Connection + Empowerment = Discipleship
Several years ago on a ministry trip to Colombia, I happened to visit a church on its designated youth Sunday. The sanctuary was bursting with colorful decorations; energetic music reverberated through the room; and proud families filled the seats. The congregation’s children and adolescents led a full worship service that day—preaching, dancing, and singing. Some played instruments that seemed twice their size! Some preached with the fiery passion one would expect from a seasoned minister. These young people reminded me of the impact of religious education on my own childhood and later my vocation. Within a few years, I would find myself pastoring high schoolers and middle schoolers in North Carolina.
Adults sometimes underestimate the spiritual depths that adolescents bring to church and to life. On one hand, some adults view youth ministry as mere entertainment. I have heard it cautioned, “You can’t build a youth group off candy and games. They need the Word!” On the other hand, some adults do not know how to relate to youth at all.
Some adults view youth ministry as mere entertainment. I have heard it cautioned, “You can’t build a youth group off candy and games. They need the Word!” On the other hand, some adults do not know how to relate to youth at all.
Somewhere between these two extremes—either trying too hard to make youth programs “fun” or being afraid to engage adolescents at all—we adults can miss the opportunity to truly get to know young people and support their steps toward deeper faith and discipleship.
How was Your Week?
Connection with youth is about building relationships. While “candy and games” can be a good starting point, connection involves taking a genuine interest in young people’s lives. At each weekly youth gathering at our church, I spend time asking my students about their week and finding out what is happening in their world. I discover what matters to them and try to provide a Christian message in a way that intrigues them.
When students tell me about dramas and tensions at school, I tend to direct the conversation toward themes of respect, integrity, and our worth in Christ. In our group discussions various vital questions come up, such as “What does it mean to stand up for oneself or to turn the other cheek?” “What does it look like to leave one’s sacrifice on the altar and reconcile with one’s sibling in Christ?” “How can a person defend the vulnerable as Jesus defended the woman in John 8?”
Tough Questions Galore
Or when a student requests prayer for a difficult personal situation—I am glad not only to pray but also encourage the student and talk about the miraculous power of Christ. Other times students will ask existential questions about God and faith. This usually occurs during our Bible studies, where I create space for students to speak to what they find interesting in the Bible passage or do not understand. There is no shortage of tough questions young people ask. Most recently these have included, “How do I know there is life after death?” “What about atheists?” “If God knows everything before it happens, why would he have chosen to create a world that he knew would become burdened with sin?” No one said youth ministry was easy.
Yet a meaningful connection with youth takes more than conversation and a willingness to grapple with difficult questions. It means being present for young people by attending sporting events, recitals, and graduations. It involves counseling sessions, birthday parties, and fun group outings. If a weekly church youth gathering is the only time we as youth ministers spend influencing our youth, our efforts will remain at a significant disadvantage to the other influences young people face during the other six days. We make a claim on maybe one or two hours of their 168-hour week.
Four Trips a Year
For this reason, our ministry plans at least four trips each year. These trips include summer camp, a youth convention, and two fine arts festivals. Traveling to these events allows students to bond with one another and to be inspired by other youth and Christian leaders outside their usual environment. When shepherded well, the resulting excitement can extend beyond the special events and have a positive effect on our regular youth gatherings.
On the way home from a recent trip, one of my students began brainstorming ideas to make our ministry more varied and compelling. She ultimately pitched to me a monthly event that we now call Sunday Youth Service. (Our regular weekly gathering is a discussion-based Bible study on Wednesday night.) It did not take long for her to rally her peers, assign roles, and organize the first service.
The best part is that these services have been led entirely by students—much like the youth service I attended years ago on my international ministry trip. Our students preach, sing, lead prayers, and execute every part of the Sunday afternoon service. Not only has this become a full-circle moment for me, but it also means students are demonstrating initiative, taking ownership, and progressing toward a deeper Christian maturity. As a youth pastor, I simply guide, support, and mentor them as they plan and execute the services.
TikTok Sensation
Empowering youth in this way is a critical stage of discipleship. And it involves trust. For example, one of the activities the students wanted to include in the services was the creation of TikTok reels. Unconventional as it may seem, the videos we filmed proved to be one of the most successful aspects of the service. Within a few days of posting, we had received 17,500 views. What started as an idea in the mind of a teenager suddenly reached thousands of young people with the message of the gospel.
Why not have a service that includes filming TikToks? Why not have games and candy—and the Word? Why not have a service led by teenagers as they see fit? If we are to find new ways of doing church in a worrisome and distracted world, we must be open to new ideas and non-traditional ministry formats.
This is not just a lesson in youth ministry; it is a lesson about listening to the needs of our congregants and inspiring them to reach their own cohorts. This is discipleship, which begins with connection and moves toward empowerment. The result is greater maturity, deeper conviction, and a stronger Christian witness.
The Rev. I’noli Hall ’13 B.A., ’22 M.Div. is Executive Pastor and Youth Pastor of Carpenter’s Shop International Church in Ahoskie, N.C. He is a graduate of Andover Newton Seminary at YDS and a citizen of the Chowanoke Tribe.