If I was to ask your students about your youth ministry what would they say? This is an important thing to consider as you stop and evaluate your ministry from time to time. Now, obviously the first thing that comes to mind in many of our minds is, "Would they say it is fun?" This is understandable as fun is traditionally a big part of student ministry. But students need more than that and this generation is desiring more than that. So we must look beyond that to ask ourselves others questions. Here are three questions I would ask yourself about your ministry. Then try to look at these questions through the eyes of your students to see how they might answer.
Do I feel connected?- Students need relationships. Especially as we become more disconnected due to broken families and the increase of technology and social media. One of the best places for those relationships to be developed and nurtured is in your ministry. Therefore you need to make sure that every student that walks in feels connected. Not only should it be welcoming environment but also every student should be connected to an adult as well as another student. Not only will this keep them coming back but it will also make sure that they are growing spiritually and not just filling a set from week to week.
What is the next step my youth ministry is offering me?- The Christian life is a journey and you need to help your students take that journey one step at a time. So therefore you need to make sure every student has a next step. Maybe it is that they need to move from the midweek service to a small group Bible study. Maybe they need to move from a small group to a discipleship group. Maybe they need to disciple someone else or even take a mission trip. The next steps are endless but you need to make sure that they are available and that students can clearly look at your ministry and know what their next step is.
What's the purpose of our youth ministry?- Do your students know the purpose of your ministry? Is it clearly stated and then supported by all that you say, plan, and do? It should be. Because students need clear direction or they will lose interest or fall through the cracks. You need to evaluate your student environment as well as your event calendar and weekly schedule and make sure that the purpose of your ministry is going through so that every student that comes through the door can immediately plug in and begin growing in their faith and serving others.
There are many other questions that we could ask but these are the big three to me. Now all that is left is for you to look at your ministry and try to see what your students see. Do they feel connected? Do they have a next step and could they help someone else find theirs? Could they state the purpose of your ministry. If the answer is no to any of these then it is time for change and time change quickly. Otherwise your youth ministry will never have the full impact on the lives of the students in your church and in your community that it should.
Do I feel connected?- Students need relationships. Especially as we become more disconnected due to broken families and the increase of technology and social media. One of the best places for those relationships to be developed and nurtured is in your ministry. Therefore you need to make sure that every student that walks in feels connected. Not only should it be welcoming environment but also every student should be connected to an adult as well as another student. Not only will this keep them coming back but it will also make sure that they are growing spiritually and not just filling a set from week to week.
What is the next step my youth ministry is offering me?- The Christian life is a journey and you need to help your students take that journey one step at a time. So therefore you need to make sure every student has a next step. Maybe it is that they need to move from the midweek service to a small group Bible study. Maybe they need to move from a small group to a discipleship group. Maybe they need to disciple someone else or even take a mission trip. The next steps are endless but you need to make sure that they are available and that students can clearly look at your ministry and know what their next step is.
What's the purpose of our youth ministry?- Do your students know the purpose of your ministry? Is it clearly stated and then supported by all that you say, plan, and do? It should be. Because students need clear direction or they will lose interest or fall through the cracks. You need to evaluate your student environment as well as your event calendar and weekly schedule and make sure that the purpose of your ministry is going through so that every student that comes through the door can immediately plug in and begin growing in their faith and serving others.
There are many other questions that we could ask but these are the big three to me. Now all that is left is for you to look at your ministry and try to see what your students see. Do they feel connected? Do they have a next step and could they help someone else find theirs? Could they state the purpose of your ministry. If the answer is no to any of these then it is time for change and time change quickly. Otherwise your youth ministry will never have the full impact on the lives of the students in your church and in your community that it should.
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