How Can A Church Build A Youth Group?

Jesus loves young people! If you’re reading this blog, we are on the same page. Creating a youth group is a fantastic way to share the gospel and disciple those already following him.

Do you have a vision for a youth ministry in your church but are unsure how to get the ball rolling? Keep reading, we’ll run through a few tips on how to begin.

1. Prayer 

As with everything in church work, it’s important to start with prayer. Commit your plans to God, ask for the guidance of the Holy Spirit as you begin to put a vision in place.

This can also be an ideal time to identify who in your church shares your heart for youth ministry and outreach. Why not host a one off prayer meeting focussing on the youth in your area and see who comes along? 

2. Set the vision

What do you want to achieve? Will your youth group be a place for unbelievers to find community and hear about Jesus? Maybe it will be more focussed on discipling young people who are already on fire for God? Consider the need in your church and your local area. 

If you have young people connected to your church, ask them their thoughts so you can have an accurate picture of what needs can be met in your context.

3. Team 

You can’t run a group without a team. Find reliable people who buy into the vision and are committed to muck in. Make sure you are aware of the time they are able to give and ensure your plans can be sustainably covered. 

It’s essential that any team working with young people have required safeguarding training and are DBS/PVG checked (or equivalent in your context). 

4. Find what works

Now you have a goal and a team, it’s time to think about practicalities. Youth have busy lives, with many committed to extra-curricular groups on top of full time school or college. What time during the week would work well for them and for your team? How long should your youth group be? 

Formatting and style play a huge part in making these decisions. Hosting a pizza and bible study night will be very different to a beach BBQ or skateboarding club. 

Get your practicalities down on paper and make sure everything is covered so when you start to invite young people along, you are good to go! 

5. Invite Youth

There’s no youth group without youth! If you have existing connections, such as families in your church or a school Christian Union presence, you can start by giving invitations there. 

The best way to connect with a new crowd of young people and their families in your area is to get stuck in with the local community. Think about how to use existing community schemes your church is already running that could offer a point of connection with local youth.

If you are a new church plant or an established church looking to make new connections, putting on a funnel event is an excellent solution. An accessible, one off event will allow you to establish a presence in your local community and foster relationships, creating an open door to joining a regular youth group. Here at Breakout Ministries, our American sports camps are designed to help you with exactly that. 

How Hosting A Sports Camp Can Help

A week of fun that serves the community and shares Jesus? Sound good? Our American sports camps are action-packed summer camps for young people! We are proud to have partnered with churches in the UK and beyond to run week long events that help begin relationships with local families. 

We bring the team, the equipment and the energy! All we need from you are dates, a venue and a few practical elements like food. Working with a Breakout team means your volunteers are free to focus on the important stuff, talking to people and creating connections. 

We have seen successful youth groups launched from sports camps. Simply invite camp attendees and get started! Breakout can help you strategise through the camp into the launch of your youth group. 

Let’s Chat!

Interested? We’d love to hear from you. We tailor every sports camp to suit your goals and context. Our camps are here to support local churches and are free, we run on a donation and supporter basis. 

Get in touch with our director, James, today by emailing 

j.greene@breakoutministries.co.uk. 

We look forward to hearing more about your vision!