If you’ve been leading a student ministry for more than a week, you’ve likely been hit with the sobering reality that if you don’t become a master recruiter, delegator & multiplier, your chances of burn-out will probably triple. You have a job description quite like no other. From week-to-week, you’re faced with not only pulling off fun, engaging, Gospel-centered programming, but also . . . 

• Helping students navigate and celebrate spiritual milestones.
• Onboard, training and appreciating your volunteers.
• Taking the items from the youth center lost & found to Goodwill.
• Encouraging and equipping your parents.
• Creating ministry systems.
• Planning camps, trips & retreats.
• Reaching your community in-person and virtually.
• Designing emails, graphics and promotional materials for events and experiences.
• Building relationships.
• Churchwide tech support.
• Investing in your own spiritual well-being and leadership development.

Why is it that, in the corporate world, there might be five different people who manage the ins and outs of the responsibilities listed above, but in student ministry, these are often yours to juggle alone? How do you prioritize it all? Where do you even begin? And is it too late to back out? (That last question was a joke . . . sort of). 

Well, we’ve got you! Really— we do. The weight of your role is exactly why we’re outfitting an all-access resource library filled with the answers to the ministry questions you ask most.​

What’s An Orange Member?

By now, you may have heard rumblings of Orange Membership and thought to yourself, ‘Haven’t I been an “Orange Member” this whole time?’ Technically, yes! Anyone who believes in the power of the combined influence of the home and the church and does something about it will always be considered a member of our tribe. But we also believe that being an Orange Leader is about so much more than implementing Orange curriculum. It’s also about leading strategically. It’s about being willing to constantly re-think how you innovate around your core values—especially in light of digital ministry. It’s prioritizing relationships over resources. It’s about working smarter, not harder. 

Resources You Say…

With Orange Membership, you get full access to the brand-new Orange Leaders library of practical ministry resources for only $19.99 a month. This is THE subscription if you’d rather customize than create from scratch. If you’re a youth ministry leader, here’s what this could look like practically for you this week:

Monday

Is Sunday coming already?! Edit and email your volunteers using the ready-made volunteer template to prepare them for the next time you gather. Did new folks inquire to serve? Customize and send them the Volunteer Handbook. And if they want to work hand-on with students, personalize the Small Group Leader Onboarding Kit to ensure they’re thoroughly trained and ready to go!

Tuesday

Did you have first-time guests visit on Sunday? Pull from the Family Welcome Kit to ensure you have everything you need to fold your parents into the fabric of your ministry. Be sure they know all about the Parent Cue app using this fancy promo kit so they know how easy it is to stay connected to their students and your ministry. 

Wednesday

Jump on your social media channels to ensure your volunteers are inspired mid-week and your connected parents are reminded that they matter. Use the images from one of our summer social media kits that are already formatted for your ministry’s Facebook groups, Instagram feeds and stories. And try not to fall into a TikTok hole on the way. We believe in you!

Thursday

Touch base with a few key volunteers before Sunday to get feedback on how things are going. Are there tough conversations that they need help navigating? Are there students they would like to specifically reach out to? Meet their needs practically by sending them a conversation guide or a few SGL to Student postcards so they know you’re listening.

Friday

Ask yourself how you’ve invested in your own leadership and faith this week. Take a few minutes to go through our guided devotional on the Beatitudes and then watch a breakout from Orange Conference to get re-energized for Sunday. Because the most important person you lead is you.

Does this sound like it could be a typical week for you? We’ve been there. And that’s why the Orange Leaders team will keep making things for you each month! Practical ministry resources that will help you be both effective AND adaptive—so that you can help leaders and parents win (not to mention a few exclusive members-only perks sprinkled in). And the best thing is that every single one of these resources is FREE with Orange Membership. 

If we’re honest with ourselves, the busyness of ministry has a way of sometimes distracting us from the real reason we stepped into it in the first place: seeing God work in people. Helping students own & mobilize their faith. Praying with parents through grief. Lives changed and relationships restored. But investing in people takes time, effort and so . . . much . . . coffee. 

So let us help you:

limit distractions and be strategic with your time,

stay far away from reinventing the wheel, 

And implement the right resources fast. 

Why? So you can get back to the one thing no else can do for you: relationships.