The 3 Groups Every Next Gen Leader Leads

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

Recently, I was having a conversation with a new pastor and he was excitedly talking about all things he was planning to do with his kids. I asked him how he was planning to let parents know, and he said he was trusting the kids.

Rookie mistake.

If you work in nextgen/family ministry, understand that you lead more than just your kids and students. It’s easy to fall into this trap because for most of us that’s why we got into this gig in the first place. However, being pastor is far more complex than leading a service on a Sunday morning or Wednesday night. Now with COVID it’s 10x worse, but that’s another post.

Whether you’re leading online, in-person, or some combination in between you have to balance leading 3 different groups of people.

1. The Kids/Students. 

 This one is obvious. It’s why we most of us got into ministry in the first place. They are and should be our top priority in all of our strategic decisions. However, you’re headed for a world of hurt if they become your sole focus week in and week out.

2. The Parents. 

The hurt above comes from the parents. They want to be informed. They care about their kids more than you ever will and want to know how they’re doing. Also, the younger your kids are the more you have to rely on parents to bring your kids to stuff. Even bus ministries are trying to lead those parents in some way even thought those parents may never darken your doors or watch a service online.

Since the pandemic, leading parents has become all the more important. They are the gate keepers. They are the primary spiritual developer of the kids in your ministry. Our job as ministry leaders is to equip parents. I have tried for years to “partner with parents,” but I don’t think I knew what that really meant until quarantine. Without the parents most of our work is wasted.

3. The Volunteers. 

Even the pastors of the smallest of churches can’t do it alone. What happens if you get sick? Or want to take a vacation? You need people to serve along side of you. Even the Lone Ranger had Tonto. Even Batman has Alfred. Volunteers make it all work. You can’t be in two places at once. (I know, I tried.) Volunteers come along side you and help you lead. When I first started, I had volunteers work with me every single Sunday every single service. I thought they would be ok, because that’s what I did. However, I learned after a few years, the pace is unsustainable and limits my recruiting opportunities. It wasn’t until I allowed people to work once or twice a month that my volunteer base started to grow, and I could focus on what only I could do and give away the rest.

In all of your decisions, you have to consider all 3 of these groups. Each has their own wants, needs, and concerns, and you have to be ready to address them all. Don’t make the mistake the new pastor made at the beginning of this post. Think about all three groups and how you can best serve them.