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What is SixTwelve Leader?
Personal, relational support and mentoring for people who lead ministry to students in grades 6-12.
• Supporting youth ministry by supporting and mentoring the leaders who make it happen!
• NOT counseling, NOT coaching.
• NOT a workshop or conference (you won't get a fancy certificate... but if you really want one I could probably throw one together.)
• Friendship, listening, mentoring, encouraging, challenging, caring, sharing, feedback, observations, brainstorming, straight talk and access to someone who gets it and cares about you... AND what you are doing.
• Real interaction not based on canned, predetermined protocols, not plastic, you won't feel like you are being handled.
How is this different from all of the other youth ministry stuff out there?
The primary focus is on you, not just what you do. This is complementary to the other stuff out there. You need personal attention as the leader. You spend all of your time giving attention to kids, the focus isn’t on you. This is a way for you to get some of the attention you need so you can continue to do that!
Who is this for?
Primarily anyone who is the main leader of a local church student ministry (paid, kinda paid or not paid) and wants to talk about life and ministry with someone who gets it, cares about them AND what they are doing.
Who else? Senior high leaders/pastors, junior high leaders/pastors, lead pastors, kids ministry leaders/pastors, missionaries.
Why do I need this?
SO MUCH youth ministry resourcing relates to how-tos and tips for doing (which is great) but there’s not much personal support relationally aimed at the leader doing student ministry.
How do we meet?
Video calls that are generally around an hour long.
How much does it cost?
It’s free, but please feel free (sorry, I know, I couldn’t resist) to make a donation to help keep this going! Don’t worry about a donation until you feel like this ministry is worth donating to.
Think about the donation as the price of us getting together for a nice dinner or lunch… or really overpriced coffee and picking up the tab for both of us. Donations keep this ministry available to all youth leaders regardless of their financial situation, especially those in other countries who may have very few resources to work with.
If your church would pay for a conference, workshop or continuing education, maybe they’ll donate to keep this ministry available for you too. Maybe a parent or someone in your church would have a similar heart.
If you think this is helpful, please let someone know and maybe they’ll want to help keep it going!
Donations support this whole thing, without them, can’t do it!
Donations
Make a donation of $200 or more and get a t-shirt (who doesn't love a logo t-shirt?).
If you'd rather donate with a check just message below using the "Questions?" form for the address.
Who will I be talking to?
• Donnie Marsh
Who?
I hate this part where I have to talk about my credentials but it probably matters in the “why should I talk to this guy” category.
I am a 27 year, in the trenches, local church, student ministry veteran (Pittsburgh, PA area). I love the local church, student ministry, students and the people who make student ministry happen. I get what you do… the joys, sorrows, concerns, challenges and ups and downs of local church youth ministry.
I know the things of student ministry, like building a weekly program, designing and executing retreat experiences, planning and leading missions trips, managing a budget and overseeing building projects and renovations.
I know the people stuff of student ministry, like recruiting and training a team of volunteer leaders, working for a lead pastor, with a church staff, managing paid staff, working with parents, building community and business relationships.
I know what it’s like to face extremely challenging situations in all of these areas.
I’ve written and preached over a thousand messages, taught hundreds of lessons and communicated in various settings to all different kinds of people in different settings and contexts.
I have a B.A. in Pastoral Ministries from Central Bible College in Springfield, MO (since merged into Evangel University) and an M.A. in Christian Ministry from Assemblies of God Theological Seminary in Springfield, MO.
My wife and I raised a family in youth ministry. Both of our kids went through and graduated from the student ministry we served. I worked for the church and had a side hustle working for a funeral home (night shift 😳) so we could have nice vacations.
Most of all, I love students, helping them know Jesus, become disciples, develop a love for God’s Word, survive adolescence, overcome difficult circumstances and grow to live healthy, Spirit-led lives.
I vividly remember the years of feeling alone in ministry, craving ministry friendships and mentoring. Now I want to be able to provide that for others.
References/Endorsements
Quotes about me from people who know me...
"My friendship with Donnie has spanned nearly 2 decades because of how faithful he is. His consistent support for my ministry and me as a human is an immense part of the equation as to why I’ve been in the youth ministry game for this long."
—Ryan Deal, Family Ministry Pastor, Youth Pastor
"Donnie Marsh with SixTwelve Leader is the perfect mentor partnership to pursue to experience great practical help in leading any student ministry effectively. Whether it’s crafting weekly experiences, planning yearly events/retreats, or cultivating healthy volunteer staff cultures, Pastor Donnie, with 27 years of experience under his belt, has the way forward to take student ministries and leaders to their next, best levels!"
—Mike Evans, Campus Pastor
"I met Donnie, and we ended up having these deep conversations on the same day. Hearing about his experience in those talks encouraged me to put my energy into every student and get more involved in youth ministry. Donnie gave me a push to keep believing how meaningful and life changing youth ministry can be in a student’s life."
—Bryan Martinez, Youth Pastor, Dominican Republic
"When I was starting in youth ministry, I was overwhelmed with it all. I wasn’t a youth ministry major. Books and conferences have their limits. Donnie was a person that I went to and a few conversations over a cup of coffee acknowledged my journey and started giving hope and ideas for where I felt God wanted me to go. Sometimes we don’t just need another resource. We need to be heard."
—Chad Nelson, Missionary, former Youth Pastor
“Having the unique experience of knowing Donnie as a pastor, mentor, and friend for over two decades, I can honestly say that no one has better shaped my passion for ministry. Donnie has helped me to discover my strengths and has given me the confidence to execute what God has called me to. He understands the highs and the lows of student ministry and has the experience to know how to navigate them. He’s relatable and authentic, and his passion for loving Jesus and others is not only contagious, it's unwavering.”
—Melissa Terebessy, Former Student, Interim Youth Pastor
"Donnie is a guy I’m honored to know. Every time I have the pleasure of being in his company I know there will be plenty of laughter and great depths of wisdom and personal connection. Donnie takes the time necessary to be intentional with his relationships and shows genuine concern for me every time we get to fellowship. Not only does he make me feel valuable and cared for, Donnie also encourages me with sound Godly wisdom for things I’m struggling with presently. Donnie brings a depth of wisdom and calculation to every conversation and relationship he is part of!"
—Luke Yoder, Youth Pastor
GET STARTED
GET STARTED FORM
QUESTIONS?
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