12Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity. I Tim. 4:12
Practical Success
Yesterday we covered some success principles . . . today I want to focus on things the I believe are critical to a successful youth ministry.
Small Groups – They empower your leaders to be “youth pastors” over the students in their group. They are a catalyst for building authentic relationships. As you grow bigger, you must become smaller (still be able to connect with everybody) and the only way to effectively do this is through small groups.
Discipleship – You have to have some kind of process in which students can grow up spiritually. Every youth group will be different – maybe you have classes on a consistent basis, a discipleship program, or some other avenue.
The Right People in the Right Place – You have to have great leaders in coordinator positions – let them own and dream for their areas. Let them schedule, train, and grow their areas!
Student Leadership – If you don’t have some way for students to lead as they get older, you’ll never keep your Jr.’s and Sr.’s… too often we offer the same thing for everyone for their 5 years in youth group and expect them to love it . . .they won’t. We need to empower them, train them, and expect big things from them.
Opportunities to Serve – I think it’s critical for your youth ministry to serve your community. Start an outreach team and have monthly or quarterly outreaches. It allows students to forget about themselves and be a part of something much bigger than themselves.
Follow – Up – You have to have a way to follow-up with students who comes to your youth group on a weekly basis, follow-up with first time guests, and follow up on salvations.
What practical factors do you believe are necessary for a successful youth ministry?
