When I talk to professional youth ministers about SmallYouthGroup.com, a lot of them give me strange looks. Why would you develop a website that “celebrates” a youth ministry being small? Shouldn’t we be trying to build “big” youth groups? It is exciting to minister to large groups of teenagers. And, of course, more young people growing in their faith is better than a few young people growing in their faith. However, there are some good reasons to invest in youth ministry in a small church.

Jesus definitely taught big groups of people. In the Gospels you read about the big tent revivals Jesus did by the Sea of Galilee . . . and Jesus didn’t even have a tent. Jesus had a number of disciples who believed in him and followed him. He sent them out on mission in Luke 9. And we are surprised by Jesus’ “secret” disciples who begged his body from Pilate for burial after his crucifixion. However, Jesus invested most of his time with twelve men . . . some of them may have been teenagers. Why do you think he did that?

I don’t think we can ever wholly understand Jesus’ intentions. He is God. However, I believe part of the reason for Jesus’ investment in the Twelve was that he was able to pour his life into their lives. He was able to guide them in intimate settings to see the God he knew and could model for them how to serve that God. Small youth groups provide that kind of opportunity.

Actually, I am convinced that no youth leader, regardless of how good he or she is, can be effective at discipling a youth group of many more than twelve. Youth leaders in large groups who are actually effective have to have many leaders who are pouring their lives into smaller groups of youth. Many large youth groups are experimenting with youth ministry in ways that are automatic in small youth groups:

• Involving parents in the ministry.
• Creating small groups that contain older and younger youth so that older youth can encourage their younger peers.
• Allowing a leader to continue to work with the same group of youth for a number of years instead of having them simply promote to the next teacher at the end of the school year.

Youth ministry should follow the lead of Jesus and Jesus invested his life in a small group of disciples.

So, am I suggesting that youth groups are better off staying small? Not at all. I am suggesting that we are obedient to God in the place he has put us. That includes raising the youth in our care to grow in their relationship with God. It includes making Christ known to the youth we have opportunity to influence. It includes helping our youth ministries to be places that are on mission. Then, we trust God to bring growth.