Cheerleaders, kiddie pools and middle school accountants; how lead pastors can reach the next generation

Tomorrow morning at a ridiculously early hour I will head to The Orange Conference, a gathering of over 8000 NextGen leaders from all over the world. I have been attending or teaching at this conference for over a decade because I can’t think of a better way to invest than to sow into the people who lead kids and students in the local church. The potential fruit is exponential. Here are some of the reasons I continue to invest in NextGen leaders:

• The vast majority of Christians decide to follow Christ before they turn 18
• A majority of young people never return to church after they go to college
• Many teenagers quit church when they become sophomores, the year they get their drivers license and/or their parents let them choose not to go
• Children often decide by 3rd grade whether they like going to church, though they can’t quit until 10th grade

The future of the church is being determined by how we minister to the kids and families in our churches. Better programming, outreach or small groups are meaningless if the next generation leaves and never returns. Share on X If I were a lead pastor I would make kids and student ministry my number one priority, and here’s how I’d do it…

Act like a cheerleader

The most effective thing a lead pastor can do is be the cheerleader for NextGen ministries (kids, students, families.) Share on X
In most churches what the lead pastor champions gets done. One lead pastor I worked with was a frustrated rock star, so the music ministry got all the cool toys. Another lead pastor saw the world through the eyes of a counselor, so the church funded a large counseling center. Andy Stanley is passionate about the next generations, so North Point church has incredible kids and student ministries.

So how can you be a cheerleader for NextGen ministry?

• Use illustrations from family ministry in your sermons
• Celebrate NextGen ministry wins or milestones publicly
• Never disparage working with students or kids. I cringe when I hear a lead pastor say, “I’m glad I don’t have to work with middle schoolers.” It is demeaning and deflating to those who do.
• Make working with kids and students a place of honor

Budget like a middle schooler

Nothing reveals values like a bank statement; you spend your money on what you care about. What does your church’s bank statement say about how you value the next generation? If you want to impact kids and students, budget for it. Here’s how Craig Groeschel told me this works at Life.Church:

“One of LifeChurch’s core values is stewardship. Because of that—and not in spite of it—we spend a lot of money on kids. Considering the scope and scale of the ministry that LifeKIDS executes each week, it really doesn’t matter how it compares to other ministry departments or programs. That’s an apples to oranges comparison.”

Swim in the kiddie pool

When a senior leader participates in children’s or student ministry it allows them to experience what the volunteers and kids experience, and it shows support for the ministry. Many pastors feel they are too busy to show up, or that their presence will be a distraction. I would counter that their lack of presence sends the message they only care about what happens in the adult auditorium. To counteract that impression why not

• Volunteer in the nursery when you aren’t preaching
• Teach the elementary lesson from time to time
• Help lead a middle school small group
• Go as a leader on a high school missions trip

I understand all of these ideas are tough to pull off and not your favorite thing to do, but I can’t imagine a better way to invest your time in a very vulnerable generation.

Let the kids sit at the adult table

Can we call a moratorium on “Student Takeover” weekends? You know, the weekend you have teenagers do the greeting and ushering, the student band lead worship, and the youth pastor preach. Not only is the experience not great for the attenders (all the parents and grandparents love it. Everyone else, not so much), but its really just a form of tokenism. Unintentionally we send the message that NextGen is the “B” team.

Instead why not weave students into everything we do?

• Invite teenagers to be ushers and greeters, involve students in the tech booth and add teens as a regular part of the worship team.
• Use NextGen leaders to do the announcements,
• Have the youth pastor do one point of the sermon occasionally

Rather than a “sink or swim” once a year context, invest in younger leaders every weekend.

Beyond just including them on the weekend, make sure NextGen leaders are at the decision making table during the week. It is a mistake to expect to be effective in ministering to kids and students if the leaders are not a part of shaping the direction of the church. It will take some creativity, but leveraging your influence to include younger leaders will pay significant dividends down the road.

All is not lost

Despite the dire warnings that Millennials are already gone and Gen Y is close behind, all is not lost in the local church. I believe if pastors will take the lead in focusing on the next generation there is a bright future ahead, but it will take intentionality, courage and patience. Lots and lots of patience.

You can read more practical advice,,based on research on interviews, on reaching the next generation in the free eBook The Church Will Thrive. You can download your copy here.