Students are looking for more than food when they come to a student event or gathering. While pizza, music and games are great accessories to any student ministry, they cannot be the foundation on which a ministry is built. Discipleship must be the No. 1 priority. Why? Because everything else flows from the essence of discipleship. If we’re not making disciples, we’re not fulfilling our callings as Christ-followers.I have this gut-wrenching feeling that many students will go away to college with nothing learned from church except food, games and shiny events. None of these things are bad, but they aren’t the crux of what will keep a student fixated on the face of Jesus when they’re on their own in the real world. Don’t just teach; make disciples. Discipleship is key.
2. Students have short attention spans.
If you find individuals dozing off during your sermons, then maybe it’s time to up the energy, make your sermons more applicable to the age group you are speaking to, or start opening up some deeper content. If students are falling asleep, maybe it’s time for some public speaking classes, or possibly inviting some wise people to give input on your speaking abilities. Don’t let the excuse of short attention spans keep you from diving more deeply into God’s Word. There is too much at stake.
3. Students aren’t capable of digesting deep content.
Students are smarter than we give them credit for more of the time. While many pastors withhold deep content due to the notion that it’s indigestible for young people, I think most students are hungry for more than we’re giving them. Introduce your students to basic theology. Go through whole books of the Bible; create discipleship programs; give students the tools necessary to dig as deeply as they want.
We must increase our expectations. We must press harder than we have before. We must not worry about what is popular, but instead what is biblical. We must pursue Christ and direct students toward the purpose of the cross.
