My wife, Jennifer, and I have two daughters, Bethany and Samantha. Imagine if we went away on a weekend vacation as a family, and we only came back with one of our daughters. Imagine further if you asked us where our other daughter was and I said, "Well, it's not about the numbers. It's not about the quantity, it's about the quality." You'd think I was crazy! Both of my daughters should matter to me. Just the same, every person matters to God, and we should pray to see as many people come to know Jesus as possible.
So, know that I'm not out to discount large churches, or to say that large youth ministries shouldn't exist. Also know that I don't believe that if I bribe and pack as many students into our church as possible, that means I'm being a faithful leader. Here's the problem: numbers can be one indicator, and can be an important indicator, but it is not the only indicator of how faithful a leader or ministry is.
One of the best things we can do as leaders when discussing the issue of "numbers" is to look at the life and ministry of Jesus. Consider this about Jesus' ministry:
- Jesus' hard teaching caused many disciples to walk away from him (John 6:60-70).
- Jesus' closest followers deserted him when he was arrested and put on trial.
- On at least one occasion, Jesus passed on an opportunity to minister to large crowds in order to do what his Father had called him to do (Luke 4:38-44).
Here's the point: Large numbers and attendance do not equal faithfulness. When we say that out loud, it makes sense. But the problem is that most youth pastors don't really feel that way. If we're leading a small youth ministry, we long to have a larger group at a larger church with more resources. If we lead a youth ministry at a large church, we feel like an event with low attendance wasn't as successful as a huge, blow-out-the-walls event. That's just not a biblical way to look at it.
We should certainly celebrate when a large number of teenagers are coming to know Jesus. That was something the early church celebrated in Acts. But we also need to understand that if thousands aren't coming to know Jesus in our youth ministry, that's not necessarily an indicator of our leadership. Our first concern should be whether or not we are faithful followers of Jesus. There were times when Paul saw a fruitful harvest among his churches. There were also times when he was stuck in a cold, damp prison cell, abandoned by those who at one time had professed to follow Jesus, and still praising God. That's faithfulness. That's something we should aspire to.
It might be that God will let us see a huge harvest and see lots of teenagers in our ministry come to know the saving love of Jesus. Or it might be that he allows us to minister in relative obscurity and that we won't know much about what kind of harvest was reaped until we worship Jesus around the throne. And still, when we see Jesus, the question will not be, "How many students were in your youth group?" Rather, we will be judged by what we did with what we were given. And like all the others who trusted in Jesus, this miserable sinner will take my place around the throne, not based on the size of any ministry I led, or based upon what kind of leader I was, but based solely on the blood that was poured out for you and me.
Other posts in this series:
Five Truths of Youth Ministry (an Introduction)
Five Truths of Youth Ministry | #1: Jesus Saves, Not Me
Five Truths of Youth Ministry | #2: In America, Fewer Youth Are Attending Church
Five Truths of Youth Ministry | #3: I'm a Sinner
Five Truths of Youth Ministry | #4: Youth Leaders Should Be Missionaries
