Detailed and growing youth ministry is largely lacking in many congregations, because there is no full-time worker able to concentrate on the needs and concerns of teenagers. Volunteers do their best to provide some activities to young people and see that there is a place for them at church, but few churches are prepared to launch into a full-fledged youth program that reaches out to community teenagers with everlasting results.

So what happens to teenagers if there is no formal or professional youth minister on staff? Is it possible to have a real ministry to teenagers if the church doesn’t have a youth minister? There is a great need all around us for focused ministry directed towards young people, and even without a paid youth worker, a church can have a thriving and growing youth ministry, if they so choose.

Just like there are ministries designed to meet the needs of adults there should be those designed with the teenager in mind. The purpose of youth ministry is to minister to the particular and even peculiar needs of teenagers within and without the local church. The problems and challenges that face teens are distinct from those faced by adults. We must learn to identify those needs and consider them from a Christian perspective.

Young people need more than casual adult volunteers responsible for bringing potato chips and dip and chaperoning social activities. They need a shepherd figure who can commit quality time to help them spiritually through their adolescent years. Adolescence, for those of us who may have forgotten, is a difficult time. A teen is no longer a child, but neither is she an adult. During these growing years many physical, emotional, psychological, and even spiritual changes take place that require special and concentrated attention. This is why we look for just the right person or people to truly minister to them.

If we ignore the youth in our churches today we will seriously limit the impact our church will have on the world tomorrow. It is crucial that we recognize this “people group” and carefully develop ministries to meet them where they are and guide them to where they need to be.

There are several options we may consider, but the one appropriate for your situation will depend upon the resources and goals of your church. Like most other ministries, no one youth strategy is a one-size-fit-all. You must determine which style and approach is right for your congregation.

The church that looks to begin an effective youth ministry must first form a servant team that will prayerfully begin to investigate the needs and possibilities of the new work. It is never easy to begin a new ministry, and without careful planning the whole thing could become a nightmare. Focused deliberate prayer will be a must.

Write out the reasons why your church needs or wants a youth ministry. Identify as many real needs of the congregation and community as possible. Anticipate any costs that will be involved in establishing the new ministry. Take note of the interest and support of the congregation. Speak with other churches that have similar ministries, and make a list of the successes and pitfalls they’ve experienced. The investigative team should speak extensively with the pastor to get his perspective on the ministry and how it is developing. Place in black and white what you are expecting from the youth ministry and begin working on a budget that reflects your serious commitment to that ministry. The budget will include all aspects related to the development and maintenance of proposed activities, personnel, and needed resources. Be as specific as possible.

When a complete description of the initial investigation is ready, the team should begin to prepare a detailed profile of the person(s) who will act as youth ministry leaders. The purpose of the profile is to find someone who most closely matches the needs of the local ministry.