Have you ever had a student tell you something that left you wondering what to do next? If not, the day is coming. Lead a student ministry for any length of time and you\u2014or one of your small group leaders\u2014will hear at least one of the following:<\/p>\n
These sorts of conversations can leave even a seasoned student pastor wondering what to do next. Teaching a series on families or partying is easy. But what do you do <\/i>when you\u2019re talking to a kid who\u2019s in the middle of it right now? In these situations, strategy is crucial. If you\u2019ve never thought through your \u201creaction plan\u201d, here are a few great ways to get started.<\/p>\n Most volunteers don\u2019t know when to involve parents. Calling a parent every time a teenager breaks curfew is a fast track to ensuring that kid never shows up or confides in you again. So when do you call for back up? A good rule of thumb is to ask about the three hurts.<\/p>\n If the answer is yes, you need to call for help. Never keep secrets that put a student in danger.<\/b> That call should be made as soon as possible. It may seem<\/i> like a good idea to say, \u201cYou tell your parents within two weeks or I will\u2026\u201d But that\u2019s an incubator for anxiety (and it\u2019s not helpful). A better way is to let them know you\u2019ll be with them: \u201cThis is something we have to share with your parents tonight. I want you to tell them, and I\u2019ll be right beside you.\u201d<\/p>\n The exception, of course, is if the student is being hurt by<\/i> their parents. In this case, the church leadership should call social services, the school social worker or the police to get help for the student as quickly as possible.<\/p>\n When a small group leader has this sort of conversation, it\u2019s important for them to keep you, the student pastor, in the loop. Make sure they know to bring these situations to your attention. Together, the two of you can work on a follow-up plan for the parents and the student.<\/p>\n If your church doesn\u2019t already have a policy on how to handle tough conversations with students, it\u2019s time to make one. Planning for situations before<\/i> they happen is key to handling them well.<\/b><\/p>\n Does your student ministry currently have a protocol? If so, your next step is determining the best way to communicate that plan to your leaders and volunteers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Have you ever had a student tell you something that left you wondering what to do next? If not, the day is coming.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":31731,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[523],"tags":[],"authors":[1815],"life-stage":[345],"class_list":["post-31730","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ministry-leadership","authors-think-orange-team","life-stage-youth-ministry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nPlan for what to say<\/b><\/h2>\n
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Plan for who (and when) to call<\/b><\/h2>\n
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Plan for what to do next<\/b><\/h2>\n