What do your students say about your ministry?
It’s fun! It’s awesome! We have a great band! Our youth pastor is hilarious!
It’s not bad marketing – but if that’s all they say, you might be missing the mark. Because the truth of youth ministry is that one day the shiny will wear off. It won’t be as fun. You won’t be as funny. And the band might graduate. And if none of that happens, they may end up attending the dreaded big church as a grown up…and then what? It’s not ‘fun’ to be a doorstop for old ladies and quietly pass the communion plates when you get ‘the signal.’.
Fun youth ministries are great – but they need to point to something deeper. Yes – I know – everything we do points to Jesus. But it better be an intentional pointing…because when Daddy takes the youth ministry away, we still want those students standing on Jesus – good bands and fun times do not offer a firm enough foundation.
Everyone's Called to Youth Ministry 