Gooooood Mythical Morning!
Have you heard about the creative genius that is Good Mythical Morning? Rhett and Link have taken the internet by storm over the past five years, posting a morning talk show each weekday. Their show, which airs on a YouTube channel (Watch: GMM Channel) has more than 11 million subscribers and over 100 million views per month as of this post. This has led to appearances on The Tonight Show, their own show on YouTube Red, and a book contract.
Oh, and the best part is that Rhett and Link are known for wholesome content. They are the kings of “Will it?” (Watch: GMM“Will it?” Playlist) and Taste Tests (Watch: GMM “Taste Tests!” Playlist).
Why would I tell you all of this? Simple. Student ministries can learn creativity, content and consistency by studying what works for Good Mythical Morning. Their content is reaching and impacting people (even your students) across the globe in a way that our ministries hope to impact others.
Ministry leaders, check out these six things your ministry can learn from the Good Mythical Morning Crew.
1. They Love Their Jobs
Millions of people tune in to see Rhett and Link. Why? Much of their content is silly (although most of it is pretty interesting). What keeps people coming back is to see the personalities of Rhett and Link. These guys love what they are doing. They are never negative. They are not arrogant. They are enthusiastic and energetic.
Student ministries:
Both the paid and volunteer leaders of your student ministry need to be on fire for Jesus and students! This joy only comes from the Holy Spirit. If you don’t love being at student worship or the many youth events you plan, why would your students?
2. They Are Creative Geniuses
Rhett and Link are exceptional at what they do. And they don’t have to reinvent the wheel each week to do it! They have created a consistently awesome (and simple) structure that resonates with their audience … and they execute it well. Keeping things fairly consistent and straightforward still allows them to be really creative each week.
Student ministries:
What resonates with your students? You don’t have to do 50 things well. How can you communicate the Gospel with your students regularly and get them to love God and love others without constantly changing up your format and schedule?
3. They Built An Online Community
Rhett and Link have created an online community of people who are loyal to them as entertainers and loyal to their brand of comedy. Even though the vast majority of viewers will never meet either of the hosts, Rhett and Link have had a deep impact on their lives. If you need proof, just check out the 1,000th episode of the show (Watch: GMM 1,000th Episode). These two guys started out using free tools (YouTube and various social media platforms) and minimal equipment! Sure, it’s grown from there as they have grown in the number of views their show receives, but the reason they are big isn’t that they started out with fancy equipment or tons of money. It’s because they have built a real community of people who love the show.
Student ministries
Social media cannot replace interaction in small groups and worship, but it can supplement it. How can you leverage social media and texting systems to encourage and connect with students? (Notice that I didn’t say “post announcements.”) You need to build a community because discipleship only happens in community.
Social media cannot replace interaction in small groups and worship, but it can supplement it.
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4. They Have A Simple Stage Design That Rarely Changes
The Good Mythical Morning crew spends more time creating awesome content than awesome staging. Their backdrop stays the same, except for a few minimal additions every now and then. I can imagine that their creative planning meetings probably don’t include a lot of talk about how they can reach more people by changing the lighting. Instead, it’s obvious that they have all stacked hands on one common goal: quality entertainment.
Student ministries
What keeps students coming back is not how beautiful your student room is. Sure, it should be clean and safe. Cool backdrops are nice, and changing things up every now and then is fine. But your main focus has to be about sharing the Gospel and helping students either begin a relationship with God or grow in the relationship they’ve already started with God. If you are genuinely and primarily focused on that, that’s what will keep students coming back to your student room!
5. They Have An Incredible Staff
Rhett and Link aren’t the only two guys coming up with content for their show. They have developed an incredible team of producers and writers to help shape their content and ensure they are connecting with their audience. Creativity truly happens within a team context.
Student ministries
Are you the only voice shaping the events, teaching content and leading worship services? If so, your creativity will wane. Who are the three to five adults, students and college age leaders that have valuable perspectives that can help your ensure that you are connecting with the teenagers in your community?
6. They Are Awesome At Sharing People’s Stories
At the end of every episode, Rhett and Link show a quick video clip from someone across the globe saying, “It is time to spin the wheel of mythicality.” They also incorporate people’s stories through opening mail that has been sent to them, allowing viewers’ comments to shape content, and showing video clips sent in by viewers.
Student ministries
How can you share the God-sized stories happening in the lives of your students and volunteers? You need to know that God is working in other people’s lives, and so do your students and leaders! We will never know how God is working unless we are willing to share our stories with one another.
Your Move
Do you watch Good Mythical Morning (or another similar show)? What is it about it that keeps you coming back for more, and how can you incorporate those practices into your ministry?
CHASE SNYDER is the founder of MINISTRYBUBBLE.COM and serves as a Family Pastor in Knoxville, Tenn. He seeks to live a life that glorifies God and disciples others through their day-to-day lives, and his passion is equipping those in the church to seek those who are outside of it. Check out his writing at MINISTRY BUBBLE or connect with him on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, or INSTAGRAM.
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