Ministry Interview Project:
Strategy Paper Assignment
Melodie Penland
Emily Nikolauk & Erin Medina
YOUT 201-B03
What I Learned:
I have learned many things throughout this project, including how different teens are
compared to when I was a teenager. It seems like it wasn’t long ago that I was in youth group,
but there have been many drastic advancements in the last twenty years. Many young families no
longer value attending church or discipling their children at home. They don’t actively think that
or say that. It is more lived out by what the teens and families decide to do instead of being
committed to attending church, life groups, youth groups, and special church events.
My cultural observation project taught me that teens are just trying to build community
and feel connected like adults. They face many peer pressures and temptations while figuring out
who they are. In my project, I observed a local skate park which is the commonality that
connected the teens. They built relationships with the other teens with a common interest in
skating. Even though the teens were very involved in skating, talking to each other, and listening
to music, everyone had their phones out at some point. A lot of teens have an addiction to their
cell phones. It connects them to the outside world and provides information about anything you
could ever want to know. The main thing I saw from this project is that many teens are lost and
need Jesus. If they are not coming to a church, the church needs to be brought to them. What
better way to go and share the gospel than in my own community with teens who are lost?
I have learned that the message of Jesus is the same, but the method for how to reach this
generation may be vastly different from even when I was in youth 15-20 years ago. Some of the
ways to connect to Emily and her friends are the same as when I was a teen, but there are a lot of
differences now as well. Emily mentioned that her friends care more about authenticity than
almost anything else. Emily’s friends are obsessed with social media and desire to be liked and
followed. They find their worth in what everyone else thinks about them. Students will disclose
more physically and emotionally on social media than they ever would in person.
Because so many students are lost, their parents may or may not be believers. Maybe their
parents are believers who do not faithfully attend church or introduce their children to spiritual
matters; they lack Christian values. They don’t value themselves or find their identity in Christ, so
they don’t know who to follow, so each teen is left to find their way or to decide what their truth
is. Students are constantly bombarded with things demanding their attention. All teens are
presented with peer pressure. It is harder to withstand peer pressure when you have no absolute
truth or a firm foundation.
Prayer Strategy
Prayer is essential in ministry but sometimes viewed as a desperate lifeline at the last
minute. The student leader prays or asks someone else to pray every time they get together.
Our church allows teens to serve in the service, including praying during the service. Usually, it
is reserved for deacons or influential members, but the Senior Pastor has recently requested that
the teens play a more active role in the service. Prayer is powerful and effective (James 5:16)
Erin has a wall calendar for events and students' birthdays. During the interview, we
discussed praying more in ministry and not just because we are expected to. In addition to
keeping up with significant dates and birthdays, Erin has asked the students to add activities and
their friends and family who need prayer. That may be for a sports game, health, or a severe
issue. The students will pray weekly when they meet on Sundays and Wednesdays. Erin
committed to praying for each person, event, or activity listed daily.
The Student Ministry Director and leaders all have a prayer journal. They start by listing five
people who do not know Jesus and describe things going on in their lives. The leaders are
committed to praying for the five people at least once a day. The student leaders also have a
prayer journal and are tasked with doing the same thing. This has been going on for a couple of
years. Recently all of the students were invited to participate in having a prayer journal. They are
asked to write about five friends that do not know Jesus. We have seen the Lord work many
miracles, and it is nice to look back on requests and see how God moves.
All leaders pray for the ministry. This includes the student pastor, adult leaders, student
leaders, and the ministerial staff. We are kept aware of what is happening and what to pray for.
One way I would like to incorporate prayer for students and unsaved teens are to offer prayer
stations on a Wednesday night. I have participated in prayer stations at a conference, which was
intentional and powerful. A prayer prompt with a Bible verse, background information, and
questions are provided. This allows for digging in, and everyone can go at their own pace.
Personal Connection Strategy
I think the best way to build relationships and connections is by showing up to support
teens outside of the church. After speaking with Emily and Erin, they agreed that this approach is
best. When Erin and other church leaders attended her sports games and band concerts, Emily
felt loved and encouraged. It shows the teenager that the adult ministry leader cares about them
and will support them. Erin said she enjoyed attending events because it helped her see the
teenager in a different environment, and it gave her a chance to chat with the friends and family of
the student.
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Erin feels compassion and a burden for lost students. She desires for students to know
Jesus. She actively prays for students by name. To help foster a personal connection, Erin attends
events of the teens in the youth group partially to support the student but also to connect with the
family and friends of that teen. If something is vital to a teenager, it is best to show up and
encourage them in their activity. Some events she has attended are sports games, dance recitals,
choir concerts, stock shows, and art classes. Erin does not have a strong interest in some of these
activities, but she desires to build community with the students and for them to connect to each
other also. When you show up to support a teen in their personal life, they know you care and
will trust you.
Erin has the teens invite their friends to outreach events and more casual events such as
the upcoming Late Night Spring Break Kick-Off event. The youth group hosts a Nerf battle,
glow-in-the-dark capture the flag, and other fun activities. It is effortless to invite a friend to
these types of events because it is free and fun, and you get to hang out with friends.
Having a personal relationship is critical in youth ministry. Following events like these, Erin
personally invites them to Wednesday night youth group, which is pretty casual also. Wednesday
nights include hang-out time, dinner, Bible study, and games. Since this lost student already
knows Erin, they are more likely to attend because they feel connected. Most of the time, the lost
student does participate at least once. Even if they do not attend, Erin reaches out and will go to
coffee and lunch or bring them lunch to their school.
Group Outreach Event Strategy
Another significant outreach event we did last fall was a Christian magic show with a
married couple presenting the gospel while performing tricks. Our church was packed entirely
and attended mainly by children, teens, and their families. Our students invited their friends to a
free, fun event, and some people made decisions while others had many questions about faith in
Jesus.
We have an event planned for this fall, and it is with Blitz Ministries. They come to your
church and present the gospel in a fun, high energy, and audience participation. This event is
When I was growing up, evangelistic revivals were a huge deal; for the most part, I do
not see much of them anymore. While they served their purpose, I wonder if it is as effective for
today's youth. My church has at least one outreach event a year targeting young people and their
families. We host a block party at local parks in the summer. We host four different block parties
spread out over the entire summer. We advertised by putting up signs in advance and offered
games, sports, lunch, snow cones, and an interactive gospel presentation. It was well attended
and well received. Most people that showed up were children, teens, and their families. Some
people were looking for free stuff, which was fine. The students are the ones who plan and
execute the whole event, while the staff and church members are there to assist. But youth
ministry should never be just about fun and games. It's about equipping students to minister to
their peers and share the Gospel. Being outdoors, especially outside the church building, can
open doors for Gospel conversations. Allowing students to participate in the outreach event will
enable them to take pride and ownership while putting their faith into action by focusing on
other's need for Jesus.
easy to bring people in because it is exciting and something new to experience. The gospel is
clearly presented. These events are directed toward young people, especially to welcome lost
students to attend a fun event in a non-threatening environment.
Integrity Statement:
I, Melodie Penland, interviewed Emily Nikolauk and Erin Medina on March 4, 2023 and have
followed all the necessary instructions.
