Starting Youth Ministry From Scratch

Starting out in youth ministry was difficult; however, I was in a good situation.  My predecessor was still on staff and able to walk me through my first year.  There was public support from the pastor and a group of volunteers committed to invest in the next generation.  While I didn’t have to start from the beginning there were a few things I had to do over, rethink and restructure.

Courtesy of Jon_Marshall/Creative Commons License

Starting a youth ministry from scratch can be a challenge.  So can revamping a preexisting one.  You will have to battle feelings of isolation.  There will be voices telling you that youth ministry is not important.  You will feel like no one cares.  Those are all lies and your first fight is to battle those voices and cast vision.  After that it’s about building (or rebuilding) your youth ministry, which means:

• Finding The Right People: You need people on your team who are passionate about God, and love the next generation.  You also need people who are going to believe and trust in you.  They need to be flexible and willing to take risks.  Once you find them, invest in them.  Make sure they feel supported and challenged to do what you are asking them to do. 

• Advocating Why It Matters: A youth ministry is nothing if no one knows why it’s important.  You need to be clear on why investing in the young church impacts everyone.  That means asking your pastor for assistance and preaching it from the pulpit.  It means getting youth involved through ministry and missions alongside of adults. Starting a youth ministry means helping people see that youth are present, viable and committed participants in your church.

• Starting Out Small: Instead of creating a huge event that’s going to draw 100’s of teens, considering starting a test group that draws a few.  Put together a schedule of consistent meeting times.  Instead of going for once a month or every other week consider meeting 6 weeks straight in the fall and then 6 weeks in the spring.  Rally up your volunteers, grab a few students and just go for it.

• Reviewing, Reflecting and Reexamining: When starting out it’s important to have time for review and reflection.  Make sure you are asking a variety of people what they are seeing.  If you know a veteran youth worker have them come out to sit in and give their two cents.  Doesn’t matter how old your youth ministry is, you need to have time for assessment (Click here for more on assessing your ministry)

Starting a youth ministry from scratch is no easy task.  It’s a long road and you are never complete.  However, it is rewarding and will bring life to your church in a way you might never have expected.  Look for the right people and invest in them heavily.  Advocate for your youth and start moving forward.  Invest in the next generation and you will build a church that will last.

What’s the first step you would take in starting a youth ministry?