1) The document provides tips for youth leaders to make the most of their limited time with students. 2) It recommends using time to care about students' spiritual journeys, ask tough questions, and point them to God's Word. 3) Leaders should also look for the good in students and provide encouragement to spur their continued development.

1. M A K E T HE MO S T OF T IME W I T H S T UDE N T S from Doug Fields
FOR STARTERS
How do you spend your time
TRAINING on the GO
Time is precious for the students you work with. Like you, they’re juggling
with students? friends, school, extracurricular activities, sports, family, work, and on and
on. Therefore, it’s vital that you make the most of the time you have with
When you’re with students,
your students. Please don’t feel guilty about what you’re not doing with
what can distract you from students; instead, be concerned about what can happen when you’re with
being fully present? them. Time spent wisely with students leads to stronger relationships, deep
spiritual growth, and authentic Christian community.
IN T HE TRENCHE S I’d like to share three tips for making the most of your time with students:
Use your time to care about their spiritual journey. Help students
Scott is a small-group leader in our understand that their faith is a journey—and a journey is different than a
ministry, and he’s also a father of race. They won’t have instant spiritual maturity and arrive at deep places of
four boys. He is a committed family
faith by the end of the semester. An understanding of this truth can give
man but also very dedicated to his
small group of freshman boys. Scott them hope. You can care about them when you use your time to encourage
spends two hours a week leading his them in their spiritual journey.
small group. He doesn’t have much
When you regularly ask tough questions about their spiritual growth and
additional time to give, so he works
really hard to make those two hours show an interest in their faith, they’ll feel a healthy pressure to prioritize
with his guys really count. their relationship with God. Every week when I’m leading my small group
of students, I ask each student how he or she connected with God since last
Scott spends time during his week
(usually while driving home from week’s small group. Since students know I’m going to ask every time we’re
work) thinking about making the most together, they are a little more intentional about pursuing God.
of his two hours. He is organized,
Use your time to point them to God’s Word. Students are constantly
creative, and dedicated to giving
his full attention to those freshmen searching for life’s answers; the good news is that you can give them more
during their time together. Because than your opinion. As youth leaders, we have the incredible privilege of
Scott makes the most of his time, his pointing students toward the Bible and helping them develop an appetite
students don’t really require much for God’s Word. When you and I are gone from their lives, Scripture will
more from him. They know he’s very remain; so it’s essential we encourage them to read, explore, and discover
intentional with his small-group time
God’s truths.
and is always encouraging them,
asking about their faith, and pointing Use your time to provide encouragement. When you spend time with
them to God’s Word. students, they’re dying to hear words of encouragement. While this may be
How are you like Scott already? more difficult with some students than with others, you need to creatively
How can his example inspire you in find ways to inspire them to become what they can be instead of criticizing
your ministry? them for what they aren’t. You can affirm students in the areas of their faith,
family, character qualities, school achievements, good choices, extracurricular
pursuits, special accomplishments—the list goes on and on. Basically, be
liberal with your praise. When you pour affirmation on students, you spur
them on to continue developing the particular area you’ve encouraged.
YOUTH LEADER TRAINING ON THE GO

2. M A K E T HE MO S T OF T IME W I T H S T UDE N T S
CONNECT to God’s Word T O T HE POINT
• Be strategic in planning what
“O Lord, you have searched me and you know me.
you’ll accomplish in the time
You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive you have with students.
my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out
and my lying down; you are familiar with all my • Share life with students,
ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it challenge their faith, and
direct them to God’s Word.
completely, O Lord.” —Psalm 139:1-4
• Look for the good in students’
lives, and point it out. Be
Take a few minutes to read through the entire
liberal with your praise.
chapter of Psalm 139. Thank God for knowing you
so well and for loving you, despite what you may
try to hide from him. Ask him to tell you what he TRY I T
specifically likes about you. Confess to God what you
Depending on the time you have,
have tried to hide from him.
try one of these suggestions for
making the most of every minute.
Write a response and prayer to God here… If you have
you can
an extra
5 minutes a write an encouraging note to one student.
week
30 minutes phone a few students for a “Just because I
a week was thinking about you” call. Try to pursue
one significant conversation.
1 hour a attend a game or event in which one of
week your student is a participant. Make notes
about the student’s behavior, performance,
friends, involvement, and so on. Then turn
what you observed into an affirmation.
Example: “I love meeting your friends; I can
tell by their character that you’ve done a
good job of picking friends.”
2 hours a hang out with a student. Take him or her
week to lunch or coffee, and after a few minutes
of catching up, ask how you can help him
or her grow spiritually (and then be sure to
follow through!).
3 hours a find and adapt a creative Bible study for
week the students you work with. Think through
the needs of your students, and plan for
something interactive, fun, and challenging.
MA K E IT PER SONAL
Permission to photocopy this handout granted for local church use. Copyright © Doug Fields. Published in Youth Leader Training on the Go
by Group Publishing, Inc., P.O. Box 481, Loveland, CO 80539. www.youthministry.com and www.simplyyouthministry.com