How to Build a Thriving Student Ministry

By New Churches Team

Church Culture

Student ministry is a vital part of every church. It can be very influential in changing and reshaping the culture of the church. By intentionally investing in students, you produce adults who understand the mission, values, and strategy of the church, and who are ready to chase after that mission with you.

Recently, I chatted with Derek Simpson of Family Church in West Palm Beach, Florida. He and I discussed what student ministry should look like at a church plant or new campus and what it is that students truly need from their student ministry.

It Can Look Different

Derek Simpson got started in student ministry in Louisville, Kentucky, in 2002. After serving in the Kentucky and Tennessee area for 13 years, he came to lead the student ministry at Family Church. Over the years he has helped lead in multiple areas, but has always been a student pastor. Family Church’s strategy for multiple campuses was born out of the idea of a network of neighborhood churches. Much like siblings, each campus has its own personality and are a little different from each other, but you can tell they are all related. In that model, each campus has a slightly different take on student ministry. They all share a vision and ministry philosophy, but the campus pastor determines the logistics for how things work at each individual campus.

From the Ground Up

Ultimately, scale doesn’t matter when talking about health in regards to a student ministry. What students really need from a student ministry of any size is relationships with spiritual adults, time with the Bible, prayer, and challenging spiritual experiences. All of these things should help set the parents up to be the primary spiritual influence in a child’s life. So what do you need to start a thriving student ministry?

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

New Churches Team

NewChurches.com wants to help you build a strong foundation by connecting you with top experts in the field of church planting and multisite ministry, and by regularly providing you with the resources, information, and community you need to thrive as you multiply the mission of Matthew 28.