Medium (40-50 students a week)
The upsides: There were enough students to do events, games, etc. that needed more than a handful of people, but the group still was small enough to feel like a family. I felt I could connect with every student on more than just the surface level.
The downsides: There was always a tension--in the church and in the youth ministry--between wanting to have a small-church, happy family feel, and wanting to be a larger church with the benefits that come with a larger scale. While numerical growth is not the only (or even most important) measure of spiritual health, I never pushed our group to grow after my first year, because I was content with the way it was at the time.
What I miss: The flexibility to do different things with our size combined with enough students to make larger events happen.
Small (10-15 students a week)
The upsides: I knew every student and each family, and it really was like a small family (complete with sibling fights!). I think most of the students really would lay their life down for another student in the group. We also had the freedom to do some out-of-the-box things because of the flexibility allowed by our size. For instance, we once did a lesson on death in a graveyard about 15 miles away from our church. In addition, the size really helped (perhaps forced?) me to be intentional about partnering with other churches and youth pastors in the area.
The downsides: It's really hard to have a game of kickball with ten people or play ultimate Frisbee when only five students show up. Plus, just like in a family, everyone knows everyone else's stuff. Yes, I had to break up a very, very heated argument in the middle of youth group on more than one occasion.
What I miss: I felt like I could really shepherd the students and their families.
Large (100 high school students a week)
The upsides: I love working with a large team. Our paid staff (junior and senior high) is composed of two youth pastors, three interns, and one amazing administrative assistant. Our unpaid staff ((junior and senior high volunteers) has about 50 people and continues to grow. That's still on the low side for what we're trying to do, but it seems like a lot to me, and I love the excitement that's created when several leaders come together to serve teenagers. I also like the excitement that's created when we do really cool things in a large group, such as this year's 30-Hour Famine.
The downsides: It's easy for students to fall through the cracks. We continue to work at being more intentional at tracking students and following up when they're not around for a while. Before, I could just use my memory to make sure students knew when they were missed. Now, it's much, much more difficult. It's also easier for students to sit back and observe rather than get involved and serve in some way, whether in the student ministry or somewhere else in the church. We do have quite a few who do serve, but as an overall percentage, it really could be higher.
What I miss: Well, I'm still here and I hope will be for a while! But after a year, I would say that if this were the last large church I ever served, I would miss have lots of students in a large group setting every week. Sure, we can't go on field trips on short notice, but doing experiential worship or having lots of discussion tables with several people can be a lot of fun. I would also miss working with an administrator who works primarily with the youth ministry. She does an amazing job at the administrative side of things. It's not just about taking things off my plate; she does a far better job than I ever could at that stuff, and it helps me be a better pastor.
