More than ever, pressure is being put on ministry leaders to “bring people back” to church. As I’ve spent time with youth ministry leaders over the past year, I’ve noticed that the idea of large-scale youth ministry events being the fix-all solution has seen a resurgence amongst churches of various denominational backgrounds and sizes. 

The encouragement to organize something big and far-reaching is often rooted in the belief that such events will be a momentum-building way to revitalize a youth ministry, post-pandemic. However, many peers in ministry (and you might be one of them) have been asked to put together a [hope-filled] silver bullet event without being told what, exactly, that means or what the expectations are, beyond the event. 

Sound familiar? Check out this recent article by Rob Dyer:
“They’re Not Coming Back”

Because youth ministry is so much more than simply hosting a couple of pizza parties during the year for your congregation to see on social media, it’s important to ask yourself these 3 questions before planning the next youth ministry event at your church.

1. Would a parent move their calendar around to get their child to this event?

I begin with this question as someone who has written and spoken at great length about reaching out to modern families and understanding that not all youth have parents in their life who are working together to plan a cohesive calendar. Also, not every family’s priorities are the same – one family may be chasing year-round sports in hope of a one-day scholarship, while another may be so busy working multiple jobs to make ends-meet that planning ahead feels next to impossible. It will take some time for your team to think about families in your context and what kind of an event would feel worth moving their calendar around in order for their child to attend. With that said, your most effective youth ministry events will be the ones where youth and their parents guard that day on their calendar because they see the value in it.

Your most effective youth ministry events will be the ones where youth and their parents guard that day on their calendar because they see the value in it.
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When marketing a youth ministry event, keep in mind that you’re often marketing to the students in the family and their parents. Until they’re in their last years of high school, most teens aren’t driving themselves anywhere. Parents need to be a primary audience when it comes to some of your messaging, as do their kids. Churches tend to struggle at creating events that youth want to go to and parents understand the value of. If you’re planning an event that you want a student to show up at and you cannot name why a parent would move their calendar around for their child to attend, you should start your planning over.

2. Why would a student bring a friend to this event?

Our churches should never be just for those who are already in attendance and our youth ministry events should keep that idea in mind, as well. Aside from thinking through how you’re going to equip students to invite their friends to your events, you should also be asking yourself why a student would want to invite their friends to attend with them. If your events are announced in front of the congregation during your weekend services, consider naming this during that time – “This is a great event to bring your friends to because…”

If you’re unable to name why a student would want to invite a friend to your event, ask them. Ask your youth what kinds of events they’d definitely want to invite their friends to. We know one of the answers could be that large events provide a chance for visitors to take a first step into church life, outside of the intimidation of a worship setting. But that might not be compelling enough for your middle school gamer or high school athlete. So, as you consider the event’s purpose(s), ask your students what they think, too. 

Whatever your answer is – make sure that you can name why a student would want to invite a friend to your next event. Because if they don’t know why they’d invite a friend, chances are they won’t.

3. What’s the next step for a student who attends?

It’s easy for those of us in church work to feel as though we’re becoming cruise directors at times; we run so many events that it’s easy to forget that we’re actually in the business of seeing lives changed by the Gospel of Jesus. So, before you plan your next event, consider what the next steps are for a student who attends. Are you creating a clear path from this event into your next weekend worship gathering? Do you have specific invitations available for camps, retreats, or small groups that you want to direct youth toward?

We run so many events that it’s easy to forget that we’re actually in the business of seeing lives changed by the Gospel of Jesus.
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Students won’t know what your objective is unless you’re intentional about making it known. Every event that you host at your church should lead a student toward the next step in their journey of faith – even if that next step is simply to go home and send a text to someone that night about where they’ve seen God at work in their lives during the week. As you plan your next event, make sure you’re putting just as much time (if not more!) into what you’re inviting them to next as you are investing into the planning of this event. What comes next matters just as much as what comes first.

Identifying what motivates parents to prioritize events, compels students to invite friends, and intrigues guests to return will narrow down a list of options that fits your specific community well. Even though youth ministry is SO MUCH MORE than running events, you can also do SO MUCH MORE than simply host a party. You can answer these three questions and plan an event with purpose.

The post 3 Questions To Ask Before Planning Your Next Youth Ministry Event appeared first on Ministry Architects.

Because these shifts occur more frequently when our time, energy, and resources seem most limited, one of the rhythms that I try not to lose sight of is showing pastoral generosity to the people in my community. 

What is Pastoral Generosity?

I’m so glad you asked.
In its simplest terms, pastoral generosity is the act of taking time to care for the personal, spiritual, and emotional needs of our congregation members.

Essentially, in the height of busy, I often try to ask myself, “what can I do for someone else?“

It’s not always easy, but it’s worth it. In addition to the physical and mental health benefits that directly correlate to living generously, there’s the spiritual experience that happens when generosity is expressed through showing care for others. As we learn in Proverbs 11:25, “A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.”

As the days and months roll along, and seasons wax and wane in the need for our attention, many of us reach points where we are tired and feeling far from refreshed. But, could it be that if we want to feel refreshed in our ministries, then the first step may be to intentionally refresh others?

If you’re looking for a way to experience more refreshment these days, here are three shifts I’ve found that can be of tremendous help.  

Shift #1: Start with something small

The first move toward generosity is the act of being charitable with what we’ve been given. That might seem oversimplified, but those of us who have learned, lived, and discipled others in the ways of generosity know it’s always the first step: give something small out of what you already have.

3 starter ideas:

• Write five thank you cards this week to let families in the church know you’re grateful to have them in your life.
• Go out of your way to comment on social media pictures that celebrate significant moments in the life of those you lead in worship.
• Send a couple of text messages to some of your core volunteers to let them know that you’re praying for them. (And actually pray for them.)

Look for opportunities to bless others right where you are with what you already know you can do. Such simple acts may take only a matter of minutes but they jumpstart that generosity back into our own lives and start refilling that refresh tank.

Shift #2: Incorporate something new

Once those more familiar opportunities have a place of regular rhythm in our pastoral care, our next move is to consider something new.

I know a pastor who has a printed birthday directory of her church’s membership and she gives each person a birthday phone call, aiming to spend 10-20 minutes in conversation with each person. In doing this, she’s being more than just charitable with her time. As you consider your congregation and their needs, it’s easy to become overwhelmed if you think you have to be everything to everyone. Instead, choose a rotating circle of people to connect with in extra-generous ways – where it might require a little more of you. I believe you’ll begin to see the shift in yourself and your bandwidth for caring for your people if you incorporate something completely new.

Shift #3: Step into sacrifice

You’re probably familiar with the story from the Gospel of Luke where Jesus sends out the 72 to do ministry in His name. But did you know that this story contains THE key to what helps us make the final shift into an increased level of pastoral generosity?

That key is sacrifice. 

After giving what many coaches would call the worst pep rally speech ever (“Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves.” – Jesus, Luke 10:3), followers of Jesus are sent out to do work in His name, with very little to call their own. One might think that such a stressful task would wear a person out but, instead, Luke tells us that they “returned with joy” after seeing God’s power lived out through their ministry.

Pastoral generosity can wear a person out, whether it’s done charitably or sacrificially. The difference is often found in our ability to find joy in the work we’re doing and our desire to share that joy with others. The key to avoiding burnout when we shift into sacrificial pastoral care is finding ways to spend our time beyond our margins in ways that bring us enough joy that we can’t help but share it with others.

If your joy quotient is low, consider scaling back and assessing what acts of pastoral care you could focus on that would bring you joy. 

• Some pastors enjoy spending Saturdays at the little league field and praying over kids and families before the start of each game.
  
• Others are filled up by spending time in the homes of new parents, holding their little ones while mom or dad can take a much-needed chance to catch their breath.
  
• In a recent year, as I fought off my own experience of a joy-less season of ministry, I joined a friend from our church and became a high school football referee. Though it meant that I was sacrificing three nights each week where I wouldn’t be at home, the joy that I found more than filled my bucket and gave me a renewed energy for caring for those in my local congregation.

As you focus on what’s happening now and what’s coming up next, I hope you can find some time for self-reflection around your own generosity-meter. Schedule a half-hour in the next week to consider where your pastoral generosity dial sits these days and what your next step can be to live into your role as caregiver and shepherd within your congregation a little more fully.  If the teachings of scripture are true, and I believe that they are, then I hope you’re refreshed as you refresh others.

*Bonus note: these three shifts are the same three shifts that I’ve used in my local congregation to develop generosity in service and financial support of the church’s ministry.

Anthony Prince is a husband, dad, and pastor—in that order. Anthony currently serves as the Executive Pastor at Real Life Church of LA, a growing multi-site church plant in the foothills of Los Angeles, CA. He is a graduate of Fuller Seminary, with an M.A. in Global Leadership and an emphasis in Youth, Family & Culture. Anthony is a sought-after speaker on the topics of children & family ministry, strategic church leadership, and volunteer recruitment. 

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