Sharing habits for successful youth leaders has become one of my passions. I want to see youth leaders succeed. I mean really succeed. Men and women who dedicate their lives to reaching and discipling young people face tough odds. From apathetic teenagers, to disengaged parents, to unsympathetic elder boards, to shrinking budgets, to a ticked-off army of demons… Youth leaders are up against intense opposition!
So cultivate these 10 habits for successful youth leaders. They will help you improvise, adapt, and overcome as you serve in youth ministry.
10 Habits for Successful Youth Leaders
Apply these habits for successful youth leaders to your life and ministry. Share them with other leaders at your church!
1. Spend an inordinate amount of time in prayer.
“But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” Luke 5:16
If Jesus was always escaping ministry opportunities to pray, then we should too! We should pray prayers of intercession for teens, families, and the people we seek to reach with the gospel. We should spend time in prayers of supplication, begging God to supply our needs. And we should offer thanksgiving and prayers of confession.
In youth ministry, praying power is staying power. To make a maximum impact in your youth ministry stay, then drench it in an inordinate amount of prayer. View it as a key part of your job description…because it should be! Prioritize prayer as essential habits for successful youth leaders.
2. Work out, eat healthy, drink water, and get sleep.
“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own….” 1 Corinthians 6:19
You have only one body, and it’s on loan from God. So steward it as you would your job, bank account, or lawn. In other words, take care of your body because it brings glory to God. But also, your physical health determines your ministry stamina.
In my late 20s, I was fat. I had knee surgery and never completed rehab. I walked with a limp but ate with a forklift. Every day I was tired and needed what I jokingly called my “fat nap.” Finally I decided enough was enough. I began to work out, eat healthy, get good sleep, and drink more water.
Today, though I won’t compete in any marathons or CrossFit competitions, I’m relatively healthy. In my 50s, I’m in much better shape now than I was at 28.
There’s no magic pill to getting in shape. Just eat right, work out, and take care of yourself. Get into this habit and you’ll feel much better. Plus, you’ll be able to endure the stresses of ministry much more effectively.
3. Give the gospel in every talk.
“For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” 1 Corinthians 2:2
To see results when reaching teenagers, give the gospel in every youth group talk. When you do, three things will happen:
- First, teenagers will come to Christ. The gospel is “the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16). It’s like a grenade. Pull the pin and it explodes. God will save souls and change lives.
- Second, teens will start inviting more friends to youth group. When kids know you’ll give the gospel every week, they’ll be less hesitant to invite their yet-to-believe friends to hear you.
- Third, students will be “gospelized.” They’ll begin to understand that the same gospel that saves the lost also sanctifies the believer. Hearing the gospel relentlessly reminds us how desperately we continue to need Jesus once we’re saved. We never get over our need to hear and apply the gospel message to our lives!
