You Can't Improve Without the Debrief
2/21/2008
What a great weekend service – thank You, God! Now, okay, OK, if I take Monday off . . . I have just five days to do it all over again. Sigh.
I don’t know a single youth pastor who hasn’t felt like this.
In fact, it’s Tuesday morning and I feel this way right now. I actually took a day off this week. My daughter’s birthday is tonight and I’m spending some quality time with my family Wednesday afternoon. Which is all fine and dandy, but the weekend service is the Cloverfield beast that just can’t be brought down. It doesn’t sneak up on you; it is an indestructible monster that terrorizes youth pastors night and day.
This is why in our high school ministry we spend some significant time each week debriefing our programs. It’s not just so we can continually get better. It’s also because we’ll never find a good place of balance in our personal lives if we don’t come up for a breath of air sometimes. Youth ministry happens at light speed, and it is critical you spend a few minutes debriefing what was great, what was unnecessary, and how to find the appropriate balance between “the grind” and your family.
With that in mind, here are the four big picture questions we try to ask after each outing. Most are based on some basic principles in chapter seven of Doug Fields’ book, Purpose Driven Youth Ministry.
Involvement—how did we use volunteers this week?
Students and volunteers both are included in this simple question. How did we utilize students in the weekend experience? Were there students on stage? Were there an adequate number of student greeters? Did the volunteers feel part of the weekend process or did they feel like spectators? Did every volunteer feel like their service was appreciated? Did we work together as a team?
Environment—did we center on community/crowd students?
Could a “first time” student easily navigate the night? There’s enough confusion and anxiety in just showing up! Did we use insider language that alienates outsiders? Was the subject we took on something a typical student could connect with? Engagement—was the night fun, and the message understandable?
Was there an element of fun? Did you see students smiling? Could students relate to the teacher and the teaching? Was the message relevant to their lives? Did we have a take away or action step that is applicable to their lives?
Improvement—what ways could we specifically improve next week?
What do we have to change? What do we need to take a risk on and try? What has to change next week to make sure we are the most effective? Do we need to change course or are we on target?
Let’s kill the weekend beast! Spend some time debriefing the weekend so you can be better prepared, more effective, and set the stage for God to do something great in the lives of students.
I don’t know a single youth pastor who hasn’t felt like this.
In fact, it’s Tuesday morning and I feel this way right now. I actually took a day off this week. My daughter’s birthday is tonight and I’m spending some quality time with my family Wednesday afternoon. Which is all fine and dandy, but the weekend service is the Cloverfield beast that just can’t be brought down. It doesn’t sneak up on you; it is an indestructible monster that terrorizes youth pastors night and day.
This is why in our high school ministry we spend some significant time each week debriefing our programs. It’s not just so we can continually get better. It’s also because we’ll never find a good place of balance in our personal lives if we don’t come up for a breath of air sometimes. Youth ministry happens at light speed, and it is critical you spend a few minutes debriefing what was great, what was unnecessary, and how to find the appropriate balance between “the grind” and your family.
With that in mind, here are the four big picture questions we try to ask after each outing. Most are based on some basic principles in chapter seven of Doug Fields’ book, Purpose Driven Youth Ministry.
Involvement—how did we use volunteers this week?
Students and volunteers both are included in this simple question. How did we utilize students in the weekend experience? Were there students on stage? Were there an adequate number of student greeters? Did the volunteers feel part of the weekend process or did they feel like spectators? Did every volunteer feel like their service was appreciated? Did we work together as a team?
Environment—did we center on community/crowd students?
Could a “first time” student easily navigate the night? There’s enough confusion and anxiety in just showing up! Did we use insider language that alienates outsiders? Was the subject we took on something a typical student could connect with? Engagement—was the night fun, and the message understandable?
Was there an element of fun? Did you see students smiling? Could students relate to the teacher and the teaching? Was the message relevant to their lives? Did we have a take away or action step that is applicable to their lives?
Improvement—what ways could we specifically improve next week?
What do we have to change? What do we need to take a risk on and try? What has to change next week to make sure we are the most effective? Do we need to change course or are we on target?
Let’s kill the weekend beast! Spend some time debriefing the weekend so you can be better prepared, more effective, and set the stage for God to do something great in the lives of students.
Conversation
That's a great debrief
That's a great debrief question to ask - I think it hits on the "element of fun" and "understandable message" what can be done to better engage and reach these students. I would look for a fun way to create some energy in the beginning, possibly that you have a fun game or icebreaker up front. Then, you have to focus on the message - by far the most important time of the night. There's some great resources on YM to help you with both instances, actually.
Honestly, I'm most proud because you are at least asking the question. Now, it's time to answer it. You're off to a great start!
JG
HELP! My youth group has
HELP! My youth group has nothing to it! It's empty and just plain out of sorts. My youth leader doesn't see anything wrong with it, but it's all wrong. God is not there, nothing's there. My youth group is just a room full of kids staring at eachother and wondering why they are there.
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