You thought I was talking about traditional Memorial Day treat…. the

brat·wurst

–noun
a sausage made of pork, spices, and herbs, sometimes without a casing, usually served sautéed or broiled.

NOPE

I was talking about a…

brat

–noun
a child, esp. an annoying, spoiled, or impolite child (usually used in contempt or irritation).

… and how to grill…er…correct them.  The best way I could think of to get you here to read my blog was to make a reference to grilled, smoked pig flesh.  Sorry, but it works everytime!

Anyway….

I was reflecting today on the many times when a difficult situation has come up right in the middle of a youth meeting… perhaps even in the middle of the message. It’s hard to deal with a difficult student in a way that is fair, kind, and thoughtful of their need to grow in the Lord. It’s hard to not come off as an anger filled volcano….. at least for me.

So I thought I’d share 4 tips on how to correct a student (or bbq a brat….. whatever).

#1 Set the Tone

Go proactive. Establish your youth group as a safe place where belittling other students is not accepted. Also, make it clear that you’re serious about studying God’s Word so things that distract other students from the Word will not be accepted either. Remind them of this when there is NOT a situation happening so you can be matter of fact and without frayed emotions.

#2 Be Firm

When a student is doing something that is definitely not acceptable, skip trying to buddy buddy. Be clear, and speak authoritatively. You know you’re in charge and certain things you will not accept. You’re not angry, you’re not power tripping, you’re just explaining the way things are.

#3 Be Kind

There’s nothing more damaging than an angry youth pastor. Don’t be that guy. Even when correcting someone you ought to do so in a way that communicates you love the student and you want to help him (2 Thess 3:15). A lot of this is done through body language…. your eyes, your face, your posture, your hands.

#4 Don’t go Nuclear

The easiest thing to do is lob a grenade and hope you got the right one…. never mind the collateral damage. DON’T! The punishment ought to fit the crime. And for that to work, you have to ask some questions to figure out for sure what the crime was and who was involved (Prov. 29:20). And remember, you’re trying to lovingly correct, not punish someone for all their sins (God’s taking care of that part, stay out of it.)

Difficult students are always a challenge, but they’re worth it. If you think about it, many of us were those difficult students at one time. Hopefully these tips will be useful as you attempt to loving correct instead of BBQ-ing the Brats. Have a great weekend.