Stop Using Youth Ministry as a Stepping Stone: Why the Right Student Pastor Can Shift Your Entire Church
- Pastor Derwin Jackson
- 5 days ago
- 3 min read
I’ve been working with youth for over three decades. And I’ve seen one major mistake over and over again: churches treat student ministry like it’s a warm-up for the “real” ministry role.
They place the most available person in there, sometimes with no calling, no training, and no long-term commitment—just a hope that one day they’ll get promoted to the pulpit. But I need to say this loud and clear: Student Ministry is not a stepping stone—it’s a calling.
Let's be real: if you’re putting someone over your youth who sees this as a ladder climb, not a lifetime assignment, you’re planting the wrong seed. And that seed grows into disrespect, disinterest, and disengagement from a generation that’s already deciding whether the church is relevant to them at all.
You Can’t Afford to Guess Who Leads the Next Generation
If you’re a Pastor reading this, let me speak to your heart. You carry a great burden. You're trying to shepherd a church in a culture that’s changing fast. But the lifeline to the future of your church is not just your Sunday sermon—it’s who you choose to disciple your youth.
You don’t need someone with the loudest personality, or the most followers online, or someone who’s hoping to impress you for their next opportunity. You need someone who has a heart for young people, a burden for discipleship, and a deep reverence for this sacred assignment.
You need someone who doesn’t just fill a calendar—they fill the void in a young person’s heart with truth, identity, and purpose.
The Student Pastor You Choose… Shapes the Church You’re Building
A student ministry isn’t daycare for teens. It’s not just pizza nights and games (although those help!). It’s a spiritual battlefield. And the person you appoint to lead it must be a soldier—not a substitute teacher.
They must be chosen. Not convenient.
They must be anointed. Not just available.
They must be consistent. Not coasting.
When you assign someone who doesn’t carry the burden, you’ll see:
Students disengaging.
Parents frustrated.
Drama, cliques, and chaos.
A lack of vision, accountability, or spiritual growth.
But when you assign someone God called—you’ll see revival. You’ll see transformation. You’ll see students becoming ministers in their own right, without waiting to “grow up” first. You’ll see youth who pray with fire, serve with passion, and lead their peers back to the cross.
Let God Choose the Student Ministry Leader for His Lambs
If you’re looking to grow your church, don’t just start with marketing, buildings, or staff titles. Start by asking God: Who is truly called to reach the next generation in this house?
Sometimes it’s someone you overlooked. Sometimes it’s someone who’s quiet but consistent. Sometimes it’s someone who doesn't want the stage—just the souls.
Let God pick the one who won’t use your youth to climb the ladder but will lay down their life to lift them up.
If you’re a pastor who’s ready to take the youth in your church seriously—I want to help you. I consult with leaders to rebuild, re-fire, and restructure ministries with lasting impact. No fluff. No guesswork. Just purpose, power, and proven strategies.
Because we don’t have time to play church with our youth.
We need a movement.
And it starts with choosing the right leader.
Pastor Derwin R. Jackson, Sr. is the founder of DRJ Ministries and the Overseer of The Experience Creative Arts Ministry — a national student movement spanning Georgia and Florida. With over 30 years of experience working with youth, Pastor Jackson developed The Fishing Method™, a strategic approach that helps churches recruit students, disciple them deeply, and build sustainable ministries that transform communities.
Comments