“I only have five kids in my youth group. I don’t really need a lot of training.” I’m afraid a lot of youth leaders in small church may feel exactly that way. Training is for folks who work with hundreds of youth leaders, not for those of us who wonder if we are going to have anyone show up for our Sunday morning Bible study. Right?

I don’t really think so. I think students need our best and that means we continue to sharpen our skills. Youth culture is always changing. We can never be strong enough in Bible knowledge. New research is finding out more about the teenagers we work with all the time. And church structures change from region to region and decade to decade. Our teenagers are worth the effort to improve our skills.

So, let’s assume for the sake of argument that you agree with me. Let’s assume you see the need for on-going training. How do you get it? A friend of mine has identified five areas in which volunteer youth leaders need training. (These same areas aren’t bad for paid youth leaders either.)

1. We need training in Bible knowledge. Someone has said that the Bible is shallow enough for a child to understand that “Jesus love me this I know,” but is deep enough for the deepest theologian to swim all his life without touching bottom. We can all deepen our understanding of the Word of God. It will make our teaching stronger and our lives a richer picture of a committed follower of Christ.

2. We need training in Adolescent Development. The teen brain is a fascinating piece of creation. It is becoming an adult brain and leaving behind the workings of a childhood brain, but it is actually neither one. If we really are to understand and care for teens, we need to have a good understanding of what is happening in their bodies as they grow into adults.

3. We need training in Youth Culture. If you were looking for Richie Cunningham and the soda fountain today, you would probably not find him. Instead, he would be on Facebook. Or maybe just sitting in the back of class texting his friends. Teen culture used to change about every 10 years. Now, youth culture is morphing into something new almost every year.

4. We need training in Teaching Methods. The changes in youth culture coupled with the uniqueness of the time of life of adolescence means that teenagers tend to learn differently than children and definitely differently than adults. The more creative teaching arrows you have in your lesson preparation quiver, the more effective you will be in guiding teenagers toward eternal truths in a way they can absorb and apply.

5. We need training in Leadership. How do you become the kind of person a teenager would want to model their life after? How you deal with everything from flying gum in the Bible study class to listening to the girl who shares that she has been molested shows what kind of leader you are. Being a youth leader is NOT easy. Those who claim it is no big deal just don’t understand. Not every day will be a huge challenge, but challenges will come and you need to be developing the skills to deal with those challenges.

So, where do you get all of this training? Since I’m a seminary professor, you would expect me to say that one of the places you can get it is in a seminary classroom. In most seminaries you can be enrolled as a special student. You don’t have to pursue a Master of Divinity in order to get some formal training. Many seminaries offer Bible classes, youth education classes, and leadership classes in non-traditional formats–on weekends, on an evening, or over the Internet. The training you can receive at seminary is really worth the investment.

However, you can also find training seminars through organizations like Group, Youth Specialties, or LifeWay. Check their website for up-coming training events. Your local denominational offices might offer training. In fact, some denominations have trained consultants that can give you one-to-one instruction, or can come to your church to train you and your co-leaders.

If all else fails, read. I try to recommend books I read that I think are helpful for small church youth leaders on this site. Recent recommendations have included:

• Richard Ross, Student Ministry and the Supremacy of Christ
• Walt Mueller, Youth Culture 101
• Vaugh Roberts, God’s Big Picture: Tracing the Storyline of the Bible
• Doug Fields, Your First Two Years in Youth Ministry

I can add a free downloadable book on adolescent development written by Allen Jackson: Introducing the 21st Century Teenager available at www.lifeway.com/Understanding/Youth/index.asp.

Regardless of how you do it, keep sharpening your skills. Keep learning about youth ministry. Your teenagers will never think to thank you for it. I mean, they are teenagers after all. But, it will make a difference.