate the network meeting. It will ostracize those that are not a part.
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Lead humbly, lovingly, and strongly.
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Have a leadership team of at least two to guide the group.
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Allow others to share, even those that are not in ministry. Actually encourage it because they will give the network a better perspective on how others see things.
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Recruit people based on "why you meet" and not "what you do".
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Know that you will have some who will not understand and may even be negative towards what you are doing. It's not that you are better, you are just doing it a different way.
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Look for opportunities to celebrate the group and the people in the group.
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Be willing to pay the cost. You will be out another night of the week, rather than if you were meeting at lunch. You will have meetings and connections with others in the group after your normal work hours in order to match their schedules. They will cancel meetings and connecting due to work and life. Even so, understand this: it is worth it to see a bi-vocational leader that has been walking alone discover a place where there are others who are waiting to come alongside and support them in ministry and life. You have the privilege of strengthening the body of Christ in your community in a great way if you are willing to create this type of network.
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PRAYER has to be at the center! It is not the afterthought, but the center of all thoughts and actions in this type of network.
Virgil Lee is the student pastor at Catalyst Church in Bentonville, AR [Yes, the home of Walmart] and serves as one of the leaders of the Revive Youth Network in Northwest Arkansas which has the vision to bring renewed strength & energy to Youth Leaders. He has been a student pastor for over 14 years and enjoys talking about ministry, networking, college football, and coffee. Check out his social media platforms - Facebook - facebook.com/virgil.lee2 | Instagram - instagram.com/pastorvirg | Twitter - twitter.com/pastorvirg