Here are some of the best ways to use writing to your advantage in youth ministry. Try a few of these and see how they work for you.
• Keep a journal. Journaling has been in use for centuries and is a tried-and-tested spiritual and intellectual discipline. Keeping a ministry journal can help youth leaders work through thorny problems, remember conversations, key ideas and may serve as an inexpensive counselor. After all, sharing our problems—including with ourselves—is a form of therapy.
• Marginalia. Do you write in your Bible, or do you bullet point or highlight some of those helpful articles you’ve been reading? Writing down your thoughts in the margins is a powerful way to remember key points.
• Blog. Blogging is easy, fun and free. Create a ministry blog for your youth group, and use this vehicle to share your own ideas, dreams and what you’re learning. Write a blog for parents. Write one for other youth workers. Any way you do it—and whatever the theme—a blog can be helpful in articulating your ideas. Just remember: A blog can be read by anyone; it’s out there. So, don’t use your blog to air dirty laundry or discuss personal situations. Keep it positive and helpful.
• Write short notes. Nothing says “I care” as a handwritten card or letter. Birthday greetings, thank-you cards and brief letters of appreciation all can be highly effective forms of writing in youth ministry.
Set a Writing Date with Yourself
There is no doubt that writing is one of the most effective tools for communicating the faith. The apostle Paul wrote letters, each detailing his varied ideas and his challenges for those respective congregations in places such as Rome and Philippi. Writing has the power to persuade and change.
In addition, writing also has the power to clarify our own thoughts. Often, it takes discipline and time to refine our ideas, and writing is one of the best ways to distill our learning. Youth leaders can learn much by writing down their own thoughts and ideas rather than simply reading or working off the cuff.
