Using” is a noun and is defined as “the act of practice of employing something”. (Merrimack-Webster). According to the same dictionary, “utilizing” is a verb that means “to make use of: turn to practical use”. When you utilize something you are taking action. Utilizing is a verb. Therefore, you can use something without utilizing it. Understanding this difference directly applies to YouTube and what you do with it for your Student Ministry. When people think about using YouTube, student ministers may feel they have to get on there and start posting videos and fully engaging in it. While I believe that is the ideal situation, there are ways you can be utilizing YouTube for your Student Ministry without posting and engaging in discussions. For instance here are 2 specific ways how you can utilize YouTube for Student Ministry:
Helps you understand what students are interested in. So many students watch YouTube. Find out what the hit shows and vloggers are so you can begin to understand what interest students. After all, we need to be learners of our students. We need to know what they are into. Once you poll your students and find out what they are watching on YouTube, you can check out those types of videos and start understanding more about what students enjoy and like.- Gives you programmatic ideas for your ministry. There are a lot of funny and creative people out there. And the good news is that they post their humor and creativeness on YouTube. Discover who they are, start following them and start getting ideas from them. My recommendations for humorous and creative ideas is check out Jimmy Fallon’s “Favorite Games Playlist” or Jimmy Kimmel’s “Kimmel Pranks“.