"Moses was getting old, and Joshua would run away." This is how a rural pastor humorously summarized the loss and scarcity of young people in his church in recent years. In their community, an increasing number of young believers are leaving the church to seek opportunities elsewhere, including active church workers and theological students.
However, in a series of recent visits and exchanges, I have encountered youth fellowships that are exploring and experiencing success in receiving, shepherding and calling young people.
Choose a form that speaks to the young
At a newly emerging urban church in a coastal city, for example, nearly one-third of its members are under the age of 30. Its team of volunteers has succeeded in becoming largely youth-oriented in just a few years.
At the turn of the century, Church L was merely a century-old rural church on the outskirts of the city. But thanks to local urban development and planning, it has become a heavily urban church. To attract more young people, they decided to begin by changing the style of worship.
The church has added an extra Sunday service especially designed for young people, in which the proportion of praise and worship has been increased. It incorporates more contemporary worship songs. During the period of praise, the congregation is free to stand or walk around a little while offering praise to God with more free-style gestures.
The congregation has also formed a band made up entirely of young believers, providing them with space and professional training. "Every Sunday afternoon the church holds a public and free music interest class. A professional teacher instructs the young on how to play modern electronic instruments such as guitar, drums and bass. Afterwards, they can then test the results by playing on stage during Sunday services," the pastor added.
According to the church, the number of new believers has grown by dozens every year in the past five years and the proportion of young believers being baptized is also increasing. Of the 70 baptized in the summer of 2023, more than a third were young adults.
Unlike Church L, which focuses on the interests and hobbies of the young, Church J, located in a nearby city, pays more on the psychology of young people.
In the youth fellowship of Church J, welcoming newcomers is a priority. During each welcoming session, the lead pastor and ministers arrive 40 minutes early in order to personally greet and have brief conversations with first-time attendees.
Senior Pastor C stated that contemporary young people generally have strong boundaries in their interpersonal relationships. Overly direct and blunt invitations not only fail to help them get into church – they can even be counterproductive. "First, we need to transition from being pastors to becoming friends, and then gradually lead them to better know and understand the church."
"Now, one or two newcomers arrive every week, and in recent years, more than 20 young people from within our youth ministry get baptized every year."
Retain believers by building loving connections
Born in the mid-1990s, Pastor C grew up in the youth fellowship. After receiving theological training, he returned to the fellowship in a leading role.
Through interaction with fellow believers of the same age in the fellowship, Pastor C keenly noticed that contemporary young people often express their social anxiety and disdain for communal life in a playful and teasing manner. Yet deep down, they still have a strong desire for belonging and love. They long for an identity. "So this is what we hope to achieve: To let believers cast aside all their burdens and truly treat this place as their home."
Pastor C explained that around 70 members were divided into five small groups according to their age. Each group consists of 10-12 people and is organized, cared for, and led by one or two group leaders. At irregular intervals every month, the fellowship organizes activities such as camps, dinners and outings for all the groups together.
"Not only that, small group life is the primary way we build relationships."
During the week, the group leaders not only work out a flexible devotional study time that takes into account each member's daily routine, but also actively encourage and guide group members in carrying out "door-to-door" visits. If a member encounters difficulties or lows, the group readily offers prayers and assistance as needed.
During the Corona pandemic, a male member in the fellowship, while on a business trip to Lhasa, briefly fell into a state of mild coma due to high-altitude sickness. During the time he spent afterward in his hometown for recuperation, believers took shifts in order to stay with him in the hospital room.
After years of exploration and adjustments, many believers are now involved in the church's visitation ministry and the youth choir, thereby becoming mainstays in the service of the church. However, compared to Pastor C's initial vision, there is still room for improvement.
He stated that even though each small group currently has one or two leaders providing personalized care, in groups with over ten members, the two-leader system has its limits. "Ideally, I would like each group to have three leaders."
Discover believers’ spiritual gifts and train them to be leaders
In churches around the world, the shortage of youth is a common problem, and brain drain is most prevalent in the less-developed regions of the world. However, in urban churches with population growth, there are simply too few younger people who are capable and willing to serve.
Pastor D from a nearly 150-year-old county church stated that nearly half of the church's 11-member core pastoral team were young seminarians in their early 30s, or younger. During 2023, two more seminarians graduated and returned home to serve. In addition, young people could be seen everywhere in the church's 10-plus ministry groups which include painting, calligraphy, writing, sacred music, visitation, sound and light control. All of them came, without exception, from the church's youth fellowship.
Pastor D mentioned that the passion with which they served could not be separated from the youth fellowship’s three guiding principles: vision, cultivation and legacy.
"Since the 1990s, we have set the leadership benchmark of 'engaging every young person in practical service', and this is still the core vision of our youth fellowship," Rev. D said. Therefore, over the past 30 years, all the pastoring, care and training of the church's youth has been centered on "promoting transformation in service".
For instance, when faced with young people who have just entered the church and don't know where to start, the fellowship pastors focus on discovering their spiritual gifts and providing opportunities for skill enhancement.
The pastor recalled as an example a young female believer who now helps lead the youth choir. When she first came to church, she was very quiet. However, during a praise session, the pastor noticed her unique gift for pitch. Shortly after that, the congregation invited a voice teacher from a local college to come and teach. The young female Christian was invited to attend. With encouragement from fellow believers and guidance from the teacher, she has blossomed into being a core member of the choir.
In addition, the youth fellowship emphasizes "mentoring" and "giving back" in a way that allows more mature members in spiritual life and service to lead the next generation.
In terms of Pastor D's viewpoint, J, the youth pastor, strongly agreed. This autumn, Pastor J continued his postgraduate studies in Nanjing Union Theological Seminary with support from all the former pastors of the congregation. "I still want to equip myself more while I'm young to see the bigger world that God has opened up. I look forward to our mother church being revitalized through the work of the new generation.”
- Translated by Abigail Wu
“摩西老了，约书亚跑了。”早先一次交流中，一位农村传道人打趣着总结了近年来其所在教会青年人流失稀缺的现状。在他们那里，越来越多年轻信徒陆续离开教会外出打拼，其中不乏侍奉同工以及神学生。
但是在近期一系列走访交流中，笔者所接触到的是一些青年团契在接待、牧养、呼召方面展开的探索和成功经验。
“进得来”——立足青年特性 更新聚会形式
以某沿海地市一间新兴城市教堂为例，其接近三分之一的信徒都是30岁以下的青年人。并且义工团队也在短短数年时间内基本实现了青年化。
世纪初时，L教堂还只是位于城郊一隅的百年农村老堂，得益于当地城市的规划开发，这里一跃成为一座城市新兴教会。为了吸引更多青年人走进教堂，教会决定从敬拜着手。
教会额外增设了专门面向青年群体开放的主日崇拜场次。在该场次中，敬拜赞美环节的比重得到了适度增加，敬拜曲目也更多选取流行风格赞美诗。在赞美的过程中，会众也可以自由站立或小幅走动，用最释放的姿态共同向神献上颂赞。
教会还通过提供场地与专业培训的方式，组建了一支完全由青年信徒组成的乐队。“每周日下午，教会会举办公开免费的音乐兴趣班。有专业的老师带领信徒学习吉他、架子鼓、贝斯等现代电子乐器的演奏。随后还可以通过主日登台服侍检验自己的学习成果。”牧师补充介绍。
据该教会近5年来的信徒增长数据显示，在新信徒数量每年以几十人稳步递增的基础之上，青年信徒受洗的占比也在不断加增。仅2023年夏季受洗的70人当中，超过三分之一都是青年人。
而有别于L教堂以青年群体的兴趣爱好作为切入点，位于邻近地市的J教堂则更多从观察青年人的心理着手。
在J教堂青年团契中，迎新是一项重点事工。而在每次的迎新环节中，带领牧者总是会提早40分钟抵达会场，亲自为首次参加的新人致以问候与简单交流。
主任牧师C牧师表示，当代青年人在人际关系上的边界感普遍较强。过于不平等的身份以及过于直白生硬的邀请不仅不会帮助他们走进教会，反而会适得其反。“先从牧者变成朋友，再逐步带领他们认识教会，了解教会。”
“现在基本上每周的团契会来1-2名新人，这几年每年从我们青年事工会输送20余位新人参加受洗。”
“留得下”——实际彼此相爱的连接
C弟兄是一名成长于青年团契、经过神学装备后又重回团契成为带领者的95后传道人。
在与团契中许多同龄信徒接触的过程中，C传道敏锐地觉察到，当代许多青年人虽然时常以玩梗戏谑的方式表达着自己所谓“社恐”与对集体生活的不屑。但大家内心对于归属感与认同感依旧都有着十分的渴望。“所以这就是我们团契希望实现的，让更多信徒放下一切负担，真正把这里当成家一样的存在。”
C传道介绍，团契将接近70位肢体按照年龄划分成了5个小组。每个小组约有10-12人，由一或两位组长配搭进行组织、关怀与带领工作。每个月的不定期时间，团契会统一组织5个小组所有信徒以营会、聚餐、游玩等形式开展联谊团契活动。
“但我们彼此相爱的关系可不单单止步于此，小组生活才是我们关系建造的核心。”
平日周间，小组组长们不仅会结合组员各自作息，制定灵活机动的灵修学习时间，还会积极鼓励引导各位组员开展“串门式”的日常探访活动。若某位肢体遇到难处或低谷，大家则会现场帮助其一同献上代祷，并给予力所能及的实际帮助。
疫情期间，团契中某弟兄在赴拉萨出差途中，因为高原反应一度陷入了轻度昏迷的状态。在返回家乡静养的这段时间中，得知情况的信徒轮班在病房中陪伴着这位弟兄。
历经许多磨合、探索与调整，几年下来，有不少弟兄姊妹已经活跃在教会的探访事工及青年诗班中，成为教会侍奉的中流砥柱。然而，这与C传道最初的设想相比，仍然“还有提升空间”。
他表示，虽然目前每个小组都已经有1至2位小组长落实逐人精细关怀。但是，面对十余人的信徒小组，两人制的小组一定的还是有力不能及之处。“如果是理想状态下，我希望每个小组能有3位小组长。”
“用得上”——注重发掘恩赐 让话语在侍奉中落地
在当今各地教会中，青年短缺以致于“无人可用”的现象虽说是个共性问题，但是其大多出现在人口流失严重的欠发达地区。然而，在身处人口流入地的城市教会中，青年的短缺现象则是更多以另一种形式出现，即侍奉行列中的空缺。
一所近150年的县级教堂的D牧师说，在该堂共11人的核心教牧团队之中，接近半数都是年龄在30岁出头及以下的青年神学生牧者。2023年，还有两位神学生毕业返乡，投身到禾场侍奉之中。除此之外，在该堂的书画、文字、圣乐、探访、声光电控等十余个事工小组中，青年肢体的身影随处可见。而他们无一例外，全部出身于该堂的青年团契。
D牧师说，他们服侍的火热离不开对于青年团契的三大带领理念——异象、栽培与传承。
“从九十年代开始，我们就立下了‘让每个年轻人都实际参与到服侍当中’的带领标杆，如今这依旧是我们青年团契的核心异象。”D牧师说。所以，三十年来，该堂青年团契的一切牧养、关怀、栽培都是在围绕着“推进服侍转化”进行开展。
以栽培为例，在面对刚刚走进教会无所适从的年轻人时，团契牧者们会着重发现他们的属灵恩赐，并想尽办法提供恩赐技能提升的契机。
牧师向笔者回忆，如今正在青年圣歌团担任领唱的一位姊妹，刚来教会时沉默寡言。然而就是在一次赞美环节中，她的几句轻声跟唱让一旁的牧师注意到了她在音准方面的独特恩赐。不久之后，教会邀请了当地专业院校的声乐老师来堂里授课，并邀请了这位姊妹前来聆听。在信徒们的鼓励以及教师的指导下得到了成长，现在已经成为了圣歌团里的核心同工。
次外，青年团契还格外强调以“传帮带”与“反哺”的形式，让在灵命以及服侍技能上相对成熟的肢体去带领下一代的肢体。
对于D牧师的观点，青年牧者的J牧师也十分赞同。今年秋季，J牧师即将继续前往金陵继续读研深造，也得到了教会诸位前辈牧长的支持。“我还是想趁着年轻多多装备一下，看看神打开的更大的世界。我期待我们的母堂能在我们这一代手里更加复兴。”他如此说道。
【特稿】青年团契怎样造就“真青年”？
"Moses was getting old, and Joshua would run away." This is how a rural pastor humorously summarized the loss and scarcity of young people in his church in recent years. In their community, an increasing number of young believers are leaving the church to seek opportunities elsewhere, including active church workers and theological students.
However, in a series of recent visits and exchanges, I have encountered youth fellowships that are exploring and experiencing success in receiving, shepherding and calling young people.
Choose a form that speaks to the young
At a newly emerging urban church in a coastal city, for example, nearly one-third of its members are under the age of 30. Its team of volunteers has succeeded in becoming largely youth-oriented in just a few years.
At the turn of the century, Church L was merely a century-old rural church on the outskirts of the city. But thanks to local urban development and planning, it has become a heavily urban church. To attract more young people, they decided to begin by changing the style of worship.
The church has added an extra Sunday service especially designed for young people, in which the proportion of praise and worship has been increased. It incorporates more contemporary worship songs. During the period of praise, the congregation is free to stand or walk around a little while offering praise to God with more free-style gestures.
The congregation has also formed a band made up entirely of young believers, providing them with space and professional training. "Every Sunday afternoon the church holds a public and free music interest class. A professional teacher instructs the young on how to play modern electronic instruments such as guitar, drums and bass. Afterwards, they can then test the results by playing on stage during Sunday services," the pastor added.
According to the church, the number of new believers has grown by dozens every year in the past five years and the proportion of young believers being baptized is also increasing. Of the 70 baptized in the summer of 2023, more than a third were young adults.
Unlike Church L, which focuses on the interests and hobbies of the young, Church J, located in a nearby city, pays more on the psychology of young people.
In the youth fellowship of Church J, welcoming newcomers is a priority. During each welcoming session, the lead pastor and ministers arrive 40 minutes early in order to personally greet and have brief conversations with first-time attendees.
Senior Pastor C stated that contemporary young people generally have strong boundaries in their interpersonal relationships. Overly direct and blunt invitations not only fail to help them get into church – they can even be counterproductive. "First, we need to transition from being pastors to becoming friends, and then gradually lead them to better know and understand the church."
"Now, one or two newcomers arrive every week, and in recent years, more than 20 young people from within our youth ministry get baptized every year."
Retain believers by building loving connections
Born in the mid-1990s, Pastor C grew up in the youth fellowship. After receiving theological training, he returned to the fellowship in a leading role.
Through interaction with fellow believers of the same age in the fellowship, Pastor C keenly noticed that contemporary young people often express their social anxiety and disdain for communal life in a playful and teasing manner. Yet deep down, they still have a strong desire for belonging and love. They long for an identity. "So this is what we hope to achieve: To let believers cast aside all their burdens and truly treat this place as their home."
Pastor C explained that around 70 members were divided into five small groups according to their age. Each group consists of 10-12 people and is organized, cared for, and led by one or two group leaders. At irregular intervals every month, the fellowship organizes activities such as camps, dinners and outings for all the groups together.
"Not only that, small group life is the primary way we build relationships."
During the week, the group leaders not only work out a flexible devotional study time that takes into account each member's daily routine, but also actively encourage and guide group members in carrying out "door-to-door" visits. If a member encounters difficulties or lows, the group readily offers prayers and assistance as needed.
During the Corona pandemic, a male member in the fellowship, while on a business trip to Lhasa, briefly fell into a state of mild coma due to high-altitude sickness. During the time he spent afterward in his hometown for recuperation, believers took shifts in order to stay with him in the hospital room.
After years of exploration and adjustments, many believers are now involved in the church's visitation ministry and the youth choir, thereby becoming mainstays in the service of the church. However, compared to Pastor C's initial vision, there is still room for improvement.
He stated that even though each small group currently has one or two leaders providing personalized care, in groups with over ten members, the two-leader system has its limits. "Ideally, I would like each group to have three leaders."
Discover believers’ spiritual gifts and train them to be leaders
In churches around the world, the shortage of youth is a common problem, and brain drain is most prevalent in the less-developed regions of the world. However, in urban churches with population growth, there are simply too few younger people who are capable and willing to serve.
Pastor D from a nearly 150-year-old county church stated that nearly half of the church's 11-member core pastoral team were young seminarians in their early 30s, or younger. During 2023, two more seminarians graduated and returned home to serve. In addition, young people could be seen everywhere in the church's 10-plus ministry groups which include painting, calligraphy, writing, sacred music, visitation, sound and light control. All of them came, without exception, from the church's youth fellowship.
Pastor D mentioned that the passion with which they served could not be separated from the youth fellowship’s three guiding principles: vision, cultivation and legacy.
"Since the 1990s, we have set the leadership benchmark of 'engaging every young person in practical service', and this is still the core vision of our youth fellowship," Rev. D said. Therefore, over the past 30 years, all the pastoring, care and training of the church's youth has been centered on "promoting transformation in service".
For instance, when faced with young people who have just entered the church and don't know where to start, the fellowship pastors focus on discovering their spiritual gifts and providing opportunities for skill enhancement.
The pastor recalled as an example a young female believer who now helps lead the youth choir. When she first came to church, she was very quiet. However, during a praise session, the pastor noticed her unique gift for pitch. Shortly after that, the congregation invited a voice teacher from a local college to come and teach. The young female Christian was invited to attend. With encouragement from fellow believers and guidance from the teacher, she has blossomed into being a core member of the choir.
In addition, the youth fellowship emphasizes "mentoring" and "giving back" in a way that allows more mature members in spiritual life and service to lead the next generation.
In terms of Pastor D's viewpoint, J, the youth pastor, strongly agreed. This autumn, Pastor J continued his postgraduate studies in Nanjing Union Theological Seminary with support from all the former pastors of the congregation. "I still want to equip myself more while I'm young to see the bigger world that God has opened up. I look forward to our mother church being revitalized through the work of the new generation.”
- Translated by Abigail Wu
Feature: Youth Ministry Makes Innovations to Attract Gen Z
