Does Your Youth Ministry Have Presence?

Early on in ministry I had parents ask me,“Why don’t you have anything for teens at this church?”  I just wanted to beat my head against the wall and cry, “Why don’t they know?  Isn’t it obvious?” The answer was, “No.”  While we did have programs they occurred at times when people were generally not there (Sunday and Thursday nights).  It’s almost like our youth ministry was the best kept secret at our church.  The problem?  Our youth ministry had no presence.

Courtesy of Damian Gadal/Creative Commons License

Maybe this happens at your church.  You feel like no one knows who you are, and what you do.  Every Sunday you see teenagers walk in and out of the building; however, they’ve never stepped foot into your ministry.  You blame the parents and teens for not knowing.  You blame your pastor and volunteers for not helping you publicize.  

The problem isn’t necessarily them, in the end you need to look at how you publicize and present your ministry.  To make sure people are aware of your ministry you need to give it presence by:

• Sharing The Next Generation’s Stories: Stories are contagious and inspiring, especially when they come from a young person.  You need to capture the testimonies of teenagers and then share them with the adults.  You can do this by posting it on the church website or Facebook page.  Create a Youtube channel and email it to parents.  Let others know how your teenagers are growing in Christ.

• Giving People A Sneak Peek: If possible have your pastor talk about the youth ministry in his message.  Give the teenagers, your ministry and it’s volunteers the publicity it deserves.  Maybe it’s showcasing a missions trip that they just attended or allowing the student band to play during adult worship.  Find times when you can give people a peek into what you do in youth ministry. (How to create a buzz, click here)

• Sharing The Vision: Make the vision to your youth ministry contagious by sharing it with the teens, parents, volunteers and the rest of the church.  Give them an idea of where you are taking the next generation.  The more your vision spreads throughout the church, the more presence your ministry will have in the congregation. 

It’s easy to feel like you are being ignored if you aren’t building a presence for your ministry.  Communicate what it is you are doing and share it with the right people.  Allow others to advocate for you because they’ll reach audiences you couldn’t before.  Let people know your ministry exists and watch the investment in it grow.

How do you build a youth ministry presence in your church?