Investing in the next generation within your congregation is absolutely vital if you want to see your church grow and develop strong followers of Jesus. Many pastors make the mistake of investing most of their resources into Sunday morning services, followed by children’s ministry. This means the student ministry ends up on the back burner.

I’m here to tell you that you need to make sure you’re not only prioritizing your student ministry within your church but also that you’re following three key rules so that you can have a thriving student ministry. Let’s look at these three rules now.

If your student ministry events and services aren’t fun, you’re not going to see growth. It’s as simple as that. Students are initially drawn to fun events and gatherings. And your students who are already attending are much more likely to invite their friends to something if it’s fun. This doesn’t mean you need to sacrifice spiritual depth and development within your student ministry. But it does mean that you need to be making a conscious effort to create a fun, inviting environment for students to be a part of each week.

While many churches like to boast about the number of volunteers they have, the quantity of volunteers doesn’t always speak to the quality of volunteers. That being said, I would recommend you focus on recruiting quality volunteers and small group leaders for your student ministry, rather than just taking anyone who signs up. If you have quality leaders that show up consistently, connect well with the students, and who are strong in their own faith, you’re going to see them make a positive impact on your students, which is exactly what you want. So focus on quality and you won’t be disappointed.

Anxiety, depression, and suicide rates are at an all-time high among students and teens right now. In a generation that is so focused on digital connection, there is still a lot of loneliness. That’s why it’s so important that you create a sense of community and comradery among your students in your youth group. If students show up each week feeling welcomed and like they’re a part of something, that’s going to help them more than you will ever know. The last thing you want is for a student to show up and feel invisible and unnoticed. So, lead by example and foster a sense of community with your youth group and see how the students come together and form solid relationships as a result.