Danny Ferguson serves as an area director for YFC/Youth Unlimited, which is an expression of Youth for Christ International. Yesterday he wrote about what success looks like in youth ministry. Ferguson asked youth ministry leaders to provide “their 140 character definition of success” via Twitter and published several of those responses, including:
Enabling young people to come alive in joy and to be everything they were made to be!! – that’s an attempt!! – @RCYOUTHWORKER
Building Relationships- student to student, student to caring adults, everyone to Jesus- & then sharing Jesus w/ the world. – @YouthGuy07
Simply helping students realize their potential in God’s Kingdom. – @Markhcox
students loving God and loving others in and out of the walls of the church; discipled students discipling others – @shawnmichael
obedience to God’s ways – @DougFields
So What?
Ferguson didn’t provide his 140 character or less definition. Instead he noted that this post was intended to launch a series of posts about the topic that will continue for the next month.
- What is your definition?
- How does your local congregation define success in youth ministry (realizing this written definition likely exceeds 140 characters)? How do you measure how well your ministry is doing with regard to that standard?
- What do you think of mine (@sowhatfaith)? A successful youth ministry empowers exploration and encourages “Jesus Creed living” while equipping for the lifelong journey of faith. (For more on the Jesus Creed, which is more commonly known as the Greatest Commandment, read my thoughts here and here).