I would love to see all students being mentored. I just think great things happen when a young believer spends time talking about important stuff with an older believer. I also think students can mentor. I think when students are spiritually mature they can be some of the best mentors for other students. These mentors are truly student leaders. The formula still stays the same; a older more mature believer pours their life into a younger believer. For student leaders to be successful long-term they need 3 types of mentoring relationships.

First, they have upward mentors that serve as wise, trusted counselors.  These individuals tend to be older, experienced leaders who have already been where emerging leaders have yet to go.

Second, successful leaders are themselves downward mentors to younger, less experienced leaders called protégés.  This mentoring relationship helps successful leaders become leaders of leaders.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, successful leaders have peer mentors.  The Bible explains this relationship clearly and concisely in Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 (NLT). “Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed.  If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble.”

There are so many good organizations out there offering mission trips. It seems so many of them are offering the same thing, but all they tell you is the price and location. So how do you know what you’re getting when you purchase a trip from them? How do you know if the trip is going to be transformational in your students lives. Here are five questions you have to ask before you buy a trip.
 
1. Who are your staff and how much training do they receive?
Most youth missions organization love to talk about price and location but they really have nothing to do with spiritual impact on your students. Who their staff are and how they perform make all the different when it comes to impact. So how old are they, what is there experience and how much training did they receive before leading your trip?
 
2. How much money per student do you spend on work projects?
This question will tell you a ton about the quality of the organization’s trip. The answer will also give you insight into what additional costs might be coming your way. Many youth workers tell of trips where work project money runs out after day 2 and you have to put more money in if you want to continue to have work projects.  A good amount for a one-week trip is $75 per student.
 
3. What is your return rate?
Every organization knows their return rate — the percentage of youth groups that return each year. This number will give you an idea of the satisfaction of previous teams.
 
4. What is your intentional plan to grow my students through your program?
Many youth mission programs are focused on just going. If you take your students on a mission trip, that may be enough in and of itself, but if you’re honest, you want more and your parents want more.  Look for an organization that has a plan to see your students grow spiritually. Every organization offers the speaker and a band at night, but you know that is more hype than growth. Again move past location and price and move to impact.
 
5. What is your pre-trip and post-trip training?
I am not talking about logistic training with this question; I am talking about spiritual training that will lead to growth and application of the experience.  I find that most organizations focus on getting you there with the proper forms. I think it’s more important your students understand the Biblical mandate for missions and they can live the mission life style months after they return.  This pre and post trip material is worth its weight in gold if it helps your students understand the life God has for them.
 
Again there are many good organizations out there. You need to ask questions to find the best one for you and your church. Ask hard questions and don’t settle for good enough.

As you start the new year, is your youth ministry heading up or down? Many of us who have been in youth ministry for a while know that you go through periods of growth and decline. I used to fear the times of decline because they were marked with adults and students leaving the ministry. What I came to find was that the times of decline made me a better youth worker because I was able to evaluate what was going wrong and make corrections. If you are faced this year with decline don’t be discouraged; instead, evaluate and make changes. You could be closer to a breakthrough then you think. If the year is starting with momentum, capitalize. Recruit more adult volunteers, challenge your students to build deep relationships with hurting students. Launch a new initiative; for example you may want to start an internship program, where college students can come and spend time in your ministry seeing it works. Whatever you do, seize the opportunity. Don’t just sit back and think, wow I am a good youth worker.

I have been thinking a lot about  what we want students to learn through youth ministry but it stuck me, what do they want? I know when I was in high school, many years ago, I wanted to hang with my friends and meet girls. My friends in youth group were great and getting to chase girls that were nice was an added benefit. I didn’t really think about what I wanted to get our of youth group spiritually. I guess I thought is was my responsibility to go to church so I would make the best of it. I also like some of the adult leaders, specially the ones who were interested in me; you know, the ones that would come to my football games. I guess the spiritual part for me was late in youth group around my junior and senior years. I am glad I stayed around and matured enough to even get some of the spiritual stuff. I wonder if much as changed and students come to youth group for friends first and end up finding that youth group is a great place to meet God?