Ensuring a Successful Youth Ministry

Darren Cowdrey is a United Methodist Church (UMC) ordained minister with over 20 years of experience in leading churches. One area that provided Darren Cowdrey with the foundation for this work was leading the youth ministry at Shepherd of the Hills UMC in Mission Viejo, California.

The youth ministry is vital to any church, as it ensures the ministry’s succession to the next generation. It’s also a place to prepare young people for the future by teaching the right values. But some factors need to be in place for any youth ministry to succeed.

The first step is setting measurable goals and objectives for the ministry. Without these, a ministry can lose its way. The next step is getting leaders who can inspire young people with enthusiasm — this is more important than many other qualifications. Young people need someone who understands them and can communicate effectively with them. The leader should also be approachable, as many young people have emotional issues they need help with, so the leader needs to be able to engage with them. However, there is also the need to lay firm ground rules and make sure they’re adhered to.

That said, it’s helpful to get other enthusiastic and willing people to support the leader to ensure they don’t burn out from overwork. Delegate responsibilities to young people with leadership potential among the attendees so they can get practical leadership training. The leader also has to make sure that he or she devotes time to self-development, as well as spending time with the youth ministry.