10 Tips for Faithful Student Ministry in the New Year

By / Dec 28

Over the past several months I’ve had the opportunity to reflect on my Student Ministry as I plan for the next year. It is easy to lose sight of what is important in your planning and program to impress instead of disciple. Here are some somewhat random but important tips and priorities for you as a Student Pastor and your student ministry in the coming year.

1. Do Less, but Do it BetterOverprogramming is a killer for many student ministries. When things get hard or we want to see growth we just assume more must be better. In reality overprogramming will kill family discipleship (families are already busy) and burn you out. Don’t overschedule the rest of your church. Free students to be involved in other aspects of church life. Find the things you really want and need to do and do them excellently.

2. Involve ParentsParents are great. Find ways to get the involved as volunteers and leaders. If parents are the key disciplers of students we want to create opportunities for parents to invest more deeply in their students, not take away opportunities from parents. If not as volunteers, find ways to hang out with parents, talk to them, communicate with them, and equip them.

3. Don’t Hound Students about Lack of AttendanceYes, attendance matters. Yes, you’re unfairly judged based off of attendance. Yes “what are you running on Wednesdays” is the first question you’re always asked. Often, the lack of attendance is more on the parent than the student. Also, their lack of attendance does not mean you cannot still let them know you care.

4. Do More Lunches and Coffees and Less Big EventsA regular, intentional lunch meeting with a student(s) will do more for their faith than another game night ever will. This doesn’t mean to cancel the game night, but if fun events take up more of your bandwidth than your people you’re missing your best ministry. Budget to be with students and leaders.

5. If You Play Games, Do Something Everyone Can EnjoyMany student ministries have a regular gametime and it becomes one of the most polarizing things they do every week. Students either feel like champions because they always win and are popular or left out because it isn’t something they’re good at. If you have games, make sure they build community not break it down.

6. Plan to Preach WellStudent ministry is busy, fast, and stressful. Make sure you plan time to focus on what matters most—getting the gospel in the lives of students. Let your prep time for your sermons be of paramount importance in your schedule. Discussions, games, etc are great—but God does something special in preaching. Get good at it and prioritize it.

7.Invest in Your Young StudentsIt is a temptation to spend all of your time with the mature older students who are doing well. But make sure you’re investing in your middle schoolers. You cannot just cast the vision to your students one time, but must continually do so to each new group.

8.Take Advantage of Pulpit TimeWhen you get to preach on Sunday morning (or even when you do announcements) take it seriously. You can gain or lose more credibility here than anywhere else. Be clear, give the gospel, be presentable, and take it seriously. Student Pastors should be pastors before they are the adjective that modifies it in the title.

9.Make Hospital VisitsIf you’re a pastor, make sure to visit your people in the hospital if you can. This is one way you can actively be a pastor to your whole congregation. Learn to talk with people, pray with them, and be available. Take a student, intern, or another pastor with you and you can doubly bless the person you visit and yourself.

10.Get EquippedStudent Ministry is serious ministry. We are on the front lines of every cultural shift. We preach to conflicted hearts. We pastor people in their most formative years. Don’t shortchange your people—get equipped. Go to seminary if you haven’t. If you can’t afford it ask your church to help. Find a mentor. Get involved in a cohort. Read good books. We cannot stand to be un-equipped in our faith while trying to equip students.



Seminary Is Not For You

By / Dec 28

Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 2:4-5

Little children, keep yourselves from idols. – 1 John 5:21

This August, I began my third year of seminary. So many things about my life have changed since endeavoring to complete a theological master’s degree over two years ago. The last two years of my life pursuing seminary have been the most sanctifying yet. God has made me a weaker Christian, or at least I now recognize how weak I am more than I did two years ago; and gladly so. The Christian life is about increasing in weakness so that we might know that any strength we have is a gift from God. 

In other ways, so many things about my life are still the same. In the classroom and the online discussion forum, I struggle to put to death my desire to prove myself over and above my male peers because of my gender, to remember that the Holy Scriptures are God’s gift to His people to be thoughtfully cherished, not a collection of texts to be academically conquered. Even now as I immerse myself in year three of my theological education as a weaker, more sober Christian, I find myself asking the questions I realize I should have been asking a long time ago. Why am I really here? Who am I even doing this for? Brothers and sisters in seminary, I invite you to consider these questions alongside me. Should our answer be anything except, “for the church of God, which he obtained with His own blood,” then we have missed everything (Acts 20:28). 

Pursuing a theological education is no small task. It requires our time, demands our financial resources, consumes our mental and emotional energy, and commands a growing realization of how little we truly know. Yet, I know that I am guilty of relishing thoughts of my own perceived intellectual superiority, forgetting far too often that the theological education I am receiving is not mine by right, but as a gift. It is just as much about shaping my affections as it is about equipping my mind. Theological education should cause in us a desire to submit ourselves to God as those approved, workers who have no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15). Even still, we too often plaster 2 Timothy 2:15 on the walls of our classrooms and common spaces and fail to write it on our hearts, bind it as a sign on our hands, let it be as a frontlet between our eyes (Deuteronomy 6:6, 8).

Are we really submitting ourselves to God when we seek to conquer our brother or sister in the discussion post forum over a tertiary theological issue? Do we truly find ourselves as workers who have no need to be ashamed when we fail to be doers of the same divine word we hear each week in our Old and New Testament survey classes? Are we really rightly handling the word of truth when we treat the Bible as a collection of proof texts for the sake of winning the ever-evolving culture war arguments in the Twitter comment thread? 

While claiming to fulfill Paul’s command in 2 Timothy 2:15, we have neglected all the other commands that come with it: to not quarrel about words, to avoid irreverent babble, to be vessels for honorable use, to flee youthful passions, to pursue righteousness, to not be quarrelsome, to be kind, to able to teach, to patiently endure evil, to correct our opponents with gentleness (2 Timothy 2:14, 16, 22-25). When did God’s people let the gift of theological education become such an idol? How have we become a people bereft of wisdom and gentleness, quick to speak and to anger while being so slow to hear? When we make theological education an idol – when we make it about ourselves and pursue it for our own interests – we become like the man who looks at himself in the mirror, goes away, and immediately forgets what he looks like. The church does not need mere hearers of the word; she needs doers of the word (James 1:22-25). 

Brothers and sisters, our theological education is not for us; it is for the local church. She needs our integrity just as much as she needs our theological aptitude. She needs men and women set on pursuing the deep things of God for her interests and the glory of the Triune God over and above their own interests (Philippians 2:4). Is this not what 2 Timothy 2 is really about? Is this not what it means to have the mind of Christ? (Philippians 2:5)

So as we engage in the deep work of theological education, let us remember the church. Lifelong service to her and for her is why you and I are really here. With the hearts and souls of God’s people on the line, the stakes are far too high for us to forget her.



Clint Pressley On Leading Big Change

By / Dec 1

FTC.co asks Clint Pressley, lead pastor of Hickory Grove Baptist Church in Charlotte, NC, “How do you lead big change in a church without blowing it up?”



Finding Important What Jesus Finds Important

By / Dec 1

What’s important to Jesus?

This is the question I asked recently at a men’s breakfast in my church. The men willingly offered a variety of solid biblical answers: the church, love, truth, individual Christians, evangelism, prayer, outcasts, and a host of other answers.

In the days leading up to this event I had been reading through Matthew’s Gospel in my personal daily readings. As I did so, I was struck by two things that appear important to Jesus in Matthew 22–23. It seems to me, from these chapters that it is important to Jesus to know the Scriptures and live with integrity.

Know the Scriptures

In Matthew 22:23–33 we have recorded for us the discussion between Jesus and the Sadducees concerning the resurrection. The Sadducees—a Jewish religious group—did not believe in the resurrection and so they concoct a ludicrous scenario in which one woman is married to seven brothers, one after another as each passes away. “In the resurrection,” they ask, “whose wife will she be?” (v. 28). Jesus responds by telling them they are “wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God” (v. 29). Jesus takes issue with them because they do not know the Scriptures.

There are two aspects to Jesus’s answer. First, the Sadducees do not know the Scriptures. Second, they do not know the power of God. These two aspects are interrelated, however. Consider Paul’s declaration in Romans: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation” (1:16). Scripture and power are closely related—one cannot fully be experienced without the other.

Evidently Jesus sees knowing the Scriptures as important. But knowledge is not the only thing Jesus considers important.

Live with Integrity

In Matthew 23 Jesus turns his attention to a couple of other Jewish religious groups: the Pharisees and Scribes. Here Jesus delivers what could be considered the anti-beatitudes as he pronounces seven woes. While the beatitudes are declarations of divine favor, these woes are prophetic pronouncements of judgement.

Jesus’s primary criticism of these two groups is that they do not practice what they preach (23:3). In fact, six times he labels them hypocrites in these seven woes (vv. 13, 15, 23, 25, 27, 29). The Pharisees and Scribes are two-faced, pretenders, demanding more of their hearers than they expect of themselves. In short, their life didn’t match their doctrine.

It is clearly important to Jesus that people live with integrity. Belief must match behavior; doctrine should align with deeds.

Compassionately Demanded

According to what Matthew has recorded in his Gospel, Jesus sees at least two things as important: knowing the Scriptures and living with integrity. More, he not only sees them as important but demands them of his followers. After all, what is recorded in Scripture is there for our benefit (cf. Rom. 4:23–24). If we are to find important what Jesus finds important we must know the Scriptures and live with integrity.

Jesus doesn’t demand these things from us like a stern teacher, beckoning us towards him with a single finger. Rather, Jesus is more like a caring friend who places his arm around our shoulder and encourages us onwards by pointing the way. Knowing the Scriptures and living with integrity is compassionately demanded of us by our Savior. But this makes them no less urgent and important—it makes them more so, because they are two important ways in which we evidence the change that Jesus has brought about in our lives.

May we, with the encouragement of Christ, ever grow in knowing the Scriptures and living with integrity. Let us find important what Jesus finds important.



Day 28 – Conviction in Age of Uncertainty

By / Oct 28

”He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.”
– Titus 1:9

Day 28 – Conviction in Age of Uncertainty

In their roles, pastors are often tasked with overseeing and expected to exemplify the truths of Scripture to their church through their preaching, teaching, shepherding, and personal testimony. In a society opposed to truth, clarity, and conviction, pastors face the daunting task of holding fast to the truths laid out in Scripture. As we move towards the end of Pastor Appreciation Month, let us take the time to pray for pastors in the days ahead. As the cultural continues to move in every direction, the church will be tasked with staying centered on the sound doctrine and truth it proclaims.

Let’s pray for pastors that they may lead with conviction and in the following ways:

  • Lead with conviction and clarity in confusing days ahead
  • Hold steadfast to the truth of Scripture
  • Ability to kindly and truthfully articulate the Gospel and its implications

Prayer Prompt

Lord, I pray that my pastor (for a church member)/ I (as a pastor) may trust your word with all their heart and lean not on their own understanding in a society already seeking to do so. Give them conviction and clarity in their role as shepherd of your church. May they hold fast to and have confidence in your plan for the church and their part in your redemptive story…

*These prayers are a part of our series of prayers for pastors during Pastor Appreciation Month. A new prayer will release every morning throughout the month for pastors and their members to reflect on and pray.



Day 27 – Pastoral Family

By / Oct 27

”3:1 The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. 2 Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife… He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church?”
– 1 Timothy 3:1-2,4-5

Day 26 – Pastoral Family

There are a lot of pressures placed on the pastor’s wife and his children. While the wife may have partnered together with her husband to pursue a life of serving the church, there still can be a number of struggles for her in that calling. Same can be said for pastor’s kids.

Barnabas Piper in his book The Pastor’s Kid wrote “The life of a PK is complex, occasionally messy, often frustrating, and sometimes downright maddening. It can be a curse and a bane. But being a PK can also be a profound blessing and provide wonderful grounding for a godly life.”

He’s exactly right for children and even a pastor’s wife. As we consider praying for our pastors, let’s pray for his family too in some of these ways:

  • Trust in the Lord as they participate in the calling the Lord has given husband/father
  • Recognition of the blessing of being in and around the work of the Lord in and through His church
  • Endurance and hope in the seasons of hardship and uncertainty

Prayer Prompt

Lord, I pray that my pastor (for a church member)/ I (as a pastor) his wife and family will not grow weary in the calling you’ve given him. As a pastor’s family, may they experience your grace and mercy in seasons of uncertainty, stress, and hardship. Let their be a recognition of your blessings in this calling and a community of believers who give grace…

*These prayers are a part of our series of prayers for pastors during Pastor Appreciation Month. A new prayer will release every morning throughout the month for pastors and their members to reflect on and pray.



Day 26 – Provision in Times of Need

By / Oct 26

”And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. As it is written,
‘He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.’”
– 2 Corinthians 9:8-9

Day 26 – Provision in Times of Need

From physical needs to spiritual needs, we can often forget that pastors and their families also go through times of need. As we continue to pray for our pastors and display appreciation for them, let’s consider how we can encourage them in times of need, whether that be physical, emotional, or spiritual support.

Here are a few ways to pray for your pastor:

  • Belief in the promises of scripture that the Lord provides for His children
  • Trust that the Lord is good in times of need
  • Willingness to vocalize times when they are in these seasons

Prayer Prompt

Lord, I pray that my pastor (for a church member)/ I (as a pastor) will trust in You to provide in times of need for him and his family. Give him the confidence in your goodness and promises to provide and a willingness to display vulnerablitity when necessary…

*These prayers are a part of our series of prayers for pastors during Pastor Appreciation Month. A new prayer will release every morning throughout the month for pastors and their members to reflect on and pray.



Day 25 – Witness to the World

By / Oct 25

”But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
– Acts 1:8

Day 25 – Witness to the World

Many pastors these days have a presence that expands beyond their local community. That might be on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, through a blog site, or in their connections with other ministry and business leaders. In and through any of those ways, pastors, just like all believers, should live a life that reflects Christ in all areas of life including in more broad platforms and opportunities beyond just their local communities.

As we continue praying for pastors, let’s pray for their witness to the local community. Here are a few ways to pray for him:

  • Being salt and light on online platforms like social media
  • Living that reflects Christ and highlights Christ’s global commission
  • Willingness to engage lostness in their community and beyond

Prayer Prompt

Lord, I pray that my pastor (for a church member)/ I (as a pastor) will reflect Christ as he engages the world through social media, travel, etc. Give him opportunities to share the Gospel, reflect how you’ve transformed him through the cross, and allow the witness of the church to be one that a globa and missional…

*These prayers are a part of our series of prayers for pastors during Pastor Appreciation Month. A new prayer will release every morning throughout the month for pastors and their members to reflect on and pray.



Day 22 – Unity in the Church

By / Oct 22

”I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.”
– 1 Corinthians 1:10

Day 22 – Unity in the Church

The world is a divided place in nearly every sphere of life. One of the ways the church can be a city on a hill is by its unifying spirit. That’s not to say there aren’t disagreements or hard decisions, but that the demeanor of the pastors and congregation seek unity and peace. Pastors play a significant role in exemplifying and leading their church towards unity.

As you pray for your pastor today, consider praying for him in these ways:

  • Personal spirit of unity
  • For a life of the fruits of the spirit
  • A church that desires unity and peace among one another
  • Ability to see the Gospel above all and pursue it above preferences

Prayer Prompt

Lord, I pray that my pastor (for a church member)/ I (as a pastor) will display a spirit of unity, peace, and love as he leads Your church. May he lead graciously in seasons of disagreement or indecision. Give him a people who desire unity and a love for the Gospel above all…

*These prayers are a part of our series of prayers for pastors during Pastor Appreciation Month. A new prayer will release every morning throughout the month for pastors and their members to reflect on and pray.



He Shall Show It

By / Oct 22

“He shall take of mine, and shall show it unto you.”
John 16:15

There are times when all the promises and doctrines of the Bible are of no avail, unless a gracious hand shall apply them to us. We are thirsty, but too faint to crawl to the water-brook. When a soldier is wounded in battle it is of little use for him to know that there are those at the hospital who can bind up his wounds, and medicines there to ease all the pains which he now suffers: what he needs is to be carried thither, and to have the remedies applied. It is thus with our souls, and to meet this need there is one, even the Spirit of truth, who takes of the things of Jesus, and applies them to us. Think not that Christ hath placed his joys on heavenly shelves that we may climb up to them for ourselves, but he draws near, and sheds his peace abroad in our hearts. O Christian, if thou art tonight labouring under deep distresses, thy Father does not give thee promises and then leave thee to draw them up from the Word like buckets from a well, but the promises he has written in the Word he will write anew on your heart. He will manifest his love to you, and by his blessed Spirit, dispel your cares and troubles. Be it known unto thee, O mourner, that it is God’s prerogative to wipe every tear from the eye of his people. The good Samaritan did not say, “Here is the wine, and here is the oil for you;” he actually poured in the oil and the wine. So Jesus not only gives you the sweet wine of the promise, but holds the golden chalice to your lips, and pours the life-blood into your mouth. The poor, sick, way-worn pilgrim is not merely strengthened to walk, but he is borne on eagles’ wings. Glorious gospel! which provides everything for the helpless, which draws nigh to us when we cannot reach after it–brings us grace before we seek for grace! Here is as much glory in the giving as in the gift. Happy people who have the Holy Ghost to bring Jesus to them.