Episode 284: Where Have the High Schoolers Gone? with Brian Aaby

Nick Blevins Family Ministry Podcast: Children | Youth | Students | NextGen

In this episode, Brian Aaby from the Slingshot Group shares some of his experiences and interactions with ministry leaders who are asking the question, “Where have the high schoolers gone?” He also speaks about the top three things churches can look for within their next youth ministry hire.

Brian Aaby

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Episode Notes

Observations from Slingshot, in regard to high-school attendance dropping within the church:

• Rise in searches for staffing with many youth pastors leaving their roles
• Frustrated executive leadership who are unable to find and keep youth pastors
• The 2nd most formative time in the lives of adolescents is between 11 to 14 years old
• Kids who were 11-14 during the pandemic are now 14-17 years old, and their neuro-paths were formed uniquely during that time
  • Bottom Line: High schoolers today were affected by the pandemic in ways we are just now witnessing
• Some pastors may need to extend some more grace to that youth pastor experiencing
• May need to track different types of attendance than just your large gathering of students to truly evaluate engagement
  • Ex: small Bible study on a separate night with students who cannot attend a youth service
• Read Brian's Article HERE

The current state of church staff searching within NextGen:

• Changes on average every 3 months, increasing and then decreasing again
• The average church using Slingshot is between 800-1500
  • Average searches are now taking longer
  • Expectations have had to change
• Churches must start building their own benches through residencies and internships

Action Items

1. Talk to other student ministers
2. Prepare your leaders to help teens
3. Focus on smaller groups

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