Our experience has demonstrated that dedicated spaces for youth (now often called “Student Ministry”) tend to be some of the last spaces that churches will allocate – especially for smaller churches. If evangelism is a core value for a church, this can be a huge mistake. According to the Barna Research Group, 64% of born-again Christians made a commitment to Christ by age eighteen. Almost one-third of this group identified their teens as the time when they made a decision to follow Christ. Most of the people that made a commitment as a child (under age thirteen) came from Christian homes. This changes significantly by the teenage years, however, when peer influence can eclipse home influence. From an evangelistic standpoint, the teenage years are perhaps the greatest age of opportunity.
Churches tend to allocate space, especially dedicated space, by their perception of the relative importance of a ministry or sub-group. Based on dollars spent, adults in the Sunday service typically come in first with the worship center being the largest and most costly space. Children are usually next, occupying ‘educational’ space – whether for Sunday School or children’s church. It’s usually easy to tell whom each space is for by the décor. This is especially true for children’s areas because of the growing trend of themed spaces. It also tends to be easier to raise funds to build children’s space, as most churches put a high value on families with young children. But what about teenagers; where do they place in most church’s space-value system?
The church that I had been part of for the past eighteen years made a decision about six years ago to make the youth a high priority, recognizing the opportunity not only to provide for our teens, but to create a place where they would feel good about inviting their friends. We put about $300,000 into minor renovations and major décor, furniture, games and an audio, video and lighting system. The vision of the youth pastor to reach our teens and their friends took-off in this new space, tripling the attendance in just a few months. The typical Thursday night involved time for games, food, and fun, followed by worship and a message. Many of the teens met the Lord, and brought their friends who also met the Lord, whose parents took notice and also met the Lord. It turned out to be our church’s greatest evangelistic success. Not only did it reach teens for Christ, it also helped launch another dozen or so individuals onto a path of full-time ministry. Granted, the facility without the vision of the youth pastor would have done a limited amount to lead anyone to Christ, but it turned out to be an effective tool. The dedicated space made a strong statement about the importance of the youth.
Rather than being a church that gives the youth the leftover space, consider making them a top priority. Perhaps this will even become part of your most successful evangelistic effort in a long time.
