In the ten years I’ve been involved with youth ministry, I’ve worked with big and small groups. In theory, I can see positives and negatives in both of them. But in practice I find myself leaning towards smaller groups being better. Big is good if you can do it right, but many of us want big instantly. We want to know that we’re doing a good job and we want other people to think we’re doing a good job.
BIG GROUPS
In my first church we had a big youth group. Everyone knew it was the biggest in town and in my youthful arrogance I thought that was because we were the best youth workers. But the message of Jesus was lost in the chaos, madness, fun and crowd control. We wanted to have a relaxed atmosphere where we could chat naturally about Jesus, but it was so relaxed that new faces kept coming, the group kept growing and we didn’t have time to chat because we were too busy making sure everyone was safe (which is obviously a good thing to do). The young people probably knew we were Christians but didn’t really find out why, because even though we had a short talk at the end of the evening, the group were so hyped that anything that was said was probably lost.
A DIFFERENT FOCUS
Bigger isn’t always better. In the two churches I’ve been part of since, the focus has been on community, not fun and entertainment. We want to have fun but we want the youth groups to be a place where young people belong and can wrestle with their big questions. When I first arrived in my current church, many people expected me to ‘get the numbers up’. If my job is to fill the building, I can run a fun, highenergy programme that no one wants to miss. But there are problems with this approach: there is no guarantee that this will ‘work’ and my vicar wants to see young people discovering Jesus, growing as his followers and being equipped to live for him for the rest of their lives.
SMALL GROUPS
Small is hard. When you plan a game for your group that requires everyone turning up and only half do, you need to rethink the game pretty speedily. Likewise, it’s hard to have a discussion about the issues raised by the Bible study unless those who turn up are super chatty, which is not often the case with 13-year-olds on a Sunday morning.
WHAT WOULD JESUS DO?
My starting point is how Jesus did ministry. A good example of Jesus’ approach is found in Mark 3:14-15. Up to this point in Mark, Jesus has got a whole group of people following him and he is teaching them. But here Jesus says he is going to specifically invest time in a smaller group of people. We see why he does that in verses 14 and 15, ‘That they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach and to have authority to drive out demons.’ Jesus identifies them so he can train them to do the same ministry that he is doing. Of the 12, he particularly focuses on Peter, James and John, who all had a big part to play in the Early Church.
Jesus did teach big crowds but in Mark 3 he singles out a small group that he can invest more deeply in. He trains them to minister to others. He spends time addressing their questions and struggles. He equips them to pass on the good news after Jesus has returned to be with his father.
INVEST IN INDIVIDUALS
Michael was 14, rude and disruptive. The first youth weekend away I ran, I was dreading him coming. But over that weekend as we read the Bible, God worked in his life. He started reading his Bible and praying on his own. He started to listen on Sunday mornings. He would ask questions. Then he said: ‘I’ve been thinking that I should be serving the church in some way. Would I be able to help at kids’ club?’ We started meeting to read the Bible and pray. He really wanted to get stuck into the Bible and grow. He started doing some teaching at kids’ club and really wanted the children to know Jesus.
In my current youth group, we spend significant time teaching the Bible. Sadly, some have stopped coming. Some complain but still come. Some love it! But we’re looking to invest in individuals. We try to have chats as they buy their tuck and as we play games. We ask questions like: do you understand what we’ve just been looking at in the Bible? Did you agree? What didn’t you like? What are you unsure about? This wouldn’t be so easy in the middle of a football match!
We have a small group that meets before the whole group meets. We look at the Bible and encourage and pray for each other. These small group times are some of the best times of my week because I see the young people’s excitement, struggles and their honesty about how they’re doing as Christians. I’m convinced that a network of small groups, where relationships with older Christians can be formed and no one is lost in a big group, is the way forward.
NOT A NUMBERS GAME
Remember the example of Jesus. He taught God’s word. He trained others to do it. He never entertained. Ultimately, we need to remember that God’s priority isn’t a full building on a Friday night. He wants to see young people coming to know Jesus and being prepared to live for him for the rest of their lives. It’s hard when people ask about numbers, but we must trust that God is doing a work in the lives of those you are working with. You’ll be equipping them to live for Jesus long after they’ve left your youth group.
