Syler Thomas is a native Texan who has been the student ministries pastor at Christ Church in Lake Forest, Illinois, since 1998. He writes a column for YouthWorker Journal, has had articles published in Leadership Journal and the Chicago Tribune, and is the co-author of two books. Syler and his wife, Heidi, have four kids.
Why does your ministry exist? It’s a vital question, and one that is often answered in a mission or vision statement.
It’s not enough to just recruit leaders to fill a role; they need to be reminded over and over again what the goal of our ministry labor is. It’s to make disciples of students.
If all we’re giving our students is topical sermons, we are teaching them to trust us more than they trust God’s Word.
Early in my youth ministry career, I remember reading an article by a really successful youth pastor claiming that each youth ministry event could have one and only one purpose. So for any given event, a youth leader…
Five minutes before youth group was set to begin, Josh took Victor aside and said he needed to tell him something important. “Hey, this is going to be my last Sunday as a leader,” said Josh. He was…
