How to Build a Youth Group (cont.)
6. Pray early and often for stronger youth ministry.
Youth ministry cannot succeed without being in the will of God. So bathe your youth ministry in prayer daily. Include it in congregational prayers on Sundays. Develop a prayer calendar for yourself, praying through specific needs of your leaders and teens. Be intentional in prayer. Don’t let it become something you do only when you think you have time. Make time!
7. Build relationships with volunteers.
Your youth leaders are crucial to stronger youth ministry. Invest in them. Get to know the flock that God called you to shepherd. These are the faces and voices of youth ministry in your church, and they reflect your leadership. The more you equip and support your leaders, the stronger your youth ministry will become.
8. Build on your church’s other faith-nurturing ministries.
You must build a ministry on systematic theology that equips children, youth, and young adults with a biblical worldview. Work with leaders of your church’s Sunday school and catechism classes to develop a complete faith-formation plan for young people. For more on faith nurture, visit our Building Blocks of Faith toolkit at crcna.org/FaithFormation/toolkits.
9. Don’t live in a silo.
Intergenerational interaction is critical for teens’ faith formation. Look for opportunities for your youth group to learn, serve, and grow with people of a variety of ages. Plan intergenerational service projects and mission trips. Invite older members of your church to come tell their faith stories.
For more ideas on building a youth group, visit our Intergenerational Church toolkit and Faith Storytelling toolkit at crcna.org/FaithFormation/toolkits.
10. Be accountable for your actions.
Finally, when you do ministry, it’s important to always be accountable. As a youth ministry leader, whether you’re planning an event at a corn maze, developing communication strategies, or scheduling a meeting with the senior pastor, be accountable. You’re under a microscope when you do ministry. So be self-aware and honor others through your actions and deeds.
This article about how to build a youth group originally appeared here.
