A familiar experience
“Eyes glassed over. No one is engaged. A quiet sleepiness fills the room. Questions don’t get much of an answer.”
But this isn’t just a one-time occurrence. This seems to characterize your whole youth group experience lately. Over time, fewer and fewer students show up. And those who do… well, you’re not sure they even want to be there.
You try your best. A new Bible study series, maybe? A trip to the waterpark? Turn up the worship music louder? A cooler game? More hype? Something bigger, better, splashier than last time?
We’ve all been there.
Youth ministry is full of challenges, and many faithful leaders have felt the weight of a ministry that seems stuck. Low engagement from students can feel like trying to drive a car with the parking brake on.
Often, our first instinct is to go attractional: make it more fun, more exciting, more wow. But let’s be honest—the treadmill of outdoing last week will exhaust you fast.
If this sounds familiar, I want to offer a few areas to consider that can breathe new life into your student ministry.
A Key Shift: From Learning to Living
Before they were students, they were kids. And in kids’ ministry, we tend to take a “master teacher” approach—one leader up front doing most of the teaching. That model works for young children. But as kids grow into teenagers, they don’t just want to learn about their faith—they want to live it.
Teenagers crave ownership. They want to explore, question, wrestle, and practice their beliefs. If Bible study time is synonymous with a lecture, it’s no wonder students grow bored. Youth group shouldn’t feel like a classroom—it should feel like preparation for life.
What might that shift look like? Here are two starting points.
1. Discussion: Let Students Wrestle With Truth
Students need space to process what they’re learning and apply it to their lives. A few well-placed questions in a small group setting can transform your gathering from passive listening to active engagement.
Don’t underestimate the power of silence. Let students think. Let them answer. Create a space where students know their voices are welcome, and where honest questions aren’t met with pat answers.
Try this:
– Instead of teaching about prayer, ask: “When has prayer been hard for you?”
– Instead of listing reasons God can be trusted, ask: “What makes it hard to trust God right now?”
A good discussion isn’t about getting through your notes. It’s about students getting truth into their lives.
2. Experiential Learning: Let Them Practice Faith
Experience is a powerful teacher. When students put their faith into action, they internalize it in a way no lecture can match.
If your lesson is about sin, don’t just define it—create space for confession and repentance. If the topic is prayer, don’t just teach about it—give students 20 minutes to pray silently, in pairs, or in groups.
We’re not just training minds—we’re forming disciples. Discipleship doesn’t happen by watching someone else do it. It happens by practicing it.
Revitalization = existing church + existing leaders + existing structure + history + renewed/new effort over a protracted period of time.
Replant = new qualified/skilled leader(s) + existing people + outside partners + new structures/approaches + new people + history over a period of time.
An Important Pathway: Discipleship That Goes Somewhere
Many students are hungry for depth. They want to grow, but they don’t always know how. That’s why your ministry needs a clear discipleship pathway—a structured yet flexible plan to help students take their next steps in following Jesus. Do you have such a roadmap?
That might include:
– A defined process: from visiting to attending to baptism to growing disciple
– One-on-one mentoring or spiritual coaching, by leaders or more mature peers.
– Encouraging daily Bible reading and prayer habits.
– Helping students identify and develop their spiritual gifts.
When students know where they’re headed, they’re more likely to stay engaged.
A Way to Serve and Go
Nothing lights up a student like making a difference. Students long to know that their faith matters—that it’s not just for Wednesday nights and Sunday mornings.
So give them chances to serve:
– Within the church: tech team, greeting, helping with kids, worship.
– In the community: local missions, service projects, outreach.
– On mission trips: regional or global opportunities to share the gospel.
Service helps students connect faith to real life. It gives them a sense of purpose. And it reminds them that Christianity is not a spectator sport.
You’re Not Alone
You don’t have to lead student ministry alone. Your friends at the Illinois Baptist State Association are here to encourage, help, and equip you. We want to walk with you as you discover the next breakthrough in your ministry. Don’t hesitate to reach out today for a conversation, a consultation, or coaching. We’re in your corner.
Final Word
Youth ministry doesn’t have to be flashy to be faithful. Students don’t need a performance—they need people who will walk with them as they learn to follow Jesus. Boring youth groups don’t get fixed with louder music or crazier games—they get renewed when we help students encounter Christ in real, transformative ways.
Let’s help them do more than show up. Let’s help them live it out.
Michael serves as Leadership Development Director for IBSA and spent years in sutdent and children's ministry.