Equip and encourage students to use their influence to share the gospel at school.

As a Church Youth Leader, you train and equip students week in and week out to live a life of faith.  First Priority is a tool for you to use to help students implement that faith at school.  While many campus coaches are youth leaders, not all youth leaders are campus coaches.  But you can still participate in First Priority clubs as a guest speaker, promote area clubs in your church, help provide for those clubs through the church local missions budget, lead a prayer group around area schools, and many, many more ideas that God uses to influence students with the gospel at school.

Because many campus coaches are youth leaders, should you choose to become one, here is your role.  Campus coaches are the “coaches on the sideline” of the First Priority club.  Your role in First Priority is distinctly different than your role as a youth leader at church.  In school, you are not allowed to directly lead the club, only coach.  But, without an amazing coach, how many teams win?  None.  Your role as a coach is crucial!  You are the influence who is training and equipping the student leaders to successfully implement the HOPE strategy (game plan) in the First Priority club.”

First Priority campus coaches do two things:

1. They help schedule “games” (aka First Priority club in school).  This piece involved helping the students build a relationship with school administration, finding a teacher sponsor, setting club time and location, submitting the club charter/constitution, and all other administrative details in getting a successful club going.
2. They hold practices (leadership meetings) to help students be prepared for the month ahead.  We often call them Captain’s Team meetings.  Captain’s Team meetings involve the student leadership, campus coach, and faculty sponsor.  They are held monthly between the last week of the previous month and the first week of the next.  Just like a sports team, timeouts are called, quarters end, and half time occurs to give the coach an opportunity to help the team rise above the momentary situation and be successful with the next play.  As a great coach, take the moments needed to coach and encourage the students from week to week as they lead their club at school.