5. Teenagers can be a farm club.
If you want a strong pro baseball team, you’d better build a strong farm club. If you want a strong church, you’d better build a strong youth ministry. Teenagers can become strong leaders now and stay strong leaders later if you properly inspire, equip and mobilize them.
6. Teenagers need you now.
Suicide is up among this generation. It’s the second-leading cause of death among those ages 10-24. Among the culprits that trigger suicidal thoughts is teen stress. According to Psychology Today, the average teenager today has the same amount of stress as the average psychiatric patient in the 1950s! Teens are desperate for peace, and nobody will bring it to them like the Prince of Peace, Jesus himself.
7. Teenagers will thank you later.
Let’s take a cue from the old “Thank You” song. Imagine yourself in heaven with a long line of believers standing before you. One by one they thank you for your investment in their lives when they were teenagers. Imagine the souls that were saved, the lives that were changed, and the tragedies that were averted because you stayed in this tough (but eternally rewarding) job. Think of the gratefulness you’ll feel in your heart that day because you decided to stay in youth ministry today.
I know youth ministry is hard. And I also know that sometimes God calls us into other roles. But if you’re wrestling through whether or not to stick with it because it’s hard, consider these seven reasons why to stay in youth ministry.
And if you’re gonna stay, do it right. Build your youth ministry on Gospel Advancing, disciple-multiplying values. They make all the hassle worth it and give you the biggest bang for your ministry buck.
If done right, youth ministry is worthy of your lifelong investment. Unless God is directly calling you out, refuse to give up!
This article about why to stay in youth ministry originally appeared here.
