Measuring Success In Youth Ministry

Measuring success within youth ministry is hard; however, important.  The other day a small group leader was sharing with me the story of a boy in his small group who had been coming sporadically for more than a year, each time leaving early.  Over the last few weeks this small group leader noticed that the boy was coming consistently and staying a longer.  Finally, this week he not only stayed for the entire program, but was an active participant.  This was not only huge to the leader, but to me because it let me know that our small groups are environments where teens feel accepted and welcomed. 

Courtesy of wwarby/Creative Commons License

It’s easy to worry about the success of your youth ministry, especially when people are just focused on the numbers.  You know it’s more than just the numbers; however, it’s the most tangible way you measure success in your youth ministry.  To know the truth health and impact your ministry is having on your teens means measuring success in many different areas.  This way you know how deep and involved your ministry in their lives.  Some of those areas you need to track are:

• Life Change: Measuring life change is very anecdotal; however, it will help you track a teen’s spiritual growth through your ministry.  This means talking to your leaders about their groups and asking them, “How’s it going?”.  It’s also helpful to reach out to parents to talk about their teens.  If you have a good relationship with the parents they’ll tell you the affect your program has on their child’s life.  Capture these stories and use them to inspire your team.    

• Engagement: It’s important to track the participation of teens during your programs.  Are teens bringing Bibles to small groups? Are they singing during worship and praise?  Measuring engagement means noting how different environments and components are drawing teens in.  That means making environment tweaks (i.e. changing around the lighting), and working with content.

• Involvement: It’s important for your teens to be involved in the fabric of big church, especially through ministry and missions.  How many teens are serving alongside of adults?  In what areas are they serving?  Measuring the success of involved teens will help you determine your effectiveness in mobilizing them to be a movement.

• Buzz: Are your teens talking about the ministry outside of program?  Like life change, this can be anecdotal; however, you measure success by tracking what is being said by teens, and adults outside of the church.  Is it being talked about via social media? Do you have a reputation in the schools? Are teens bringing friends on a consistent basis?  Measuring buzz means knowing the impact your ministry has on your teens throughout the week.

Measuring success in your ministry is very difficult and it’s going to vary on the makeup of your church and community.  The most important step to measuring is by creating a system and then tweaking it.  If you do not track your ministry you’ll find yourself wondering, “Does my ministry truly matter?”  While it’s not a perfect tool, measuring success in your ministry will help you move forward, reach out to more teens and spread God’s word.

What are your thoughts on measuring success in youth ministry?