3 Common Traits of Youth Who Don’t Leave the Church* Part 2

*This is the intriguing title of a recent blog High School Pastor Jon Neilson wrote about youth that have stayed engaged in ministry past high school.

As I mentioned in Part 1 of this series, Jon’s article has challenged us on how I am Second can help youth keep living like Jesus after they leave home. Here is Jon’s second point, with some thoughts about how to use I am Second to meet this need.

2. They have been equipped, not entertained. Jon’s words are convicting:

"Are we sending out from our ministries the kind of students who will show up to college in a different state, join a church, and begin doing the work of gospel ministry there without ever being asked? Are we equipping them to that end, or are we merely giving them a good time while they’re with us?"

Challenge:  how to equip students and give them opportunities to really lead?

How can I am Second help?

Here's a couple examples of what can happen in your youth group.  One of our coaches trained five students.  By the end of the semester their one Second group multiplied to 10 groups with over 100 attending each Friday morning at 7:15 am in the high school field house. A Christian club on another high school campus learned how to lead Second groups. In less than a month the 10 trained leaders had more than 120 fellow students in their groups at school. Because the groups grew so big so fast, they quickly learned the importance of constantly developing new leaders by allowing them to help lead the groups.

Here is a diagram of the discipleship process embedded into the I am Second core curriculum.

This discipleship process turns spectators into soldiers. The Second group materials give students an opportunity to step out and lead. Second group participants are encouraged to tell others what they are learning, then start their own groups to cover material they already have learned . . . and obeyed.

This process is embedded in the discussion guides available here. First pick one of the evangelistic Bible studies (the box that says “How to Become Second”). Then take the booklets in order from 1 to 11. Your group will go through all the parts of this discipleship process. Or you can skip around--each booklet is self-contained--if you have particular topics you want to hit first.

Click here to read Part 1 of this series.

Want to talk more with our student ministry coaches? Email us at contact@iamsecond.com.

Give us your feedback. Leave a comment below.