Do you ever find yourself questioning how to elevate your teaching to resonate with your student ministry? In this episode, we will guide you through a journey of self-improvement in youth ministry teaching. We promise to leave you with actionable insights and new-found confidence if you follow these 3 youth pastor tips. As a youth pastor, the message you craft is a bridge between the biblical text and the hearts of your students, and we're passionate about helping you construct those bridges with care and expertise. This episode is for anyone looking to deepen their scriptural knowledge and refine their public speaking skills, ensuring every word you speak is impactful and gospel-centered.
Are you looking to grow the size and health of your youth ministry? Check out GrowYourYouthMinistry.com
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We love hearing from you all and we do our best to provide powerful and insightful youth ministry content on a weekly basis to be that coach and mentor you may not have, but desperately need. If you have an episode idea, please E-Mail us at MinistryCoachPodcast@gmail.com!
If you have it on your heart to support this ministry, please consider going to our Patreon page at: www.patreon.com/ministrycoach
*This episode is not sponsored. Some of the links are affiliate links which simply means, if you buy something, we will receive a small commission (at no additional cost to you) Thank you!*
Do you ever find yourself questioning how to elevate your teaching to resonate with your student ministry? In this episode, we will guide you through a journey of self-improvement in youth ministry teaching. We promise to leave you with actionable insights and new-found confidence if you follow these 3 youth pastor tips. As a youth pastor, the message you craft is a bridge between the biblical text and the hearts of your students, and we're passionate about helping you construct those bridges with care and expertise. This episode is for anyone looking to deepen their scriptural knowledge and refine their public speaking skills, ensuring every word you speak is impactful and gospel-centered.
Are you looking to grow the size and health of your youth ministry? Check out GrowYourYouthMinistry.com
=======
We love hearing from you all and we do our best to provide powerful and insightful youth ministry content on a weekly basis to be that coach and mentor you may not have, but desperately need. If you have an episode idea, please E-Mail us at MinistryCoachPodcast@gmail.com!
If you have it on your heart to support this ministry, please consider going to our Patreon page at: www.patreon.com/ministrycoach
*This episode is not sponsored. Some of the links are affiliate links which simply means, if you buy something, we will receive a small commission (at no additional cost to you) Thank you!*
Are you looking to improve your teaching and preaching skills in youth ministry? Today, we're going to give you three tips on how you can do that now.
Speaker 2:
Welcome to the Ministry Coach Podcast, where every week, we bring you actionable and practical tips that you can implement into your youth ministry.
Speaker 1:
My name is Jeff Laskola and this is Kristen Laskola, and today we're talking all about how to teach better. Now, how can you become a better teacher, speaker, public speaker right now, and some tips on how to do that, and these are some that have worked for me and my ministry and my preaching Tenure. I guess you could say Does that mean 10 years?
Speaker 2:
No, I think it.
Speaker 1:
Because it's been 10 years.
Speaker 2:
I think that got. I'm just speaking and I may be completely off. Obviously I'm speaking and I obviously I may be way off, but I think in teaching, 10 years was considered 10 year tenure or something, and so it kind of got, I'm I don't know, whatever okay sorry I asked um, so this, this is stuff that's helped me.
Speaker 1:
It may or may not help you there. It's not an exhaustive list of this is what you must do, but it may help. If you're sort of struggling and feeling confident in your speaking, these could help. And I think that is sort of the thread that's going to go through. All of these is definitely confidence, and not like a feigned confidence of like I belong here and I command a room. But when you know your stuff, you're confident and that comes through. And when you're sort of searching or not quite sure what you're going to say or still kind of fumbling around, it comes through. So I want to help you become a confident speaker with some tips you can implement right away.
Speaker 1:
So, number one know the Bible well, not just the topic you're speaking on. And I think that's a trap that some young pastors, speakers, teachers get into is they study their topic particularly well. So maybe they're doing a message on David, right? I taught on David and Bathsheba this weekend and if you only study that story, your teaching is super one dimensionaldimensional and I feel like you don't become a very confident speaker.
Speaker 1:
But if you understand the narrative of the entire Bible and where that story fits in and what it relates to in the big picture. Remember we've talked about. You're always trying to draw a beeline to the gospel in every message in one way, shape or form. But the better you know the Bible, the better you understand context of the story, the better you understand what came right before that, what came after. Why does that matter? What's the history of this guy? Who was David? Where is he at in this stage of his life and why does that matter? And so, knowing the full story instead of just well, I knew second samuel 11 right well it's like good, that's where the story is.
Speaker 2:
But the story is is bigger than that so reminds me when joey from friends read one encyclopedia but it was like oh, it was v.
Speaker 1:
I think he was like do you guys want to talk about volcanoes?
Speaker 2:
vesuvius, vesuvius kept on trying to bring it back to anything that started with a V.
Speaker 1:
That's a great illustration where you just have a narrow focus and so the breadth of your teaching is very narrow. And that's when you get into the trap of let's teach a story with a moral meaning David and Bathsheba. Well, make sure you don't take a stroll on the roof at night Like what's the moral of the story? Like, well, you have to know the larger context. There's a million things you can pull out of that story really. But knowing where that fits into scripture and then knowing your Bible well enough to be able to cross reference things and not and it might not even have to do with that story in particular, but you know you're talking about David and all of a sudden scripture pops in your head and you're like well, in the Bible, you know, elsewhere, it says take every thought captive. And you know there's a reason. It says that is because when our thought life gets out of control, it can lead to our actions. You know, have you ever stopped to think about what thoughts have led to your actions, like David? I don't know, that's just off the top of my head, but we know that the Holy Spirit speaks through the word of God. So if you want your teaching to be well-rounded in the word of God, know what the word of God says. And it's amazing, sometimes when I'm teaching I won't even plan on saying certain things, but all of a sudden it's like a like rapid fire of verses and stories and other biblical references that I it's like all these like dots are being connected, like in my brain as I'm speaking. But if I didn't know that scripture I wouldn't be able to pull from it and we really would just be reading second Samuel 11. And I think that's the kind of church I grew up in. Nobody was bad or wrong or anything like that, but it was a very narrow focus of. Let me guess you're going to read me a story and then say so this means do the right thing and trust in God, and I was very vague on what trust in God meant, like trust him to do what you know. And so if we want to put more clothes on these stories and make them stick in terms of what is Jesus, where's Jesus in the story? What is God trying to tell us by putting this in the story? What does this tell us about the human condition? What does this tell us about our relationship with God? Where is God's mercy showing up in the life of David. Where is God's judgment and where are natural consequences here Like does this show us how life works? Does this show us how God works? Well, you know where else is this idea shown and what else can we bring in? So basically, I'm saying you want to make your teaching so dripping with scripture and that it should come very naturally as you're speaking.
Speaker 1:
Again, it might not always be planned, oh, and then I'm going to read from Hebrews. But if you know scripture well enough, it will just be like you know and you know what else the Bible says this, this, this. And sometimes I'll preach the same message three times, and every time it's a little different, because I felt like the Holy Spirit was saying you know what, mention this, or mention that, or don't mention this this time, or mention you know whatever. So, knowing scripture well enough. And then you can summarize too, which is really nice, because I am the kind of person that I don't know the reference. I might know the general area Old Testament, new Testament, gospel or epistle.
Speaker 1:
It's in the Bible. It's in the prophets, somewhere in there.
Speaker 1:
But I can summarize really well. So you know, in order to talk about David this week and I had to talk about hey, remember in February we were talking about David and Jonathan. Well, who was Jonathan? He was the heir to the throne, he was Saul's son. Well, what went wrong there? And who? Blah, blah, blah.
Speaker 1:
And then I fast forwarded in David's life. You know, god said your house is going to be ruled by the sword, like your family life is going to be a wreck because of the sins you committed. And it was. You know, his sons turned on him and their children turned on each other. And I try not to get too PG 13 with them about some of the stuff going on. But I was like you can read it if you want, but it's. And then I was able to summarize instead of saying, okay, now turn to 2 Samuel 13,. And here's where Tamar and her brother it's like well, like just, I can summarize the general concept because I know it well enough. That's what I mean by your teaching gets better the more you know. You can fast forward, you can go back, you can summarize, you can reference, and obviously it needs to really be in the Bible, but I'm just saying you can pull out biblical concepts and quote scripture off the top of your head. I mean, I can quote a lot of scripture. I can't tell you the verse until.
Speaker 2:
I.
Speaker 1:
Google it, but I can quote it word for word. And so, the more time you spend with God's word, I think we need to really challenge ourselves as pastors, preachers, teachers, small group leaders, whatever to be spending time in God's word every single day, not just in these isolated incidences, to prepare, because, if you really think about it, we're preparing for our messages all the time. You just don't know which part you're going to need and when. So you always have to be ready Just so inundated with God's word. Know it very well, and for me, that has made me a much, much more confident speaker. And lastly, before I move on to the second point, it makes you a lot more able to answer questions right on the fly. So most of the time when a kid raises their hand, very rarely is it a question I can't answer. And the only reason I can answer it is because I can think well.
Speaker 1:
And this verse. It says this. For example, one of our kids asked like do babies? Since we're born with a sin nature, does that mean if babies die, they don't go to heaven? And I said well, think of the story of David. Right, david? And Bathsheba's baby died right after it was born, presumably I don't know how many months or weeks or hours it was old, I can't remember, but I do remember the important part of David saying that he would be reunited with his son in heaven someday the baby that had passed away. And then we can go off the nature of God and how God holds us accountable to what we know and the reasonability of God.
Speaker 1:
There was so much that we could answer right there. But you have to know scripture instead of just sort of guessing like well, that doesn't sound like something God would do, which it doesn't but know why, and be able to point people to more than your opinion when they have a question. Right, okay, so number two along the same line. So we want to first be saturated in the word of God. But also you should be reading and studying books on the Bible by other authors and on biblical themes. If you're not a book reader, that's fine, you know. Watch videos. I've learned so much through the Bible Project. They do book studies, bible theme stories, all kinds of stuff. I think it's like a vortex you could get lost in.
Speaker 2:
Do you have any books you'd recommend on the Bible?
Speaker 1:
Oh man, anything by Tim Keller. Preaching by Tim Keller is fantastic. I love that book. I'm reading his book on prayer right now and that has been huge. And there was a quote in the very beginning of the book that I'm like. There it is. I need that for my talk on Tuesday and it was perfect. I love love and you guys, I've talked about him before. I love Tim Keller. But you know I write some of my student leadership curriculum off of purpose-driven life. You know, in the chapters that talks about serving. I'm like that's so easy for a kid to understand. You know his illustrations and stuff, so I get stuff from there. You just never know what you're going to find. One book right now. I've recommended it on our maybe two episodes ago Stop Asking Jesus Into your Heart by JD, I think we talked about that during a coaching call.
Speaker 1:
Oh, okay, so maybe I haven't mentioned it, but my current favorite book that's definitely going to change my preaching is Stop Asking Jesus Into your Heart by JD I think he'll say his last name, greer. It is so good, it's like the book I've been waiting for my whole life.
Speaker 2:
And I think you found it in the thrift shop.
Speaker 1:
I found it in a thrift store in Santa Barbara, of all places, and it was bright yellow and it was just like what does that say? And maybe God just like shone a light on it and wanted me to read it because the theology is challenging but so easy to understand and good, and I'm like we have a almost 11 year old daughter and I'm like she needs to read this. You know it's so good. So, yeah, those are just a few for you. But be reading what other people are saying about the Bible. You know the Reason for God by Tim Keller. That's another one where you're just like my mind is blown. You know so so good. So hopefully, you know there's a level of enjoyment to this too. But continuing to study and here's the reason because I feel like reading especially I mean you could listen to it on audio, audio, what's it called?
Speaker 1:
Audible you know and watch the videos and all that and those are. Those are great. However you do it, you've got to learn how to think well, and someone who can think well I have found in my own personal life can speak well, like present well. So be able to think clearly, think sharply, think quickly on your feet and be able to draw together ideas that are hiding somewhere in your brain and put them out of your mouth. I feel like reading really helps me become a better thinker.
Speaker 2:
Is it also an extrovert thing?
Speaker 1:
I don't know. I've wondered that, but I brought that up to somebody the other day and they're like no, I don't think so, but I always thought external processors became better speakers because they're not waiting for the fully baked idea and then they have to say it. It's like the if you know the right things while you're thinking about them, you can speak them. You know, a lot of times I don't even know what I'm going to say next. I'm like my thoughts are audible, so so I don't know, know what I'm going to say next.
Speaker 1:
It's like my thoughts are audible. So I don't know. I just know that the more knowledge I have stuffed up in my head and more light bulb moments I have in my own time of personal study, those are the things that I just can't wait to incorporate into these messages, to make them richer, to make them multidimensional. And how boring is it just to have just your own opinion and your own examples in your own perspective, and every single message Like what are other people saying, what are experts saying, what are scientists saying, what are historians saying? How can you start to see everything through a biblical lens and how everything comes together? And it just breathes such life and dimension into your messages.
Speaker 1:
When you're just a well-read person, when you're a cultured person, when you get out of your own little zone and your own little channels and your own light reading and really get into something that can sharpen you as a Christian thinker. It sharpens you as a Christian speaker because you have more to say. You have something to offer besides your own experiences, which our own experiences are so limited. You know like you only see the world from your own perspective, you only have a finite number of experiences, and so when you are a well-read person, you bring all that into your teaching and it makes it much, much more interesting.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, I was just brought up the whole going back to the introvert extrovert thing, because I feel like I think well, I don't communicate well because a lot of times I feel like when I'm thinking about it it's very eloquent and then it comes out I'm like that's not what I meant at all, I don't know.
Speaker 2:
I mean, maybe if I can write it down then and then maybe go off, speak off of notes, but if I'm speaking just off the cuff, I feel like it doesn't usually translate as well as it seems like it was in my brain well conversationally, I feel like you do, I don't know because I don't know the last time I saw you get up on stage and speak, but I think you do speak well and clearly. Me fail English, that's impossible.
Speaker 1:
Maybe in your own head it was even grander, but the way you communicate, I think is great.
Speaker 2:
It really was.
Speaker 1:
And then number three, practice and study the art of public speaking. So, like we were just saying, conversationally is one thing to be able to communicate ideas, but holding the attention of a crowd and here's why I bring this up, because it's such a shame when someone has such great things to say but, like you were saying, it doesn't come out right and it flubs and it's like oh, and I know, I always think back to you, know, paul, when it's like, oh, and I know, I always think back to you, know, paul, when he's like you know, I didn't need to come with fancy language or be some expert orator or something and impress everyone, because I think that was the trend. Everyone was trying to impress everyone with you know the fancy language and gather a crowd and make everyone think you were so smart. And that is not our goal. We don't want to get up there and flex our knowledge Like I'm going to use the Greek and Hebrew so that you know how smart I am. The gospel is the message and it's simple and anyone can understand it.
Speaker 1:
It doesn't need to be fancied up In order to capture our audience's attention. You just need to be able to speak clearly and be engaging, not like with, you know, a light show or something like that and like illusions, michael, but really just be able to do the gospel justice and speaking in a way that people can grasp and understand and stay engaged in. And so a great exercise here would be to ask someone who listens to you regularly Maybe it's one of your leaders or maybe your spouse is a part of your ministry but just to say, am I an engaging speaker? Like I have such a great message to share? Is it being translated? Like is do you think people are picking up what I'm putting down, what I'm attempting to do and draw students to the gospel? Is that being accomplished? And ask them specific questions like do I gain the attention of everyone in the room? If not, why do you think that is?
Speaker 2:
or how I would even yeah, I definitely not the yes or no like. Am I an engaging speaker? Uh, yes, because I don't want to have a fight, because we're married, you know. But if you were to be more like, how can I become, how could I?
Speaker 1:
be a more engaging. That's a great point.
Speaker 2:
Yes, I would agree to kind of lead the just don't even give the option that you are you know, let them lead you down. Don't give the option. We both know I'm not, so let's just take that off the table. But that way they can answer you. You know, and, and give you examples.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, and something else you might want to ask that's a very simple fix is is my cadence, manner of speaking, pace of speaking, conducive to the message getting across? You know, sometimes it's like I swear, what you're saying is good, but you talk so slow I'm like what is he saying next? You know, and you would hate for something so simple to be a quick fix. You know that could have been a distraction and really like thrown the whole thing off. You know, humor and illustration to a little sprinkling of that. Ask them. You know, are my messages accessible? Am I speaking over their heads or do you feel like it's at the right level? And you know, if an adult in the room can't even understand what you're saying, then that would be good to know that you couldn't. If you can't reach an adult, then you're definitely not reaching an 11 year old or a 12 year old. So think of some questions that would be helpful for you to know from the people in the room and I'm sure they'll say it very kindly.
Speaker 1:
But it's, it's good to have someone who can give you some real feedback, because the message and then the delivery, like, are the two biggest pieces. So you have a great message and you can't deliver it. Have you ever heard those like super old old school speakers or pastors? And you're like I think what you're saying is good, but you've never looked up from the podium. You're like hunched over the thing. You speak so slow, I didn't see you smile once, you didn't engage with us at all and we're just supposed to sit here and like uh's. It's listening fatigue for me and I'm like you know I don't want to miss it and I mean what a shame if, if, it was easy to fix so I guess that's what you kind of have to get to the bottom of.
Speaker 1:
Am I an engaging speaker? Why, or why not?
Speaker 2:
yeah, and I would also not only ask, ask them twice the first time, when they're not expecting it, like and you know, yeah surprise, am I gonna give you speaker hurry, hurry, and then you have like a squirt gun exactly that.
Speaker 2:
No, don't prep them to say, hey, when I do this message, see if I'm engaging or not, just as as you get. I mean, maybe they weren't paying attention, that could be a cue right there it's like, oh okay, I'm not engaging, but don't tell them in advance. But then the second time say, hey, when I'm speaking, can you see whether or not you feel like I'm an engaging speaker? Am I this, that or whatever? You're looking to kind of find out, because one, it's good, good to get. What is your just guttural reaction to me? And then, secondly, if you really are paying attention to that, what do you think? So?
Speaker 1:
I like that, yeah, and maybe ask different people different weeks, yeah, you know, because what really speaks to someone, maybe, and then you'll be able to kind of get like a conglomerate picture of Hmm.
Speaker 1:
I wonder, like, and then ask students to. You know, I've had students come up and like, that was my favorite message you've ever preached and I was like I probably should ask you why. You know, because if that struck lightning struck, lightning, lightning struck then I should probably figure out why, so I can do that again. You know, and maybe it was the Holy spirit taking over, which, to be honest, I do feel like happens a lot not to sound like.
Speaker 1:
well, you know, I don't even put in the effort because the Holy spirit does it all, but I will prepare, prepare, prepare. And then sometimes, when I'm speaking, I'm like what is happening that was not planned and where did this come from? Hadn't thought about this in 15 years and here it is. So, anyways, be open to where the spirit wants to go and be in tune with, like the spirit very prayerfully, as you teach, lead, speak whatever, because be ready to pivot if he wants to go somewhere else.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, definitely so, for where to go from here. We have done a couple episodes on speaking, and the first one is how to get better engagement in your sermons, and then the second one is how to help them retain your sermon. So make sure you guys check that out. Okay. The question of the day is what is the strangest name you or someone you know ever gave to their pet?
Speaker 1:
well, the strangest name I ever gave a pet was probably piglet or ducky. They were both wiener dogs. I love them. By other people's reaction I could tell maybe they were weird. My dad said oh, kristen, you're not to name that poor dog Piglet, are you? And I was like I am, I love it. But I remember having a neighbor who had a cat named Dave and I thought that was really weird and she would come out every night to call him in and she'd just goave dave, dave, and I would then hear this little bell and I was like a cat named dave I don't know.
Speaker 1:
It just seems like I'm not a huge fan of people names for animals in general and dave just seems so like like the minion whose name is kevin I just sort of felt like that, like dennis or dave or pam you know he has a cat, or had a cat, named dennis? Yeah, we have. That's a good one. Yeah, another weird one, a cat named dennis.
Speaker 2:
I was gonna go down that same path because I I knew a girl who had a rabbit named John and I was just like I don't think a rabbit can be named John, but she did and it was, so put in the comments section below. If you or someone you know had a really strange name for a pet Cause, um, I think they're funny. So I think the strangest one I named might be the dog we currently have is gremlin yeah every time I take her to the vet they like just get a kick out of that.
Speaker 2:
I'm like she looked like a gremlin when we got her. She did a little sick chihuahua with no hair, but anyways she's, she's adorable now all right, this is the community she is adorable now she is. This is the community comment of the day. This comes from miriam miriam wes's 6266, who says thank you guys. I'm always inspired when I watch your videos.
Speaker 1:
Thank you, Miriam, for the comment You're glad you're inspired and we're inspired by your comment to keep going.
Speaker 2:
That's really inspirational. Hey, thank you guys so much for watching and listening and we'll see you next time. Welcome to the ministry coach podcast where every week we bring you, we bring you b-r-i-g break. Oh no bless you?
Speaker 1:
is there a cat in here? Uh, she definitely looks like we got her.
