Eunice Garmino

The Author
Ptra Eunice
Eunice Garmino is a passionate leader and pastor. She loves
to write about leadership, and the life-changing Gospel of

Jesus. She’s been an advocate for Youth Ministry since 2012,

and has written several e-Books on the topic. She is the

founder of Thriving Youth Ministry, an online movement that

aims to help youth leaders and youth pastors to build youth

ministries that advance the Gospel, equip young people to

share their faith, and transform people into agents of change.

The Thriving Youth Leaders Movement Facebook Group in the

Philippines is a community that she led to support this vision.

Other Books
Be Strong and Courageous Devotional

This 30-day devotional book will help you with your own
personal growth and encouragement during these times
of crisis plus it can also be a guide that you can use as
a discussion in your leadership meetings and mentoring
of your core groups.

You can order via Shopee CLICK HERE

for only Php 249

30 Days to Start a Thriving Youth

Ministry from Scratch

This book will surely help you in starting a Youth Ministry

kahit magsisimula palang kayo from scratch, or kahit bago ka
palang na-appoint na leader pero di mo alam ang gagawin,
or gusto mo lang ng breakthrough sa ministry ngayong taon
pero you don’t know where to start, all with a common goal –
to thrive. 🌱

You can order via Shopee

CLICK HERE
for Only Php 399

Or visit our Shopee store: THRIVING YOUTH MERCH

 Other eBooks
Also available in soft copy or PDF (e-Book)

Message me on Facebook to get more details on how to

AVAIL the following e-Books for your Youth Ministry!
Dear youth
leader,
Now, it's your time for a
ministry breakthrough!

The inspiration behind

every poem ever written

Noell Morrison
How to start
?

Tanong mo din ba to?

Ito kasi ang tanong ko nung time na

burdened na burdened na ako at hindi ko
na alam kung ano na ang pwede kong
gawin para lumago ang youth ministry
namin.

Honestly, naiintindihan kita.

Ganyan din kasi tanong ko dati.

‘Yung tipong tuwing mapapag-usapan sa

iba’t ibang church gatherings kung
kamusta na ang youth ministry mo, eh
medyo nagda-doubt kang ikwento yung
totoong sitwasyon.

Di ka nag-iisa.
Ang totoo niyan, nung nagsisimula palang ako, ‘pag sinabing
“ministry” natatakot ako kasi parang ang hirap hirap.

Parang kailangan dapat magaling ka at syempre talented.

Kailangan madami ka ng alam sa Bible at matalino.

To be honest, wala talaga akong idea kung ano

ang ministry nung naging Kristiyano ako.

Akala ko, okay na ‘yung makilala si Lord.

Hindi ko naman alam na bukod dun eh may mas malalim pang

dahilan bakit ako naligtas. (Di ba minsan di mo talaga alam kung
“bakit?”)

Iba kasi ‘yung thinking nating mga kabataan. Mas okay na yung
walang masyadong “commitment.” Okay na yung mag-enjoy sa
life.

Parang dati hindi masyadong mahalaga yung salitang “calling” at

“purpose.”

Mas mahalaga yung “Y-O-L-O” kung tawagin. You only live once,
ika nga. Haha.

Pero ang hindi ko alam na sa dami-dami ng tatawagin ni Lord, eh

nasama ako.At take note, napunta pa sa isa sa pinaka-
challenging na ministry sa lahat -- ang “Youth Ministry.”

But I want to be
TRANSPARENT with
you as much as possible.
 I’m not going to talk to you about how hard it is to be in this
kind of ministry.

I’m not going to teach about how to give up because you can’t
handle it anymore.

(baka kasi isipin mong sumuko na lang. Huwag pleaaaaseee).

Lalong lalo na I’m not expecting you to build an “empire of

students”.

What I want to share to you is how you can be an

effective Youth Leader that will bring awesome
transformation to your Youth Ministry ...

NO MATTER
HOW SMALL IT IS.
Oo, kailangan nating malaman paano ba tayo mas
magiging epektibo para maapektuhan din natin ang youth
ministry na hinahawakan natin.

Kahit nagsisimula ka pa lang…O kahit gusto mo lang na

mas mag-improve pa ang ministry mo.
Remember this:
Your goal in the youth ministry is to
"THRIVE" and make an impact to your local
communities and even to our nation.

Having the desire is not enough.

Being PASSIONATE and COMMITTED in every way
are some of the important keys to be effective.

DISCLAIMER:
I’m not promising that you’ll become an effective Youth Leader
overnight, though you can definitely become one in this ministry.
But still, if you don’t take action on what I’m about to share with you,
you’ll not make even a single impact.

Your ACTION is what makes all the difference.

 Why I wrote this book?

Nung nagsisimula palang ako sa Youth Ministry I have all the disadvantages
you can think of.

…I have no prior leadership skills at mahiyain ako.

…I have no formal training kaya wala akong idea paano ba talaga i-
build ang youth ministry.
…I only have limited budget para mag-reach out sa ibang mga young
people.
…I don’t have the connection kung saan pa meron pang pwedeng
imbatihin na mga youth.
…I don’t have the resources I need.

Ilan lang yan sa mga naging challenges ko bilang Youth Leader.

Kaya madami din akong struggles when I started leading our youth
ministry.

Tapos nung nag-join na ako ng several youth gatherings with other churches,
several youth camps and conferences, na-realize ko na madami pala kaming
Youth Leaders na clueless kung paano pa namin ito mapapalago.

Yung ba hindi naman kalakihan ang kanilang mga churches.

‘Yung iba galing sa pioneering local community churches.
‘Yung iba galing sa maliliit na house churches sa probinsiya.

Halos lahat nag-struggle kung paano mas magi-improve ang youth ministry.

Ilang taon, halos lahat ganun ang naririnig ko.

Because of these consistent questions & struggles, I decided to pause
and listen.

Hindi sila nag-iisa.

Ganoon din ang mga naging challenges ko sa Youth Ministry na

hinahawakan ko.

And ito ang dahilan kung bakit ko sinulat ang librong to.

…To reveal to you the Step-by-Step

on How I become an effective Youth
Leader and most importantly, how
YOU can do it too.
 My MISSION

To help Youth Leaders & Youth pastors build a “thriving” Youth

Ministry No Matter How Small…

…even from scratch…

…even with 10 students or less.

Dahil hindi naman lahat nagsisimula sa malaki. At hindi lahat ng youth

leader ay alam na ang gagawin from the very beginning that we’re asked to
do it.

Kung kinaya ko, kaya mo din! I believe in you!

God appointed us, He called us and especially …

He made us to “THRIVE.” (flourish, grow, prosper and make an impact!)

Kaya what you’ll discover in this book are effective strategies that you can
apply in the Youth Ministry even what phase you are in right now.

These are the same strategies that I applied that amazingly transformed me
as a Youth Leader and amazingly transformed the Youth Ministry.
Gusto mo din ba ng ganitong klaseng ministry?

If yes, read on.... Basically, there are 5 easy Steps para maging effective
Youth Leader.

But before we dive deep sa 5 Steps of Being an

Effective Youth Leader…

Allow me to share my story.

 My STORY

My name is Eunice Oderon, you can call me “PYu,” short

for “Pastora Eunice.”

I am the Founder of Thriving Youth Ministry.

I am a Youth Pastor / Missionary / Author /

Speaker / Blogger.

I came to know the Lord when I was still a child

when my mom would bring me to church to
attend the Kids Ministry.

I really enjoyed singing action songs and attending

DVBS.

I admire my Kids Ministry teachers that time and have the desire that
maybe someday I can teach like them.

But when we faced some family problems, we stopped going to church.

However, after a year, my family was then introduced to another Christian

church when I was 12.

From then, I decided to fully accept the Lord as my personal Saviour and
allowed myself to be involved in the Youth Ministry.

Finally I got the boldness to declare that I am a “Born Again Christian.”

 How I Started in the Ministry

My first ministry was to teach in the Kids Ministry.

When they told me that I will teach, I got really excited and happy.

I was in first year high school that time and the kids were extremely
engaged.

‘Yung tipong masayang-masaya sila sa simpleng Bible story and snacks.

Every day, masaya din akong uuwi galing sa church. Tapos simula nun, iba na
‘yung na-feel ko noong nakikita ko na nakakapag-serve ako kay God.

At dun na nag-start yung desire ko to

continue serving Him.

Years passed, I continued teaching during our Summer DVBS (Daily

Vacation Bible School).

And during one of our graduation, I was appointed to lead the singing of the
“National Anthem.”

When my Youth Leader saw the potential in me in singing, they asked me to

join the Praise & Worship Team.

Hindi naman ako kagalingan kumanta ‘nun pero isinali nila ako sa team kaya
tuwang-tuwa din ako. (Though dati si Mama, lagi akong pinapakanta ng mga
matataas na songs. Haha)
So, I joined and unang assignment ko is taga-hawak ng Overhead Projector.

‘Yung projector pa dati yung magsusulat ka pa sa acetate gamit ang pentel

pen and then saka ilalagay sa projector para makita.

(Tapos pag di na ginagamit, buburahin mo gamit ang alcohol or acetone,

naka-relate ka ba?).

Nagpatuloy yun and then naging back up until maging worship leader.

While being involved on the Praise & Worship Ministry, I also started to
attending our Youth Fellowships.

I can still remember ‘yung first Youth Night Fellowship na medyo

evangelistic, na-appreciate ko talaga. Akala ko magtutuloy-tuloy na ‘yung
involvement ko sa Youth Ministry but our church faced a difficult situation.

We had to transfer to another location.

Habang nasa proseso kami ng paghanap ng mas mura at mas maliit na space,
unti-unting nabawasan ang member ng church namin.

…and that included our Youth Leaders.

 The Sad Story

Walang natira para magturo sa akin.

I was so clueless…

And shocked, too.

Hindi ko alam kung paano magisimula.

Tatlong youth lang kaming natira and I was asked to handle the Youth
Ministry.

Maliit lang ang church namin, and technically naging “house church” na lang
siya.

I tried so hard, that was during high school days that I struggled a lot.

After leading for just a year, wala pa ring progress.

It’s like the traditional times kung saan when you’re appointed to do a
certain ministry, they will automatically expect you to have the knowledge
on how to do it anyway.

Minsan pa hindi na nagiging big concern ang paglago kapag sinasabing

“maliit” lang naman ang church namin.

I asked God for help.

 The Sad Story

But even creating a simple youth topic was hard for me.

Since we’re not like other churches who are already stable and
already have the programs to follow, magsisimula ka talaga sa
scratch.

Nag-i-invite ako ng mga kabataan, pero hindi sila nag-i-stay ng matagal.

To cut the long story short, walang nadagdag sa Youth Ministry namin.

Kami pa ring tatlo.

So, I prayed to God to help me.

I cried to Him. Sabi ko kung nilagay niya ako sa ganitong ministry, tulungan
Niya ako.

I prayed for wisdom just like Solomon.

I didn’t want to blame other people. I didn’t want to dwell on what’s lacking.

I desired to understand, “Lord ano po bang problema?” … “Lord, ano po bang

kulang?”

And then…God gave me His answer, little by little…

He led me to a discovery that changed the course

of our church’s Youth Ministry.
 Identifying the Problem

So, along the journey, God helped me realize

5 common problems that most of the Youth
Leaders encountered today kaya hindi
lumalago ang Youth Ministry:

1. You are not given proper expectation and

definition of ministry.

2. You haven’t established a solid system

through understanding the right foundations
that will work for your ministry.

3. You tried to entertain more but haven’t

implemented the gospel as a life-changing
message to the young people.

4. You focus more on numbers and aren’t

really intentional in making disciples

5. You haven’t crafted timely strategies to

evangelize the new generation.
At dahil sa mga problems na ito, nalimitahan natin ang ating mga
kakayanan.

We tried to settle for what is less rather than focusing on what can still be
done.

We tried to accept what is “okay” than dreaming

of “extraordinary possibilities.”

But we have to remind ourselves...

“With God all things are possible!”

(Matthew 19:26)
 My Journey to a “THRIVING” Youth Ministry

One day, I saw a book and bought it. This book is entitled “Unlimiting God:
Increasing Your Capacity to Experience the Divine” by Dr. Richard Blackaby.

Habang binabasa ko ito, I learned that I need not settle for less than
what God intends for me.

Na si God, He can do extraordinary things through ordinary people like you

and me…

…but only when we allow Him to enlarge our spiritual

capacity and overcome our self-imposed limits…

Boom! Nagising ako dun!

And that started to ignite my “FAITH” and

my “ACTIONS.”

I was reminded that:

“Faith without works is dead." (James 2:26)

Oo nga, gusto kong lumago ang ministry, but maybe I lacked faith.

And I was so tired strategizing my actions because hindi ko talaga alam kung
saan dapat magsimula.
So, nung 18 years old na ako and still leading the youth ministry, I decided to
be serious about helping the church build a “thriving” one.

Sabi ko, “enough is enough” for waiting things to

happen and I wanted to let God expand the youth
ministry through my actions.

So…

I invested myself in reading the Bible to look for biblical

principles about youth ministry (more time in daily personal
devotion), then I read a lot of inspirational books / eBooks,
listened to podcasts, and attended trainings about youth
leadership.

After all of that, I gathered all the learnings on how I can help the Youth
Ministry grow.

That’s how determined and driven I was...

When there were conferences, especially for youth, I would be the first one
to attend.

Kahit mag-isa lang ako. I really desired to learn. I always have a notebook and
pen to take down notes.

I likewise decided to ask my pastor if I can join other inter-church fellowships

so I can have other ideas about other Youth Ministries.

Kahit sobrang mahiyain ako nung una. I started to walk by faith.

After months of studying, reading books, trainings and seminars, and

searching for answers and solutions for these common problems about the
youth ministry, I came to a realization:

Youth Ministry will thrive, if you are

foundational and intentional.
What happened was, after I started to break the traditional
approach of our church to the Youth Ministry by unlimiting God
and unlimiting myself, it didn’t take long that we’re able to pull
up from 3 students, then 10, 20 then to 30 plus and counting in
one year.

All for God’s glory!

That’s a congregation already! :)

 Why am I sharing this?

I know it isn’t too much numbers, but I tell you it is God’s doing.

And yes, it never happened instantly!

I just want to show the possibilities, that

even young people like us who have no
experience can be effective when we come
to understand our “calling” and our
“purpose.”

There’s a lot of ground works that happened.

It took me a lot of courage to build a

“thriving youth ministry.”

But I didn’t stop from it. I continuously devoted my time mentoring the youth
as we moved forward and then duplicated myself to those who have the same
heart to serve like me.

Back in 2012, I then graduated from PUP as a Tourism Student.

And a month right after my graduation, I was ordained as the

very first Youth Pastor of our church.
 Okay, Enough of Me.
Now, Let’s Talk
About You!

You might be asking…

Question: Eunice, how can I start if I don’t

have proper training and had no idea at all
where to start?

Remember the 5 steps on How you

can Become an Effective Youth
Leader?

That will also GREATLY help you start a

“Thriving Youth Ministry.”
 STEP #1
Understand What
Your Ministry Is
If you think that “defining ministry” is your biggest struggle, you have to
answer these clarifying questions.

I suggest that you write it down in your notebook and just list everything that
will come in your mind.

Don’t be too hard for yourself.

Don’t try to edit. Just write freely.

Clarifying Questions:

“What do you think is the definition of ministry?”

Why do you want to be in youth ministry?

Sa tingin mo ba ito ang calling sa’yo ni Lord?

Gagawin mo ba lahat dahil mahal mo si Lord at gusto mong makaabot ng mas

marami pang kabataan?

Once na masagot mo ‘to, mas magiging malinaw sa’yo kung bakit ka nasa
ministry ngayon.

The truth: Ministry is about our service to God

and our work as a servant.

Throughout the scripture, ministry has also been described as work.

This helped us understand that we shouldn’t separate our daily

activities with the Christian ministry.
Kaya nga as we work for God in the youth ministry, dapat ang attitude natin
is the attitude of a servant na willing mag-win nang mas maraming kabataan
para kay Kristo.

When we begin to answer the call of the Lord to serve Him and other people,
it is not limited only to our activities in the church but it spread through our
day to day jobs and activities.

Defining it allows us to understand that while Christ called privileged people

for special work in the ministry - apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and
teachers (Ephesians 4:11) …

…He also opened Christian ministry to every

believer who are willing to serve Him to
carry forth the gospel to every part of the
world – including you and me!

BUT here’s the catch…

Your goal: Not just a ministry but a

thriving youth ministry!
Dapat sa pagsisimula mo sa Youth Ministry, ang long-term desire mo, is to
keep growing until you find the ministry sustainable and successful.
In other words, you define your Thriving Youth Ministry as a
ministry that grows, flourishes, prospers and succeeds.

Hindi ‘yung para may masabi lang na may youth ministry kayo sa church.

Hindi ‘yung para may maipadala lang sa ibang church kapag may gathering.

Hindi ‘yung nagpaparami ka lang para sa numero.

But you have to have a good reason why you are doing it.

If you have clearly understood and defined what ministry is, you’ll be able to
flow well in God’s direction in your life.

But you might be thinking…

Eunice gets ko na, pero…. …

…how do I know if I am really called

into Youth Ministry?

Sabi ko na ‘yan ang susunod mong itatanong, kasi you wondered this exact
question multiple times. Tama ba?

If you are just starting out, about to start out or have been doing youth
ministry for 10 years, this question probably keeps popping up and
demanding an answer.

Dahil ang totoo, para mas maging effective ka

you have to be sure about your CALLING.
So, first check your DESIRE…

Do you have a passion for God, and do you have a passion for
students?

Kung “YES” parehas ang sagot mo, then it’s a good indicator.

Second, check your MOTIVATION…

Is your motivation for wanting to be in youth ministry is because you

want to reach and guide students into a relationship with Jesus?

Would you be “fulfilled” doing this kind of ministry for many years?

Kung “YES” parehas ang sagot mo, then you’re on the right track.

Lastly, check your CHARACTER…

Do I have the leadership skill that can handle different kinds of

students?
Am I also a teachable disciple, willing to learn other things in order to
grow?

Kung “YES” parehas ang sagot mo, then let me tell you this...

No doubt, God called you to be in this

ministry.
Pero in order for you to become a really effective Youth Leader, let
me begin with few expectations before we move on.

First...

I would assume that starting this journey of yours is a response to

prayer and guidance from the Holy Spirit. Tama ba?

Have you prayed for it?

Have you asked the Holy Spirit to lead you on this path?

Because trying to start a ministry based on our own will, our wisdom
and our skills will surely fail.

And second....

if you are responding to the Holy

Spirit, I would assume you have a
goal to make it fruitful, stable,
thriving, and successful.
 STEP #2
Create a Ministry Map
Okay Eunice, medyo malinaw na sa akin pero....

I don’t know what’s the best strategy to start…

I don’t know who my support team will be…
I don’t know how to invite my target students’ community…

You have to ask yourself first,

“What are the biggest struggles of my church now that

I’ll help them solve?

Nung pumunta ka sa mall na hindi mo kabisado, nakakita ka ng “map”

sa entrance di ba? Usually, lalapit ka sa map at hahanapin mo yung
gusto mong puntahan.

Dalawa ang purpose ng map.

Una, sinasabi nito kung nasaan ka. “Andito ka!”

(Knowing where you are is the first important piece of information

you need to successfully navigate to the desired destination.)

Ikalawa, binibigyan ka nito ng direction kung saan mo

gustong makarating.
(Knowing your destination is every bit as important as knowing where you
are.)

Where are we right now in the Youth Ministry?

Where do we want to go in the next 3, 5 or 10 years?
What is our mission and vision?

Are we here for many years but still not growing because of some issues we need
to address?

Do I have a potential support team to help me lead the youth?

How do I want the Youth Ministry to look like?

The map also shows you how to get there.

That’s why your ministry needs to have a map to

help you how to get from here to there.

So, while you are creating a ministry map by identifying where you are right
now, where you want to go and how you will get there, you are also
BUILDING a solid foundation of things in your ministry.

While it’s good to know that you are called, it’s better to partner it
with a “strategic plan.”

Because at the end of the day, our action matters a lot.

"Faith without works is dead." (James 2:26)

Answer these questions above and then try to put it on your notebook.

Evaluate what’s going on and what are the things that you want to improve.

Then…

1. Craft a mission & vision statement

for the ministry
If you don’t have one yet, consider this key document that you need to
develop first before moving forward.

If the mission & vision was written 5 years ago, you may need to revisit it and
evaluate if you need to consider a new initiative.

It’s always good to have a fresh revelation of the ministry.

Dream big and ask God to help you breathe new life in the ministry.

Proverbs 29:18 King James Version (KJV) says

“Where there is no vision, the people perish…”
2. Build a Solid Leadership Team
It’s also good if we can start investing in building our support leadership
team.

If you’re just starting, I know medyo mahirap. Pero it’s not bad to have two
people as a start basta makakatulong ka sa pagpalago ng ministry.

Sabi nga ng Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 (NIV):

“Two are better than one because they have a

good return for their labor: If either of them falls
down, one can help the other up.”

Eventually naman, as the ministry keeps thriving, the team will grow.

Just make sure to share your vision and heart sa kanila.

Make sure na sila man ay “sold-out” kay Jesus and have the desire
to see life being change sa buhay ng mga kabataan.
3. Identify your Target Community
Though it’s cool to think that we can reach the whole world since that’s
Jesus’ desire, we know that it’s impossible to make an impact if you do that at
the very beginning.

Maybe it’s a good idea to position yourself first.

“Who are the specific group of students that I wanted to reach?”

Just serve a specific group of people, so that you

can position yourself as a mentor in that group.

Do you want to reach elementary students, high school students, college

students, young professionals or a mixed group?

Where are they located?

Okay Eunice na-identify ko na, pero....

I don’t know how I will invite them

to join us…
I don’t know the right message to use
to teach them...
I don’t have the resources yet…
 STEP #3
Plant the Right
Message
To overcome these struggles, you have to ask yourself these questions:

What do these students really need that our Youth Ministry can help
them with?
What is their main problem?
What’s the best solution that we can provide?

Sa dami-dami ng nagaganap sa buhay ng mga kabataan ngayon, hindi mo na

malaman kung saan nagmumula ang mga kakaibang kini-kilos nila.

And being in this ministry means “helping them to be

released from the bondage of sin and helping them grow
their relationship with Christ.”

You may have already observed their problems:

…students who developed their insecurities because of the boom of

social media…
…students who started to have vices because of peer-pressure…
…students who are being swallowed by depression…
…and students who are even questioning their sexual identity…

Masakit sa pusong makita na ang mga dapat “pag-asa ng bayan” ang siyang
unti-unting nananakawan ng pag-asa sa buhay.
There’s a lot more problems that may arise in their lives because of parental
conflicts, bad influence of drugs, alcohol, pornography, corruption, materialism,
broken sexuality, and violence.

‘Pag naisip mo lahat ng ito, parang gusto mo ng dumating si Jesus para

maiwasan nilang ma-expose sa ganitong mga impluwensiya at problema.

And as a Youth Leader, I know our heart aches for them.

We want them to have hope...

We want them to have true freedom….
We want them to receive healing….

Pero ano nga ba ang makakapagbigay ng lahat ng ito?

Is it fun games?
Is it uplifting music?
Is it friendships?
Is it moral training?

No. Not really…

Katulad ng band aid, hindi nito

mahihilom ang sugat…
Kailangan ng total overhaul ng belief system ng mga kabataan dahil malalim
ang pinag-ugatan ng lahat ng ito.

The Answer: The Gospel of Jesus Christ

This is the best answer!

This is the best cure ever!
This is the best strategy ever!

Maybe you are asking, “Did I read it right? Ang simple lang naman pala ng
sagot.”

Yes, tama ka sa nabasa mo. Pero mali ka na simple lang itong sagot.

Ang dapat na nais ng Youth ministry natin ay pang-matagalang pagbabago na

magmumula sa paghahayag natin ng mabuting balita patungkol kay Hesus.

It is the theology of the cross that will cure everything.

This is the right message to plant in their hearts.

It is the “gospel” meaning the “good news” about the greatest love story of all
time.

It is the story of God’s victory over sin and death in the life, death and
resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Alam mo ba kung paano ito ibahagi sa kanila?

Usually, wala sa atin ang gustong ma-kwentuhan ng patungkol sa relihiyon.

Lalo na medyo mahirap makuha ang attention ng mga kabataan ngayon.

Lalo na medyo ilap sila kapag sa tingin nilang “corny” ang discussion.

This is where you need to start.

This is where you need to specialize.
This is where all hard work must be done.

Dahil lahat ng rules, motivational speeches at fun games ay walang power na

makapag-pabago ng buhay.

Pero ang mensahe tungkol kay Kristo na itatanim mo ang pinaka-

makapangyarihang mensaheng babago sa kanila.

God can bring life and fruit to your Youth Ministry that you never thought is
possible.

So, plant the right message first. Don’t merely entertain. But…

Make sure they confess their sin and learn to repent….

Make sure they realize that God can forgive them…
Make sure they believe and accept Jesus as their personal
Saviour…

The proclamation of the gospel of salvation must be the heart of your Youth
Ministry.
But then Eunice, what’s next? …
 STEP #4
Start a Small Group
Bible Study
Well my dear friend, kailangan nating mas maturuan pa sila to become
disciples of Christ.

Hindi natin sila iiwan na lang basta just like a baby na hindi kayang kumain at
magpalit ng damit ng sarili niya lang.

After they heard the gospel, there should be

a follow up.

Do you already have Small Group Bible Study?

How many of your young people are attending?

If you’re just starting your Youth Ministry from scratch, maaaring ilang
students pa lang ang meron kayo.

Pero okay lang ‘yan!

Ibig sabihin lang ‘nun ay mas madali mo silang mai-imbitahan personally.

Madali kang makakapag-build ng tinatawag nating “relationship.”

Madali mo silang mas makikilala pa….

How to Start a Small Group Bible Study
a. Cherish where you start from. Celebrate small
wins.

The bible says not to despise small beginnings, so start small.

If wala pa kayong Small Group, then maybe it’s time to have one!

This is where you will catch up with your group and tell them more about
Jesus.

By investing time for your youth group, nade-develop sila to what God wants
them to be.

At the same time, the more they hear God’s word, the more na-de-develop at
lumalago ang faith nila.

Who knows that the future leaders and world-changers

are in your group!
b. Meet where they’re at.

Pwedeng sa park, malapit sa school nila….

Or maybe in the nearest fast food, kung saan sila pwedeng pumunta…

Basta accessible para sa lahat….

Pwede ding sa church basta okay sa kanila and you can prepare some
snacks…

However, kung mas hindi “churchy’ ang gusto mong

ambience, you can pursue having it outdoors.

Or maybe on one of your students houses. (Basta magpapaalam at okay sa

parents.)
c. Make it more about them, and not just about
you.

Start to ask them questions like:

Where are you good at?

What do you love doing?
What’s your favorite food?

Be interested in their stories and what they want to

share.

In that instance, the more they become open to you, the greater the
opportunity na ma-win mo ang trust nila.

Basta huwag pa ring kakalimutang magbahagi patungkol sa salita ng Diyos.

Don’t make it just a mere place to catch up rather make it an interesting time
to grow together in the word of God.

Remember, the word of God must be the center of it all.

d. Involve them, too.

Turuan mo sila how to pray and how to make a testimony.

Give them assignments like passages to read or verses to memorize.

Make them interested. Prepare ice breakers.

Plan your monthly topics ahead so you can set their expectations.

Then as you go along, challenge them to invite their friends on your

Small Group.
e. Love your Small Group as your family.

If you already have or still to have, consider loving them as your family.

Don’t be afraid to be honest and transparent.

Don’t be afraid to rebuke them or correct them, if needed. (of course, with
love.)

Encourage, pray and be accountable with each other.

You have to keep in mind that it’s important for us to focus on helping the
students.

And when the time comes, when new Youth Leaders arise from the group
remind them of the importance of having a Small Group because:

…this is where you can teach young people to live like Jesus.

…this is where you can train them to become obedient followers of Christ.

…this is where you can equip them to become “fishers of men.”

 STEP #5
Create Opportunities
for Involvement
But with all of this, the remaining questions are:

How can you keep “thriving” in two years’ time, in five years’
time, or maybe in ten years’ time or so?

Is it enough to just have a Small Group Bible Study?

Are there other programs you need to work on?

During the period that we’re just starting the Youth Ministry, the struggle
lies with how I can continue to encourage the young people to be more active
and engaged.

When we only have our weekly Small Group Bible Study, I saw that their
interest starts to decline.

Minsan, ‘yung iba tinatamad nang pumunta. Lalo na kapag

walang bago.
I have observed that our young people today only have a limited span of
attention.

Aside from that, they want not just the sense of belonging, but also a sense of
accomplishing something.

So ibig sabihin, hindi lang pala nagtatapos sa nabahaginan sila ng salita ng

Diyos.

Sure, discipleship and spiritual instruction through a form of a Small Group is

a big help but it shouldn’t stop there.

Again, we don’t want to limit what God can do.

We don’t want to limit the opportunities that God

can use.

Pero Eunice, how can I continue to lead them to a more fruitful relationship
with Jesus? …

Ok.

Here are my tips. Read on.

How to Create Opportunities for Involvement

1. Start Evangelism

Help them to gain confidence in sharing the gospel with other people. As a
start, you may want to try involving them in the Kids Ministry.

In our case, we greatly improved our confidence in sharing the gospel nung
natutunan naming magturo sa mga bata. Kasi nakakahiya naman talaga sa
una.

Kaya instead na i-push natin sila agad to win their friends, the Kids
Ministry is a good training ground.

Aside sa they will feel involved as one of the Kids Teacher or Assistant, dito
din mapa-practice ang teaching and leadership skills nila.

You may want to start a feeding program in your community para maka-
gather ng mga Kids. And to think na maybe 3-5 years from now, lalaki din
itong mga batang ito at sila naman ang magmo-move sa Youth Ministry. Win-
win situation di ba?

But don’t start a huge outreach immediately.

Kahit na it’s a great way to evangelize, kung wala ka pang enough resources
or enough leaders to support you, invest wisely sa kung ano muna yung kaya
niyo at kung ano yung helpful para sa church niyo.
2. Join Short-Term Mission Trips

It may sound ambitious to get to other places but I tell you, joining a mission
trip is one of the important events that you need to keep in your Youth
Ministry.

This can be an annual event that the youth can look forward so they
can also start preparing in terms of budget.

Maaring may local or international trips available, but I suggest, be involved

locally first.

To tell you honestly, in my leadership journey, mission trips helped me a lot.

Not because it involves a lot of travel...

but it’s because I was able to see

how big the love of God is.

For many years, I travelled once or twice a year, and was able to go to
different places in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.
Reasons Why Your Youth Group Should Go on a Mission Trip

o It will give life-transforming experiences because you will learn to be with

other people / tribe / nationality, their own context and their culture.

o It will broaden your perspectives na malaki ang mundo kumpara sa araw-

araw na nakikita niyo, lalo na sa mga mahihirap, mga taong nabiktima ng
baha, sunog at iba pang calamities.

o It will challenge your comfort zone na okay lang kahit hindi matulog sa
malambot na kama, okay lang magpakain ng ilang mga batang hindi naabot
ng sapat na pagkain, at mag-abot ng mga tulong sa mga nasalanta. This is the
reality. At siguradong lalaki ang pagtingin niyo sa pag-ibig ng Diyos.

o It will empower you because you will begin to see what you’re capable of.
Magigising ang initiative at mabubuksan pa ang inyong mga mata para sa mas
madami pang posibilidad na makagawa ng impact dito sa mundo.

o It will create a sacred space, dahil it will give you time and place where God
work through your life. At the same time, it creates an intimate memory to
remember how God has been faithful to you. And if you face some
challenges, somehow, your experience will always be a great reminder of
God’s love.

o It will bring your youth group together, because together is a very powerful
word. Alam mo ‘yung sabay kayong kakain, sabay kayong maglalaro, sabay
kayong gagawa, at syempre, sabay kayong late matutulog. Dito nabe-break
ang mga barriers at nagsisimulang mapalakas ang pagkakaibigan ng bawat
isa.
3. Plan overnight retreats

...but it should be purposeful.

Make this an opportunity to further help the teenagers surpass their

individual spiritual deserts.

Maaaring ang isa sa objective is to help them create “alone time” with God.

You can also make them feel more open to talk about their individual
personal lives and reflect on what God is already doing and what they expect
God to do.

Because having a retreat is also essential, this can help

you reinforce relationships in your youth group.

Find a good retreat place for new experiences.

Allow them to focus but encourage openness.

You can do this quarterly or twice a year, depending on the current

need of your church.
4. Plan/Join Youth Camps

Mas mahaba ito compared sa retreat and sometimes an Annual Event that
every young people are excited about. Syempre, sino ba namang ayaw mag-
join ng youth camps?

When I first joined a Youth Camp, sobrang saya ko talaga. It was at Iba,
Zambales and the program was really great. Sobrang amazed ko sa mga
powerful camp speakers, sa masarap na food, sa napakasayang games and
syempre, sa mga bagong kaibigang nakilala ko.

And it was also a turning point in my life,

I know I was changed by the Lord.

The rest is history. I’ve joined a lot of Youth Camps, and God never fails.
Palaging may bago. At siguradong nakakapag-paapoy ng damdamin.

So, if you don’t have a big number of youth members yet, you can join Youth
Camps na ino-organize ng mga Youth Organizations within your area,
usually, inter-church or may mga camps naman na Nationwide. You can ask
permission from your Senior Pastor to join and once approved, then you can
do fundraising so you can join the event.

Usually, Youth Camps will take 3-4 days or more, depending on the camp
organizer. Exciting because palaging may tema ang mga Youth Camps.

This is a great opportunity to discover yourself even more and also

be on fire in praising and worshipping God.

So, consider the value of joining a camp. It’s a great investment and surely,
there will be a great return after it.
5. Attend Youth Conferences

This kind of event will help you youth group to be spiritually equipped.

Why? Because they will hear great preaching!

Yung emphasis sa preaching will really help lalo na as they preach

God’s word in a powerful way.

Since sa mga conferences, iba-ibang topics, iba-ibang preachers, madami

silang maririnig na messages from God’s word.

We don’t know what they’ll remember but sure yun na

may magiging impact yun sa buhay nila.

Based sa mga conferences na napuntahan ko, you’ll be encouraged to dance,

shout and praise God.

But not only that, there’s a very powerful way of hearing God’s message that
will really bring revival into your heart.

It is indeed exciting and will be a different set up compared to the normal

classroom type of learning.

So, encourage your youth group to attend at least

several conferences within the year, depending on your
availability.
So, my friend, it doesn’t matter if you are just a newbie Youth Leader or Pastor.

You can be effective by using these 5 simple steps.

Because I believe in you.

God believes in you.

And we know YOU can make it!

God doesn’t really care how much you know as long as you are focused on
helping the Youth Ministry and as long as you have the desire to grow as an
individual leader.

But guess what…?

Your effectiveness must lead you to BUILDING A

THRIVING YOUTH MINISTRY.

You shouldn’t be just effective one day, two days or two months.

You should be effective all the time!

(God is good, all the time!) 😊

 Why is having a Thriving Youth Ministry
so important?

We can't deny the fact that this ministry is challenging and can be difficult
sometimes.

Dahil sa paglipas ng panahon, nagbabago ang lahat.

Nag-iiba ang buhay ng isang pamilya. Dahil sa pressure, nahihirapang pumili

ang mga kabataan ng kursong tatahakin para sa kanilang kinabukasan. Dahil
sa problema sa pamilya, nadadala sila ng udyok ng mga kabarkada.
Napapariwara.

Napapahamak.

Worse, mas nagiging prone sila sa depression.

Kaya mas kailangan nila ng tulong. Tulong na susugpo sa mas malalim ang
pinag-ugatan.

Today's culture may be changing a lot but there's one

thing that will remain unchanging forever...
the love of Jesus.

And being in this ministry will help us partner with the families, schools and
church to lead more young people to the unconditional, redemptive love of
Jesus.

But existing for the sake of existence will not really help them.

We have to make our ministry – flourishing, growing and

impacting.
Thriving Youth Ministry will help your church stay
relevant today by being a great support group.

Remember when you have problems, and you want to talk to someone who
understands you?

This is where we support and care for each other.

It is always good to have people praying for you and supporting you to be in a
better place than where you are.

Having a great understanding on how to better help the teens will

be a great advantage.

Not just because teens can relate to one another better compared to dealing
with adults or kids but the ministry must become a better place to make them
feel known, important, and loved.

Churches who are not intentional on making their Youth Ministry thrive will
likely become ineffective in this area. Because there’s a great need to be
relatable.

So, in order to do that, they need to create a group that will build a healthier
relationship among young people.

Know this:
We have to give impact to the youth the
way they need it.
Thriving Youth Ministry will be a great place to
train future leaders of the church.

Because the youth of today are the church of tomorrow, agree?

We have this fact therefore, we need to invest more in equipping them.

Habang natututo sila ng:

...salita ng Diyos
...paano mag-worship
...paano magbahagi ng salita ng Diyos,

we are already helping them to become a godly men and women and function
the way God wanted them to be.

We are here to teach them to follow Christ with

all of their life.

But it’s just a matter of time na darating ang panahon na some of our young
people will work and fulfil a career they’ve been dreaming of or maybe some
will get married.

But if we know how to plant a seed of servanthood just like Jesus...

we’ll have the confidence that no matter what happens in their

future, they will choose to serve God.
 When is the Best Time to Build a
Thriving Youth Ministry?

Look, if you’re waiting for the perfect time to build a Thriving Youth Ministry,
it will never come.

There are thousands of stories where an aspiring Youth Leader/Pastor can

start a youth ministry and be successful despite of the odds that are against
him/her.

You must START now and BUILD a

Thriving Youth Ministry that is:

Founded on the biblical principle

of starting a ministry

Has fresh ideas and programs

suitable to any size of church
you are in

Create a Repeatable Thriving

Plan to attract and engage
more young people
 Who can build a Thriving Youth Ministry?

Newly ordained Youth Pastors or newly appointed Youth

Leaders who want to kick-start their own Youth Ministry
but have zero knowledge on how to do it.

Youth Leaders/Youth Pastors of a pioneering church who

want to start a Youth Ministry but they don't have any
training and had no idea at all where to start.

Youth Pastors/Youth Leaders who are already in the ministry

for quite a while but want to have a Thriving Plan in the
next two years.

Pastors who want to train aspiring Youth Leaders that will

support them by educating how to gain confidence on
their leadership.

Aspiring Youth Leaders who want to help their existing

Youth Ministry by having fresh strategies, new ideas and
right resources.

If you are one of these, then you are on the right

track to start this one of a kind ministry!
 Why many churches are stuck?

WARNING: The catch is here.

Fear of implementation is one of the top reasons that unconsciously made

most of the churches get stucked.

You may find these steps easy as 1, 2 3 but you have to ACT.

Maybe like the 80’s where there’s a mixture of quick lessons, pizza time,
worship singing and basketball games, you might say, well alam na namin
lahat ‘yan!

Plus, marami ng online resources and you can just easily download lessons,
get games from apps and then share it…

but still, it’s nothing if you don’t start implementing.

Having an old mindset from five or 10 years ago

will not make you more effective.

Though it is good to have a plan, but you need to be more strategic

nowadays.
Yes, you can be effective in some ways, but the goal is to really be more
strategic to become more effective.

There must be a pursuit of excellence.

Just like what Jesus did. He gave much more excellence through the New
Covenant.

“But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is

as much more excellent than the old as the
covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted
on better promises.” – (Hebrews 8:6 ESV)

Let me tell you this: some of your plans might still work in
the Youth Ministry and they are still important.

Walang masama kung gagamitin pa rin sila.

But there must be something different.

There must be something more strategic.

The method that work in the 80’s, 90’s might not really work in 2019.

Why?
PRESENTING...
Our target audience...

Generation Z
They are those who were born from the mid-1990s to the
early 2000s (1995-2012).

The youngest age is seven and the oldest age is 24 as of this year.

The problem?

1. Mas busy na sila…

It’s hard to keep going when everybody’s too busy.

Because of school works at mga after school jobs, it gives them a lot of
anxiety and pressures.

Dahil sa dami ng ganap sa buhay nila, mas naging busy pa sila sa

panahon ngayon.

2. Mas distracted na sila…

Dahil sa Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, Google … ang daming

messages na pumapasok sa kanilang isipan.

Dahil dun more and more time are being allotted to this internet stuffs and
social media.

Even in fellowships, some can’t stay focused.

Tingin pa rin sila ng tingin sa kanilang mga cellphones.

Because of this, most Youth Leaders and Youth Pastors sometimes feel
disappointed, stressed and burned out in their ministries.

But this shouldn’t be the case.

If there’s a problem, there must be a solution.

Know this:

We are all on a mission to build a Thriving Youth

Ministry not just because of our desire to make our
church look good in numbers but because of our desire
to offer redemptive healing to this broken generation.
 What to
do next?

If you are serious in applying what you have learned

in this E-book and you want me to UNLOCK the
complete solution for the challenges above…

…give you a more detailed step by step

…guide and walk you through the experience and
...show you the tools and strategies I am using, make sure
to click here to know more.

What I’m about to share to you are proven

and tested Youth Ministry strategies from
someone who…

…started a Youth Ministry from scratch

…has no mentors or someone to help out
…got just a handful of students
…had no prior experience in exceptional leadership skill
BUT :

…was able to build a Thriving Youth Ministry in a short period of

time that is:

Founded on the biblical principle of starting a ministry.

…and because of that, I was able to:

Gather and compile fresh ideas and programs suitable to any

size of church you are in based on successful Youth Ministries

Create a Repeatable Thriving Plan to attract and engage more

young people
Learning all these Youth Ministry tips and tricks helped me a lot and I
assure you that it will give you higher chance of thriving in the shortest
possible time.

The Lord is looking for leaders with a true commitment to lead others
through positive influence. Is that you?

Now, are you brave enough to

build a Thriving Youth Ministry in
the next 30 days?
Click here to know more.
To your ministry breakthrough,

Ptr Eunice Garmino

P.S. Can I ask you a favor? Please share my facebook page below to your friends:

https://www.facebook.com/euniceoderonofficial/

https://www.facebook.com/thrivingyouthministry/
 The Author
Ptra Eunice
Eunice Garmino is a passionate leader and pastor. She loves
to write about leadership, and the life-changing Gospel of

Jesus. She’s been an advocate for Youth Ministry since 2012,

and has written several e-Books on the topic. She is the

founder of Thriving Youth Ministry, an online movement that

aims to help youth leaders and youth pastors to build youth

ministries that advance the Gospel, equip young people to

share their faith, and transform people into agents of change.

The Thriving Youth Leaders Movement Facebook Group in the

Philippines is a community that she led to support this vision.

Other Books
Be Strong and Courageous Devotional

This 30-day devotional book will help you with your own
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a discussion in your leadership meetings and mentoring
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30 Days to Start a Thriving Youth

Ministry from Scratch

This book will surely help you in starting a Youth Ministry

kahit magsisimula palang kayo from scratch, or kahit bago ka
palang na-appoint na leader pero di mo alam ang gagawin,
or gusto mo lang ng breakthrough sa ministry ngayong taon
pero you don’t know where to start, all with a common goal –
to thrive. 🌱

You can order via Shopee

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