How to Lead a Successful Youth Ministry

Last Updated: October 11, 2022 Approved

Youth Ministries are often the pillar of any Christian church's continuity. If you can't set teenage hearts on fire with love of God, they may go on to lead less fulfilling lives (or worse, be tempted into sinful ways). This being a difficult time in most teenagers' lives, it is more important than ever to get a good youth ministry program started. See more information on how after the jump. It is important to raise youth that are absolutely sold out to God. Youth who are incredibly unstoppable in every aspect of life.

Steps

1
Find a good meeting location. Many churches already have a great hall for their youth group, but if not find some location where everyone will feel comfortable. A large room, a park in good weather, or the beach in the summer are great places for teenagers to connect.
2
Get the word out. Word of mouth works great, so encourage frequent members to talk to their friends about the youth group. Place an announcement in the church newsletter and Sunday bulletin. If the church has a website, add a link for youth ministry information. Don't forget Facebook and Twitter, as these are very popular with youth.

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3
Break the ice. For a lot of these kids, the youth group will evolve into their greatest friends base, and that's a wonderful thing- if you can get it to happen. Play some get-to-know-you games, encourage group discussion and mingling. Get the teens out of their pre-set cliques. Make sure there are no teens left out or uncomfortable.
4
Let the youth lead. The youth know what the youth want. Often, it's best to pick 11th or 12th graders to form a "core" or "leadership" team to plan events and the like. At this age, they'll have developed maturity, planning skills, and hopefully a sincere love of God.
5
Sing praise to the Lord. Youth love music, and if you can find the right kind of music, even the quiet type will open up eventually. Set a mood, and use song as prayer. Those who aren't willing to sing under most circumstances tend to find themselves singing with joy when the Holy Spirit acts through them.
6
If you're a youth, push to effect these changes. Many youth groups are stagnant because the youth just don't care. Love of God is contagious, so let yours show for the benefit of those around you.
7
Sign up for or plan your own retreats. Away from the hustle of routine life, retreats can truly cause amazing spiritual conversions, and encourage youth to attend the regular meetings as well.
8
Pray for the youth of Christianity daily. There is perhaps no more important thing to do for your youth ministry than this.

Community Q&A

Question

Can organizing sports competitions help improve youth interest in God?

Oluyemi Sokunbi Emokpare

Community Answer

Yes. Every forum to gather people is an opportunity to showcase the goodness and love of God. Before the competition, you can arrange to pray and join hands with the team and share a scripture that will become a seed in their lives.
Question

What are the most effective messages to preach in a youth service?

Community Answer

The Gospel. While this may seem like a overly simplified answer, the greatest mistakes that youth pastors tend to make is to try and make every message conform to what they think the youth want to hear. Young people today have a very strong desire for "real" leadership and can see quickly through all of the fluff that pastors are trying to feed them. Trust your young congregation with full and unabridged lessons from scripture and you will find that real leaders with real hunger for righteousness will come out of your congregation. When it comes to being effective and relatable, tie this real Biblical teaching to ways that they can apply it at home and in school.
Question

What do I need to do when the youths lack passion for the regular services?

Community Answer

Get them involve in the planning and execution. Choose a leader who has charisma from among them.

Warnings

Have fun, but remember why you're there. Youth Groups are designed to bring God's teenagers closer to Him. Social time is excellent, and necessary, but don't overdo it to the point where the meetings may as well have taken place at the mall down the street.

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