Your Youth Ministry has a culture. You either created it, or you allowed it to happen.
What do you want your culture to be? Have you prayed and pondered over the purpose of your Youth Ministry? What do you want your ministry to be known for? What do you want to be about? What do you want students to have learned before they graduate out of your ministry?
Questions like this cause you to think intentionally. Without intentionality, purpose is lost. Be intentional with everything you do so that everything you do creates the culture you want.
Before starting the national Youth Ministry, Never The Same, my husband, Geoff, and I spent many years in local church Youth Ministry. Early on, we decided that we wanted our students to know the Bible and we wanted our Youth Ministry to be a place where students invited their friends to hear about Jesus. Basically, we became intentional about building a culture of discipleship and growth.
We created a Bible engagement plan where students were challenged to read the Bible and pray every day, as well as journal, tithe, memorize Scripture, and fast throughout the week. This system morphed over the years into what is now Soul Exercises, which is a part of Never The Same and available to anyone.
We also put together a group of student leaders to plan our Sunday outreach nights with us. They’d come to our house every Tuesday after school. Together, we planned nights that students owned and supported. While each night contained elements of creativity, fun, and laughter that made students want to attend and bring their friends, it went deep. Students invited unsaved friends to Youth Group because they knew the Gospel would be presented in a way that made sense to them, and they were going to have fun on top of it.
Matthew 28:19-20 “Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”
Arianna Eckart
Director of NTS Camp
*Photo by Fa Barboza on Unsplash