Six ways to avoid the disheartening experience of seeing growing teenagers leave your youth group.
One of the most disheartening experiences of a youth leader is witnessing teenagers drift away from the group. It is even worse when sons and daughters of Christian families choose to walk away from the faith.
The most dangerous times often occur during the time of transitions, when the teenagers "graduate' from one youth group to another. Typically this occurs at the end of year six (as the students finish primary school), at the end of year nine (as they finish the junior high group) and at the end of year 12 (as they finish school).
To help teenagers move safely from one age group to another, there are several strategies you can employ.
1. Dam the flow
It can be tempting to try and ignore the age transitions, and instead allow one or two of the more mature members to trickle into the older age group. For example, many groups allow some year six kids to join the high school group when they appear old enough. A better option is to create a dam for the flow, holding back the trickle of more mature kids until the whole group reaches the official age, so that they look forward to joining the next stage. Then, they can graduate together with their peers.
2. Don't wait until the end of the year
Bring them up in term four for the graduation. Move the whole age group up at the start of term four so they have time to get used to the new group before they start a new phase in life. It also means they don't spend the whole Christmas holidays hanging between two groups.
3. Make graduations special
Hold a big farewell party for the exiting group. Then have an official welcome in the group to which they are graduating. Our schools and universities make a fuss of graduation…and so should we!
4. Run a graduation camp
Take the year sixers away for a "primary school leavers' camp. Run a "schoolies' camp for the exiting year twelves. Organise a year nine camp to prepare them for senior high. Invite the new leaders to the camp, and help the year group community bond before it graduates together.
5. Prepare well
If we want our year nines to choose to remain in youth group, then we need to start years in advance. Solid discipleship, immersed in the living word of God, should be paramount in our ministry. Our teenagers will only say "no' to ungodliness and worldly passions if they have truly known the grace of God that brings salvation (Titus 2:11-12).
6. Finally, pray
God is sovereign over the universe" even over the year nines! Pray that the teenagers will bear fruit in every good work, grow in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to God's glorious might, so that they might have great endurance and patience (Colossians 1:10-11).
Jodie McNeill is a youth ministry trainer with Anglican Youthworks. Contact him at jodiem@youthworks.net
