Student Ministry

Training

Joining the student ministry team at church? Complete this series with a group or mentor for a hands-on training experience.

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What's the Purpose?

Key Points:
  • The goal of youth ministry is helping students become “full circle” followers of Jesus.
  • The center of youth ministry is the student group. Supporting that end are large groups, retreats, events, etc.
  • A student group is two or more students talking through topics from www.pursueGOD.orgor www.FLEXTALK.org.
  • Launching student groups is simple: adult leaders lead student leaders, student leaders lead students, and eventually those students become the student leaders. 

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  1. Initial reactions?
  2. Did you attend youth group as a student? If so, what was your youth group like?
  3. Consider a “full circle” Christian. Where do most of your students stand right now on that circle?
  4. What is at the center of your youth ministry right now? What are some of the activities on the “fringe”? 
  5. In your own words, describe a “student group”. How is it different from a traditional small group or Bible study?
  6. If you were to launch a student group today, who would be in it? How long do you think it would take for them to launch their own student group?
  7. Is there a step you need to take based on today’s topic?
Are You Qualified?

Key Questions:

Talk About It
  1. Initial reactions?
  2. What’s the difference between a fan of Jesus and a follower of Jesus?
  3. Read Matthew 22:37-38. How well do you do at following this command? Explain your answer.
  4. Is there any unrepentant sin in your life that would disqualify you from being a student leader? If so, talk about it with your mentor. (It’s always better to deal with in the present than to wait for the future).
  5. Why do you want to be a student group leader? Be honest with your answer.
  6. Is there a step you need to take based on today’s topic?
Student Groups

Key Steps:

  1. Invite students into a fun group. Ephesians 4:11-15
  2. Invest in them one topic at a time, using the FLEX method and one of our sites:
    1. www.pursueGOD.org
    2. www.pursueGODkids.org
    3. www.FLEXTALK.org
  3. Empower them to go do the same thing. 2 Timothy 2:2
Talk About It
  1. What’s your initial reaction to this topic?
  2. In your own words, describe the method of disciple-making at pursueGOD.org.
  3. On a scale of 1-10, how much do you care to “invest” in others? Why do you rate yourself this way? What would need to happen for you to rate yourself higher?
  4. What are some challenges you’ve faced in working at becoming a disciple-maker? What is a practical step toward overcoming this challenge?
  5. What would happen to the Christian Church if the present generation simply chose not to mentor/disciple other people?
  6. Start working on your mentoring “hit list.” Who is one person you could add to your list today?
  7. Is there a step you need to take based on today’s topic?
More Student Training
What Jesus Envisioned

Key Points:

  • Jesus envisioned a church full of disciple-makers. Matthew 28:19-20
  • Disciple-makers have a heart for people outside the church.
  • In a disciple-making church, the leaders are strategic about equipping people to minister. Ephesians 4:11-12
Talk About It
  1. What’s your initial reaction to this topic? What jumped out at you?
  2. Read Matthew 28:19-20. How do you think Jesus would respond to how most churches define “discipleship” today?
  3. How many people in your church are actively investing in people inside your church? How many are actively investing in people outside of your church?
  4. What is your strategy for making disciples right now? Have you personally used the strategy recently? How many others have used it?
  5. Is there a step you need to take based on today’s topic?
Defining Discipleship

Key Points:

  • In a culture of discipleship it’s the norm – not the exception – for people to be making disciples. Ephesians 4:12-13
  • A “disciple” is someone who goes “full circle” to trust Jesus, honor God, and make disciples.
  • “Disciple-making” happens through a series of conversations, and that’s what our tools empower you to do. Ephesians 4:15
Talk About It
  1. What’s your initial reaction to this topic?
  2. What kind of culture does your church have right now? What about your specific ministry at church? Make a list of descriptive words or phrases.
  3. Have you ever seen a discipleship culture at work in a church or ministry? If so, describe it.
  4. “A small group is just one important part of the broader discipleship structure in your church.” Explain this statement. Do you agree?
  5. Do you think it’s worth the effort to create a discipleship culture in your church? Explain.
  6. Is there a step you need to take based on today’s topic?
The Environments

Key Points:

  • Disciple-making happens in four main environments at church: the family, the small group, the ministry team, and one-on-one.
  • Equip your parents to disciple their kids at home. Deuteronomy 6:6-7
  • Leverage your small groups for disciple-making.
  • Leverage your ministry teams for disciple-making.
  • Every believer in your church can go make disciples. Matthew 28:19-20

Talk About It

  1. What’s your initial reaction to this topic?
  2. Why don’t many parents view themselves as pastors in the home? What have you tried to do in the past to encourage discipleship at home?
  3. Read Exodus 18:14-18. Pick out the words or phrases that describe the challenges of leading a growing organization. Why do you think Moses tried to do all of the work by himself?
  4. In what ways can small group leaders “pastor” their group? What are some of their limitations?
  5. What comes to mind when you think of the word “mentor”? Describe a mentoring relationship that you’ve experienced.
  6. List a few issues that would be more helpful to talk about with a mentor than with a small group.
  7. How would a handful of trustworthy marriage mentors impact your church? How would it impact your personal ministry schedule? Answer these questions for other areas of ministry in your church.
  8. Read 2 Timothy 2:2. Paul was prescribing a replicating mentoring ministry. Do you have one in your church? Do you want one? Why or why not?
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Training FAQ

Q. How does ministry training work?

Training tracks are designed to help you go “full circle” with a group or mentor over the course of 6 or more weeks. Just cover a topic every week with a group or mentor, watching the video ahead of time to prepare for the conversation. Connect in person or on the phone and use the discussion questions provided to learn together. The goal is to help you pursue God “full circle”, which is our picture of discipleship:

Q. What is the structure of a training track?

Training tracks are divided into two sections. First you’ll cover training topics specific to your area of ministry. Feel free to cover additional topics as needed. Then you’ll cover “big picture” topics to learn about how your specific ministry fits in to the overall picture of discipleship at your church.

Q. What if we need more than 6 weeks?

Then take more time! We recommend covering additional topics at the end of any section as needed for your own pursuit of God. 

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