Numbers aren’t everything, nor are they the true measure of effectiveness. For that we need to look at longer term fruit. However, attendance numbers do indicate life and growth in a ministry and they often determine our fate as employed or redundant youth ministers. We do well to track attendance regularly which I wrote about previously. Within the realm of youth ministry that is relational and gospel centered and seeks to make disciples, I’m offering three keys to fostering growth in numbers. Yet I suspect it will become apparent that these three keys are not just about numbers but about healthy growth in ministry.
Christ centeredness. If a youth group is all about Jesus, there is reason for it to be compelling. In decades past, youth pastors tried hard to make their youth groups cool, radical, relevant, and exciting. Jesus is all these things, so there is no need to manufacture it. Youth groups centered on silly games or efforts to attract, or that value interpersonal relationships more than Jesus are not going to retain students. Why attend if there is not some eternal value to what is going on? Students don’t need the church to provide fun, entertainment, or friendships. These things can all be found outside the church. Am I suggesting that we should not have fun, captivate the minds of students, and foster relationships? Absolutely not. I’m suggesting those are secondary, meaning they should flow out of a focus on Jesus.
Within the concept of being Christ centered is the importance of prayer, preaching the gospel, and teaching the Bible. If we want to grow a ministry, pray for that growth to happen. And don’t just pray alone about it but get lots of people praying for the ministry. If we want growth, proclaim the gospel regularly. An emphasis on the gospel should shape everything we do. Never assume students know the gospel. The better they understand it, the easier it becomes for them to share it with others. Teaching the Bible is also vital in a Christ centered youth ministry. God’s word is truth (John 17:17) and not only builds up believers, but reveals the good news to unbelievers as well.
Compelling vision. Bill Hybels defines vision as a picture of a preferred future. So often leaders in the church do not lead with vision and then wonder why they see so little fruit. Vision comes from God and not usually in some dramatic mountaintop fashion. Pray for God to show you the future he wants for your ministry. It’s important to have a good understanding of your ministries strengths and weaknesses first. Then check that vision to see if it aligns with the church’s vision (vital) and if key leaders in your church (starting with your pastor) resonate with it. Only if it passes those checks should you move forward. Learn to articulate not only the vision but a strategy to get there. The strategy is ideally formulated by your closest team. They need not only to buy into your vision but to own it by helping create strategies to reach it. A compelling vision will captivate attention and attract leaders. People get excited about being part of something that is bigger than mere existence. This is true of leaders, parents, and students.
Community. This is what we see in Acts 2 where the greek word Koinonia is usually translated as fellowship. It is a sense of belonging; of being part of something bigger than us; of knowing and being known. A sense of community is far more attractive to students than any wild crazy entertaining programs we can muster up. It’s deeper and more authentic than convincing students that they belong to the best youth group in town. Community is not something we can manufacture. We must foster it or nurture it. We have to create space for relationships to grow. Students need to sense ownership of the ministry. That means they have a voice in it’s direction and feel part of achieving the vision. Building a sense of community usually involves shared experiences or adventures. We can shape our missions trips, summer conferences, camps, retreats, etc to foster community by making them very intentional places where students build strong relationships with one another. We not only connect students to one another, we follow up with students who have gone missing or who seem to be disconnected. If we have new students coming into our group(s), we need to make sure others are not leaking out unnoticed.
Much more could be said about these three keys to growing a vibrant youth ministry. I believe they apply regardless of the size of your current ministry or the structure of it. By that I recognize that some student ministries are small group based rather than large group. No matter what model or structure you use, being Christ centered with a compelling vision and sense of community will grow your ministry.
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