Youth Ministry 2.0

Youth ministry is all about being together and building relationships — with Jesus Christ, with peers, with parents, and with the local body of believers.  But what do you do when “together” is suddenly stripped away, and the whole country withdrawals in isolation to slow down the spread of sickness?  Quality time together, the very foundation of youth ministry is shaken to its core and we are forced to avoid contact with others, especially in groups of ten or more.  What can youth pastors and students do to remain connected and grow together in Christ?

In a time of quarantine and social distancing, youth ministry can seem to have hit a brick wall. But this is the time for youth pastors to step up and lead.  As ministry leaders, we are probably more skilled in using the tools and social media necessary to connect with students in meaningful relationships.  In some ways it will be easier, but in many other ways it will require a ramp up of intentional efforts.  Here's what I'm learning along the way, so feel free to glean from my successes and failures because we're all on the same team!

Partner with Parents
No matter how much you try to connect with students online through social media and video, youth pastors must equip parents to continue student discipleship.  Families may be spending more time together, but parent stress and frustration are elevated by financial strains and schooling at home.  Here are some ideas on how to equip your parents:

• Read through a book of the Bible together.  Select a book in the Bible for families to read through together.  Prepare a few questions ahead of time for them to discuss as they read through each chapter or section. 
• Questions for Live-stream Follow-up.  If your church offers a live-stream option for Sunday morning worship and teaching, work with your pastor to create a list of questions for further discussion, then encourage families to watch and discuss together.

Online Video
Teens love to hear from their youth leaders and want to spend time with their friends.  So, combine the two with one or more of these options:

• Zoom video allows multiple people to talk with each other through video at the same time.
• Instagram & Facebook both offer live video options, which provide an opportunity for youth leaders to communicate with students, and both platforms allow teens to interact through comments.
• Ask students to post a 60 second video of their testimony, or reading through Scripture, or a short devotion based on the Bible study you may be discussing as a group.

Personal Contact

• Nothing means more to a student than a personal phone call to check-in on them and ask how they're doing.  Take time to make meaningful contact with several students each week.
• It may seem old fashion, but students rarely receive anything in the mail these days, so another idea might be to send a hand-written note in the mail each week to surprise some of your teens with a word of encouragement.

I'm learning new things everyday as I explore various strategies for connecting with teens.  I'm also learning what does not work, for example: early morning Instagram live videos; Zoom videos before dark on a sunny day; or anything that might remind them of the school work they've been working on all morning.

I would love to hear your thoughts and ideas!  Here’s another good article that you may want to consider.  Let's start a conversation on how we can continue to minister to both students and parents in the midst of social distancing.

Cheyenne