Are you asking the right questions about your youth program? Too often we never get around to isolating the crucial factors because of our concerns for immediate pressures.
I’d like to propose four basic questions you might ask yourself about the youth program in your church.
The first is this: “What do we want to accomplish?” Many parents want the church to provide activities to keep their teen-agers “off the streets.” Others see the youth fellowship giving hours of instruction-a “training union” emphasizing the denominational distinctives. My own church environment included a steady diet of “what Baptists believe,” plus bonus social functions. Our goals, conscious or not, determine how we design our programs.
These goals should reflect and complement the purpose of the church “to build up the body and equip the saints to do the work of ministry” (Ephesians 4:12). Therefore, the purpose of the youth group should be discipleship; building our young people in the faith so they understand the lifechanging implications of true Christianity. Evangelism, large attendance, social functions, and church involvement may be byproducts of the ministry, but our goal must be changed lives. We must ask, ‘What kind of adults will these teen-agers be five, ten, or twenty years from now?”
In my ministry I ask continually, ‘Where are the students to whom I ministered ten years ago? Are they living for Christ? Are they involved in a local church? What about the quality of their marriages and homes?”
A youth group that exemplified the first crucial ingredient of discipleship stands out in my memory. They enjoyed being together, had a desire to know God, and had a leader dedicated to loving them for Jesus’ sake. The high school fellowship seemed to be the most spiritual group in their church. Their vitality and enthusiasm attracted young people from all over town; many found Christ. Fifteen years later, many of these students are committed Christian citizens and parents.
This was a Presbyterian group, but I have observed the same process across the denominational spectrum. Jesus taught that the first distinguishing characteristic of his disciples, and the potent ingredient in their witness, was love (John 13:34, 35). It’s not surprising, then, that in this successful youth ministry there was a person dedicated to loving young people for Jesus’ sake. He did what love demands: praying, listening, sharing, and spending time with his “kids.” The discipleship process was tied to a person, and the primary ingredient was love.
The second irreplaceable ingredient in discipleship is solid biblical content. Our objective should be to teach Christian doctrine to our young people in language they can understand, and with relevance to their individual situations. We must prepare them to stand on their own spiritual feet. I remember believing I was well grounded in my faith because I was living a “separated life,” and because I knew many Bible verses and “snappy put-downs” for cynical unbelievers. In reality, I needed to understand the lordship of Christ, the necessity of a meaningful devotional life, and genuine biblical values.
Sunday school offers opportunities for a more traditional classroom approach to teach the Bible; but the youth group meetings should be held in a relaxed and informal setting. Instruction, especially that teaching which concerns implications of the faith, should employ discussion groups, special speakers, and specific projects.
Every summer the associate pastor of a large church in my community took his young people on a “caravan.” This was a mission trip to a smaller church in another state or country. The students would raise the needed funds through various projects and then embark on a two-week adventure. One summer I was asked to lead a similar caravan for the kids who stayed behind. After a regular group Bible study, our projects included a day of painting for an inner-city youth center, an evening program for a skid-row mission, and a day’s involvement with a film ministry at the airport. These experiences taught the group valuable lessons about how to apply scriptural truths to the service of others. Discipleship means learning and modeling the lordship of Christ.
We minister to whole persons. Kids need more than theology. They have social, physical, mental, and emotional needs. High school students feel tremendous social drives; they are trying to discover their identities and place in society. Because of this, fellowship should have an important place in the youth program. We don’t have to feel guilty that they spend so much time just “messing around.” Young people like to laugh, and humor is indispensable.
When I came to Louisiana two years ago, I kept hearing about Seniors, a very popular church youth group. Everyone I questioned admitted they weren’t sure why Seniors was so successful. The recurring themes, however, were a young couple who loved them, and the good times they had together. One girl said, “The glue that holds this group together is fellowship.”
The key word is balance. Young people need parties, games, and other social events where they can be themselves and feel accepted; but the focus must be on Christ. This girl also told how she’d been invited to the group by a friend, and through her, she accepted Christ. Eventually her family came to Christ and became active in the church.
We can’t simply talk to young people about heaven and eternal truths; we must show how our relationship with God affects our whole being. What difference does he make in relationships, studies, thought-life, motives, and health? Young people welcome counsel in these areas.
The second question I’d pose is this: “Whose needs are we meeting? A natural occupational hazard of the youth worker is the tendency to use the group to satisfy psychological needs. Consider the Little League parent. Encouraging, gesturing, and shouting, he pressures his son to perform well on the baseball diamond. Ostensibly, this is for the child’s own good, but in reality, the father’s ego is on the line.
We leaders are especially vulnerable here. We can become proficient rationalizers, defending our ideas, our programs, and our results. In the process, we manipulate the church to meet our needs. It is not wrong to feel good about one’s ministry; the problem arises when this becomes our subconscious goal instead of a by-product.
On a cold and rainy Tuesday evening I walked into Insight, a Christian growth meeting, and was greeted by five students. I waited nervously for others to arrive, but as the minutes passed slowly, I became painfully aware that no more were coming. For the next half hour I grilled these hapless few about the lack of attendance. Where were their friends? After all, weren’t they concerned about their eternal destiny? Afterward, while preparing to leave, my associate confronted me. “At least these kids came,” she stated. ‘What did we give to them ?” I had to admit that under the guise of spiritual dedication and concern, I was only thinking about myself.
Large attendance figures make us feel good: “Two hundred came last Sunday and there were fifteen decisions.” Unfortunately, large numbers can be a result of pressure, competition, or attractive incentives. We look successful, but whose needs are being met? The bottom line of ministry motivation can easily become pride or fear of failure.
Add to this the parent factor. Parents have a vital interest in youth work. This interest can be a tremendous bonus resulting in encouragement, support, and help. However, parents can exert subtle pressure to have their needs met, such as specific philosophies of youth work or special attention given to a son or daughter. In this complex situation, it will take courage to make the right decision. It will also mean taking time to talk with parents, explaining our commitment to responsible ministry, our love for their children, and our desire to have feedback from them. A youth minister from Rockford, Illinois, uses good communication techniques to defuse this potentially explosive situation. He carefully explains to parents that change does not occur overnight, and that the program exists for many young people, not just one. The Sunday evening meeting for prayer and sharing (called Catacombs) meets in homes so parents can see youth ministry first-hand.
Young people are unique creations of God, those for whom Christ died, and they must not be folded, spindled, or mutilated. They are not heads to count or decisions to be made. They are invaluable persons. If our goal is discipleship, then we will resist the temptation to pressure students to “perform” for us during the short time they’re in our care. Instead, we will patiently share Christ’s love and message, trusting the Holy Spirit to do his work.
The third question is this: “What are my church’s unique strengths?” I’m firmly convinced that every weakness is also a strength, and vice versa. Several personality traits that attracted my wife and me to each other when we were dating have become irritants, and we have also seen some prenuptial negatives turn out to be positive qualities.
Local churches may face a similar situation. Too often we bemoan our weaknesses and overlook our strengths. In the small church, for example, the youth group attendance is usually low, and financial resources are limited; a full-time minister of youth and a church gymnasium are out of the question. Although parents may encourage involvement, their teen-agers would rather attend “First Church” with its exciting programs and big numbers. On that basis, the tiny gathering of the faithful few can’t compete.
Meanwhile, at First Church the associate pastor of Christian education and youth may be tearing his hair out because of a gargantuan workload. He was called to ministry, but most of his schedule involves administration: planning activities, sending newsletters, ordering equipment, writing reports. Members want him to concentrate on rebelling, apathetic, and lonely young people, and they don’t appreciate the hoard of strangers descending on their new building every week. Volunteer sponsors have become difficult to recruit.
Both the small church and the large church need to focus on their strengths. The strengths of the small church are commitment and personal involvement. The congregation, acutely aware of the limitations of its size, develops a strong dedication to the church. Usually it is not too difficult to find sponsors who will give themselves wholeheartedly to young people. This sense of commitment is quickly picked up by teenagers.
The very fact that few attend the meetings can be an advantage. Here is an instant small group. Current discipleship materials are geared for relationship building and personal interaction and are most effective in a small group setting. In addition, sponsors easily remember the members’ names, and long-lasting friendships develop. Also, many opportunities arise for these students to take an active role in other aspects of the church, such as worship, Christian education, and hospital visitation.
In the small youth group, young people don’t feel lost in the crowd; they find a place to be accepted and to grow. To compensate for the lack of large exciting programs, these groups can cooperate with other churches and work through such groups as Campus Life and Young Life. Church identities remain intact while the youth enjoy the advantages of these supplemental ministries.
The strengths of the large church are obvious: inspiring speakers and music, exotic trips, multimedia, well equipped facilities. To a great extent these result from ample budgets, large memberships, and professional youth workers. The weaknesses are suggested in the “First Church” example: too much to do, too few volunteers, too superficial a ministry. But that need not be the case. I found practical solutions to these problems both in Metairie, Louisiana, and Lone Oak, Kentucky.
In Metairie, the youth director was a part-time seminary student with limited time. The program included junior high and senior high meetings for instruction and fellowship, small discipleship units, and periodic retreats. The high school group grew from twenty-five to fifty regular attenders, and the junior high grew from five to fifty. Although the director spent as much of his time as possible with the high schoolers, most of the ministry occurred through lay persons. Each volunteer led his or her small discipleship group and worked together on the large activities. The secret to the success of this ministry was the director’s ability to recruit a quality volunteer staff and to subdivide the young people into smaller manageable units as their numbers increased.
In Lone Oak, the usual attendance for the Monday evening youth meeting was about 150 high school students. Since the staff member in charge was the minister of both music and youth, his time was limited. He overcame this by involving as many of the young people as possible in youth choirs. There are presently sixty high schoolers and thirty-eight junior high students in the choirs. By overlapping these responsibilities he developed both areas of ministry. In addition, he effectively used student leadership, and a youth council planned all activities. Council members were chosen from each Sunday school grade level, the minister acting as leader, resource person, and supervisor.
Regardless of size, a strength of every local church is loyalty. Its members are committed to the success of the institution. Parents desire their children to be active in the youth group and encourage them to join. At times, parental pressure is perceived as a curse (like having too many bosses), but used creatively, it can be a blessing. Before moving outward to others, we need to relate to our “captive” audiences by building friendships and sharing the vision for the ministry. Then we will gain staunch, adult allies in parents.
Whatever the church size or situation, it is important to build on strength. In every difficulty, look for opportunity.
One last question: “What are my church’s resources?” In other words, how can we take full advantage of our specific facilities and schedules and the members’ interests and gifts? Prepackaged, personal ministry is self-contradictory, and a superimposed and preconceived program will be discouraging. Whenever we deal with people, the results are unpredictable. Each person is a unique combination of strengths and weaknesses. It is imperative, then, to plan our youth programs around the resources we have, not those we wish we had.
Successful football coaches determine their offensive strategy after assessing personnel. They don’t try long passes with weak quarterbacks and receivers, and they don’t try fullback dives with 160-pound runners.
In the same way, a youth program should be molded around the abilities of those who participate in it. This begins with recruitment of sponsors and helpers. The non-negotiable qualities we should seek are a spiritual desire, a love for young people, and a willingness to spend time with them.
Creative abilities are also important. Music, drama, art, and photography can become integral components. Are there church members with these talents? Creative young people will be a bonanza! Utilizing the arts in our programs will add flavor, encourage spontaneity, and develop latent gifts.
The Seniors group mentioned earlier had a number of guitarists, and singing was a trademark of their meetings. The Kentucky church, which involves many young people in youth choirs, has opportunities for ministry with handbells and puppets.
One of the best examples I know comes from a large suburban church, which struggled for years with its youth ministry. The breakthrough came when the assistant minister of music began Son Company. Featuring a contemporary sound, this experiment developed into a first-class choir. It grew to fifty singers, with an instrumental section of brass, guitars, keyboard, and percussion. The entire youth group was revolutionized, and the program was expanded beyond musicians to include all types of students. Multimedia was added later. One high schooler was given the assignment of developing slide shows around a theme for each meeting. His eager response resulted in excellent presentations.
Don’t be afraid to seek out people in the congregation with special occupations, talents, or hobbies that can stimulate interest and add variety to specific meetings. Successful meetings I’ve observed include a lie-detector demonstration, the life-view through the lens of a professional photographer, make-up application by a professional clown, and instant song-writing by a vocalist/ guitarist. Other possibilities could include diving, politics, hot air balloons, airplanes, and hanggliding.
Try the same thing for camps and retreats. One of my staff members regularly goes hunting or fishing with his guys. Another friend, a contractor in Illinois, has a love for young people and the outdoors. As a youth sponsor he includes canoeing, hiking, snowmobiling, backpacking, and camping in his busy schedule.
Working within a church also means not competing with the rest of the body. Responsible youth work in the local church happens in the local church. This implies cooperation with other programs: Sunday school, choir, worship, and teamwork with the rest of the staff members. We are not “lone rangers” riding off to rescue young people.
In the Rockford, Illinois, example, youth work was integrated responsibly into the church schedule. Sunday school and Wednesday night Bible study became important parts of the youth program. Also, every four to six weeks they would sponsor a day of service to the church and community. They removed snow, raked leaves, washed cars, and did general church maintenance. Besides being a real help to the church, these free services built credibility for the ministry and taught students to give of themselves to others.
Nothing guarantees success. People will fail us and kids will act their age. A good program depends on so many variables: levels of commitment, available people, support of the church. Fortunately, the final results do not rest with us. We are to be faithful, but it is the Holy Spirit who works. Success on his terms is infinitely more important than an attendance of hundreds, and job offers from well known churches.
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