New Challenges For Your Teens

It’s easy to doubt yourself and wonder, “Where did I challenge the students?”  After nine years of youth ministry I’ve found myself reflecting on the depth of my ministry.  It’s really easy to get stuck in a rut and teach the same topics over and over again.  While there are subjects that need to be addressed repeatedly, it’s important that I present them as new challenges.  If I don’t I’m risking a stunt in their spiritual growth.

If you do youth ministry long enough it’s easy to get stuck in a groove.  It’s important to consistently ask yourself, “How are we presenting new challenges to teens?” I’m not saying you have to constantly make up new content, you just have to be able to present it in new ways.  To give your teens fresh and new challenges be sure to:

• CHANGE UP THE ENVIRONMENTS: You can do anything from switching up the set-up to your room to taking them out of the building altogether.  Take students on a hike or bring them downtown.  Jesus never taught the disciples in the same room and neither should you.  New environments provide new stimuli which enable you to bring students to a new level.

• MIX THEM WITH ADULTS: It’s easy for teens to feel comfortable and safe in their youth ministry world.  Challenge them to serve alongside adults.  This will give them the opportunity for new wisdom and insight.  It will also set them up to serve in the church after they graduate high school.

• GIVE THEM NEW INFLUENCES: The students in your ministry might grow accustomed to your voice.  From time to time bring in a different speaker even if it’s someone from within your ministry.  The new voice will paint new perspectives and present new challenges that they might have never heard before.  

You can give your teens new challenges by shaking things up in their environments, opportunities and relationships.  Allow them to feel a little discomfort and to experience ministry in a new way.  New challenges will encourage them to think outside the box and approach issues from a different perspective.

How do you make sure your challenges are new and fresh?