Sometimes you see change coming.
Maybe your group has been morphing in size, and it’s about time to do something about whether middle school and high school students will meet together or separately. It could be that the end of the school year is approaching, which means your ministry is about to gain and lose students.
Other times you’re completely caught off guard by change.

Perhaps one or more of your key leaders told you they won’t be serving with you any further. It may be that you received a spontaneous visit from a church leader who told you that all budgets are frozen until further notice – right before you were going to invest into a huge events.
Youth ministry is full of transitions.

If we took our cue from the business world, we’d do our best to only make a transition when we were at our strongest. With the Lord as our leader, we have other alternatives. Even when we are weak, He is strong and able to do far more than we can imagine.
Whether your changes hit you by surprise or are an annual occurrence, how you transition can an example to others.
T – Talk about the change: Identify on your own what happened or will happen with honesty and accuracy. Once you have a grasp of it, consider the maturity level of the students regarding what they can and can’t handle hearing. You may also need to chat with parents and other leaders about this in the same way.
R – Redirect misdirection: It’s common for people to speculate beyond whatever has actually happened, taking slices of what they perceive has occurred and forming new realities about what occurred. Take the time to correct anything in accurate with information.
A – Answer whatever questions you can: You won’t always be able to answer every question, but you will often be able to offer perspective on many questions you’re asked. If something is merely your guess or opinion, let the other person know.
N – Notice how everyone is feeling: Every kid handles change differently – not merely compared to others, but also compared to themselves. Even if they’ve amazingly navigated change in the past, their reaction this round may be surprising.
S – Strengthen the relationships: Students who don’t normally hang out with each other may bond during a crisis. Strengthen these relationships as you can by looking for a natural way to integrate an adult leader into some of these circles to listen and gently guide the group dynamics as needed.
I – Invest into leaders: If you solely attempt to be there for everyone, you will run out of steam. Invest yourself into other leaders to collectively navigate a more successful transition together.
T – Thank God: Your heavenly Father loves you, thinks highly of you, and has provided the resource of His presence in your life. Pausing and enjoying Him reminds you of who He is and what He’s capable of doing as you rely on Him.
I – Introduce options: A significant change may mean new options are available that otherwise wouldn’t have been possible. Invite some of your more mature students, leaders and adults to brainstorm these to recognize these alternatives from a place of intention and not reaction.

O – Open the door: There will come a time to walk into what’s next. Signal this somehow, perhaps with an event, celebration or day of prayer. Letting go of the past isn’t often easy, so give everyone permission to look backward as needed while making sure it doesn’t hinder the journey forward.

N – Name your buddy: Having someone to pray for us or hold us accountable can keep us moving forward. Do your best to “buddy up” students with others who will encourage them.
Whenever you deal with change and transition, it is a process. You will be communicating the purpose behind what changed and why a transition was necessary. People may not be satisfied with your answers, but they will keep coming to you for cues on how the desired outcome can be achieved.

This is a great time to rally everyone around the overarching purposes of your ministry and how God can work good in any situation.