Youth workers need to stop whining! Students are busy, active, and stressed. The result of this activity is that they do not have enough time to attend our meetings and church. We are discouraged and maybe feel rejected. Soon we express our discouragement by complaining about the kids’ lack of commitment or interest in church. I have heard youth workers who make busyness of students a spiritual issue. Activity becomes sinful because we have tossed the gauntlet of proof to the kids. If they are committed to Christ, they must prove it by attending church more and attending their activities less. If our students do not respond as we propose they must not be committed to the Lord. I believe we should change our attitudes and actions toward busy kids and begin to devise ways to reach and minister to them. Stop our whining!

            Students are busy and if our culture remains unchanged, there will be no turning back to the good old days when kids spent time at home and our church youth group was the “only show in town”. Kids spend more time away from home than ever before. Our high school students can be found training for sports at 5:45 in the morning. “Zero hour” class begins at 7 AM. School ends at 3:15 PM when bands, choirs, sports, and jobs all demand the time and attention of students. Our Fellowship of Christian Athletes Huddle even meets one day every week at 7 AM. During the week, high involvement students from our high school may never see the sun from October through February! Kids are busy. Instead of becoming discouraged because our church or programs are not the first choice of students, we should be proactive in reaching these kids. We need to change the way we think about busy kids and then we must change our ministry in order to reach these students more effectively. Here are some vital truths about busy kids that will help guide us as we make these personal changes.

 

I have a theory about busy kids. Generally, the kids who are the busiest are also the kids who are and will accomplish the most. These are the kids who are the athletes, scientists, money makers, and movers & shakers in their school. They also will become the movers and shakers in the future. Busy students are stretching for and achieving great things. These students may be the editors of the yearbook and school newspaper. They may be in the top academic 10% of their class. They are leaders in the gym, in academics, and music wing. Busy students are achieving students. I want achieving students in our church student ministry.

 

There is a definite something or someone that draws our students. They motivate them. This is always a good thing. A teacher, coach, or employer has given these students what someone has called a “vision of destiny”. These kids have taken the challenge of becoming better than when they started. They have taken the challenge of becoming “The Best.” At some point they have made the decision to do whatever it takes to be the best. They study longer and harder. They get up earlier and go to bed later. Their friends are other kids who are like them. For some reason these students are highly motivated. I want motivated kids to be a part of our student ministry.

The busy student has a high threshold of responsibility. They meet deadlines. They make appointments and keep them. They map out their day and on Sunday night they plan their week. These kids revel in the challenge of turning in a tough assignment on time and done accurately. They are precise in almost everything they do. The calendar has meaning to them. It tells them when the game is, when the assignment is due, when church meets, what days they work, and how much spare time they have. They are also responsible in the sense that they take on great tasks. They are class officers, editors, or shift managers. They are members of the campus groups who tutor children, raise money for good causes, commit to service, and plan & pull off big events. Busy students are responsible students. I want responsible students as part of our student ministry.

 

Because there is such a premium and demand for the busy students’ time and energy, they often demand the same from others. That is why they usually have a circle of friends who are just as busy as them. They expect a similar commitment from their friends as they expect from themselves. These kids usually keep their commitments. They behave in a way that demonstrates their time is valuable and their relationships are valuable. The busy student responds to activities and people who understand their demanding outlook. The person who knows the way to reach goals and accomplishment will influence these kids. I want demanding students as part of our student ministry.

 

The busy student desires to be part of something big. They also desire to be a part of our student ministry. They want to know what the church is doing even when they cannot make the meeting. They want to be part of our student ministry even though there will have to be exceptions. They will not be able to attend all of the youth meetings or church services. They still desire to be part of our ministry. Busy students are our students. We should want them to be part of our student ministry.

 

            Understanding these truths about busy kids should lead us to the place of personal and ministry changes that we should make in order to reach these students in a more effective way. These changes may be dramatic. They may require imagination and creativity before they become a part of us. The fact remains that we need to make some changes if we will influence this dynamic group of students.

            In order to change our vision, we need to see these students as part of a bigger picture. Until now, we have seen them as kids who fit or don’t fit into our program. The students are busy in various activities and I want the church ministry to become one of those activities. The change takes place because I no longer demand that the activities of a student should revolve around mine, or those of the student ministry. There is no Scriptural command that I am aware of that brings our church schedule into the realm of conviction. Our view of worship can help us. All of life is worship, 24/7, and not merely the couple of times our group meets every week. We need to teach and live that our gifts and abilities are from the Lord. The talent that leads kids to be busy is God-given and the student is a steward of that talent. Emphasize our teaching about what a Christian is and does within culture because that is where these kids spend most of their time. They have hope, joy, love, and humility because they are followers of Christ and they should demonstrate it in all they do. They are salt and light as they move throughout their schedule. Because of this fact, they will influence every person they meet and every situation in which they are involved. These students will respond to big picture ideas and actions. Change our vision from a small picture to a big picture.

 

            I believe that we struggle with busy students because we are moving in the wrong direction. Jesus commands us to “Go” (Matthew 28:19). He also told the disciples to be witnesses from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). These and other Scriptures strongly imply the direction we take as we minister. That direction is out! Go, out there, over here, or beyond. When we whine that busy kids do not attend our meetings, we are saying “come”. Expecting kids to come is not going. Change direction and go. Going will by its nature make us busier. When working with busy kids, we must be busy just to keep up with them. We need to find out how we can support them. We need to include them by giving information that tells them not only what they missed but also what is in the future of the student ministry. We need to become an appointment on their calendar. Use creativity and make a point of contact with busy students. A young man I know finished his high school academic career as the salutatorian in his class of over 500 students. As I listened to his speech at graduation, I was amazed at his clear challenge for his fellow graduates to forsake the wide path that leads to death and go with him on the “narrow way that leads to life”. His mother told me that because he was busy, his youth pastor met him for breakfast every Thursday morning at 7 o’clock. The youth pastor would share the events of the church, read a verse and send him to school with prayer. The youth pastor contrived a way to be an influence on this young man. He was not demanding that his friend come but his direction was going. Change our direction.

 

            In order to change our action, we must be creative and courageous as we devise ways to influence busy kids. We need to honor the students’ time as much as they do. Many youth workers complain about being busy when the kids they work with are at least as busy. Busy kids are organized. We need to get organized. Plan ahead. Be prepared. When we speak, we should know what we are going to say. Our student ministry should be an oasis for students. A busy student will not come to a student ministry where the leaders are poorly prepared and motivated. We need to be one of the people in their lives that will motivate them to big accomplishments. This will start with scripture and end with program. When students give us an hour of their time, we must take better advantage of that hour! I know of a youth ministry that played gym games for the first 35 minutes of almost every meeting. A group of high achieving kids began to show up 35 minutes late. In their mind, they were on time. The program always started late, so they showed up late. Changing our action may require us to look at our meeting schedule in a different way. For a couple of years we had several kids in our group playing soccer at different schools. Since the soccer games were on our usual meeting nights, I invented the “Breakaway”. When our kids played each other, the youth group met at the soccer stadium and our student ministry supported our kids. When we really change, our presence at the games may be more meaningful in the student’s life than a month of meetings at the church. Change our action.

 

            Instead of expecting busy kids to be present in church every time the door is open, I expect kids to represent Jesus in every activity in which they are involved. I want them to attend when they are able. My expectation of the meeting changes from just something we do every week to an event to be presented as an encouragement to the student’s life. One girl told me that when she knows the youth group has a “throw away” meeting (games, etc.) she doesn’t attend. When it is a serious meeting she makes an effort to be there. A serious meeting was a planned Bible Study, presented in a creative way that speaks to the heart of her busy life. Put more time and energy into the student ministry meeting. Pray and expect the Lord to do big things in and through these kids. My expectation for myself becomes changed. Strive to contrive points of contact with these students. Expect these kids to be world changers for God. I want to be one of the motivators in these kids’ lives. They expect to do great things and I want to point them in the direction of doing great things – for the Lord!  

 

            Reaching busy students is difficult but I believe it can be done. When we begin to see and learn truths about busy kids, we are then guided to make personal changes in our lives. Change is not easy. To change something means something else must stop. Creativity and courage must be our attitude as we change vision, direction, action, and expectation. I want busy kids in our student ministry!