“Go therefore and make disciples” of your teenagers (Matthew 28:19a).
The youth in our “Jerusalem” need Jesus just as much as the Samaritans nearby and the tribes “to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8). For this reason, churches advance the Great Commission as we partner with parents to pursue and disciple teens. Certainly, God gives parents the primary responsibility to raise their children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord (Ephesians 6:1-4; Deuteronomy 6:1-9). Yet the church equips parents for this vital work of ministry to show our youth a more excellent way (Ephesians 4:12). In our own local church, we intentionally make disciples with a threefold strategy.
First, we pursue our teens through evangelism. The vast majority of Christians come to faith between the ages of 4 and 14 years old. So, as a church, we faithfully relate the gospel both through weekly Sunday school lessons and community outreaches. We engage in challenging conversations during youth group sessions and teach parents how to model Christ at home. We strive to show and share the good news countless times before we send our children out into the world. I am grateful that each child of mine has professed their faith in Jesus and continues to flourish under the gospel care of our local church. Yet many who grow up in the church still remain unsaved, so we keep on discipling them until we see consistent, Christ-following obedience over time. It takes a village to make disciples of our youth.
In our church, we appoint elders to oversee disciple-making efforts from children to adults (1 Peter 5:2-3).We celebrate youth leaders whenever possible and involve them in key decision-making. Our ongoing effort to raise up the next generation also impacts the way we hire staff and recruit volunteers: Can they relate well to youth and not just adults? Do our young people see a clear pathway to serve? Can we offer scholarships for events and training which keeps our youth engaged? We seek to cultivate an environment for growth, then we confidently trust the gospel as the power of God both to save and to sanctify our teens (Romans 1:16).
Second, we enfold our teens into the church community. Our youth need to develop intergenerational friendships in the local church as they actively serve in ministry (1 Corinthians 12:4-7). We must treat them as essential members of the body and not just replacement parts for the future. Then, as they participate, they naturally build connections with those outside their peer group. So, we encourage youth to serve in welcome ministry, on the AV team, and as Sunday school teachers. We involve them in evangelism, outreach, and mission trips. We challenge them to attend “adult” prayer meetings and intentionally structure our men’s and women’s ministries to invite the youth for special events. Our hope is that strong emotional and spiritual bonds will form while they are young which compel them to embrace the church community for the remainder of their lives.
The church also offers compassionate care for many of the problems faced by teens. Due to cell phones and social media, teens are more connected than ever even as they suffer from an epidemic of loneliness. According to The Atlantic, “The United States is experiencing an extreme teenage mental-health crisis. From 2009 to 2021, the share of American high-school students who say they feel ‘persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness’ rose from 26 percent to 44 percent, according to a new CDC study. This is the highest level of teenage sadness ever recorded.” Many families, however, remain detached from the church—the one group which can best foster teenage health and well-being.
Our youth desperately desire to belong, but often feel out of place. So, in our church, we look for ways to encourage the children of others. We learn their names and thank them for coming to church on Sundays. We show genuine interest in their life and hobbies. We offer mentorship in a manner which still honors their parents’ role and we build a multi-generational culture into our men’s and women’s groups. We invite them to meals and game nights. And we let our youth know we are praying for them, even when they go off to college or slip down the prodigal path (Luke 15). Being a teen is hard, but involving them in the church community is a unique opportunity to bless them.
Third, we teach our teens to obey all that Christ commanded. Our youth receive biblical instruction at home and in the church. Yet they must also learn to read and study the Bible for themselves. A healthy church creates natural opportunities for teens to receive the influence of other teachers, small group leaders, and mentors in addition to their parents. So, we instruct them concerning all the ways which God has instructed us: how to worship and fellowship (Hebrews 10:22-25), how to grow in spiritual maturity (Ephesians 4:11-16), how to confess our sins (1 John 1:5-10), and how to navigate life’s difficult challenges with gospel hope (Romans 15:4, 14).
In our church, we’ve had the privilege to walk with teens through struggles such as social anxiety and depression, suicidal thoughts and self-harm, pressures from school and sports, unsaved parents and conflicts with siblings, sexual abuse and drug addiction. We have been able to teach them how Christ’s commands are for our good and how obedience comes with blessings. One young man recently shared in his baptism testimony how a youth leader who discipled him essentially saved his life. To parents and church leaders, teens often seem disengaged. Yet they are still listening and watching as we faithfully plant the gospel seeds and pray for God’s new life. So, let us never despise our youth, but show them instead a more excellent way: “in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity” (1 Timothy 4:12).
This article is part of our Teen Mental Health Series.