Why You Shouldn’t Ignore The Details

One night as I was preparing for a night of ministry as teenagers began to arrive. As one teen approached he went to a door that I had not unlocked. He looked a little confused as he tried to open it, after a few attempts he started to walk away.

I ran out after him and said, “Hey buddy, where are you going?” He said, “The door was locked so I thought maybe tonight was canceled.” I apologized and reassured him there were already a few people inside. It was a learning lesson that:

NO OBSTACLE IS TOO SMALL TO IGNORE

From that point on we made sure all the doors were unlocked and had a volunteer there to greet students. It was a small step, but it helped us remove an obstacle that could have prevented a teen from getting to know Christ.

When it comes to building a healthy youth ministry we need to recognize that details do matter. While we don’t want to get lost in the details we do want to make sure we know what they are and why they matter. To identify them we need to:

If we ignore small details like locked doors we could be overlooking simple obstacles that prevent teens and their families from getting to know Christ. To keep an eye on the details it’s important to:

CREATE AN EVALUATION SYSTEM

When we can analyze what we do and why we do it, it gives us clarity on what’s working and what isn’t. An effective evaluation system:

• Sets goals that you would like to reach.
• Schedules times to pause and review the program.
• Invites others to be a part of the process.

An intentional evaluation system will provide essential data that will point out what is working and what is preventing the ministry from reaching its goals.

OBSERVE OTHER ENVIRONMENTS

Sometimes we need to step into other environments to learn about our own. A new environment provides us with a fresh perspective on what’s holding us back from reaching teens. Check out environments like:

• Other youth ministry programs.
• Clubs/Activities with a tight community (i.e. Crossfit).
• Organizations that excel in customer service and hospitable environments.

The more we can learn from others the more it will broaden our view. A healthy ministry will pick up nuances and subtle details that will help us enhance the ministry.

GET TO KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE

Youth ministry is messy and doesn’t fit into a box. The people we are trying to reach are different and lead messy lives. If we want to remove the obstacles from them getting to know Christ we need to know:

• What occupies their mind.
• What’s not intuitive about what you do and teach in your ministry.
• Their perspective of faith and religion.
• What drives them forward.

This means spending more time in the community. Spending time with groups of people who are different than us. (For more on getting to know your audience read HERE)

DELEGATE THE BURDEN

Our view is limited by our experience. A healthy ministry needs a team who is constantly looking at ways of improving the ministry. They need to be given permission to look for trends and behaviors that could deter a teen from returning or a parent from reaching out.

To give them that responsibility they need vision. As leaders, we need to give them permission to act on our behalf and even make decisions. It’s a sign of trust and a decision that’ll take the ministry to the next level.

What each of these steps has in common is that they involve reflection and listening. That’s something leaders need to do more. It will slow us down from the busyness and help us to see the bigger picture.