I’ve been in youth ministry for 16 years, which is wild—my youth ministry career could practically drive a car by now! Though, I’d probably need to take the test at least twice.

If I were starting at my very first church with all the experience, knowledge, and mistakes I’ve made along the way, what would I do differently? Or, if I were starting brand new at a church right now, what are the four things I would change?

Here they are!

1. I’d Have More Fun

I’ve heard it said many times, “What you win them with is what you win them to!”—as if having fun and being joyful in ministry is a bad thing.

Maybe it was my youth and lack of experience, but when I started out, I wanted to make sure everyone knew how serious I was.

If I were starting today, I’d be more willing to have fun with students, volunteers, parents, and the church as a whole. I’ve learned there are plenty of ways to show people I’m mature and capable, but only one way to show them I can have fun!

What would that look like? I’d be more comfortable incorporating games into lessons. I’d enjoy having fun with students outside of youth group without needing to add a spiritual element to everything. I’d also be okay with having fun just for fun’s sake.

2. I’d Focus More on Parents

This was definitely because of my youth, but I didn’t reach out to parents as much as I should have when I was starting out.

I was laser-focused on students, which is great—but now, if I were starting again, I’d make time for more coffees and lunches with parents. I’ve come to realize I didn’t need to have kids of my own to minister to parents effectively.

I’d take parents out to coffee and ask them about the challenges their families were facing. I’d ask how I could pray for them and find ways the ministry could better support them.

I’d listen a lot and communicate even more.

Speaking of…

3. I’d Over-Communicate Everything

We live in a world where communication is easier than ever. We have free email services, free social media platforms, free texting services, and free graphics tools.

What a time to be alive!

I’d make sure I was sending out consistent and well-thought-out communication every week. For parents, that would be an email with what we studied that week and the details of our most recent event. For students, I’d post frequently on social media about upcoming events and ask questions related to what we studied in youth group.

4. I’d Have an Easy-to-Communicate Vision

For both parents and students, I’d want them to clearly understand why we were doing what we were doing. I’d develop a ready-to-share “elevator pitch” to explain the purpose of our ministry.

At my last church, I communicated that we aimed for students to “Belong, Believe, and Become.” We wanted students to feel a sense of belonging at youth group, believe the Gospel, and become the people God created them to be by giving them opportunities to grow into that identity.

I also told parents that we’d focus on teaching students about the Attributes of God, the Gospel, Spiritual Disciplines, and Relationships. Could we cover more? Absolutely. But we wanted to ensure those four pillars were solid foundations for everything we did.

More than anything, I’d want parents to feel confident that I had a clear grasp of what we were doing and why.

Those are the four things I would change and focus on if I were just starting out today.

How about you? Any thoughts or suggestions? I’d love to hear them!