Courtesy of brokentrinkets/Creative Commons License Courtesy of brokentrinkets/Creative Commons License

I used to get jealous when people would talk about our church. All they raved about was the preaching, the band, the children’s program, the parking lot and even the coffee. What about the youth ministry?

The problem? LACK OF EXPOSURE

Like many, our youth ministry meets at times when most people aren’t in the building. Some youth ministries meet in the depths of the church basement. It’s no wonder people have no clue what your youth ministry does.

Instead of allowing feelings of jealousy and frustration take over, develop a strategy to get the word out. Granted it won’t happen over night, but there are a few steps you can take now to build momentum. Such as:

  • Connecting With Leadership: Whether you have an elders’ board or a parish council you need to make sure you have a relationship with it’s members. When leadership is aware and educated you’ll see the exposure climb. They’ll begin see it as an important part of the church’s investment.
  • Bring Them The Ministry: If you cannot bring people to youth ministry, bring it to them. Encouraging your students to get involved alongside of adults is one of easiest and most organic ways to gain exposure. You can also find opportunities to bring groups like the student band to play or present in front of the adult congregation. Put together video promos that can advertise or showcase the youth ministry. Show them online or in front of the main church.
  • Discover Key Advocates: While you might feel alone, you do have fans. Ask parents you know who are on board to get the word out to fellow parents. Ask volunteers who are key to ministry to share what they do on a regular basis. Do not put the sole responsibility of advocacy on your shoulders.
  • Get The Pastor On Board: This might be a challenge depending on your relationship; however, get the pastor on board and people will follow. Ask him to mention teenagers and/or the ministry in his message. Bring him up to date on the good, the bad and the ugly of what’s going on. Make him feel like he’s a part of the team. The more confident he feels about your ministry, the more he’ll back it.

Finding youth ministry exposure is a challenge. It takes a little extra work to get the word out because your location and times are usually not optimal. Teenagers can be intimidating and it’s your job to show otherwise. While gaining exposure might be difficult, embrace the challenge so that you can help the entire church grow.

How do you bring your ministry more exposure?