How can my youth group get involved in mission?
No matter what age or stage of life you are, Jesus’ command to go and make disciples is a message for all believers. That includes the students in your church’s youth group! Read on for some suggestions for how your youth group can get involved in both local and global mission.
Partner in global mission
Youth can make a big contribution to mission by partnering with CMS missionaries as they share God’s love around the world. Here are six steps that your youth group can take to support the work of global mission.
1. Choose a CMS missionary for your youth group to support. This can be a missionary that your church already partners with, or browse our missionary list and choose a worker who serves in a region or ministry that your youth students are interested in. Plus, make sure to sign up to receive their prayer updates.
2. Share updates and pray for them during youth group. Your link missionary will send out regular prayer updates which you can read out to your youth group and pray about together.
3. Set up a missionary table to help your students remember their part in mission. You may like to include your link missionary’s most recent prayer update, a map of the location where they are serving, copies of their Prayer Card, and other decorations.
4. Invite youth to support mission with their spare change. Have a jar at your registration desk or mission table where youth can give money to support your link missionary. Remind youth to consider giving towards mission, and share how their support enables your missionary to share Jesus across cultures!
5. Take it in turns to write to your missionary. Have youth students take it in turns to write a letter or send an email to your link missionary. Ask students to share about themselves and the youth group, include a Bible verse they find encouraging, and let them know that their youth group is praying.
6. Plan a youth group night focused on global mission! Consider holding a mission-themed night at youth group once or twice a year, with games related to mission, a video from your link missionary, prayer time for global mission, and a related Bible talk.
Get involved in local mission
The more your youth group gets involved in global mission, the more they will see the part they can play in reaching out to friends and family with the news of Jesus.
How can you help your youth group be on mission where they are? Your youth students have connections with people at school, on their sports team, and in their community. How can you equip them with the ability and the conviction to be salt and light to those around them? Perhaps you could run a talk series on evangelism or encourage your students to bring their friends along to youth group each week. You could also give them a simple framework for sharing the gospel such as Two Ways to Live.
Another way to get involved in local mission is to look for ways your youth group can reach out to your local community. Is your church involved in any ministries that seek to meet, connect with, and reach your community with the gospel? Speak to your minister and find out how your youth group can get involved.
Mission is a team sport
Praise God that every believer can be part of Jesus’ command to go and make disciples. Will you consider how your youth group can get involved in local and global mission, and help equip them to share the amazing news of Jesus wherever they are?
