If you teach a second-grade Sunday School class, you can tell by kids’ participation how you’re doing. If you volunteer in the parking lot ministry of your church, the cars either get parked or they don’t. If you preach sermons in “big church,” people always let you know what they think.

Really, almost every other ministry area in the church provides natural feedback. Not so with middle-school ministry. When feedback is absent, we often look to unhelpful measuring sticks to gauge whether or not we’re on the right track.

The most often used measuring stick, of course, is numbers. We wrongly assume more kids means we’re doing things right, whereas fewer kids means we’re doing something wrong.

Numbers do mean something, but they can be misleading. Our ministry might grow because we’re entertaining kids more. Or, our numbers may drop because the church down the street is entertaining kids more. If our ministry sees an attendance increase or decrease, we certainly should pay attention and do some digging to find out why it might be occurring; but we shouldn’t assume it’s good or bad!

Another measuring stick we often wrongly apply is whether or not kids seem to be “getting it” quickly and radicalizing their lives to become Christ-like. Certainly, we do want to see middle schoolers pursue Christ, but instant results are often misleading, and an apparent lack of response can be equally misleading.

Measuring Sticks
The following are questions I like to use to “measure” our ministry.

• Are we focusing on teens or programs? Which takes priority in our planning: time usage and resources?

• Do the kids in our ministry have an adult who knows them by name and is connected with them at a personal level? Are we providing opportunity for real belonging, where middle schoolers can know and be known? Are we cultivating genuine communion (community with Christ in the mix)?

• Are we actively walking alongside middle schoolers in their physical, emotional and spiritual development? Are we normalizing their experience and helping them understand how much God loves them?

• Is our group inclusive or exclusive? Do we notice others, especially those at a disadvantage? Are there kids who aren’t finding their niche? Are new students welcomed and made to feel their presence is valued?

• Do our kids (and leaders) care about the things God cares about? Does our group care about worship, justice and serving others? Or, do we only exist to make ourselves happy? Are we engaged in the mission of God in the world? Are we discerning where God is active and present, bringing restoration and redemption, and joining in that work?

• Are we helping middle schoolers understand Scripture and explore how it can impact their lives? Are we helping them see the scope of God’s big story and how their lives connect to what God is doing?

• Are we honoring parents in our ministry? Are we communicating well? Are we supporting parents in the spiritual formation of their children? Are we doing anything counterproductive to this value of supporting and building bridges with parents?

• Are we, as leaders, modeling a Christ-like life? Are we pursuing God? Are we transparent and real about our pursuit, successes and failures?

I encourage you to determine with your team what you value and what your ministry’s emphasis is. Ask for input from parents, other church leaders and your middle schoolers themselves. Pray with your leadership team and discern how God might be leading you as you “measure” success.