This is a portion of a book in works about the Simplicity of Youth Ministry....
I remember visiting two different churches when I was in college, before landing at the church where I would land myself for the remaining years of college. The first was a very large church with all the doo-dads and watchamacallits you would need in a church. Their youth ministry was “thriving” with a few hundred students, major youth events, an ipad giveaway every month, and awesome worship segments. I remember sitting about the 15th row back feeling overwhelmed, but it wasn’t because of the light show with worship (because that is an act of worship) but because of the atmosphere that presented itself. The other church I went to was a very small church with a congregation of about 200 and their youth ministry could all fit in my car. (That’s about 10, they did all fit in my car….don’t suggest it.) I remember sitting in a children’s room with the students wondering to myself what were the “added values” in the youth ministry? Both churches although opposite in size, had the same problem. They weren’t practicing simplicity.
Before I go on, please don’t misunderstand me, I am not saying that large youth groups that have light shows, ipad giveaways, or Xbox 360’s in every corner are not practicing simplicity. I have seen both large and small youth groups practice simplicity well, and have seen both large and small youth groups fail in this area of simplicity. Simplicity is not an absence of events or cool stuff, but on the other hand, is the fullness of contentment. If you look at successful youth ministries, not measured by size but by life change, you will find that each ministry have two things: a welcoming atmosphere and something called “added values.”
You have to understand that youth ministry is anything but simple, and if you have spent more than an hour with students, you already understand that. You’ve got tough students, tough parents, retreats, campus visits, youth group nights, small groups, volunteers, pastors, all wanting something from and expect from you a thriving youth ministry. Ministry is anything but simple. However, it is simplicity that could be our greatest asset for reaching students and developing them as followers of Christ. As mentioned before, simplicity is not the absence of something, it is the fullness of contentment. It is a heart attitude. And if the heart beat is strong within a youth ministry, you can expect it to grow and see life change, if it is FULLY dependent on either atmosphere or added values alone, then the heart beat will be weak and barely survive.
