Leading Your Church To Be Gospel-Centered (As a Youth Pastor)

Question – We compiled several questions about weak leadership teams within the church. Some are about senior/pastor leadership or being too fiscally driven. Some good teams lack vision/focus. How do we speak into teams that lack vision or aren’t Gospel-centered?

Focus on the church’s health.

We’re looking at different situations; I’ve been in the same church 20 years. We’ve had ups and downs. There’s been division. There have been times I’ve not agreed with leadership and their direction. I’ve said, “I’m just going to focus on the youth ministry and making sure we’re strong and we’re going in the right direction.”

The problem is the youth ministry can’t ultimately lead the church. They bring vibrancy and excitement, but ultimately when the students get ahead of the people in the church, it starts creating a division.

The Lord has revealed to me through life experience that the church is His bride, I’m part of the church. If that church isn’t healthy, you’re adding to the unhealthiness when you say, “okay, I’m just going to do everything and ask for forgiveness later.” That’s not the right attitude to have. That’s the wrong heart. Your number one goal needs to be the health of the church.

As a youth leader, I’m not the ultimate shepherd of that church. That person has been put in authority, and I am under that authority in that church. The Lord has put them there and I need to honor the Lord by honoring that person regardless if I agree or not.

Serve the church by honoring your pastor.

The other thing I think about is it’s tough for pastors. It’s tough for leadership because financially it’s a stressful thing. You need money and there are people who are giving a lot. They’re trying to please and make sure we don’t rock the boat. You can get drawn away from listening to the Holy Spirit. It’s a tough battle.

I pray for those in authority and make sure they know that. Any opportunity I get to speak encouragement to them in meetings and even emails to the pastor affirming these things when they speak Truth and affirm the things that I believe is the direction the Lord is leading us, but I do not talk about them behind their backs. It’s unscriptural and satan is using that to create division. If I have issues with them, I’m either going right to them, or I’m not talking about it at all. Listen to the Holy Spirit and follow His lead in regard to taking care of His bride so that we build up. We’re in a season now of rebooting and I’m really excited about where we are right now.

My role is to make sure I ask what’s best for the church? Even if that means I need to go because he’s the boss.

Our mentality has to be what’s best for the church not what’s best for the ministry.

What’s best for the church and how can I align the youth ministry and speak into these students and be encouraging to promote the adults wanting to grow or be a part.

When we do that they’re going to be much more favorable of the church and continue on. It’s healthy but ultimately coming under that authority and trusting the Lord. If it’s something that’s going against scripture you have to make decisions. There was one time back in Kentucky that things weren’t going well and I had to make a call, but the Lord called me to that ministry. I was having a conversation with the pastor and he said “Steve, why don’t you just resign.” I said “Because the Lord told me He wants me here for these students and I’m going to speak Truth in love and out of respect.” I never talked bad about him to those students. It was a hard time, but eventually the Lord worked it out. It was always keeping honor and unity.

“They will know we are Christians by our love,” and that’s got to be the case in the church.

Ask the Lord for vision and purpose.

If it’s a youth minister and you’re a leader, go to the Word and the Lord and bring the vision and the purpose. If you’re not that person go to the leader and ask what the vision is. Always question. Don’t go “I don’t think there’s vision and leadership.”

Instead, ask.

That’s huge. Be humble. Ask can we go there? Do we need help? There’s a lot of youth ministers that just don’t know what to do and they need someone that has ideas and thoughts, but if you go and point the finger and they’ll get on the defensive and you won’t be heard. Do you want to be right or do you want to be heard? Ask how you can be a part of helping, or steer to people that can.

Steve Brooks is a veteran student pastor from Hillside Church in Woodstock, GA, and a long-time ministry partner of Snowbird.