I love catching up with members at my church. They never know what to discuss besides the ministry that I am doing. It’s great.

As I address some of our members, one of the first things they always ask me is: “How are things going?”

My first response always involves what happened most recently with our Youth. “Oh, yeah it’s been good! Just had a retreat and they had a GREAT time! They really enjoyed it.”

“Oh yeah? That’s great!”

Then here it comes.

“How many kids were there?”

Literally. Every. Time.

The success of your youth ministry is not a quantitative result.

This is a trap that we all can fall into. As we prepare for our lock-ins, pizza parties, youth groups, and other events, our first hope would be that kids would show up. Please do not misunderstand, yes, we want students to come; the Gospel must be spread. But please wrestle with this question: Are you looking for numbers so the Gospel can spread, or so your recognition can spread?

There is this cultural shift that churches have caught onto as they blend into the corporate world. Our culture tells us that numbers count (pun intended). There is more value in a meeting full of forty unengaged people than the small bible study at a Starbucks with a total of four students. According to culture, numbers matter. So, how can we handle the pressures of others when they ask us “how many kids were at…?”

As Youth Workers, we are called to cause paradigm shifts in our ministries. There is power in the qualitative.

In my personal ministry, I hold a Bible study at a Starbucks just around the corner from our church. It’s a great way to get outside the walls of the church, and to talk about Jesus in a public space. A lot of Christians may feel uncomfortable with talking about Jesus in the open, and my students can sometimes feel the same. We are also slowing working to build relationships with the people that work there on a weekly basis.

The most unforgettable Bible Studies I’ve had have been the ones where there have been a couple of students that attended. We had great laughs, prayed intimately, and even focused on the text as we studied and discussed. Just a couple of weeks ago, one of my students reminded me, “Hey, remember when we talked about that Jesus was like a zombie that one time in Bible Study?” I did remember, and I also remember it was him and two other students there.

It’s easy to get down about the numbers of your ministry. It’s also really easy to become prideful over the “success” of your ministry when everyone and their mom show up for an event. Here are some tips for you to live in the dichotomy of being determined to growing your ministry, and not getting overly prideful over your success:

 

 

“The most unforgettable Bible Studies I’ve had have been the ones where there have been a couple of students that attended.”

1. Remove the words “just” and “only” from your ministry context and vocabulary.
These are toxic words to both your ministry and esteem. God is greater than the “just” and “onlys” of your ministry. Even if you did not get the results that you were expecting, how did God show up? Was His faithfulness in the conversations you’ve had more than in the numbers? Your investment of your students is far more valuable than the “just” and “only” in your ministry. The Lord provides, even if it’s not numerically.

2. What does your DNA look like in your Youth Ministry?
I wrote an article previously on consistency. Is the basis of your ministry focused on large events so that you can attract numbers? Or is the foundation of your ministry discipling God’s children for the sake of the Kingdom? One way to define success in your ministry is if your students are compelled to invite their friends or even bring in unchurched students. The role of student discipleship in Youth Ministry is that they too are making more disciples. That speaks more than what numbers can provide. It’s never how many people come, but who God brings.

3. Where does your help come from?
“My help is from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.” Psalm 121:2. God is for you, but so are your church and volunteers! Are you participating in Team Ministry by seeking help from volunteers, youth leaders, and your congregation to succeed in your ministry? Youth Ministry should still be able to function without you if the Lord is truly leading your ministry.

Father, by the work of your Holy Spirit, tear down false idols like numbers in our ministry. Numbers do not define our success, Your Presence does. Let your grace cover all of our insecurities that we might have as we serve you in Youth Ministry. Jesus commanded us to go and make disciples, so please help us to see that as our mission before anything else. Fix our hearts on you and let us look to you for help. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

A.J. Vega is the Director of Christian Education at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Memphis, TN. He is involved in leading Middle School and High School Ministry, College and Young Adult Ministry and takes on many other roles at Immanuel. A.J. is married to his beloved bride, Krissy Vega, who is also involved in Youth Ministry at Immanuel. Both were Interest Speakers in the 2016 National Youth Gathering in New Orleans, LA titled, #RelationshipGoals. You can follow A.J. on Twitter and Instagram @thebossajv.

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