Networking sounds like such a "corporate" word, right?

Hello Everyone,
I hope that you are wrapping up a very productive year for your families, your ministries, and your own goals and efforts in life.
Just a few lines to encourage you today.
I'd love to help you to see the value in creating a great network of friends who are also serving in youth ministry.
My wife and I began this process early on in our 15 or so years of being full time YPs. At first, we rode on the coattails of relationships that our mentors had and were able to go places with them, meet their ministry friends, and kinda be a "fly on the wall". Eventually, through meeting people at conferences and even friend recommendations we had a small circle of buddies that shared the same youth ministry values as we did.
Here's where networking evolves into friendships. Not all are going to do so. But some will. With some, you will step out of the "What small group curriculum are you using?" conversations into "How is your relationship with your spouse?" or "I'm coming to see your service next month!"
Accountability can emerge from good relationship. Encouragement can emerge from good relationship. Counsel can emerge from great relationship.
So, as corny as it sounds, the old saying applies to healthy youth ministry as well..."You have to be a friend in order to make friends".
Use youthchurch.com as one of many tools to connect with someone in youth ministry. Invite other YPs to join in on the networking. You might find an amazing friend or find that you were an amazing friend to someone right when they needed it most.
Now that I've been this mushy, I'm gonna go watch a war movie or something.
Stand on someone's shoulders,
Aaron

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Comment by Rod Mock on January 1, 2009 at 4:19pm: I am a BIG believer in networking! Aaron you are awesome! I try to get information on networking and leadership everywhere I go and this little nugget was right on the money! If you do not network you are missing out on a huge part of youth ministry, or ministry for that matter! I know it can be hard to network when all your colleagues are around only for 9-18 months on average. As soon as you put a little work into a fellow youth Pastor they are gone! Maybe if the vets put a little more effort into networking the average would grow a little! Let's be there to help our fellow minister who is learning so much and working so hard with so little compensation. ( by that I mean appreciation, acknowledgment, or $$)

Here is an article from a great minister, Mark Harper an awesome children's Pastor in Minneapolis MN. Been in ministry for like 100 years!! Still Rocks!

The definition of the word “networking” depends on who you ask. In other words ‘networking” means different things to different people. According to Webster’s Dictionary networking is “The developing of contacts or exchanging of information with others in an informal network, as to further a career.” When I asked my 20 year old daughter Missy what networking is she said “It’s like making friends”. (I like both definitions)

Networking is the intersection between work and friendship.

For the purpose of this article I am defining networking as “Building friendships with like-minded people where you can help each other fulfill your goals”

“IT’S ALL ABOUT WHO YOU KNOW” I first heard this statement from a pastor’s wife. She was commenting on how (in her opinion) her denomination was too political. The inference was that people were promoted to positions of leadership, not based on their character or abilities but simply on who their friends were.

Admittedly this does happen (on occasion, however if you receive a promotion simply based on friendship and don’t have the necessary abilities, you won’t have that job for very long. On the other hand if you don’t have any relationships you may not ever get a shot a job that you really want. (It doesn’t matter how good you are at something if nobody knows about it.)

The truth is that “who you know” is a key part of what makes life work. My best friends are people I work with at my church, or have met at a conference somewhere around the country. These are people that I genuinely care about. I want to see them succeed and they want to see me succeed.

So, how do I do this networking thing?

I’m glad you asked. Here are the Ten Commandments of Networking:

1) Think Win/Win. Any relationship that God is a part of is mutually benefiting.
2) Lead by asking questions. (Come prepared with written questions.)
3) Think about the other guy first. What can you do to help him or her?
4) Listen more. Talk less. (Be quick to hear and slow to speak.)
5) Be a Giver. Find something of value that you can give away.
6) Avoid talking about politics and theological differences. You can learn from anybody,
regardless of his theology.
7) Turn lunchtime into the most productive hour of the day.
8) Don’t be afraid to ask for help? My Mom always said “the worst they can say is no”.
9) Give people space. (Don’t be too clingy.) Meet somebody new and then move on.
10) Get outside of your circle. The body of Christ is a bunch of little circles. If you get to
know someone in a new circle then he or she can introduce you to many new friends.