This is part three in the series 9 Dynamic Ways To Revive Your Youth Ministry, you can start here to catch up
I am convinced that most youth ministry visions are neither clear nor compelling. They are usually too small and too attainable. The faith behind these visions barely tingles the hair on God’s big toe.
Youth Ministry visions rarely enter the spiritual realm that presses upon the anointing needed to accomplish it. Visions are not about getting more students, that’s a goal. Visions are about how we see young people living and interacting with the Almighty God.
What kind of things do you envision for your youth ministry? What do you share with your students regularly that gets the blood pumping in your veins?
Vision casting isn’t easy. Our vision may conflict with the vision of the church. No youth ministry vision can conflict with the churches vision if it wants to survive, so I recommend crafting a vision that runs parallel with the church visions and then pour gasoline on it and set it on fire.
Kids need a reason to show up besides game night.
Kids are bored with self-indulgent things, at least the leaders among them are. They want more. They want to see more of God doing things in them, in their community, and the world. We can dumb things down for every one else, but kids who are leaders will bail on it or simply shuffle along unfulfilled.
Lame visions lose leader. Loud and clear visions attract leaders. Because many of the churches I’ve been a part of were good churches, but we weren’t great churches with compelling visions that would require hard work and the touch of God.
Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he. Proverbs 29:18
Youth groups are perishing, because the vision isn’t big enough and the pay off for their time and attention is too small. This is why kids bail for bigger churches, because they have bigger visions.
Let me say it again, vision casting is hard because many of the kids you serve will bail on you because they have the “what’s in it for me attitude”. They have the “we don’t want to change” attitude and their parents back them up. This is why disciples are not being made.
A clear and compelling vision will scatter some and draw others. The question is whether we, as leaders, have the grit and toughness to share the vision with our pastors, our parents, our leaders, build a small consensus, and then proceed forward even if it’s a small minority that support it.
What is your vision? Do you share it regularly? How committed are you to it?
If you need help revitalizing your youth ministry, be sure to check out my coaching program Ministry Minded. Ministry Minded is three months of you being equipped, trained and inspired to build a sustainable youth ministry that makes disciples.
If you need a resource to help map out your vision, may I recommend the My Youth Ministry Playbook 2020
Part Four: Raising The Dead One By One