Just say “NO” to “youth group”

I’m not going to lie to you and tell you when and why Church Youth Groups were started.  But, I’m going to take a guess and say that youth groups were created because “big church” wasn’t attracting kids.  Therefore, we started to segregate the church so that we could reach the “lost” generations.

Well, with the summer upon us, it gives us a chance to rethink our plan of attack for the fall.  That is why I am going to pose the question that could dramatically change the way our fall and future looks.  It is, “Why are we doing ‘youth group'”?

I will go on the record to say I don’t believe we should have “Youth Group”.  Now, before you start calling my Church, asking for my resignation, let me clarify.

I believe we should have a Youth PROGRAM, just not a Youth Group.

What’s the difference:

• Youth Group is a 1 night a week program that you put all your eggs in and hope kids come out.  Youth Groups try to cram outreach and discipleship into 1 night and it can be easy to lose focus who who your target is.
• Youth Programs have home groups for students to develop relationship with others in their community, small groups for them to develop their faith, social events to get kids together and have fun together.  Youth programs has specific nights for outreach and other nights for discipleship.  That way they can target specific students and be more intentional about the purpose of each meeting.  A youth program has something for each step of a student’s spiritual life that moves them from outsider to a disciples to a leader helping reach other students for Christ.
• Youth Group is a segregated part of your church. They have their own “special” area and not involved in what “big church” is doing very much.
• Youth Programs have active involvement in the overall mission of the Church, serving and participating along side adults and children.

I believe now-a-days, too many Churches function under the “youth group” mentality where we put all our eggs in a once a week program and that is good enough.  The problem is, it’s not.  A once-a-week group severely limits how effective a Youth Program can be.

So, how do you convert your Youth Group into a Youth Program?  Here are a few ways:

1. What is your vision for your students and Christ?  Come up with a clearly defined strategy of reaching students.  Who do you want them to become by the time they graduate?
2. Then, construct steps for your students to become that person.  Andy Stanley’s “Seven Practices of Effective Ministry” is a great book to read to help walk you through this process.
3. Share your vision with other ministry leaders and parents, get them on board with where you are going and see how they can help you as you seek to minister to students.

As you walk through this process, a “youth group” night may very well be apart of your strategy to help them become the person you dream them to be.  But, I hope it won’t be an all-in-one crammed, outreach/discipleship/service night that confuses students.  I hope it will part of your overall strategy to create disciples for Christ that will make a lasting impact on the world.

What do you think?  Agree, disagree or something else?  Share your thoughts below.