The call to reach out to others is loud and clear and the call to be mediocre does not live in the the mouth of God. They say that the average attention span is around eight seconds. It doesnt matter if they prayed a prayer at camp or raised a hand in church, if they dont understand what or who they are accepting, change will not be forthcoming. Be sure to update these directories annually. 10 Most Encouraging Bible Verses That Will Uplift Your Heart and Soul, 5 Things That Hurt Relationships with Grandkids, 30 Morning Prayers to Start Each Day with God, 10 Books of the Bible You Should Read Again and Again, 10 Things You Should Never Say to Your Wife, Christian American Idol Contestant in Top 12 Performs Lauren Daigle's 'Thank God I Do', What it Means for Us as Christians That God Is Available, How to Have Joy in Your Golden Years Despite These 10 Life Losses, 4 Things You Should Know about Big George Foreman, 8 Ways You Are Belittling Your Husband and What God Says about It, Maybe Money Can Buy Happiness, but Not Joy. If not, it might be time for a shakeup. The church will never be nearly as entertaining as the world. This is part four in my series9 Dynamic Ways To Revive A Dying Youth Ministry. Chriss passion is preaching, teaching and leading people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ, rooted in the gospel. Others will get choked out by worldliness. Intercessory is not just the domain of little old ladies and those crazy intercessors we sometimes meet. The key here? In part, thanks to text messages. 2. Once your 10%ers get 100% on board with this vision theyll inevitably impact the rest of the group. Approved. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. Too often we waste a lot of energy trying to get every teenager on board with our vision. Students need to know youre not just a good person, but someone who can do what they say they can do. Because of Jesus resurrection we are doing this event, Because of what Jesus said we are doing this. I hope I die here but not because you kill me, but because I dont ever want to leave. Ten years ago, I couldnt imagine a church in worse condition than Foothill Church. Because Identify and recruit the 10%ers to join you. Others are choked out by worldliness. Build a master recruiting list by deciding how many volunteers the ministry needs for the coming year and who the most likely prospects are to call. Pay your new youth pastor as well as you can, because he or she is most likely to stay if fairly compensated. Because of Jesus loved us we are reaching the lost. Perhaps thats because it should be the normal Christian life! If a youth ministry is not interesting in growing, by default, it is interested in dying. Friends made at church are generally friends who will not lead you astray. Sign up for a free 14-day trial today to see SimpleTexting in action. Leadership must accept that something is wrong and the church is declining first before anything else. If group programming is predictable, change it. This site is a proud member of the Salem Web Network, a subsidiary of, Copyright 2023, Crosswalk.com. It is important to have a plan in place and to be prepared for the challenges that will come your way. I've been there. And God is igniting their strategies in ways they never expected, with amazing results. Sadly, its not. We didnt rocket to thousands by dressing cool and throwing in a band. Churches plateau and decline due to missional drift. Brian Moss is the senior pastor of Oak Ridge Baptist Church in Salisbury, Maryland. Be accessible without being too indulging. Thank you.". But its worth it. "I've never known a pastor who didn't understand this," Moss says. We finally put a stake in the ground and declared that we would focus on reaching middle-income young families with children. Some seeds we sow land on hard hearts. We are not a megachurch, and we are certainly not the coolest church, but we are a healthy church. Most church leaders know their top priority is making disciplesbut most aren't doing much about it. Humility is one of the critical factors backing revival. If you focus on growth before depth, youll be tempted to adopt gimmicks, quick fixes and copycat tactics. Kids will see the activity of God in themselves when they start doing what they are gifted to do. If you need help revitalizing your youth ministry, check out my Ministry Minded coaching program. No, in fact it's the opposite. Similarly, Coastal Cathedral was able to increase its volunteer turnout by 100%. Be open, understanding, and willing to admit that you dont always have the answers but that youll help them navigate whatever theyre facing. Drew Wilkinson is the Head of Marketing at SimpleTexting. He helped me to stop feeling sorry for myself. Dont make your decisions on the basis of your feelings, which depend on changing circumstances and are unreliable. All Rights Reserved. I remember that Saturday morning as we talked about reaching new people, with tears in my eyes, saying, Guys, I have no idea how we will reach them, but if we will focus on the what, God will show us the how.. Articulate the basic tenets of the faith clearly . Bill Gepford is currently serving as a TiM associate pastor at Colby United Methodist Church, Colby, Kansas (2013-2015). Find reasons to believe in them. While this makes for an attention-grabbing headline, the underlying research shows that people arent bored in eight seconds they simply want to be shown something they care about within eight seconds. He led me to do some very practical things that yielded some very real results. This is part four in my series 9 Dynamic Ways To Revive A Dying Youth Ministry. But if you come to the time where you feel you a restart is needed, trust your gut and seek God's wisdom on next steps. Good things happen when we get a grasp of the gospel, that the crucified Christ is also the risen Lord. Theres no one silver bullet when it comes to engaging youth in your church. With that in mind, here are five best practices taken from real church leaders (and me, a former youth group member and leader) to help you build strong relationships with the youth in your ministry and keep them eager to come to church. 1. Hope and action are stronger than negativity. and start calling them the church, the Body of Christ and the hands and feet of Jesus. One of the clear signs of a dying church is an unhealthy prayer culture. . check out my Ministry Minded coaching program. When we do this God will be inclined to use us to start a movement of transformation in our communities. The food should speak for itself and make people want to come. If youre one of these youth pastors whose youth group is in decline, I feel for you. I've been there. Are you adequately challenging your students to live out their faith or is every week game night? First thing, take a breath. Strategy is a missing . We get the new believers equipped in evangelism right away (along with the other spiritual disciplines!) Or, if their program isnt dying, it might need a huge dose of revival. Too often, plateaued churches focus on growing the church numerically before they correct the drift philosophically. All rights reserved. If you want to revive a dying church, narrow the focus around what is essential to your calling. Before I came to my current church, they had been on a 15-year plateau followed by a near-death experience due to a leadership conflict. Be willing to put in lots of effort over a sustained period of time to invest in your churchs youth ministry for the long haul. There are a few things that youth are especially effective at contributing to a Church: Energy: Youth bring energy (sometimes called noise) to a church. Or maybe the youth ministry you have just went south for a variety of reasons,none of which are your fault. Sometimes, as a youth pastor, you will inherit a hot mess or a dumpster fire. Before I accepted the position, I thought the church just needed new leadership. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Stay positive, speak positive. Go with the goers and pray for the others. Scientists at (RPI) Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have found that when just 10 percent of the population holds an unshakable belief, their belief will always be adopted by the majority of the society. Science Daily July 26, 2011. 2 Get the word out. If there is no acceptance, it is impossible to see what to change. The application for how to revive a dying youth ministry? rather than the entertainment value of your meeting. Seek teenagers, volunteer and fellow youth leaders who are excited about revival to join you. people eventually pass away. Ministry Minded is three months of being equipped, trained and inspired, in community, to build a sustainable youth ministry that makes disciples. I didn't want to go to . Will GenerationS help me start a youth ministry? Or do you sprinkle it as fairy dust but then depend on the latest, greatest curriculum to produce real change? Dont just make converts but make disciples who make disciples. "I'm 50 years old and part of our church board of deacons. Some people will leave. Your church should be coming together and praying for each other and praying together. If kids are only required to show up, play whatever game youve come up with an then sit and listen to you speak for 15-20 minutes, its no wonder your youth ministry is in trouble. We must be fighting the good fight of holiness together. They walk around, they talk, they eat, but they are not the same. Are they 10%ers? Encourage the friend base to grow. If you're one of these youth pastors whose youth group is in decline, I feel for you. Reviving a Dying Church - Acts 29 Network: North America Church planting is hard, but so is church revitalization. How to REVIVE Your MinistryIs your ministry dying? Intercession isn't just the domain of old ladies and "crazy" intercessors we sometimes meet. He ministered to the crowds but poured 3 1/2 years of his life into the high-will/raw- skill disciples. Powered by Soulheart. Change the vision. All rights reserved. The Holy Spirit is the only one who can refresh, renew and revive His church. Only the Holy Spirit can refresh, renew and revive his church. Have teens share stories of how the gospel changed their lives or how God is using them to change the lives of their friends through the gospel. Do you pray for them as a staff? Don't be afraid to talk about God and religion, even if that's not what a lot of the teenagers really want to talk about. The church is declining numerically, but no one seems concerned. A declining youth ministry is hard on the soul but revival is possible. 3. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. Get their opinion and input on what the program should look like and where it should be heading. Set expectations for problems to be solved gradually over the course of years instead of pursuing futile quick fixes. Operate in light of your primary missionmaking disciples. What Are the Differences between Presbyterians and Catholics? Pursue non-legalistic, grace-drenched holiness together. The Gospel. Sharing stories of outreach, helping Christian leadership discover the ideas, innovations and resources that will equip them to advance the kingdom of God through the outreach efforts of the local church. Hire a youth pastor who naturally likes to do the tasks the job requires. Ask God to help you understand and communicate the ministrys real needs well. Market your youth ministry internally by constantly getting the word out about what youre accomplishing there so church leaders and parents will understand the ministrys importance. Keep your supervisor fully informed about whats going on in the ministry. Go all in on those. Among Americans aged 18-29, only 21% say they go to church weekly. Is prayer a big part of your youth ministry program or do you use it as fairy dust to sprinkle on your meetings but then depend on the latest, greatest curriculum to produce the real change? What compels you? But did you know you could be, indirectly, contributing to . Angry at the board. It depends on the church, of course, but statistically, churches often struggle to connect with kids and teens. Drew has more than a decade of experience managing successful integrated marketing programs to build brands, raise awareness, and generate demand. See 2 Corinthians 3:18. Over 7,000 contacts have subscribed to Milestones texts in the past two years ago. Mission Viejo, CA 92692. What happened? Hope: Its no secret . Part of trust building is not making promises you cannot keep. Acts 4:31 gives a micro recipe for revival, After they prayed the place where they were meeting was shaken. This article has been viewed 261,061 times. I never told the kids I could do something when I couldnt and when I did promise something, I darn well made sure it happened. Emphasize two basic goals: growing the. If you're one of these youth pastors whose youth group is in decline, I feel for you. Have you equipped them to do just that? DeVries is the author of Family-Based Youth Ministry and coauthor of The Most Important Year in a Womans Life/The Most Important Year in a Mans Life, and he has been a contributing writer for Josh McDowells Youth Ministry Handbook, Starting Right and Reaching a Generation for Christ. Was it the fast? I spoke at my friend Steve Swishers church, Essential in Virginia Beach, a while back and I thought, some other church may need this message. Were confident youll love how easy it is to text your youth members with SimpleTexting. Find their gifts and strengths and create opportunities for them to use them. Hang in there. Interestingly, the word revival never appears in the New Testament. But they can learn these on the way as they are sharing the good news of Jesus with those they know. We tried for months to reach the families in the homes surrounding our church. 5. Here are six principles to start the student ministry ball rolling. Yes they need sound doctrine. Yes, there are cycles, ups and downs and seasons, but there are some youth ministries that are just plain dying. What Jesus was teaching wasnt too hard, it was too hard for THEM. God didnt change the church, but he did change me. We must get them going to their friends, family, classmates, teammates and co-workers with the good news. Fast forward to present day. Your young people will see these closer-in-age mentors as older brothers or sisters, leading to closer relationships. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. When that failed to produce anything, I did the next most spiritual thing I could think of: I decided to go on an extended fast. He said, "Who said that?" I said, "I did," with a smile. It should be the standard operating practice of every believer. Fewer people are reached with the gospel, but no alarm sounds. The answer is a resounding YES!! Look at your system before your content. Develop an organizational chart for the ministry. Step #2 - Equip Does defining the community as the church's "customer" mean I ignore my member/attenders? wikiHow is a wiki, similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. Great leaders. Effective youth ministry means investing both in students and in parents. The previous youth pastor did their best or maybe not. Hoping to learn more from wikiHow. Change the setting. I was always taught Summer Jump not Summer Slump. Make time to pray for all the teenagers in your youth group and revival at their schools as part of your student leadership team meetings. Shift the focus from programs to friendships. Keep in mind that systemic changes must be built deliberately over a course of years for even the best content to reach students well. Look who Jesus spent most of his time with: Peter, James, and John. Start a text marketing campaign or have a 1-on-1 conversation today. Go with the growers and pray for the others. If you need help revitalizing your youth ministry, be sure to check out my coaching program Ministry Minded. "But about 90 percent of them have no strategy for how they will do it.". So whats our role in seeing revival break out amid deadness? Are they all in? Editor's Note: The following is a report on the practical applications of Mark DeVries'new book,Sustainable Youth Ministry: Why Most Youth Ministry Doesn't Last and What Your Church Can Do About It, (IVP Books, 2008). The second thing I did: I loaded up a van with my core leaders (there were about 12 of us) and took them to a one-day seminar on The Purpose Driven Church by Rick Warren. For all press inquiries, emailpress@acts29.com. Use the prayer-soaked word of God to keep Christ before the dying, to help them fight the fight of faith, to keep believing that even this final, painful push will be rewarded by God's grace. Make intercessory prayer the engine of the train that drives your youth ministry efforts not the caboose. Dont wander down rabbit trails. The answer is a resounding YES!. Lord, we desire for our friends, families, and neighbors to be open and to seek and find the truth of the. 9 Dynamic Ways To Revive A Dying Youth Ministry Updated 11/23/2022 Many youth ministries are in decline and dying. Encourage emotional health. That is less than the nine-second attention span of your average goldfish. Our church was hidden in the woods at the end of a dead-end road completely surrounded by an upper-income housing development. Everywhere I go, I meet brothers and sisters in Christ who are trusting that Jesus love is better than any human love, leaving same-sex sexual relationships to follow Jesus. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. % of people told us that this article helped them. Still others die due to lack of spiritual maturity. 2021 All Rights Reserved. 4. Choose a leader who has charisma from among them. With rolling eyes and heavy sighs many of them endure the lessons and enjoy the games. Ask the young people themselves, that is. Empower youth to rewrite hymns and prayers in ways that are meaningful to them. This works in the real world, not just on paper. Can we do anything about it? 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). When possible, make plans to travel there to see the culture firsthand and interact with the people you hope to minister to. Give new volunteers a thorough orientation, regularly check in with all your volunteers, and celebrate the good work that your volunteers are doing. Its prayer, fasting, preaching, teaching, shepherding. Kids hear enough about what they cant do, They also must contend with their own noise their head about not being good enough. If you're behind, you can start HERE. Ask Pastor John. Think clearly about what your ministry needs. If not, it might be time for a shake up. Its tedious. To view it please enter your password below: Apr 18, 2023 | Inspire Me, Youth Worker Training. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. At some point, most youth leaders wonder how to revive a dying youth ministry. Focus on one issue at a time. Make prayer the first thing you do as a staff for your teenagers. This was more than I bargained for. Dream boldly and ask God to breathe new life into the ministry. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and went out and spoke the Word of God boldly. The building shook with the power of intercessory prayer. But down deep inside we want to taze their cold hearts into beating hard and hot after God. Their attendance and worship flow out of the abundance of his grace to them. Outreach Magazine. Wasnt this Jesus strategy? I've used these ideas in a few of my youth ministries and had . As I reflect back and try to understand how our church was transformed, I never land on any specific programs, strategies or methods that were the secret. 1 Find a good meeting location. What do I need to do when the youths lack passion for the regular services? (This is why we love the book of Acts by the wayits full of these kinds of stories!!!). When searching for the next youth pastor, focus on finding someone who can steward a vision much larger than himself or herself while serving at your church. Yes, there are cycles, ups and downs and seasons, but there are some youth ministries that are just plain dying. By using our site, you agree to our. This content is password protected. Chris presented this material at Engage 2017,Acts 29US Wests annual conference. 9 Dynamic Ways To Revive A Dying Youth Ministry Updated 11/23/2022 Many youth ministries are in decline and dying. 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. My purpose is from this time to avoid idleness and to rise early.. We must equip our 10%ers how to lead other teenagers to Jesus and then equip the ones who do to grow and go as well. 'The Chaos, the Anger, the Hatred, the Divisiveness'Kevin Sorbo Says 'The Time Is Right' for His New 'Left Behind' Movie When Ive taken over a ministry like this, which has been multiple times, I have developed some comeback steps that I think might work for you. I call it "the six stages of a dying church." Denial. Although we call them spiritual disciplines or habits, we cant let the check list mentality creep into our walk with God by becoming legalistic about it. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. Last Updated: October 11, 2022 Whos with me? They unanimously agreed to do whatever it takes to become a healthy, outreach-oriented church. But by focusing on creating an involved, inviting culture that communicates the way your young people want you to, you can make leaps and bounds in engaging the students in your church community. Use stories and metaphors to affirm the progress you see and to encourage others to notice God at work in the ministry. Scale brick walls. Give yourself enough time to rest, as well. Youre doing a good job and youre only going to get better. I started as a bivocational pastor, which they really liked since they couldnt actually afford a full-time pastor. 4. 4 Tips to Effectively Promote Your Youth Ministry 1. Looking for ways to get young adults involved in church? Help volunteers build friendships with each other, and encourage them to remain committed to volunteering with the youth ministry for at least several years so they can see growth occur in students lives. College-aged helpers have been where the younger students are more recently than older ministry leaders, meaning they may have an easier time understanding their struggles in the context of the current societal and political climate. The only things I lacked were skill and knowledge! Affirm and encourage them regularly by showing your appreciation in creative ways (giving them gift cards, inviting them to the pastors home for dinner, etc.). Every forum to gather people is an opportunity to showcase the goodness and love of God. So, my answer is this: Spare the dying as much pain as you can. The result was that 11 out of 12 changed the world. The worst thing you can do is nothing at all. Incorporate these proven church social media strategies into your marketing. Whats most important is the ministrys impact on students lives, which will continue into the future whether or not the people who are currently working in your ministry are still there. While the content of your youth ministry is important, it cant be delivered properly if your ministrys system is flawed. Oh, and before you think this is an over night fix, this process is labor intensive and may take years. if it wont directly help your ministry fulfill its unique vision. I've been there. Make sure that the adults are connected to each other as well as to the students, with everyone working together to shine as brightly as possible. Translation? Yes, there are cycles, ups and downs and seasons, but there are some youth ministries that are just plain dying. "If you focus on growth before depth, you'll be tempted to adopt gimmicks, quick fixes and copycat tactics." Who are the biggest fans of what what you have going on? Hold regular meetings. For what its worth, here are a few of my suggestions for resurrecting a plateaued or dying church. Its easy to tell when the dead are back to life. Having younger mentors helping with classes and activities can open up more high-energy options for the students. Write job descriptions that clearly outline the scope of staff and volunteer position responsibilities. ", youth ministry, praying and connecting with God daily is very important. But those precious few seeds that land on good soil will produce 30, 60 or even 100 times what was sown. I was a resistant, skeptical, former Catholic who found himself at a protestant Bible College seeking God. You have to start believing you have a youth program thats worthy of an invitation.