Hyper-busy, overscheduled, and absent

Group, Jul/Aug 2002 by Drager, Chris

How to reach teenagers who have little space in their schedules for your ministry

So you just pulled off one of your more creative meetings-everything worked just as you'd planned. But fewer than half your active students showed up for it.

You keep telling yourself, like a jilted date, "It's not them; it's me." But you know why there are so many no-shows. Your teenagers are incredibly busy. They have sports commitments, homework for AP classes, debate team practices, band or play or musical rehearsals, international clubs, newspaper or yearbook responsibilities, peer counseling, required community service, and after-school jobs. You understand why it's hard for them to commit their time to your ministry, but you're still disappointed... and angry.

"Even my leadership kids stayed away. Why did I waste so much time preparing this meeting? I've asked and asked parents to encourage their kids to attend youth group, but nothing changes."

If your region is anything like mine, numbers are down at youth ministry events, prayer meetings, retreats, and Wednesday night Bible studies. In my area, this downturn isn't restricted to any particular denomination or economic class.

The truth is that teenagers are hyper-busy and overscheduled. They're a perfect reflection of the marginless adults in their lives. But when your boss, the church leaders, and parents look for someone to blame, they don't point to a superheated culture; they're knocking on your door. How do you answer their concerns?

I've met with parents who seem legitimately concerned about their kids' participation at church, but ultimately see it as my problem. Parents want their teenagers to commit their lives to Christ and his service but are unwilling or unable to help them set appropriate boundaries and priorities. It's no wonder students are exhaustedthey're trying so hard to do it all and have it all.

This all sounds so bleak-I know it does to me. But I'm learning how to fight back, to be shrewd as Jesus was shrewd.

youth group or youth ministry?

When the attendance drop in my ministry finally showed up on my radar screen, I did the natural thing-I pounded myself for not making our events and publicity more compelling. But really, I'd drifted from what I knew to be true. Teenagers need Jesus, and Jesus worked in the field, not an office. So prior to taking my current position, I decided to stop overscheduling my young people by cluttering the ministry schedule with events. Instead, I vowed to focus on ministry with youth instead of ministry to youth.

This change in attitude and organization made a huge impact on how and where I do ministry. To start, I set aside time each week for extended personal contacts with young people. I talked with them during play practice breaks, after sporting events, during lunch at school, and after church.

As I moved into this new strategy, I discovered the huge difference between a youth group and youth ministry. A "youth group" mentality sets the expectation that young people will gather at a particular time and place for a predetermined event. "Group" is a noun. A "youth ministry" mentality, on the other hand, is all about action, movement, and enterprise. "Ministry" is a verb.

I think Jesus-style ministry is all about discipling teenagers wherever we find them. Jesus ministered to the sick, the blind, the spiritually hungry, and the lame, but he didn't sit in an office and wait for them to come to him. He sought the needy by going where they could be found. He went out, found people who would listen to him, called them into ministry, trained them, then sent them out to do the same for others.

Jesus' example is our answer to ministry with overscheduled kids. I'd like to share with you my journey toward a better plan for ministering to today's hyper-speed teenagers. I call this strategy The Plan.

the plan

I've tried to mimic Jesus in his recruiting, training, and sending strategy.

1. Role-model a balanced life. Take a look at your own day planner. Are you proud of how filled each day is? Do you have a daily standing appointment with God? Do you have time scheduled for family, friends, and relaxation? Do your daily activities support your priorities and goals? Are you a role model for a well-balanced lifestyle or a poster child for overextended, overscheduled living? I'm a former poster child-I used to think that the more I had scheduled, the more successful I was. I was wrong.

2. Set priorities for your personal life and ministry. Do you have written-down priorities for your life? Do they motivate you or make you feel burdened?' The difference between a dream ministry and a successful ministry is setting and achieving realistic goals. There are many ways to set priorities for life and ministry, and most of them require some kind of time management system. I use the Franklin Covey system because it's a step-by-step no-brainer.?

3. Create a plan for recruiting helpers to minister to teenagers. Once you've evaluated your ministry priorities, you're ready to craft a mission statement and create job descriptions for adult and teenage leaders. Then it's time to spread the word. Start talking about your ministry's mission with church people and write an article that details your mission and priorities for the church newsletter. Tell anyone who'll listen about the specific number of new volunteers you need to support your mission. Then gather prospective recruits at your home or the church and take them through the job descriptions you've created.