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). Imagine a restaurant begging people to eat at it? Are they all in? Find reasons to believe in them. Today, I cant imagine ministry without it. Step #2 - Equip Does defining the community as the church's "customer" mean I ignore my member/attenders? Ministry to young people must include ministry to their parents and the family unit as a whole in whatever form it comes (eg. Transformed world. Reviving a Dying Church - Acts 29 Network: North America Church planting is hard, but so is church revitalization. Here are five reliable ways to build relationships and connections with the youth in your ministry. 1. Go with the goers and pray for the others. Six in 10 (61%) senior pastors say youth ministry is "one of the top priorities" of their church's ministry, and 7 percent say it is the single highest priority. The church was solidly Arminian, mostly egalitarian, and thoroughly in need of an overhaul. PASSION WILL TURN YOUR YOUTH MINISTRY AROUND, Youth Group Message On Serving Others: 3 Kinds Of People To Serve, Helping Your Students Develop Spiritual Habits, The Exciting Summer Outreach Program That Will Grow Your Youth Ministry, Your teaching style might have to change in order to help kids level up, Focus on growing students not growing the group, Find your kick starter. If you need help revitalizing your youth ministry, check out my Ministry Minded coaching program. Angry at the board. But dont wait for LTCU. Ask Pastor John. What are the most effective messages to preach in a youth service? Identify and recruit the 10%ers to join you. Once you have the volunteers, regularly communicate with them. 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. Put aside your ego and point to Jesus. 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. Ministry Minded is three months of you being equipped, trained and inspired to build a sustainable youth ministry that makes disciples. 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. However, despite a clear majority, one-third of pastors (32%) say it is either somewhat, not too much, or not at all a priority. Youth who are incredibly unstoppable in every aspect of life. Every five years or so, bring key stakeholders together to cast a fresh vision for the ministry. Do something. Youth Ministry Restart: How I Knew And How It Happened But, focus is critical and a turnaround leader must have grit. I was always taught Summer Jump not Summer Slump. What God gave me was the grace to persevere. Its prayer, fasting, preaching, teaching, shepherding. Be sure to build in enough time to reflect on what youre doing regularly and keep thinking and praying about how to best meet your goals. But did you know you could be, indirectly, contributing to . In this first of a two blog series, Gepford explains why he started the program and what he did once the program was in place. Kids hear enough about what they cant do, They also must contend with their own noise their head about not being good enough. We went to a small bed-and-breakfast, and there we simply dreamed, prayed and bound our hearts together. Emphasize two basic goals: growing the youth group to reach more students, and creating a ministry that the students will enjoy. When you look around at your church, how many younger members do you see weekly? Yes, I understand, you want the youth ministry to be be bigger, but berating your kids to do it will not get it done. I didn't want to go to . See more information on how after the jump. They keep showing up, so we keep juggling flaming poodles (so to speak) to keep their attention. When we do this God will be inclined to use us to start a movement of transformation in our communities. Start taking prayer walks or shutting your door for 30 minutes daily. This comes with the added perk of being confidential and building trust. Yet your church's youth ministry is still failing to attract many students, and your latest in a string of youth pastors has resigned. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 261,061 times. The Revive Movement is a Christ-centered ministry in the historic Wesleyan theological tradition with the purpose of resourcing local church children, youth and adults by making disciples of Jesus Christ. Great disciples. If not, it might be time for a shake up. So scour your soul and keep all your 10%ers encouraged and accountable to do the same. 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. Text message marketing is an effective way for churches or other groups to stay in touch with their community through instant communication. "Praying daily is a very important element for a successful anything, whether starting a church, a new job, or a, "Thanks for such a beautiful collection of ideas. How to REVIVE Your Ministry - YouTube Its time for revival and it starts with you choosing to lead the way! If so, don't despair. There hadnt been a baptism in the church for at least 10 years and no recorded salvations for longer. Or, if their program isnt dying, it might need a huge dose of revival. The No. Not everyone will love these decisions. Obviously, revitalization is more than room size and name changes. Does GenerationS apply to my youth ministry if I am from a small church? 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. 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). 2. Hoping to learn more from wikiHow. Dont just make converts but make disciples who make disciples. A large room, a park in good weather, or the beach in the summer are great places for teenagers to connect. Take a look at your student leadership team and adult youth staff. Look for the teenagers, adult leaders and fellow youth leaders who are excited about revival to join you. In 2006, I accepted the role of senior pastor at Foothill Christian Center, a nominal Pentecostal church running about 140 people. I heard a great phrase recently, the activity of God. This content is password protected. 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. Acts 4:31 gives a micro recipe for revival. Kids will see the activity of God in themselves when they start doing what they are gifted to do. Or do whatever you have to do to make intercessory prayer a priority. Look at your student leadership team and adult staff. 2. How Can I Recognize and Understand the Holy Spirit Better? For what its worth, here are a few of my suggestions for resurrecting a plateaued or dying church. 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. 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 best time to consider a new initiative or trajectory in youth ministry is just before the momentum of the current focus has peaked. But he stands with matches ready to set your teens hearts on fire. What do I need to do when the youths lack passion for the regular services? Go with the goers and pray for the others. We didnt rocket to thousands by dressing cool and throwing in a band. Bill Gepford is currently serving as a TiM associate pastor at Colby United Methodist Church, Colby, Kansas (2013-2015). Then the city shook with the power of the gospel message. Jesus lost some disciples, because his teaching was too hard for them. What happened? 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. Because of Jesus loved us we are reaching the lost. The church's impact on the community is negligible, but life continues in the church like nothing has happened. 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. Take the issue head-on, pray, sing, set a mood where the teenagers will be prodded toward falling in love with God. Which programs help your students grow the most? A key way of inspiring your teens to evangelize is to tell stories of changed lives in every youth group meeting. 10 Steps to Building an Effective Youth Ministry This is part four in my series 9 Dynamic Ways To Revive A Dying Youth Ministry. We are made to serve, love, and encourage one another.. Choose a leader who has charisma from among them. Get Spirit-filled content delivered right to your inbox! Ask yourself these key questions: Do I have a life outside ministry?, Do I have an emotionally healthy schedule?, How much do I know about what I dont know?, Do I rule my tongue, or does it rule me?, Whom do I take more seriously God or myself, What am I fighting about?, What do I do after I fail?, Can I say no to people?, and Am I burning out?. Once your 10%ers get 100% on board with this vision, theyll inevitably impact the others. After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. He blogs at Next Level Leadership. Ministry Minded is three months of being equipped, trained and inspired, in community, to build a sustainable youth ministry that makes disciples. And it isnt for the faint of heart. Youre doing a good job and youre only going to get better. Shift the focus from programs to friendships. Our church was hidden in the woods at the end of a dead-end road completely surrounded by an upper-income housing development. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. What compels you? Hopefully, you will never have to do one. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and went out and spoke the Word of God boldly. The building was shaken with the power of intercessory prayer and then the city was shaken with the power of the gospel message. Humility. Its frustrating. They are looking to God to light that fire not a strategy or a program or a method. % of people told us that this article helped them. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. By taking advantage of the best youth group ideas for small churches, it is possible for religious leaders to implement youth development activities that can help make a . Youth Groups are designed to bring God's teenagers closer to Him. With rolling eyes and heavy sighs, many of them endure the lessons and enjoy the games. We must get them going to their friends, family, classmates, teammates and co-workers with the good news. Samuel Johnson, the great eighteenth-century thinker and writer, documented in his diary his efforts over the years to fight sloth by getting up early in the morning to pray. Theyre not looking for an act or for someone who tries too hard to relate to them. 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. Angry at the pulpit committee. Milestone Church uses text messages to engage its youth ministry. Pastoring a dying church can be a difficult and challenging task. If we are out of our mind, it is for God; if we are of sound mind, it is for you. With rolling eyes and heavy sighs many of them endure the lessons and enjoy the games.