You’ve probably heard it before: “Our group is like a family.” But depending on your experience with family, that phrase can bring comfort—or concern. Families can be beautiful, but they can also be messy, broken, complicated, or full of difficult legacies.
So when we tell our students that our youth group is like a family, we need to clarify that there’s a difference between our biological family and our spiritual family.
For through Him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of His household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the chief cornerstone. In Him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in Him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by His Spirit.” Ephesians 2:18-22
1. Affirm their belonging.
As youth leaders, don’t we long for each student to feel known and loved by God? Through Christ, we’ve been welcomed in. We belong! Not just to a church building or a group of people who happen to meet together, but to God Himself and to one another.
In a world marked by loneliness and division, this truth matters deeply. When students walk through the doors of your youth ministry, they need to know they’re secure—and so is their place in God’s family.
Practical tips:
- Greet students by name. Every week.
- Celebrate when someone returns after being gone.
- Share encouragement in front of others: “You’re a valued part of this group.”
2. Create a safe place to grow, ask questions, and be known.
We want students to know that being part of God’s family means they now belong to the strongest, most unshakeable structure of all time. They don’t have to live in fear of this structure collapsing or changing like culture today. They can be assured of the strength of the household of God because Jesus is the cornerstone.
The foundation is built on Christ, and also on the apostles and prophets. Read their stories in the Scripture together, and your students will see that they were people who wrestled, doubted, and failed—but God still used them for His glory.
Our students don’t have to be perfect either. When youth group feels like a true spiritual family, it becomes a safe place to ask questions, explore doubts, and learn about the character of God, while still being fully loved and accepted.
Practical tips:
- Open the Bible with students and read stories of the apostles and prophets.
- Show them how God was faithful even when His people weren’t.
- Encourage honesty, and invite real conversations and questions.
3. Teach them to live like they belong.
Ephesians tells us that we’re being built together into a dwelling place for God’s Spirit. That means each student is a temple of the Holy Spirit—and together, we’re a powerful witness to the world.
When we gather, the Spirit is at work. And when we scatter, we’re sent. Our family isn’t just for comfort—it’s for mission. Think Acts 1:8: The Spirit comes, and we go—to Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth.
Practical tips:
- Help students see their role in the youth group family’s mission.
- Encourage them to share the Gospel with friends together.
- Create opportunities to serve together, and support one another as brothers and sisters in Christ—students and leaders alike.
4. Give them a picture of the unshakable family.
Many students come from broken homes or unstable friendships. They need to know that God’s household is different. It’s not built on trends or performance. It’s built on Christ. And it’s not going anywhere.
This is the family that holds fast in storms. The one that gives grace, tells the truth, and stands together. Let’s help students not only see that kind of family but actually become it.
Practical tips:
- Talk often about the difference between earthly families and God’s eternal family.
- Share stories of students or leaders who’ve experienced stability in God’s family despite difficult home lives.
- Use team-building activities and shared commitments to reinforce unity and trust in your group.
What a gift for our students to have a youth group full of brothers and sisters in Christ who share a passion to preach the Gospel to other teenagers. With students and leaders on mission and secure in the family of Christ, they can be empowered by the Spirit to go and live out the Cause of Christ:
‘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 of you.’ Matthew 28:19-20
