7 Proven Ways To Increase Student Buy-In for Your Youth Group Events
As youth pastors, we want our students to like our youth group and what we do for our ministry—because if
In youth ministry, we use the phrase “follow Jesus” all the time. But if you asked your students, “What does that actually mean?” how would they answer? You’d probably hear things like, “It means believing in God,” or “It means going to church,” or even, “It means being a good person.” While none of those responses are completely off base, they also don’t reflect the full picture of what Jesus calls us to. Jesus didn’t say, “Admire me from a distance.” He said, “Follow me.” And following Jesus isn’t just about belief—it’s about surrender, transformation, and a willingness to walk wherever He leads. So there’s perhaps nothing more important for us to do as youth leaders than to teach teenagers to follow Jesus.
Let’s talk about how.
If you grew up in church, it’s important to pause here and appreciate what it meant to you and your friends to “follow Jesus” back in the day. I’m sure that, as an adult now, you look back and see some obvious cracks in the armor of your adolescent walk, but there are also probably some flaws you still don’t see even to this day.
That’s because none of us has this following Jesus thing completely figured out. Some of us are phenomenal at reading the Bible, but awful at connecting with God through worship. We can share our faith with a stranger, but have trouble living it out toward an estranged relative. Theology is fun for us, but sacrificial generosity is not. I don’t highlight these flaws to shame you. I just think before we talk about how to teach teenagers to follow Jesus, we come to appreciate that some students are going to have particular strengths and weaknesses in their Christianity no matter what we teach them. It was true of us back in middle and high school. It’s true of us now. Surely, it’ll be true of our students.
So with that chipper little aside as a backdrop, let’s dive into it.
A lot of students believe in Jesus in the same way they believe in gravity: it exists, but it doesn’t really shape their everyday decisions. They might identify as Christians or say they believe in God, but they don’t see that belief changing how they treat people, how they make choices, or how they face challenges. Jesus made it clear in Luke 9:23 that following Him involves denying yourself and taking up your cross daily. It’s not just about knowing the gospel—it’s about submitting your whole life to it.
To help students connect those dots, talk through what real surrender looks like. Use examples that contrast believing something with actually living it out. Invite them to reflect on whether their faith is something they’re simply claiming—or something they’re allowing to shape every area of their life. The goal isn’t to make them feel inadequate, but to show them the freedom and purpose that come from fully following Jesus.
Teenagers are busy. Between school, friends, sports, jobs, and social media, their lives are packed—and often, Jesus ends up just being one more thing on a long list. But following Jesus isn’t about squeezing Him into our schedules when it’s convenient. It’s about making Him the foundation that everything else rests on.
Start by helping students evaluate what really drives their decisions. What are they prioritizing with their time and energy? From there, talk about what it looks like to build a life that’s centered on Jesus. That doesn’t mean quitting their teams or stepping away from responsibilities—it means learning how to bring Jesus into every one of those spaces. Help them understand that faith isn’t an event or a task—it’s the framework through which they live and move and make choices.
It’s one thing to say you’re a follower of Jesus. It’s another to actually live like one. Following Jesus shows up in the small, quiet decisions—choosing kindness when it’s hard, forgiving when it’s painful, serving when it’s inconvenient, and standing firm in truth when it would be easier to blend in. Jesus didn’t call His followers to stay comfortable. He called them to go, to love, to serve, and to trust Him with everything.
That kind of faith takes courage. It’s not about having all the answers—it’s about being willing to take the next faithful step. Help your students see that following Jesus isn’t about arriving at perfection. It’s about pursuing Him, day by day, even when it’s messy. Invite them to take a tangible step—something small but meaningful—that moves them from hearing about Jesus to actually walking with Him.
Following Jesus isn’t about checking the right boxes or showing up to youth group. It’s about a whole-life surrender to a Savior who’s already given everything for them. When students understand that faith is more than belief—that it’s something active, transformative, and deeply personal—they start to see discipleship for what it really is: a lifelong journey worth committing to.
Related Posts:
How to Teach Teenagers About Identity in Christ
How to Teach Teenagers About The Power of Small, Daily Faithfulness
Check out Roadmap – A sermon series on what it really means to follow Jesus.
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