I wouldn't suggest tying up new kids to keep them because it only works once. You will never see them again. There are some other quick ways to lose teens from making your youth ministry home, but let's focus on how to keep them coming.
- Is your ministry geared for teens at different places of faith? Pretty simple, but simply forgotten. You have crowd kids (outsiders who show up to events or the bf/gf made them come), congregation kids (the regulars who don't participate), and the core kids (we all love those). Does your ministry/message speak to them all?
- Are your volunteers/staff interested in teens or just each other? We are adapting zone coverage for youth ministry services. This means that a leader/volunteer will be in their own section and will develop friendships with teens. This also means that my team won't be distracted by one another and each student will get quality time with a person that loves them.
- Are you being intentional? Sanga Samways from Hillsong Church taught two things that I won't forget. One, give new students something for visiting when they come in (it shows them we appreciate them, and depending on what you give out, it marks them as a visitor to core students and volunteers). Second, involvement equals connection. If you can get visitors involved in a team game, it will enable them to meet core students and bam! you have connection.
- Are you reaching out to your teens' friends? Worlds colliding is real. Students have neighborhood friends, school friends, church friends and social media friends. How are you evangelizing? How are you helping your students reach their friends? We found lifebooks recently and are really excited at the possibilities.
What advice would you give to make visitors become regulars?
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