Every system is perfectly designed to get the results it gets.
I’ve recently come across several variations of that simple yet profound quote. It succinctly points out the hard truth that if you’re not seeing the progress you want, it’s likely because of the practices you have—or don’t have—in place. It seems innocent enough, and it makes perfect sense, but it stings when I think about the youth ministries I’ve led, and even youth ministry as a whole.
For years, in the youth ministry world, we’ve talked about the graduation evacuation—the struggle of having fewer seniors than juniors, fewer juniors than sophomores, and so on. In recent years, the Pinetops Foundation released a study called The Great Opportunity that identified how the Church is losing 1 million Christian students from the faith every year, a trend they predicted will continue for at least the next 30 years, barring serious intervention.
What’s your youth ministry system?
Every system is perfectly designed to get the results it gets.
Ouch! There’s that sting.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. In fact, it was never meant to be this way.
Jesus modeled a disciple-making ministry throughout the Gospel books in the Bible, offering us a clear example to follow. In Acts, we see extraordinary stories of church growth, as people spread the Good News of Jesus. Paul, too, lived a disciple-making life, urging churches to do the same—a central theme in his epistles.
If your student ministry isn’t reflecting the results we see in Scripture, don’t be discouraged—be discontent, and change the system.
The shift doesn’t need to be drastic. You just need to add activation. It’s about creating spaces where teens can put the faith you’re teaching into practice.
Ideas to activate your students’ faith
A simple hack is to add a Go Share Day to break your students out of the normal rhythm of Bible study lessons and curriculum—both of which are necessary and helpful for their spiritual development. These outreach events, which could be held on the last Saturday of every month, offer an easy way to start programming activation into your student ministry.
The simple model of the Cause Circle—praying for, caring for, and sharing the Gospel with the lost—is a great way to structure your monthly activation experience. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
Prayer Activation
- Have students prayer-walk around middle schools and high schools, praying for their friends to believe in Jesus.
- Set up a table with chairs in a public area, like a park, and make signs offering to pray for others.
Care Activation
- Make care packages for peers that include treats, a card with the G.O.S.P.E.L., a handwritten note, and an invitation to an upcoming event.
- Collect canned food for a local food shelter, and then volunteer there.
Share Activation
- Plan a fun night with inflatables, laser tag, and pizza, and include a time where students can share their testimonies and the Gospel either up front or personally with their friends.
- Go to a park with snacks and games, and have your students share the Gospel with people they meet.
Activating your students, alongside the biblical education you’re already providing through lessons and curriculum, is the catalyst that could set their faith on fire.
Change your system—transform the results. It’s time to take action and see what God can do through a faith that’s lived out, not just learned.
