Youth Ministry in a Post-COVID World

 

I spent much of my professional career in youth ministry.  Over the last year I was very grateful to be retired.  I honestly could not imagine what youth ministry would be like in the midst of a pandemic.  Having spent time with some of my youth ministry friends last week convinced me that even post COVID-19 the way the church minister to teenagers and their families is going to look very different.  The days of pizza and Bible study in the youth room might be in the past.  According to my director of Christian education (DCE) friends, just because churches and youth rooms are again open does not mean the kids are coming back. 

One of the unfortunate results of the pandemic for teens is that anxiety and depression have become a major issue.  Traditionally, teens are social creatures and the period of isolation has taken its toll.  In many cases they have lost their support system, and at a time when the church youth ministry staff could provide encouragement face-to-face contact is not possible.  During this time the Center for Disease Control and Prevention found symptoms of anxiety and depression up sharply from the previous year.  Almost 11 percent of all respondents to that survey said they had "seriously considered" suicide in the past 30 days. For those ages 18 to 24, the number was 1 in 4, more than twice as high.

Three things that church leaders, especially those working with teens, need to keep in mind moving forward;

Relationships matter.  One-on-one relationships with teens is vital during this time.  After spending hours online going to class, the idea of spending time on Zoom with the group from church is not as enticing as it was early in the pandemic.  What they really need is the intimacy of a relationship where they can talk about the issues that are troubling them.  The best approach for the church youth ministry teams might be to “divide and conquer.”  Divide the list of teens among the various members of the team, with the youth ministry professional taking those who might need the most attention.  Texts and phone are a good way to connect. 

Encourage spiritual disciplines.  Daily devotional thoughts sent via group text are a great way to start.  Sending them out early each morning might encourage them to begin their days in God’s Word.  When you do gather as a group, provide some models of how to find peace and solitude.  Prayer walks or similar activities help provide structure.  Through it all, we must be messengers of hope, modeling what we preach.

Parents are vital.  The new model for ministry puts less emphasis on what happens at church through children’s and youth ministry and more emphasis on the home.  Some churches were already moving toward this paradigm but the pandemic has greatly accelerated the process.  Millennial parents, more than past generations, want to be responsible for the spiritual formation of their children.  We need to be mindful that this really is the biblical model, and that the church community is really only there to provide encourage and support.

 

Some other things that church leaders need to keep in mind going forward.  The church youth room, like some of the rest of our facilities, might be devalued.  Just because the youth facilities are less used does not mean ministry is not happening.  Secondly, stop playing the numbers game.  In the post-pandemic world relationships are vital.  Some of the best ministry is going to be happening one-on-one way from the church building.