I grew up very competitive. Whether it is checkers, softball, Call Of Duty, Monopoly Deal, eating (which caused 30 lbs of weight gain a few years back) it doesn't matter. If someone challenges me, I not only want to compete, but win. This changed dramatically since starting ministry. It had to. My first years I spent comparing competing, burning the candle at both ends because victory was being the biggest, the best, and have the most growth. I will admit that I still catch myself wrestling with this at times, but since taking one of the regional campus' at Saddleback a few years ago I have not only been forced to make the changes, but I feel like I have learned very valuable pieces of ministry that I want to pass on that will make you happier, your campus happier, your church happier.
Here is how to make your time as a Multi-Site Youth Pastor more difficult:
1. Don't Work with your main campus.
The threat you will feel is that if your students at your little campus see the giant "mothership" and think "if my students see/experience this why would they come back to my campus". The difference doesn't have to be as big as you think. It might not be the number of students, but buildings that are cool, the main campus teacher is better, they have the cool kids, and on and on.
The truth is I believe that students don't just come to our ministry because it is cool. Let's face it, we are not cool, well maybe you are the cool youth pastor but I'm not and no matter how cool you are there are way cooler people out there. Students show up because you love them, and caring leaders love them.
Do not be afraid to do events, camps, and training together. It reminds the students that we are all one church just in many locations.
2. Compare yourself to the other campus'.
You have a few things in common with all of the sites at your Multi site church: you are all carrying out the same vision, and you are all not reaching your community the way you wish you were. Whether the campus is 5 or 5000 we all could be doing better and wish we could get those lost people in.
My most common mistake is to look at the main campus hear the story of baptizing 40 on a weekend and suddenly feel like the 3 I did isn't as valuable, exciting, cool. The Bible says that the angels celebrate every 1....1 it says. Gods victories in your ministry are just as important and God will do something different at each campus.
You might have no problem not comparing your ministry with the main campus, but your struggle is with the other regional campus' at your church. Here is the truth, you have control over one thing: your relationship with God which allows His Spirit to carry out His plan. That is all you can do. Love and listen to God, love your family, love your students, and carry out the vision of your church to the best of your ability. If you are doing these things well, being critical of where your ministry is, is being critical of Gods plan for your church.
The ministry God has put you in charge of is your ministry and it's a privelege to be called to lead a ministry. All we can do is let God's spirit lead us, and do the best we can.
3. Go against the vision of the main campus.
This is why being a regional youth pastor is not for everyone. At most churches you have to stick to the vision of your church to set the tone for your youth ministry. Not only do you have to do that at a regional campus, but your student ministries vision is usually already set by someone. This can be difficult to handle if you like coming into a place and setting your own vision. Remember you are ONE church in MANY locations. This is not just our ministry you are a part of a ministry team, and you are to follow the leadership of the church. If you don't like the vision of the church leave. Remember you took the position, they didn't force you by gun point.
If you absolutely love setting your own vision statement, and aren't satisfied with just setting campus goals then multi-site youth ministry might not be for you.
4. Don't Ask for help.
You have a team of people at all the campus' don't be shy about asking for help. My ministry took huge strides when I got over the pride of wanting to do it all myself and started being willing to say "I need help" and "I don't know what I'm doing". Real leaders are learners, and real leaders work in teams.
At my campus I am the only youth ministry staff, but I have a team of volunteers that are amazing, student leaders that bring me to tears with their hearts for their peers and Christ, and a team in Lake Forest that can't run my entire ministry for me but are willing to help in anything they can. If your campus can't do that you might want to talk to whoever oversees student ministries at your church and ask them who you can ask for help. If you live too far to interact with the team at your church connect with the closest regional youth pastor, or find youth pastors in your city that want to get together to care and support each other because you are all in the same fight.
Just don't try to do it by yourself.
5. Try to offer everything.
You don't have to offer everything your main campus offers. It's as easy as that. Don't fall into the trap of thinking you have to have every little thing the main does or your students will leave. First off if they do they are still at your church (I know that it stings a little even though it's the same church but the sooner you get over it the better), second talk with whoever oversees student ministry on what is the most important pieces. At Saddleback it is weekend large group services, and offering small groups. I have to do that because that is the DNA of our church (and would do it even if it wasn't because I believe in it). We don't have some of the cool classes that other campus' offer, the Landing which is a ministry for hurting teens, some of our campus' don't have student bands, ect. It's ok unless your pastor says it isn't.
I am not saying do the bare minimum, but start by doing the necessity, then add after you feel God is telling you too.
I know this is not an exhaustive list, but just a few learning I have had in my years as a Regional Youth Pastor. If you are looking for an interesting book on starting a Multi Site Church check out "The Multi-Site Church Revolution: Being One Church in Many Locations" by Geoff Surratt.
