Ministry Architects was founded on the work of helping churches build sustainable youth ministries with long-lasting impact. Our approach starts with listening and has resulted in partnerships with churches and Christian organizations in every region of the United States and throughout the world, supporting the work of building sustainable youth ministries in each unique context. We’ve also written Sustainable Youth Ministry, a practical guide to building a youth ministry that lasts.
Churches today face a tough reality: they want to create thriving ministries to teenagers… but very few know how.
Most churches simply resort to handing the entire responsibility over to a singular leader, asking them to bring “their own vision” for the youth ministry to the church. What plays out is often one of two scenarios. If the youth director happens to be a superstar, the church is thrilled by all they bring, until the “irreplaceable” leader leaves, and students disconnect. If the youth director is less than stellar, the youth ministry becomes mired in a climate of criticism and complaint. Parents and other stakeholders begin to focus on “fixing” the current youth director rather than working on the ministry.
Thriving, sustainable youth ministries can never be built on a parade of enthusiastic leaders. Try as they may to piece together a disjointed collection of models from books and workshops, they just can’t keep up. Churches, then, end up frustrated and floundering in their youth ministries… not because they can’t find “the right staff,” but because they haven’t determined a vision for the ministry or established a structure that works.
At Ministry Architects, we believe there is a better way. It’s not a one-size-fits-all training event or quick-fix search for superstar staffers. It’s a work that requires investment from more than just one person and for more than just one, catalytic season.
It all starts with building intentionally.
Like architects, we don’t tell you what you want to build. We start by listening. Then, we show you a blueprint of exactly how you can move from where you are to where you want to be. Finally, we walk alongside you to help you build the kind of infrastructure you need to create the youth ministry you dream of having.
We’ve made it our mission to help churches establish sustainable, thriving youth ministries, one church at a time. Over the course of our many years supporting churches in this work, Ministry Architects has emerged as the standard for excellence in youth ministry consulting, effectively helping transform struggling ministries to thriving ones.
If you’d like to connect and learn more about how we can work together, or if you would like to talk with churches we’ve served, please don’t hesitate to contact us.