Contact Work: Part 1

Two years ago I joined a Young Life Club that was loaded with kids. Our first club was packed with over 100 of them. It took all I had not to ask the same kid what his name was two weeks in a row.  

As good as this situation may sound, it might be the worst possible club for new leaders to be apart of. Let me tell you why.

When you show up for Club and kids are already there, what you find is leaders begin to "manage" what they have and not "go" make contact with new kids. This is problamatic for several reasons. First, if a leader never has to start off in their ministry by "going" it is extremely difficult to learn how to do so when the large numbers go away. Second, leaders begin to take kids out of "what is available that other leaders dont want or connect with." This is often harder on leaders. They dont go after kids that they might be more like. This may burn out leaders who work hard at connecting with kids who they dont ever really connect with. Finally, there is not as much ownership by leaders who have not done the hard work of reaching out and making contact with kids. 

If you are a new leader, here is what you do. Go to the school. Act as if there are no kids in your club. Pursue kids as if there will be no one unless you get 10 kids for yourself.  If every leader has that same ownership and thought process then ALL leaders will understand what it means to reach out to new kids in a school and make ministry happen.