How to Start or Lead a Youth Ministry?

Hi, my name is Steve Elzinga, and I'm going to be leading you in this course. It's 12 sessions.

Maybe you're in a new church, or you're starting a church, and you want to start a youth ministry, but you don’t have one yet. This course is going to help you. Or maybe you're in a church that already has a youth ministry, and someone asked you to lead or get involved. This class will help you too.

You're going to learn how to lead, how to start, how to do Bible studies, how to organize activities, how to engage youth, and how to maintain order. You’ll learn everything you need to know to successfully lead a youth ministry.

Now, the one thing this course can't give you is passion, desire, and the calling of God. But I assume that because you're taking this course, God has touched your heart, or maybe you're just uncertain. You're not sure if you're called to this or not, and perhaps this course will help you figure that out.

Lecture One: Why Start or Lead a Youth Ministry?

I want to first talk about the impact of youth ministry. It's a great thing to be involved in because of the impact you can have. If you want your life to be of value and purpose, there's hardly another ministry more important than youth ministry. Let me give you some reasons why.

1. Youth Respond to Opportunity

Proverbs 10:5 – A wise youth makes hay while the sun shines, but what a shame to see a lad who sleeps away his hour of opportunity.

Youth have the potential to respond to opportunity—if they have it. If they aren’t given opportunities or if they aren’t in the right environment, they shrink away from opportunities. But the default setting is that they want to try things.

Why? Because they don’t know who they are yet. They wonder:

  • Am I a smart person or not so smart?
  • Am I good with people or not?
  • Am I a quick learner or a slow learner?
  • Do I have wisdom?
  • What kind of impact can I have?

Young people have no idea who they are. That’s why the teenage years—12, 13, 15, all the way up to 19—are critical. This is the time to try things.

I remember when I went to college, I tried everything. For one semester, I took the courses a music major would take—was I a music person? I didn’t know, so I tested it. I had never been in a play before, but I joined the Thespian Society to see if I could act. I taught seventh-grade catechism, went on mission trips, did Vacation Bible School, knocked on doors—I did whatever I could. I preached my first sermon on that mission trip. Could I preach? I didn’t know.

As a youth ministry leader, you have the opportunity to give young people experiences that will help them figure out who they are and who God has made them to be.

2. Youth Are Impressionable

Proverbs 22:6 – Train up a child in the way he should go, and even when he is old, he will not depart from it.

The things you do with young people can have a lifelong impact.

It was no mistake that when Moses was found in the basket by Pharaoh’s daughter, his sister convinced her to let Moses’ mother take care of him in his early years. Why? So his mother could whisper in his ear: You are a child of God.

People are blank slates when they begin life. Not only are they open to opportunities to discover who they are, but they can be shaped by the influence of those around them.

3. Youth Are Open to Adult Influence

For the first 12 years, parents have more influence over a child than friends. But after age 12, influence shifts—it’s a mix between parents and peers. By the mid-to-late teens (16–19), peers have more influence than parents.

But in those middle years—the prime youth ministry years—teens are still open to adult influence. This makes youth ministry a critical opportunity for godly leadership.

Psalm 25:4-7 – Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me…

This is the cry of young people. They want to be influenced and guided by wise adults who care about them.

4. Youth Are Influenced by Positive Peer Pressure

Proverbs 13:20 – Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.

Since peers begin to have greater influence over youth, it’s critical that we surround them with godly peers—friends who are pursuing the Lord.

5. Youth Are Influenced by Negative Peer Pressure

Isaiah 30:21 – Whether you turn to the right or the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”

The influence of the world on youth has never been greater.

  • In the past, a youth’s influences were limited to family, church, and community.
  • Today, youth are influenced by the entire world—through the internet and social media.

As a youth ministry leader, you can be a positive role model in the face of negative peer pressure.

6. Youth Are Sponges for Knowledge

2 Timothy 3:14-15 – But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed… from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings…

Young people absorb everything—good and bad. Their minds are open, their hard drives aren’t full yet, and they soak up whatever they are exposed to.

7. Youth Are the Future

Psalm 78:4 – We will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, His power, and the wonders He has done.

Eventually, the next generation will lead the church. Investing in them now ensures a strong future for Christianity.

Why Is Youth Ministry So Needed?

The impact is powerful, but let’s talk about why youth ministry is needed.

  • Mental Health Issues – Depression, anxiety, and fear among youth have never been higher.
  • Substance Abuse – Many turn to drugs or alcohol to escape pain.
  • Bullying – Online harassment has made bullying more severe than ever.
  • Academic Pressure – The pressure to succeed has skyrocketed.
  • Digital Addiction – Social media warps self-esteem and identity.
  • Peer Pressure – It’s stronger than ever due to constant online connection.
  • Identity and Self-Esteem Issues – Youth today struggle deeply with self-worth.
  • Broken Family Dynamics – Divorce, stepfamilies, and instability make life harder.
  • Anti-Christian Cultural Shift – Biblical faith is being challenged at every turn.

The Need for Strong Youth Ministry Leaders

We live in a “someone should do it for me” culture—where personal responsibility is fading. But youth ministry helps young people take ownership of their faith and their lives.

The impact you can have in youth ministry is astounding, and the need has never been greater.


Last modified: Thursday, February 13, 2025, 5:09 AM