Building Teams

Children’s and Youth ministry workers are team players; or at least they should be. Given our church structures the children’s or youth minister is generally the second or third member of a leadership team; and given our patterns of children’s and youth ministry, they are generally leading a team of volunteers.

When relations in a team are good, they can be very very good; but when they are bad, they are horrid (to quote AA Milne).

Learning how to work as team members becomes particularly important for children’s and youth ministry.

Each week students at Youthworks College are led in a group process of critical reflection on ministry practice. Together with a member of the faculty, students meet once a week for an hour to think together about different experiences that have come out of their work in children’s and youth ministry during the week. This practice has proven to be something that has helped College students develop their ability to work as members of teams.

Here’s an outline of what we do at the College each week. Perhaps it’s a practice that could be usefully employed in your staff teams and volunteer teams as well? Read more