5 Mistakes To Avoid When Building A Youth Ministry

Have you hit that point where you can put you can sit down, put your feet up and watch your ministry grow disciples of Jesus Christ?  No?  Well, you aren’t alone.

Building a youth ministry isn’t an easy task.  It takes time but it also means putting together a strategic plan.  Whether you are building a youth ministry from scratch or rebuilding a current program you need to make sure you avoid these 5 mistakes:

JUST FOCUSING ON ONE ASPECT

Because life is messy (Especially for teenagers) youth ministry will be messy.  To think:

• We just need to make this fun.

• All we should do is teach scripture.

• Teens need more service.

Would limit your potential to reach the next generation.  While your ministry doesn’t need to be complex it does need to have a balance of:

• Fun
• Relational Interaction
• Service
• Reflection
• Discipleship

How that’s done needs to be intentional and a part of a bigger plan.  Regardless of how you form your ministry make sure it’s not just a one trick pony.

DOING IT ALL ON YOUR OWN

It’s hard to ask others for help when you are still figuring out what to do yourself.  While it might be difficult to communicate and delegate it’s still essential to invite others along for the journey.

Invite people to help you process, brainstorm, delegate and create.  Build a ministry with a team because you don’t want to wear yourself out before you get started.

GOING TOO BIG TOO SOON

Even in a world of instant access, a healthy youth ministry is something that will take time.  While you can have a large turnout with lots of enthusiasm right away it won’t last long if it’s not sustainable.

Start with a few teens and adults.  Work with them to build a vision and create a structure that is scalable and sustainable.  It will take time but it’ll be fun and the reward is worth it.

NEVER GIVING YOURSELF A BREAK

On top of going too big too soon, youth ministers starting out are notorious for working at breakneck speeds.  While there is a lot to do you still need to pace yourself.  To do that you need to:

• Create a weekly schedule that helps you prioritize your responsibilities.

• Include periods of rest for the program.

• Incorporate a weekly sabbath and daily prayer time.

By pacing yourself you’ll give yourself the margin for when things don’t go according to plan.  You’ll be able to sustain the energy to prepare for messages, plan activities and invest in your volunteers. (For more on avoiding burn out click HERE)

FORGETTING TO INVEST IN YOUR OWN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Youth ministry is a field that is constantly changing and to keep up you and your volunteers need to keep learning.  You need to keep learning new strategies and approaches from a variety of areas (i.e. business, marketing, non-profit).

Go to conferences, read books and attend seminars.  Constantly challenge yourself to grow as a leader so that your ministry never grows stagnant.

You will make mistakes and face obstacles building your youth ministry; however, if you build a team and put together a plan you’ll learn how to navigate around them.  A healthy and growing youth ministry is possible, just keep looking to God and remember you aren’t alone.