Life Is Different
Currently we are several weeks into a new way of life, and a new way of ministry. Words like coronavirus and social distancing have become commonplace in our language for instance.
Everything from the way we do shopping for groceries to watching movies is changing. We don’t eat dinner the same way, or go to the office in the same way.
Birthdays are celebrated by organizing a drive by parade. Staff meetings are held on zoom. The kitchen table has become a classroom, similarly Sunday mornings our living rooms become worship spaces.
Everything is different.
Youth Ministry is Different
The way we do ministry has changed as well.
Youth leaders are using social media more to reach out to students. Ministry gatherings have moved from being in person, to online.
Youth directors are finding new ways to do things such as Worship, game nights, devotionals, sermons and staying connected.
Now, leaders are beginning to ask what is next. Government leaders have begun to talk about what life looks like after covid-19 has subsided. Reports have said it will take a while to begin recovery. Additionally there is talk that some things have been changed forever.
So as that conversation begins for the economy, for the world, I have to want to ask one question. What does youth ministry look like after the coronavirus?
Better yet, what could it look like? What are the changes that have occurred over the past several months which will change the way we do youth ministry after this?
Here are five suggestions. I present 5 youth ministry things that might be different when we come out on the other side
Four Ways Your Youth Group Might Look Different After the Coronavirus
Number 1: Youth Groups Will Utilize Small Groups for More Than Discussion
I know that many of you already do small groups within your ministry. Some are student led, some adult led. Some groups meet after your worship time in different rooms at your church. Some meet throughout the week in different peoples houses or at restaurants.
I think after the coronavirus that small groups will be crucial for one basic but important reason. Scaleability.
The idea of scaleability is that you can provide the same opportunities and care to every student no matter how large your youth group is. If it’s just you and 10 youth that’s doable. What happens when you have 50 or 100 students?
Small groups allow you to divide up care for your students in to trusted small group leaders. You support the leaders, the leaders support your students. Therefore if you have 3 or 300, you know each student is cared for.
Number 2: Youth Groups will Go Visual and Virtual with Teaching Content
In the past several weeks I have seen many people jump into the world of video messages. Considering we cannot see students face to face yet, recording a message and posting it for all to see is a great option.
A recent USA Today article says that 89% of students have a cell phone, and up to 95% have access to either a phone or tablet. And what are they doing?
Up to 70% are watching videos. The phone has become the number one way that teens consume videos. They are tuning in to everything from streaming services to YouTube and instagram videos.
Video is going to be very important as we come out of the coronavirus because video is meets students where they are.
Imagine if you give your midweek message and you have 30 students who are there. That met the students who were in your service.
However if you take that video and record it and put it on YouTube or instagram TV you have the potential to reach those students who cannot be at your mid week service.
What if you then did a 1 minute follow up message and posted it to instagram, twitter and Facebook (for the parents and church members) What if students did their own video devotionals and posted their quick thoughts.
Now you are meeting students where they are with the message. You go from 30 people at one specific time, to virtually hundreds who can access it any time.
Number 3: Personal Connection and Outreach will Be Most Important
One thing I have heard many times during this time is how youth leaders are reaching out to make personal connections.
I know of leaders who are making phone calls to all of their members once per week. Others have discovered the art of handwriting letters once again. Others are delivering “Boredom Packs” or other care packages with games, toys, devotionals and snacks to their students.
If you have a small group it might be easier to do. However what if you have a group of fifty or sixty? Then go back and what we talked about in number 1. Empower your small group leaders to reach out to their small group members. You can even empower other students to help with this outreach.
I would suggest that some of us have put all our eggs in one “Main youth service” basket. We gear up for our mid week service, plan games, and make sure we connect with all those who come.
This is great, however, there are many each week who do not cross through your doors for a variety of reasons. Our current lockdown has pulled away that once a week focus and helps us now to focus on all of our students wherever they may be.
Number 4: Youth Ministry Will Be A Hybrid of Virtual and Face to Face
Right now many of us are Zoomed out. It seems that students are the same. We have all been on some form of virtual meetings to do everything from staff meetings, online classes and youth game nights.
However when we come to the other side I think that we will embrace the virtual, not as a substitute, but as an enhancement.
For instance I did an online parent meeting the other day. I usually would have spent time reserving a room, getting snacks, setting everything up, providing childcare and making copies of all the handouts.
Instead I set up a zoom meeting, sent out invitations and waited. And the parents came. We didn’t have a huge group, but it was actually a little more than normal.
I think that when we set up meetings we will ask this question. Does this have to be in person, or could it be done online?
Of course not all of our meetings will be done online. Meeting in person is still very important. However I think that virtual meetings will become more and more prevalent.
I already have a small group who has some members who have moved away. They have been meeting weekly in person. However after this coronavirus lock-in they have been meeting virtually. They plan to continue to meet at least every other week online so all can be involved.
I can imagine that there are some committee meetings that members would be more eager to attend if they could log in from their phone after the kids are in bed.
The Way Forward?
Well there they are. I could be wrong and everything could go back to the way it was. I don’t think it should though. We have an opportunity to step back and see what actually needs to change in our ministries.
What if we took this chance to reevaluate and reconsider what is important? What if we took this pause to see where God is leading us and to step into new ways of ministry?
What do you think ministry will look like on the other side?