Often times in youth ministry we use the same youth ministry resources, plan the same events, and do the same mission trips year in and year out.  This is not always a bad thing, especially in missions because we have discussed the importance of consistency and truly investing somewhere.  But with other things, like Sunday school curriculum for example, it can become easy to fall into the trap of using the same thing over and over again, not because it is the best or even a good fit for your youth ministry, but just because you always have.  In times like this, be it resources or events, it can often be time for a change. But often times people do not like change, especially in the church.  This is why when it comes to making changes in your youth ministry it is often necessary but you may want to tread lightly. Having been there myself, and having to make some often times difficult changes in my ministry, I want to give you a few pointers that can help making these sort of transitions much smoother.

1. Don't change for the sake of change. - Sometimes we want to change just because it has been a few years and we are bored. Sometimes in these instances it is okay to make change, but what often happens is that you make a change that does not need to be made, then when it comes time for a change that should be made you cannot make it because people feel all defensive about their cheese getting moved to often. This is why you want to carefully consider any changes that you are going to make and decide if they are necessary and have benefit for your students and your church as a whole. This way you can use the good will you have stored up for situations where you really need it.

2. Avoid making more than one or two changes at a time.- Again, change is not always a popular thing. So to make things easier on yourself, and to give your students more of a feel of consistency, I suggest only making one or two big changes a year. Now, subtle things like what kind of candy you have is not important. But big things like where you go to camp are what I am talking about.  As always there are exceptions to the rule. Sometimes things are so bad that it is time to clean house, rip the band- aid off, and turn things upside down. But rarely is this the case. So make changes slowly and carefully. 

3. Consult with others beforehand.- Not only does this give you some wise counsel in making decisions and making sure you are making the right choice, but it also can give you an ally.  So if you consult with someone else who is respected in the church they can come along side you as you implement the change.  Because it is much easier to bring about often times tough news with a team of people instead of being the loan ranger. 

4. Be the leader in your ministry.  -  At the end of the day, once you have prayed and consulted with others it may be time for change. And when it is you need to stand confidently and be the leader in your ministry. Yes you should listen to the concerns of others, but at some point you must stand firm in your decision.  Will you make everyone happy? No. But you never will. There are people who just thrive on drama and stirring up trouble. So when it comes time to implement your decision, do it lovingly but confidently and do not shy away from it,just because someone is displeased.

Change is not easy for you or others, so it must be considered carefully. Hopefully though these tips will allow you to implement changes in your ministry that need to be made, more smoothly and effectively. 

In youth ministry it is important that you set milestones for you to reach and then gather youth ministry resources, plan events, cast a vision, etc., that help you work to reach those milestones.  This is because it is important for us to be working towards a goal because it not only helps us remain focused and work harder but it also makes our expectations for our students clearer to them. 

Of course our major milestones in our lives are to follow the Great Commandment and to fulfill the great commission.  The great commandment is when Jesus was asked what the two greatest commandments are and He said to love God and love your neighbor. He then basically says that everything gets summed up in these two things. So all of our lives should be devoted to loving God and loving people. A big part of doing that is fulfilling the great commission. These is when Jesus commissioned His followers then and in the future to go out and make disciples.  So everything we do should also keep this goal in mind.  But there are specific milestones we can set for ourselves along the way that will help us work towards these primary purposes laid out for us in scripture.

I can remember one that we set for ourselves was to run over 100 at our midweek service. At the time when we began to dream about this we were only running about 30.  We have since met that milestone and now have surpassed it.  This milestone and ones like it are not about the numbers and bragging.  What is about though is saying that God has placed a calling on our lives and we need to work hard to fulfill that calling. And goals like this one help us get there. Because what happened a long the way was we began to pray harder.  We began to get a feel for the pulse of student culture in our community and what their needs were. We began to push our students harder to go out and reach their friends. And along the way more students felt loved, God was honored, and disciples were made. 

I share all of this because I know sometimes we get afraid to set milestones like this in our lives because maybe we are afraid we might fail or we do not want to get caught up in numbers and other worldly things.  But while it is good to proceed with a sense of awareness to ensure that we do not fall into the trap of focusing on worldly things, we should not be afraid of setting and reaching goals. Because we have not been given a spirit of timidity or fear and we should not limit what God can and wants to do in our ministries.  Maybe you set a milestone like we did for your midweek service. Maybe it is just to have a growing ministry on a high school campus or maybe it is to make sure that all of your students are in a discipleship relationship with someone. You know your ministry and what your next steps need to be or at least need to pray and ask God what those next steps are. Then formulate and cast the needed vision to reach those milestones and do not stop until you do reach them. 

At Youth Ministry Resources we are in youth ministry just like you. Which means that we are winding down our summer and getting ready for the school year as well. This was a great summer for us filled with three camps, multiple mission trips, and many lives changed.  But as things wind down this is a great opportunity to both reflect on what God has done as well as look towards what you believe He is going to do.  This second part can make things feel a little hectic though as you begin to plan and dream realize that the school year is almost upon us and we may not be ready. That is why I want to give you three clear steps that you can take right now as your summer ends and a new school year begins. 

1. Pray.- There is a chance that while summer is an exciting time for most people it can be a hectic and crazy for you and I as student pastors.  That is why I think this time of prayer is so important. For one it is relaxing and calming and helps you to unwind a little bit from your recent schedule.  Take some time to thank God for His many blessings and all the work He did in and through your students during the summer.  But then as you do that begin to also pray for the road ahead. Ask God to give you a clear vision for what He wants to do in your ministry for the road ahead.  Pray that the work would continue, that your students would realize that the work they did in the summer can happen during the school year as well, and that they would be strengthened and emboldened to do that work. Then also pray for God to show you what role He would have you to play in that work.

2. Take Inventory Of Your Youth Ministry resources.- You need to know where you stand on your inventory of resources from your budget to candy.  This will give you an idea of where you stand as you go forward. Now this may seem a little worldly but it is part of the job and having this part of our career organized will often make life a little easier. But I also encourage you to think of what resources might make your job easier and allow you to focus on things that are more important. For example, how many times this school year were you not able to spend time with your students before your midweek service because you were running around finishing up prep for games, or writing your sermon for the night? You may want to look into a subscription that would provide these things for you so that you can focus on getting to know your students more and making sure new students feel welcome.  This does not make you less of a minister by not creating these things yourself but instead can make you a better one as you realize what should be of higher priority. 

3. Make a calendar.- After you have prayed and taken inventory I encourage you to get a calendar and plan the year out. This could be done on a big wall calendar, a desktop calendar, or even in a day planner.  As you do this I encourage you to plan out the sermon topic or series for every midweek service, all your events and their themes, and any trips, activities or service projects that you might want to do. Plus, along the way you can brainstorm and jot down other ideas and brainstorms that you have. This calendar is by no means set in stone but you would be amazed how much time and headache it saves you by only having to tweak things throughout the year instead of having to plan in the moment. 

I hope that you truly did have a great summer, but remember that the summer coming to an end is only actually a beginning. We have a school year ahead filled with wonderful opportunities where God wants to use you and yours students to bring life change to others.  And by taking these steps now I believe you will better see those opportunities and step up and take advantage of them when they come.  Then I know you will see more fruit from your ministry than you ever have before. 

There are people in youth ministry who think statistics are the end all to be all and should drive all of our decisions about youth ministry resources and every thing else we do. I am not one of those people.  I just feel that statistics can often be misleading and when we base our entire ministry on them our students often get hurt. Why do I feel this way? Well think about the last time you went to a youth ministry conference. You probably sat in on a session and someone had just done or a ready a study on this generation and some alarming trends.  More than likely these numbers got your attention and lit a fire under you. Do not feel bad about this because I am the same way.  But then, we are faced with a choice. We can blindly accept them and completely turn our ministries upside down or we can step back for a moment and see how these numbers fit into the context where we minister.  The latter is obviously the better option because each of our situations is unique and we are ministering to a specific segment of the population of this generation.  For example, teen drug use is on the rise but it may not be in your area. In my hometown I know that alcohol is still the drug of choice among teens, and while it is technically a drug it is not what the studies are often referring too.  So if I was ministering where I grew up I would look kind of silly coming at students and telling them to stop smoking weed when not many of them are.  The other thing about this is that we need to realize that these studies refer to a segment of the population and not the whole population. So you should not assume all of your students are struggling, but you should be aware that some of them are. 

This is why I think the biggest thing in all this talk about numbers is relationships. As always it is important for you to be connected with your students or that a leader is connected with your students so that your students hurts, struggles, and outlooks on life can be understood and that student can properly be ministered to.  So every time you hear some alarming statistics, step back, think about your students, and then take the proper next step for your context. Having said that, there are a few statistics which you may or many not have heard that I am finding to be trends that are affecting the majority of this generation and not just small segments of it.  Hopefully they will give you some insight into the teens you are trying to reach. 

1. More than half of all marriages end in divorce.-  This stat has been around for a long time but it is important to remember. i never knew how much though until I was twenty-five and my parents got divorced. Event at that age I could not quite grasp what was going on. I was questioning things like, "If my parents did not want to be married does that mean I should never have been born?"  Not to mention that the one thing that had been a constant in my life was gone.  If I could not deal with this I cannot even begin to imagine how this rocks the world of a teen, especially since they have little control over where they live and are often shuffled back and forth. We need to realize that many of our students are dealing with this issue so that not only they can process through it and feel love but also so that our other students can be aware of what is happening and show that love that is so desperately needed. We also must ensure that our ministries are centered around community since many of our students are no longer receiving that at home, the place where they should be.

2. A recent pew study showed that there was a 15% drop in the number of people in this generation who did not doubt the existence of God.  This means that more and more people are questioning God. This may not seem too alarming but it is a little bit more when you realize that no other generation had more than a 5% drop.  The reason I share this statistic is because it shows that students of this generation are more and more questioning whether truth exists.  They are also wrestling with the meaning and purpose of their life and whether anyone is there for them and if any of this life matters.  Hence we see students struggling with self-image, sexual activity, depression, addictions, etc.  We also get phrases like, "YOLO (You only live once.)."  I know none of this is new but it feels different to me this time. It does not feel like teens just letting off steam and trying to figure things out.  Therefore we must have a sense of urgency about making sure every student feels loved and valued, that our students are grounded in their faith, and that they are actively sharing that faith with others. Which brings me to our last statistic. 

3. Studies continually show that at our current rate less than 4% of this generation will follow Christ.  That numbers makes me lose sleep at night because I believe it could be a reality, and it reminds me of the important role that we play in the lives of students. Even if that number is exaggerated and skewed I figure if only 99% of this generation follows Christ that is not enough.  We need to have a sense of urgency about what we do and make sure that we are doing everything in our power to reach students for Christ. We need to equip our students to go out and reach others so that this generation does not become one big statistic.  I know that you are and I hope you will continue to do so with more and more of a sense of urgency.

Every kid matters,

Jamie Starrett

Have you ever wondered what your youth ministry and in turn your community would look like if we really just let loose? Now I know what some of you may be thinking. "You should have seen my last event. The youth ministry resources, games, and activities were such a big hit that there was gum on the ceiling, shaving cream on the floor, and we still haven't gotten the smell out of our youth room."  But this is not the letting loose that I am talking about.  I am talking about letting go of any fears we have, letting go of any letting limitations that we place on ourselves and our students, and truly unleashing the power that we have inside of us. 

This thought process came about as I have been reading through Acts recently, over and over again.  Acts continues to be one of my favorite books in the Bible. It is incredible reading one account after the other of people speaking out for Christ with incredible boldness and then God moving in mighty ways because of it.  I think it sums up best in Acts 17:6 where they say, "And when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city authorities, shouting, “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also..."  That may seem like an overstatement but if anything it was an understatement. They truly had turned the world upside down for Christ.  Then, as always when I study this book, I began to look at the world around me and wonder why we were not seeing the same type of move of God?  Now, I know some of you reading this are in parts of the world where you are seeing moves like this and I would love for you to share what is going on and how God is moving. But I know for me, here in my home deep in the heart of Texas, I am not seeing the same move of God around me.  So I can't help but wonder why.  And I feel that sometimes it is because we are limiting ourselves and what we think can be accomplished in us and through us.  I fear that we often read scripture and think, "Those are great stories, but those men and women were special and there is no way my students and I could do something like that."  Now, I am sure we believe we can do big things but how big. Do you believe thousands of people could come to Christ in one day? Do you believe that there could be "no needy among you"?  It is time we start believing these things, not only because this generation and our world needs a mighty move of God but also because I believe it is possible. Why do I believe this?

Well for one, our culture is eerily similar to the culture that the apostles lived in. When you study government and culture of that time and do a comparison this becomes very clear.  Granted, the Jews in Jerusalem that the apostles initially ministered to were waiting for a Messiah, but aren't those in the world around us as well? Aren't they waiting for hope and an answer to all the pain, emptiness, and struggles in their lives and just hoping someone will save them?

But here is the bigger thing. When you look at the apostles they did not receive any special training or have any unique abilities above and beyond what we have. What I mean is that we are all gifted to do things for God and we should not look at them like they just have skills that none of us do, therefore we cannot do what we did. This is a lie.  Because when you look at the essence of Acts, what happened? The apostles had met Jesus. They were crazy enough to believe He was who He said He was, that He did He did what He said He would do, and that He would accomplish through them what He said He would accomplish.  And then here is the really crazy part, they were obedient to do what He commanded them to do. 

Guess what?  We have met the same Jesus and have the same Holy Spirit inside of us that the disciples did.  All that is missing is for us to follow their example and believe that Jesus was who He said He was, that He did He did what He said He would do, and that He will accomplish through us what He said He would accomplish.  And then most importantly of all we need to step out and be obedient to what He commanded us to do.

I hope you are. But if you are not I hope you will begin to unleash in your youth ministry the true power of God that is inside of you and then in turn you and your students and leaders would unleash that power in the community around you.  Let go of fears and limitations you have placed on yourself and believe that God can and will move as He has before. And if we do this I know we will see our world turned upside down for Christ once again. 

Youth ministry, if done properly. fills an important role in the church and the community that surrounds it. But what if yours went away? What if all the youth ministry resources, games, and events ceased to exist? Would anyone notice? Would your students lives change that much other than having a couple of extra free nights a week?  I think these are important questions to ask because I fear that sometimes in ministry we fall into a rut of just doing the same old thing and feeling up the calendar without putting too much thought into what we are doing. I am not saying we all do this, I am just saying it is a trap that we all can fall into from time to time.  And when this happens our ministries do not have the full impact that they could and our students suffer because of it. I want you to think for a moment if the ministry that you are currently offering matters or have you fallen into the rut of just going through the motions?  This is not about beating ourselves up but instead about raising the bar in our own lives to make sure that we truly fulfilling that calling that God has placed on our lives.  And with this I want to give you a few things that I think will help to ensure that your student ministry truly does matter in the lives of your students.

1. Be relevant.- I know sometimes this phrase can cause the hair on our arms to stand straight up and our skin to crawl. This is because many people have taken this phrase to mean that we should water down the Gospel and our faith in order to not offend anyone. But instead what ends up happening is that we are no different than the world around us so why would anyone want what we have?  But this is not what I am talking about. What I am speaking of is knowing your students and then making sure your youth ministry is addressing what is happening in their lives.  I share this point because I can still remember the day when I was sitting with my small group of senior guys and they began to open up about their lives.  I was blown away not only by the struggles that they were facing but also the mindsets they were developing about the world and what it was okay to do in it. See I had assumed they had faced the normal teenage stuff about cheating, lying, being sexually active, and this was true.  But there was so much more things that they had struggled with that I had never even thought of and many of them were facing things at home that I could not imagine dealing with. Needless to say this drastically changed the way that I ran my small group. I encourage you to do this with your ministry. Make sure that you are sitting down and talking with your students about what is going in their lives so that you can make sure what you are offering them meets their needs. Which brings me to my second point. 

2. Meet needs.- Students have what I would call a "ministry need."  This is what I was talking about before. You offer them something different than what they get the rest of the week and you need to make sure you are feeling that need properly.  But they have other needs. Students have relational needs. You need to make sure that these are being filled by offering your students community with a leader and one another.  They also have emotional needs. You need to make sure that your student ministry is a safe place for them to share their hurts and struggles and find healing. Students also have physical needs. Some students in your group may not have enough clothes or even a place to sleep. Some of them only get the free lunch that their local school offers.  You need to be sensitive and aware of these needs and then work to meet them.  And of course, all students have a spiritual need. They have a whole in their life that only Christ can fill and we need to work in order to ensure that they all have this whole filled. 

3. Be consistent.- This maybe should have fallen into the need category, because students rarely get consistency in their lives anymore. Parents walk out on them. They are moving from home to home often times. Relationships come and go. Teachers and coaches leave. They need to know that someone can and will be there for them on a consistent basis.  You need to make sure that you can be that consistency for them or if you cannot that they have a leader who can.  You also need to make sure that as you go out and minister to the community that you are consistent in that as well and that your work is not just a hit and run event to ease your conscience for a while. And in the process of all of this you can show your students and the community around you the one thing that will be the ultimate consistency in their lives.  A right relationship with God through Jesus Christ. A relationship that can never be taken away and will carry them through whatever life throws at them.

Please hear me again. This article is not about me thinking that we are not doing our jobs well. This is about me saying that we can always do our jobs better. I encourage you to evaluate your youth ministry carefully and see where you can raise the bar in your life. 

If we are not careful our youth ministry will be the last time that our students follow Christ or step foot in a church.  We all have seen the alarming statistics about how many students leave the church never to return after they graduate high school.  There are many factors that contribute to this but I can't help but wonder if part it, from the way we implement our youth ministry resources to how we cast our vision, is our fault.  And even if it is not directly our fault, I feel there are some things that we can to begin to turn this statistic so that graduation from our student ministry is not an ending for our students in their spiritual walk but instead the beginning of an incredible journey.

1. Let them know this is only a beginning.- Our students need to clearly understand that this phase of their spiritual journey in our student ministry is only a beginning.  They need to see that even though we focused much on what to do as a student so that they could follow Christ successfully in these formative years, these principles still carry over and apply to the other seasons of their life they are about to enter.  I just feel too many students somehow think that just like they will never go back to high school,that they also will never go back to church because that was just something they did when they were younger. 

2. Prepare them for what is ahead.-  I was thinking about this the other day. I do not remember my student pastor ever talking about what I should do once I go to college or how to handle relationships as I grew older.  Granted, I understand not harping on these things, because I had enough problems handling the temptations and issues I was facing as a student.  But I also know that for a while I was bombarded with things that I was not prepared to handle. We need to take time to prepare our students for what lies ahead both spiritually and practically so that they are ready for the fight.  We need to let them know about the big temptations they will face and the difficulties of making the right decisions when no one is watching you anymore or there to tell you what to do.  This way, even though the choices will be up to them, they will at least have the tools they need to stand firm.

3. Empower them while they are with you. - It has gotten to where students no longer are leaving the church in college but instead their junior and senior years of high school.  Again, there are many reasons for this, but I think what happens is that at some point they get tired of sitting. I believe our students want something more. They want to accomplish big things, and the world offers that to them, or at least a version of it.  For example, schools give students many opportunities to serve and lead.  And I think often times students get involved in that and feel valued and important and wonder why they should go to the church if they are not getting to do anything.  Those opportunities are great because students are getting an opportunity to be a light for Christ in the world. But they also still need to be a part of the body of Christ. This is why I think we need to make sure that we empower our students so that they feel valued, take ownership of their faith, and understand what it means to serve in the body of Christ.  This also helps them to take big steps in maturing in their faith.  Please, make sure that as your students grow they are taking more and more ownership of their faith and your ministry. 

4. Help them take their next steps.- We cannot hold our students hands through their entire life after they leave our youth ministry. But I believe we can and should help them take their next steps. As as student is going off to work or college help them find places to get connected. Help them get online and look for organizations they can join and churches in the area they can connect with.  Help them place spiritual disciplines in their life and strategies so that they can avoid temptation.  Because we do have to let go, but we at least need to let our students have a fighting chance in the process.

Transition is always a big thing but it is an important step. We cannot hang on to our students forever but it is important that as we let go we make sure we have done all we can so that our students stand firm in their faith and become leaders in youth ministry and the church as a whole in the future.  Hopefully these ideas and the work you continue to do will help all of us turn the tide of students leaving the faith and in turn transform this generation and generations to come for Christ.

We have spoken a lot lately about how youth ministry cannot just be about what is happening in your church but that instead the youth ministry resources you use and the vision you have must also be outwardly focused.  We also have looked  at what this means for us as we take the Gospel to the ends of the Earth as well as the community around us. We even have spent a day looking at a specific niche of our community, our schools. Well today I want to look at another niche in our community that it is vitally important for our ministries to impact. Because how we minister here will not only effect this generation but also generations to come.  What I am speaking of is our homes. A place that is under more and more attack each and every day and it is time that we begin to battle back.  Because this is a fight worth fighting and a fight that can be won.  Today we will be looking at a few things that I believe we can do in order to be a ministry that impacts families and either keeps them strong or brings healing.  Hopefully these things will begin to birth a vision in you for how you can begin to impact not only students but also their caregivers as well.

1. Pray- This is the biggest and best thing we can do. We need to be on our faces crying out for our own family as well as the families of our students.  Because prayer is powerful and God hears and answers the prayers of the faithful. And since there is a war going on against our families we need to make sure we are out on the front lines battling everyday.  Some of this battle we be on your own, in your office, as you are a secret warrior for your students. But I also encourage you to let your students know that you are praying for their families.  Not only will this be an encouragement to them but it will also show them the importance of family. Plus, they will be more willing to come to you with their hurts and struggles so that you can not only pray on your own but also pray in community with your students.

2. Be sensitive to unique situations.- This is not about tip toeing around sensitive situations but mainly just being aware that not all situations are the same.  Some students come from a two parent home. Some live with an aunt or a grand parent.  Some students are in foster care. Many of our students live in single parent homes and it is not always for the same reason.  It is important that we are aware of these situations not only so we do not put our foot in our mouths but also so that we can better understand our students and know how to minister to them. 

3. Be an example.-  I have mentioned to this before but you need to be an example for what healthy family can be. Notice I did not say perfect because we do not want to be fake, but instead we need to be models of healthy relationships in our homes.  Let students be a part of your life to an extent so they can see how you fellowship together, have meals together, and argue together. And if you are single, just be an example of how you are remaining pure as you wait for a family or how God calls some of us to be single.  These real life examples might go much further than any lessons you ever teach. 

4. Support Parents.-  Some parents desperately want to minister to their teens strengthen their families but just do not know how. You need to give them support not only in prayer but also with encouragement, a listening ear, and resources. This way they know that they are not in this alone but that also things work out much better if they are the one primarily ministering to their child.

5. Send students out on mission.- Let's be honest. Many of our students come from jacked up situations and their parents not only do not have a clue or love God, but also do not want there students to love God either.  It is in these situations where our students have an opportunity to grow up and be the leader in their home. We need to prepare them for and support them in this role not only for their own well being but also for the future of the family they might have later on. Imagine the impact for generations is a student brought their parents to Christ or brought healing to their parents marriage.  It would be a ripple effect heard around the community and for generations.  Now I do believe there is a balance in this because our students need to be allowed to mourn and hurt and they need to know it is not their fault if things do not work out. But I do believe we need to raise the bar for our students of what God might be calling them to in their homes so that they see the opportunities for life change before them.

If nothing else, I at least hope today you are beginning to realize that not only is having as healthy of families important, but that also it is possible. And being in youth ministry means we play an important part in this role for our students and parents. So begin to pray for families today and pray God would give you vision for what He would have you to do in order to impact the families in your ministry. Then being to make that implementing that vision a top priority.  

Youth ministry primarily takes place within the walls of your church. Not only is this where all of the decisions about youth ministry resources and events are made but this is also where your small groups traditionally meet, midweek services happen, and other types activities. But as we have said before, this is not enough. While this inward component of ministry is vitally important there also needs to be an outward focused component as well.  And while some of this deals with having a focus on global missions, your outward focus must first be on your community.  Well for two reasons primarily.

For one, Jesus sent His followers out. They did not just stay in their little group and just hang out all the time. They went out and did ministry together and then when the time came Jesus sent them out even farther.  The second thing is that Jesus called His disciples to be His witnesses in, ..."Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the Earth."  And if you look at Acts we see that they took this very literally. They first ministered in Jerusalem and then the Gospel spread out to the surrounding cities and eventually the ends of the Earth.  We have this same calling and must follow their example. We cannot very well love people across the globe if we are not loving the people in our Jerusalem right across the street.  But I do not want to just leave you with this truth without some practical advice of how to make this happen. I want to give you three ideas of how you can love your community as a student ministry and make an incredible impact for Christ.

Fair warning, I will be using the word adopt a lot because this signals a sense of permanence and taking on responsibility.  And I want to make sure that you understand that this cannot be a one time project but a long term commitment.

1. Adopt a neighborhood.-  The first thing I would suggest is to adopt a neighborhood in your area.  Look for one as close as possible to your church that you are not yet reaching. For example, we recently realized that even though our church was growing we had very few people attending from the neighborhood right behind us. So we started to go out into that neighborhood and found that not only were they not attending our church, the vast majority of people were not attending any church. I would not be a bit surprised if you found the same thing in a nearby neighborhood in your community.  There are a couple of ways this can start, but then it must mold to the needs of the neighborhood. I would suggest one primary thing though. I would go door to door and see if any one has any needs that need to be met from grocery shopping to yard work. Then make sure you have a team of people and the resources ready to meet those needs.  You could also mention that you are from the church around the corner or across town and that you have realized that you need to do a better job of loving and caring for this neighborhood.  This pseudo apology might go a long way in bringing healing to the life of someone who may have been burned by the church in their past. Just make sure not to say it like you think they are helpless and must be rescued, but instead as they are valuable and deserve to be served.  Then as you begin to learn the neighborhood, meet people, and hear what the needs are, you can plan and do ministry accordingly. 

2.  Adopt a park.- This may go hand in hand with the prior idea. Because at least in our community every neighborhood has a school playground in the middle of the neighborhood that serves as the park everyone plays at. Anyways, this project could simply start as park cleanup if that is needed. But some other ideas might be to go out and play basketball, soccer, or get a kickball game going. Hopefully you will not have to start any of these but can find a way to get involved with what is already happening. One great way to do this is to bring water or Gatorade.  This is always an easy way to get into a game.  Another simple thing you could do is just go push kids on the swing. I do not know your neighborhood but in my park I get exhausted because we are the only parents there and every kid wants a push. You could also set up a buffet of sorts and make sandwiches. If you do this though you may want to check the laws about local food service.  Then, like the neighborhood, as you get to know the park you can plan how you serve accordingly.

3. Adopt a school.- We did a whole post on this recently so I won't expand too much on this again,  but there are a few specific ideas I would like to mention. First you want to talk with the administration, parents, and students at the school to get a feel for what the needs are.  Then you could find ways to meet those needs. A few specific things I could think that might come up are offering after school tutoring or test prep. You could even serve pizza or snacks. Another idea might be computer classes or career prep courses.  Yet another plan might be to say that anytime an event needs volunteers, from fundraisers to festivals, that your church is ready to fill on the positions. Just make sure that when the time comes you are ready.  I would also have a school calendar handy. This not only helps you see possible opportunities to serve but also can help you plan ahead and have people ready to serve when the time comes. 

I hope this ideas are helpful. But even if you do not use any of them I hope you will at least make sure that this outward focus will be a component of your youth ministry. Because not only will there be a temporary benefit of your church having a better reputation in the community, but more importantly there will be the eternal benefit of lives that are changed for Christ. 

Youth ministry, from the youth the youth ministry resources you use to the youth ministry events you plan, are designed to reach your students for Christ in such a way that they not only experience life change but they also turn around help others experience that life change as well.  But in the process of doing this we sometimes fall into a trap. Sometimes instead of helping students live out a freeing life in Christ we end up simply piling more burdens on them.  Here is what I mean.

Our students have a lot on their plate. They have pressures on them from home, school, their peers, and the culture in general.  And then often times we come in and add on to that pressure. "You have to be at this event." "You have to do this service project." "You must read this Bible study." "You must follow these rules."  Are these bad things in themselves? No.  Because like I said before, we offer the things we do so that students can experience life change in Christ and help others do the same as well.  But if we are not careful, in doing this we add a burden to our students that ends up overwhelming them and turns them away from Christ instead of drawing them closer.

We need to make sure that we are clearly communicating to our students that Christ wants to free them. He wants to free them from their sin. He wants to free them from the pressures that the world places on them so they can live a life devoted to honoring Him and loving others.  We need to help them see this opportunity as well as communicating with them how to experience it. And in the process we need to make sure that we undo all of our teaching by adding on more bondage of our own.  You see the things I said before are great things. But when we communicate them the wrong way we make our students think that if they do not do them they are not truly following Christ.  This adds an unnecessary burden on them and makes them think that they need more than just Jesus work on the cross. 

Now, there are times where we do need to push our students to be at everything because when they are missing they are usually pulling away from God or their priorities are out of whack.  But other times we should not because either they are going to be out doing ministry amongst their friends or they may have major family responsibilities.  Whether we are pushing them to be a part of our ministry activities or just mentioning that they are available, it always needs to be done with an attitude of love that says we want you to be a part of what is going on because we think it could be beneficial, further your freedom in Christ, and we care about you. And never have an attitude that pressures them into thinking following Christ is a series of burdens.