6 Tips for reaching out to teenagers: Teenage Ministry

 God has a plan for every child but there is a
process involved in fulfilling God’s plan. 

Its that process that is challenging
because it requires dedication, hard work and patience.

I have
been privileged to work with this group for couple of years now. Here are six tips
I have used to successfully to reach out to this group.

    Prayerfully allow the Holy Spirit lead
you.  There is no effective ministry
without the help of the Holy Spirit. Prayer indeed changes things. There are
kids who won’t listen to you except you go on your knees.                                               

    Striking a conversation that start with
a compliment. Sure thing I also appreciate a good and sincere compliment, who wouldn’t? with a warm and sincere smile get to know a few details about the teen such as name, what grade,” how are you doing?, “did you enjoy the service today?” Hope to see you in our next meeting”.
 Allow the conversation flow. If the child is an introvert you will have to try over several meetings to prevent a wall build up. Every Child is an individual who is different from other teens. So you should deal with each child as an individual.

    Gaining their trust. We
find it difficult opening up to people who we do not trust. In children and teenage
ministry, wisdom is the key to finding your way into a child’s heart. If you
truly love that child you will always find that door that opens his or her heart
to receive you. It may take time but perseverance is a virtue.

    Take interest in what interests him or
her. Allow the child speak, about his interests and ideas about a
subject matter.  You just sit still,
listen and try making fewer comments. Silence and listening here is very important.

    Do not sound judgmental but correct and
teach with love. When speaking to a child be mindful of words used. Remember the power
of spoken words. Reassuring a teen that God still loves him , it is okay to
make a mistake and learn from it and that he or she is  responsible for whatever decisions they make. I also pray for them after  a discussion.

    Don’t be over expectant. Don’t
laud your ideas over them. Usually after reaching out to a teen, I prefer to
give some space of time for the teen  to internalize what we spoke about. Allow them make their decisions while you pray
along with them.

Thanks for reading. Please feel free to share how you reach out to your kids.
God Bless.