In the previous post, we discovered who the real person behind seeing numbers as success is. The fact…
Have you ever stopped to consider what is the most important time for students in your ministry?
Just as there are milestones in a Youth Pastor’s ministry, there are milestones for students in your ministry. As students progress through your ministry there will no doubt be many important moments in their spiritual lives. Some of these can vary from context to context, but one seems to be constant. The most crucial time for students in your ministry is the time around their 9th and 10th grade years. Here are 4 reasons why:
1. They are beginning to really think abstractly
From strictly a developmental standpoint students around this age are just beginning to think abstractly. This alone opens up a whole new world for students as they think about their faith.
2. They are beginning to work out what “their” faith really is
Students often find themselves working through what is “their faith” and what is “their parent’s faith” during these years. They will often wrestle with honest questions, but many times will be afraid to ask. Is there an environment of safety for students to ask and not feel embarrassed or ridiculed in your ministry?
3. They are not driving yet…but they will be soon.
They are still somewhat limited in mobility and independence. Fail to get them before this point and you may never get them at all.
4. An encounter with God makes them more likely to stay in church after graduation
Much has been made about the rate that students “graduate from God” when they graduate from our Youth Ministries. At a conference last year one of the presenters spoke on common traits found in students who stayed in church post-graduation. One of those? Almost all of students asked experienced some type of encounter with God during their 9th or 10th grade year.
What do you think the most crucial time for students in your ministry are? Do you agree with me? Leave a comment and share!
Photo credit: North Charleston / Foter / Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0)
I think the most crucial time for a youth is graduation and hand off to collegiate ministry. Because if this is handled poorly, the likelihood of losing them, if not forever, then for the next 10 years, is tremendous. Or, if they are never led to emotionally leave the youth group, or if they are chronically pulled back in as chaperones, they never grow up in their faith. Thanks for all you do in raising a generation that loves Jesus and knows how to live it out. Grateful for the Livingston family.
That transition is essential and one that is often overlooked in many churches. Thank you so much for how you serve and for all of your encouragement!