Giving youth pastors the tools they need to make and shape disciples.

9 Dynamic Ways To Revive A Dying Youth Ministry

Many youth ministries are in decline and dying. Yes, there are cycles, ups and downs and seasons, but there are some youth ministries that are just plain dying.

If you’re one of these youth pastors whose youth group is in decline, I feel for you. I’ve been there. A declining youth ministry is hard on the soul but revival is possible.

But did you know you could be, indirectly, contributing to the decline of the youth ministry simply by the way you think about and speak about (and to) your youth ministry?

Revival starts with stopping a mindset that sabotage’s you and follows up with a new perspective that invites change to both you and your youth ministry.

Stop begging kids to bring their friends to youth group

…and speak to their responsibilities as believers.

Begging kids to bring their friends lowers the standard of your youth ministry. In fact, “Invite your friends!” is one of three phrases I suggest youth pastors eliminate from their vocabulary. Imagine a restaurant begging people to eat at it? The food should speak for itself and make people want to come.

Restaurants do not beg, they show what they offer and why it’s worth you dropping by to try it.

You have to start believing you have a youth program that’s worthy of an invitation.

Instead of asking your students to invite their friends, ask them, “Do you know anyone who would benefit being a part of this community?” Why this and not, “Invite your friends?” Because many of your students say they don’t have friends but by rephrasing the question, you open more doors and opportunities for your students to be led by the Spirit and to invite anyone, not just their friends, to youth.

Stop calling your youth group a youth group 

…and start calling them the church, the Body of Christ and the hands and feet of Jesus.

There have always been other choices for kids, even if it was just staying home. Kids will always have choices. It’s your job to make sure your youth ministry is a viable choice among those other choices.

The only way to combat the attitude that your meeting is just one of many meetings is to establish the identity of your meeting. You may even have to change the way your meeting is done to reflect this new identity, placing value on meeting needs, praying for one another, etc. rather than the entertainment value of your meeting.

Stop trying to keep every kid

… and invest in the kids who want to be there

If you’re not willing to lose some kids, you’re not giving yourself a chance to gain any. The courage to gain must be greater than the fear of losing.

Who are the biggest fans of what what you have going on? Get their opinion and input on what the program should look like and where it should be heading. You can’t carry the load of leadership by yourself. The kids you involve in leadership and servanthood, will be the greatest benefactors of the changes they make.

Look who Jesus spent most of his time with: Peter, James, and John. It worked out pretty well.

Stop babying your teens 

…and start leading them

Jesus lost some disciples, because his teaching was “too hard for them”. What Jesus was teaching wasn’t too hard, it was too hard for THEM. They left Jesus because they didn’t want to put the mental or spiritual work to understand. Some students leave youth groups because they think the standards are too high but some leave because the standards are not high enough. Are you adequately challenging your students to live out their faith or is every week game night?

Where can you start to change?

  • Your teaching style might have to change in order to help kids level up
  • Focus on growing students not growing the group
  • Find your kick starter. Which programs help your students grow the most? Go all in on those

Stop complaining about what your youth group is not

… and start praising it for what it is.

Start being optimistic. Talk about what you see happening, the progress that is being made. Tell stories about students who are making progress and growing in their faith.

A positive attitude alone will not change your group, but it will change your perspective and that’s a big step towards changing things around you.

Hang in there. You’re doing a good job and you’re only going to get better.

Resources That Will Help Revive Your Youth Ministry

In order for your youth ministry to get better, you have to get better as as leader.

If you wan to get better, and want help revitalizing your youth ministry, check out my Ministry Minded coaching program. Ministry Minded is three months of being equipped, trained and inspired, to build a sustainable youth ministry that makes disciples.

OR

Take a deep dive into coaching where I focus strictly on helping you and your youth ministry. Level up so you can level up your youth ministry

Youth Ministry Tools

My Youth Meeting Playbook is a book in two parts. In the first part of the book I break down each part of the youth meeting and how each part contributes to the whole. Some of the topics I cover are

  • How To Put The Wow! Back In Your Youth Meeting
  • 31 Roles And Responsibilities For Students
  • 21 Ways To Worship Without A Band
  • The Meeting Not Worth Having
  • Why Every Youth Group Should Take An Offering Every Week

The second part of the book has 52 youth meeting planning sheets that allow you to put into practice What I’ve share in the book.

The Discipleship Bundle is packed with resources to help your students dive deeper into God’s word and includes my book The Disciple Project: Raising Up A New Generation Of Doers as well as these resources

  • Message (Adults): The Five Core Values of a Disciple
  • Follow 5: A five week series based on the 5 core values for students
  • Start Again: A Five Week Series about starting over in their relationship with God
  • Soap Studies Based on the Five Core Values
  • 8 Audio Lessons on How To Disciple Students
  • 5 week Message: The Process

If you are a new youth pastor, I have a bundle for you that includes,

  • 37 weeks of lessons (see below)
  • My Youth Ministry Playbook 2023 (Planner filled with forms, worksheets and articles)
  • My Youth Meeting Playbook (52 week of meeting worksheets, articles, etc.)
  • The New Youth Pastor’s Guide To Planning Unforgettable Trips
  • Discipleship Resources and Devotions
  • 21 Days To Creating A Holy Habit of Hustle (for that extra money you’ll need)
  • Psalm 119 Personal Devotions
  • 60 Minute Coaching Session

If you want to revive your youth ministry you must revive your faith in youth ministry and what God can do in it and through it.

Part 2 in this series: PASSION WILL TURN YOUR YOUTH MINISTRY AROUND

Other articles that will help you revitalize your youth ministry

YOUTH MINISTRY REVIVAL REQUIRES RELENTLESSLY POKING THE FIRE

REBUILDING YOUR DECLINING YOUTH MINISTRY

MY 7 SECRETS TO A SUCCESSFUL YOUTH MINISTRY

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