STUDENT MINISTRY: Student Ministry for the Long Haul - Continue to Learn
As I was wrapping up my time at Bible college, I found it difficult to figure out what I needed to do after graduation. Should I immediately begin pastoring or spend some time learning more at a graduate level? I prayed. I spent time in God’s Word. I looked at practical concerns. I then went to talk to one of my favorites, Jack Courtney. Bro. Courtney was serving as the Director of Interstate Missions for the Baptist Missionary Association (BMA) of America, and I valued his heart and desire to see churches planted across North America. He gave me a great piece of advice I have not forgotten even after all these years. When I asked him what I should do next, he said, “It is much easier to chop wood with a sharp axe than a dull one.” I have tried to carry that mentality through the 30+ years of my ministry. That approach has served me well. In addition to serving with students, I have been a lead pastor, a worship pastor, an associate pastor and a minister of church growth. Did I walk out of Central Baptist College ready to attack all those different roles? While I had a great foundation, I had to keep learning to be better prepared for wherever God placed me. Even now, I have continued studying and working on another degree.
If you want to last for the long haul in student ministry or really any ministry role, you need to make continued education a priority. That doesn’t mean that you have to be in school, but you do have to have a curious mind and find ways to expand your knowledge base. Some great sayings remind us of this. My favorite is “Leaders are Learners!” It is absolutely true. If I want to be a leader of students at my church or my family at home, I need to seek to know more. What are some ways that we can do that?
• Read — “Readers are leaders” is another saying that reminds me of the need to continue expanding my knowledge base. We need to read the Word because it is our source of hope. We need to read the classics because truth never changes. We need to read current books and reports to stay ahead of our students. Now, you may not think of yourself as a reader, but it is important. You can listen to audio books, but I still recommend spending some time with the written word. We need to flex those mental muscles and dwell on the truths we find there. If you struggle reading, start small. Spend 10-15 minutes reading a book your lead pastor recommends. If you don’t like his recommendations, contact me at info@StudentMinistryMatters.com, and I can share some books aimed at student ministry.
• Listen to Podcasts — I am a big advocate for listening to ministry-related podcasts. I love listening to Sam Rainer and Josh King of the Rainer on Leadership podcast. Mark Clifton and Mark Hallock are great on the Revitalize and Replant podcast. And there are others. The Healthy Church Podcast with Larry Barker and Drew Cline points us to great concepts about healthy leaders and churches. My favorite podcast is sponsored by Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary of Kansas City, Mo. The For the Church Podcast is hosted by Jared Wilson and Ross Ferguson. They provide sound ministry advice and are funny.
• Consider classes — Once we finish high school or our bachelor’s degrees, we often have a great desire to call it quits. I spent 22 years out of the classroom before I went back. Let me encourage you to consider it. It is now easier than ever to continue your education. Most schools offer some sort of distance learning option now. Zoom classes or completely online, it doesn’t matter now. You can get the same degree as many on campus. I would recommend checking out some options, especially through the BMA Theological Seminary (BMATS) at BMATS.edu.
• Don’t ignore conferences — While conferences can feel like information overload, they can provide you with contacts and reading recommendations. Find a good conference to attend, take good notes and even report back to your pastor or people with some of the things that you learned. A greater sense of accountability can help a few more things stick.
As long as I serve in ministry, I will keep advocating for continuing education. We must keep learning if we want to last a long time in ministry. Join us at Facebook.com/groups/studentministrymatters.com to share your favorite ways to continue the learning process.
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Dan Carson
BMA Youth Department Director Dan Carson writes a weekly column titled, Student Ministry Matters, through which he inspires, challenges, and informs BMA of Arkansas churches and church staff about all things pertaining to student ministry.
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