Is your youth ministry measuring the right things? When attendance numbers become your primary success metric, you're setting yourself up for an emotional rollercoaster that's entirely out of your control.
Andy Lynn, NextGen Director, New Jersey Ministry Network, brings 18 years of ministry experience to this paradigm-shifting conversation about what really matters in youth ministry. After spending 11 years as a youth pastor himself, Andy discovered the transformative power of measuring "leading indicators" - the actions and priorities within your control - rather than "lagging indicators" like attendance that often leave youth pastors feeling defeated.
Drawing from Acts 2, Andy explains how the early church focused on prayer, biblical teaching, community, leadership development, and generosity as their daily priorities. The numerical growth came afterward as God "added to their number daily those being saved." This biblical pattern provides a framework for sustainable youth ministry that works in any context - whether you're full-time, bi-vocational, or volunteer.
The conversation takes a practical turn as Andy describes implementing simple daily and weekly checklists that ensure every vital area receives attention. This approach allows youth pastors to confidently know they've "won the day" regardless of attendance fluctuations. He also shares invaluable wisdom about whose feedback to prioritize, noting that "if families aren't meaningfully engaged in church, they're going to complain based on preference and entertainment, not based on kingdom principles."
Ready to transform your approach to youth ministry? Download Andy's prototype checklists, now called Vitals Playbook, and start measuring what truly matters. You can trust Him with the results when you're faithful to what God has called you to do.

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