We all know how it goes: student has been super involved in Youth Group, student is on the leadership team, student brings friends with them. Then student graduates. Suddenly or gradually, they aren’t as “all-in” as they were in high school. They’re hanging with a crowd that’s not great or they’re posting regrettable things on social media. You try to reach out, try to help, but they seem to have moved on. It’s all too common. But what do we do about it?
I’m not going to pretend that I have a perfect solution for every situation, and I’m flabbergasted that no one is doing this! Instead, I’d like to offer one solution that I know can turn the tide, and I imagine you’re already trying to some extent in your ministry!
At its core, the goal of Youth Ministry is to develop students into lifelong disciples of Jesus. We play games, work long hours, host all-nighters, attend youth camp (ahem–NTS Camp), put up with the smell of middle schoolers, get reminded of how the last Youth Pastor did things, we labor in prayer, we wrestle with Scripture, we have difficult conversations, all to try to solidify our flock on Jesus for a lifetime.
The truth is, we have a limited amount of time with the students in our care. Are we focused on the end goal enough to produce the fruit we are trying to grow? I believe (as I’m sure you do, too) that God’s Word is the most foundational piece of a lifelong discipleship of Jesus. The question is, what are we doing to help students fall in love with Scripture? Do we have a plan or structure in place to help them read it on their own? Are we giving them the tools to understand what they’re reading?
So how do we do that? How do we help students not only read the Bible, but love it—really love it—in a way that lasts beyond Youth Group? I’ve found that when we intentionally build a foundation around a few key practices, students begin to see Scripture differently. They stop seeing it as something we make them do and start seeing it as something that shapes who they are. Here are three ways we can help students become lifelong learners of God’s Word:
- Help Students See the Bible as a Story They Are a Part Of
I love this part! It’s a joy for me to teach the Bible passionately and try to pass on my love for it to those I teach. As God reveals things in the text that apply to me or things I haven’t noticed before, I get excited to share them with my audience! We have been given the high honor of teaching God’s Word to those He’s placed in our care. As good stewards, we must take care in what we teach and how we teach. Helping students see their place in Scripture’s narrative is a part of our task. When we help them see the greater picture, we help them see the Bible as more than an ancient book and it’s actually applicable to their lives. Be creative, know your audience, connect Scripture to their world. Help them see that justice, purpose, relationship, and identity flow from it’s pages!
- Teach Students How to Read, Not Just What to Read
Showing them the bigger picture is the start; now, we’ve got to teach them how to read it for themselves. The distinction between what to read and how to read is so important. I’m guilty of pointing students to Scripture without equipping them with the tools they need to thrive. Can a student pick up the Bible, simply read it, understand it, and fall in love with it? Yes! Is it common? Probably not. So, let’s teach it! Don’t shy away from the basics. What is the Bible? How is it set up? What are the books and numbers on the pages? Then let’s move to reading and understanding. Teach the SOAP method. Help them to know what inductive Bible study methods are and how to use them. Show them what it means to journal as they read. Give them a reading plan. These are tools for success, and they need to be sharp and ready to work when your students need them.
I have to point out that we at Never The Same have a ministry called Soul Exercises that is setup to help you do this with your students. Soul Exercises is essentially a Bible study plan with the tools built in. When you purchase Soul Ex, you get physical booklets with 6 weeks worth of study in it. The book has different levels of engagement based on where the user is at in the spiritual walk. They can engage with small amounts of Scripture daily and answer a question based on it or they can add on to that and read full chapters too. There’s prayer, journaling, fasting, serving, tithing, and so much more built into each guide. Sorry for the infomercial, but it’s such a great tool! Find out more here.
- Create Rhythms That Outlast Your Program
The ultimate goal. How do we help students take this into their adult lives outside of Youth Group? Hopefully, we’ve been building to this. If we’ve developed a love for Scripture and shown them how to read it for themselves, they’re on the right track! Building rhythms that will go with them is the next step. Let’s help them set up sustainable habits that will go with them from the mountain tops to the valleys of their spiritual walk. Encourage them to see the wins. Small, consistent practices that can grow and develop over time are often better than trying to force it all at once. Equipping them with tools they will be able to use after they leave your group is essential (apps, devotionals, community connections). Celebrate the wins with them. Help them remember we’re in this for the long haul, and our goal is long-term.
We can’t make students love God’s Word, but we can show them how life-changing it is when they do. Our job isn’t to produce perfect Bible readers; it’s to guide them toward a lifelong relationship with the Author. When students begin to see Scripture as God’s living story that invites them in, when they know how to engage with it on their own, and when they develop rhythms that carry into adulthood, something powerful happens. They don’t just survive after Youth Group, they grow.
So keep modeling it. Keep teaching it. Keep creating spaces where teens can encounter Jesus through His Word. Because long after the games, camps, and events fade, that foundation will remain—and it will shape who they become for the rest of their lives.
And maybe, just maybe, that student who drifted, the one you still think about, will one day open their Bible again, remember what you taught them, and rediscover the God who’s been pursuing them all along.
Kyle Wood
Director of Operations and Communication
Photo by Humble Lamb on Unsplash