MULTIPLY LEADERS FOR THE CAMPUS

 

Friday had come and gone . . . I was overwhelmed! In addition to my regular work week, I still had meetings to lead and students to see. My promised time to get together with several new Christians who seriously needed follow-up had run out. And my family time was in a deficit. I complained to the Lord about my dilemma—how all of the needs, opportunities, and responsibilities He had given me were overwhelming me, and how my time and energy to handle them had reached an all-time low.

 

Contrast my dilemma with Jesus who also faced overwhelming needs and opportunities, yet He never seemed anxious about them. As Jesus went through all the towns and villages teaching, preaching and healing with His huge heart of compassion, He confirmed to His disciples that He could not do it all! In fact, He completely turned the situation back to them when He told them to pray about their role in dealing with the immensity of the task. He said:

 

“The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few,

 therefore, pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest

to send out laborers into his harvest.” (Matthew 9:38).

 

In essence, Jesus told them: We need more workers . . . and you are part of the answer to that prayer!

 

In my little world, I had fallen into the trap of thinking everything was on my shoulders. In addition to an attitude adjustment about my dilemma, I needed a vision adjustment as well. Jesus’ view of ministry was much bigger and better than mine. Taking that vision adjustment seriously led me to make three practical paradigm shifts.

 

First, I needed to train laborers to go into the “harvest field” with me. The demand of leading a youth ministry AND trying to reach a campus were way too much for one person. I needed a team of many “laborers!” So, then I asked myself—and maybe you need to ask yourself—“How can I multiply myself in the lives of others?”

 

Second, I realized that instead of reducing my vision and ministry, I needed to enlarge it. That seemed rather counter-intuitive to my earlier frustration: Yet what I saw in Jesus—one individual—was that “Jesus went through all of the towns and villages” with a vision for each one (Matthew 9:35). And “When He saw the crowds—harassed and helpless like sheep without a shepherd”—instead of being disheartened, He saw in His heart that they were “ripe for harvest” (Matthew 9:36; John 4:35).

 

My vision had been limited to one campus. But Jesus saw ALL of the people then, and He sees ALL of the students on ALL of the campuses around the world now. And He wants us to open our eyes to see what He sees—the potential of reaching EVERY student on EVERY campus! And in some large or small way using us!

 

When I considered the question of how to establish a viable ministry on every campus in my part of the city, I began to imagine campus teams—adults and students working together to reach the schools in our area—and with that vision I experienced a burst of enthusiasm!

 

The third paradigm shift occurred when I focused on Jesus’ description of His ministry in Luke 4:18-19. He came “to proclaim good news to the poor, declare freedom for captives, give sight to the blind, and set the oppressed free.” But He didn’t stop there—thinking He would do it all by Himself—even as the Son of God. His vision was to equip His disciples to do what He had done. Even before His Resurrection, He gave them a few practice-runs. And then after His Resurrection, He sent them out fully equipped, full of the Holy Spirit—to do exactly as He had done . . . they preached the good news, healed the sick, and delivered people from demonic oppression (Mark 6:12-13).

 

The clincher for me: Jesus’ phenomenal promise that He gave His disciples in John 14:12-13. And that promise applies to all youth leaders and students everywhere! He told them:

 

“...anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.”

 

“Anyone” includes me—and you—and everyone we train for ministry. The same Jesus who accomplished all of those amazing works during His earthly ministry lives in us through His Holy Spirit to carry out His ministry vision. His promise: He would not only do His work then, but now. And He would not only do His work through me to do that, but also, He would work through my team and the students in our group. We have the same ministry Jesus had! Knowing this certainly expands our ministry vision and assures us of His capacity to accomplish it!

 

Dealing with a generation that is more anxious, more mentally and emotionally distressed than ever, the desperate need exists to reach students with the good news of Jesus. As youth leaders we desperately need the kind of ministry that Jesus challenged us to engage in: “preaching, teaching and healing.” Every young person needs to know the good news that they can enter into a relationship with Jesus (“preaching”). Every one of them needs to learn and apply what Jesus said in the Gospels and New Testament (“teaching”), and many or most need mental, emotional and spiritual healing from the deep wounds inflicted on them that will free them from the oppression of addictions and life-destroying habits (“healing”). And, certainly, the only way for them to come in contact with that ministry is for Jesus-filled youth leaders to equip multiplied thousands of skilled laborers for the harvest!

 

So, what do we do? Where do we start? Jesus gave us a practical pattern for training laborers in the way He trained His disciples: model, motivate, mobilize, and multiply.

 

Model: I Do It

Jesus never asked His disciples to do something He did not do Himself first. He knew His disciples needed to see ministry done by Him if they were ever going to do it themselves. Knowing this, He put a high priority on setting the example. How grateful I am that someone modeled how Jesus did ministry to me! Getting involved in Young Life in college, going on the campus with experienced leaders who were already going there, that was what I needed to get started. A year later, after I had learned the basics of campus ministry, I had my own campus. THEY DID IT!

 

Later, playing basketball with Athletes in Action, I was on one or two campuses every week for months. When not practicing or playing basketball, we met and talked to athletic teams, fraternities and sororities, and other venues, and ate lunch with students in the cafeteria—all for the purpose of interacting with students so we could share the Gospel with them. What I experienced and learned by going on the campus then—to “preach” (speak the Gospel), to “teach (disciple those who responded to the Gospel), and “heal” (pray over spiritual, emotional and physical issues)—I have continued to put into practice for years. I DID IT!

 

YOU CAN DO IT TOO!

 

Motivate: I Do It, and They Are with Me

Doing ministry alone rarely works as a good strategy! I tried that . . . and it failed. I quickly realized the importance of bringing others into the process—just as Jesus did. For His disciples, those three years with Jesus was a tumultuous learning experience. One example: When 5,000 or more people showed up in a remote place to hear Jesus, they got hungry. With nothing to give them but a few loaves and fishes, the disciples saw it as a hopeless situation. Yet Jesus saw it as a learning experience for His disciples. They watched as He took the opportunity to depend on His Father and watch Him work. To the disciples’ astonishment, they not only got to see food multiply and feed everyone, but beyond that they saw that the Father, through Jesus, provided so much more than they needed (Mark 6:35-44). 

 

Certainly, in their amazement Jesus’ disciples realized that they were not Jesus, and that feeding 5,000 people went way beyond their pay grade. Yet they gained great confidence just in being there, watching Jesus, and then participating with Jesus in this miracle. That’s essentially what happens when we raise up leaders. Though feeding 5,000 is beyond our pay grade, yet as our leaders and students watch us, they begin to move from watching to doing. They see, then they do . . . because they are “with me!” 

 

Practically—for all of us who are not Jesus (that means me—and you), I/we need to take our upcoming leaders through an informal training process. Invite them into your Leadership Team. With a few other new leaders, take them through Building Leaders: A Personal Walk with Jesus Christ and then keep going through the other two Building Leaders books. (See Resources below.) They will learn as they get exposed to various facets of the ministry—first as observers, then assisting, and then with greater responsibility. MOST IMPORTANT: get them involved in relationships with students. Assign them 3-5 students to get to know and then have them invite those students into a small group, taking them through Jesus: No Equal or Following Jesus. Check in with them often, debriefing often—until, over time, you and they have confidence for them to take total responsibility for various aspects of the ministry. Honest evaluation along the way is always appropriate, along with huge dose of affirmation and encouragement.

 

When you let people see how God works and let them in on the action, they become highly motivated! 

 

Mobilize: They Do It, and I Am with Them

After Jesus demonstrated for the disciples what to do and let them do it with Him, He let the rope out even more. He sent them out on their own—as a team, with His power and authority to do what He had been doing (Luke 9:1-2)!

 

When we mobilize people as Jesus did, they will respond with enthusiasm. I remember one youth leader named Anton, who worked with us for a long time. He went through the process above with me and our other leaders. At one point we sent him out on his own to see what would happen. He came back completely energized because a young man, in whom he had invested months of time, decided to accept Christ. His confidence soared, and conversations turned from basic questions to big dreams. Anton eventually started a ministry for at-risk youth.

 

To mobilize people to do ministry on their own, don’t be afraid to stretch them, give them specific responsibilities with all the support they need to fulfill them, and meet with them regularly for ongoing encouragement and equipping. 

 

Multiply: They Do It, and I Am in the Background to Encourage

After His resurrection, Jesus told His followers they would receive His Spirit and the power to be His witnesses (Acts 1:8). Those Spirit-filled people scattered over the face of the earth, doing exactly what Jesus had done and what He had trained them to do—preaching, teaching and healing. Of course, Jesus was not physically present. They operated in and by the Spirit.

 

God’s movement has multiplied across the face of the earth since then. We have the amazing opportunity and privilege to participate in this movement of doing what Jesus did, and along the way raise up other leaders who will go far and wide beyond what we have done! And our influence will be greater than we ever imagined it would be!

 

Practical Action Steps to Multiply

Multiplying ministry speeds God’s process along. And you can speed your multiplication process by having your own plan and implementing it toward multiplication! These practical actions will give you a roadmap to follow.

 

1. Train your leaders. Often the best people to involve in campus ministry are college students who can give time to building relationships with students. Consider using the three Building Leaders for Jesus-Focused Youth Ministry books to equip them. [See Resources.] These books will guide you through the four steps above.

 

2. Claim your campuses. Make a list of the middle and high school campuses in your area, pray over them, and ask God where He wants you to send the people you train. Use this Campus Mapping tool in Resources for a specific strategy and plan to map the campuses around you.

 

3. Choose which campus(es) to focus on next and adopt that school. Use this link to discover how to Adopt Your School. Only go when you have an equipped and called team.

 

4. Assign a team to that campus. As more teams receive training and build more relationships with students, assign them to other campuses.

 

5. Get your leaders started by going with them yourself. Help them develop a positive relationship with the principal, teachers and coaches. Guide them as they learn their way around the school.

 

6. Network with other churches and youth organizations that may have already established campus ministries. This will cultivate a united youth ministry coalition in your community.

 

7. Consider recruiting interns. College students make excellent interns. Place interns on a leadership team under a veteran leader. Assign them as part of a team to a campus where he or she will build relationships, evangelize, disciple, and mobilize Christian students to reach their friends.

 

Personally, I have benefited greatly from faithful leaders who invested their time, energy, experience, and training in me. In turn, I, and many others, have invested in young leaders in the same way. This is how God multiplies His ministry around the world. If you are faithful to model, motivate, and mobilize other leaders, God will multiply your efforts in due time!

 

Your Next Steps

We encourage keeping a notebook or journal of ideas, action steps, and resources that will help you advance your youth ministry. You can use the following questions and suggestions for brainstorming and developing your goals and plans.

 

• In what ways have you felt overwhelmed by the needs, opportunities, and responsibilities you face weekly? How does Jesus’ model for ministry relieve your stress concerning those burdens?

 

• If you have begun training other leaders, whether formally or informally, at what stage are you now in developing them: modeling, motivating, mobilizing, or multiplying? What steps do you need to take to move each one to the next stage in their training?

 

Resources

• Go to Jesus-Focused Youth Ministry Online for the entire strategy to multiply leaders.

 

• Go to barrystclair.com to download for free:

– Building Leaders for Jesus-Focused Youth Ministry

– barrystclair.com/build-leaders-1

– barrystclair.com/build-leaders-2

– barrystclair.com/build-leaders-3

 

• Go to these two links to map your campus and adopt your school:

       – Campus Mapping

       – Adopt Your School