Success

Success

How do you measure success in youth ministry?

Typically, it seems to be measured in differing aspects…

- 50 kids attended the evening session… counting the toddlers of the
volunteers
- 10 community kids showed up
- The girls stopped texting during the lesson.
- Little johnny discovered deodorant
- Nobody broke bones or limbs. WIN!
- 2 kids got saved at the retreat
- 120 kids are involved on a regular basis.

Each of these items in their own way could be considered a success… but how exactly would you rate the success of the ministry that you are a part of?

Often times, I find our youth ministries playing the numbers game. The whole idea came out of the late 80s and has been rampant ever since—that a good church is a growing church and a growing church is filled with hundreds and thousands of people. You can relate this same mindset to the youth ministry that you run and your local youth centre. I’ve even had a few friends who felt the pressure to play by the game. Numbers are recorded weekly and the tone of the comments are usually determined by the higher or lower score. If you are in a position like this right now, my condolences.

But do you ever rate the success of your ministry on the number of kids who come through the doors of your workplace?

Other times, success is based upon the number of kids who get saved throughout your year.

In the past year in our student ministries, 3 of our students publically made a first time stand for Christ. A few junior high's got saved for the 13th time. Each student had spent over a year in our ministry and made the choice that they wanted to be followers of Jesus Christ. Praise the Lord.

But is that how we measure how successful we are in our ministries?

Sometimes, success could be measured by the number of leaders are serving within your context.

We currently have 10 student leaders and 15 adult leaders serving within our student ministries.

Is that how you measure how successful you are as a leader?

In any of these areas, you can agree or disagree of how valid or weighty each aspect is to the success of your ministry, but when it’s all said and done, the only aspect I can truly say is of my own effort is if I have done what God has asked me to do in the place in which He has called me to.

Every other success belongs to God and the blessing and responsiblity should be counted as such.

So, are you being faithful to God and His Word in leading the ministry you are a part of?