How to Make Ministry Inviting for Teens

This is a guest post by James Freeman, Student Pastor at Destiny World Church in Austell, Georgia.  He is a graduate of Beulah Heights University in Atlanta, Georgia.  Known to his students as PJ, he is pictured standing in the hallway leading into the Student Sanctuary.

Pastor James in front of a mural in the hallway of the student sanctuary.

Youth Ministry is one of the most interesting, fascinating, yet perplexing ministries any church will have the blessing of operating. I have worked as the Student Pastor at Destiny World Church for 8 years and have enjoyed the highest of highs and the lowest of lows in youth ministry. During those years I have  learned there are three key elements in making youth ministry inviting for teens. I have gone to workshops and received numerous training materials regarding being successful in youth ministry and to me they can all be summed up in these three points.

1. Leadership of the Ministry is a very important in business, churches, and especially in youth ministry. The leadership personnel in youth ministry, just like any organization, will either build up or tear down the organization. Too many churches have the person over the youth ministry as the only individual working without ensuring that he or she has adequate support staff. There needs to be a leadership group not just one person and they have to be solid before the youth ministry can grow. That means there should be training for the leadership in order for them to know how to properly care for the students they will encounter.  Parents will not take their kids to an organization where the leadership over their kids is suspect. The church leadership, meaning the senior pastor, board of directors, and other personnel in authority has to be supportive of the person overseeing the youth ministry. There is no greater feeling for the person in charge of the youth than to know he has support from his leaders.
2. The Look of the Ministry Must Be Appealing to the Students you plan to attract. Meaning youth ministry has to be exactly that, geared toward the youth. There has to be a place whether it’s a room, sanctuary, or even a fellowship hall where the students know when they get there it’s geared for them. The youth director might have to go the extra mile to ensure there are plenty of items; toys, gaming systems, poster on walls, to make it appealing for the students but it will be worth it over time. The look of the ministry also means adults are not allowed to hang out in the youth area because this can deter some students from attending.
3. Love of the Ministry, which in many cases has given youth ministry in the past a bad name because they only welcome and love on the good kids of the church. Youth ministry and church is a place where all people should be welcomed whether you know their problems or not. Students need to feel its ok to come to a place and not be judged by the way they look or what people think they know about them. Youth ministry should do the best they can to make all people feel welcomed whether they are new to the ministry or have been there for years. Be sure that your youth ministry does not discriminate because everybody has messed up in life and we must be willing to appreciate every students who walks through our doors.

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Pastor James is available for speaking engagements and can be reached at jfreeman@destinyworldchurch.org or 770-874-8266.

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Tags: James Freeman, Youth Ministry