The new pastor has two teenagers, a middle school son and a high school junior daughter. You have hoped that your church would build a youth group, but the only teenager in the church for the last year has been your son . . . the same age as the new pastor’s son. Because you really want a youth group at your church for these students, you agree to lead the youth group. Okay, maybe your story is different than the one above, but how do you grow a youth ministry when you only have a few students in your church? As you know, the biggest problem you face is that teenagers are most often attracted to other teenagers.

The bad news is, prepackaged approaches don’t usually work. If the church across town grew a group by having Friday night masquerade parties, it’s not very likely the same thing will work for you. Start with prayer. Ask God to show you what you need to do, who you need to reach, what activities you need to do, how you need to go about getting your teenagers involve in ministry. Then . . .

A female high school junior is not very likely to get excited about hanging out with a couple of middle school boys. Enlist her help first. Help her to understand that you want her to be a leader . . . not just another student. Tell her you would like to meet with her fairly often to get her help to plan the Bible studies, determine what mission projects you need to do, and determine what you can do that will be fun for the younger kids. She may not respond to your request for help, but if she does she will be a great example for the younger students and is more likely to invite her friends and to look to you to help her as she develops in her spiritual life.

Don’t over-do the activities. Plan about one activity each month (in addition to your weekly Bible study). Design half the activities to be just for fun and encourage the students to bring a friend. Design the other half to get the students involved in ministry to someone . . . and encourage the students to bring a friend.

Focus your youth ministry on the students you have. Plan things that are fun for two or three students. Let them know how much you enjoy being with them. Look for ways to help them to grow in their walk with God.

Create a sense of openness in the group. There is always room for another student or two.

As students begin to feel at home in your youth ministry, find ways to get to know their parents. Invite their parents to come to church with them. Take time before or after youth events to talk to parents as they drop off their students. Ask parents if they would be willing to help drive or bring food. Help them to connect with other people in the church.