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.
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:
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?