In Springtide’s site visits for our What’s Working project, leaders shared their wisdom and insights from years of experience in youth ministry. Five themes—fun, purpose, inclusivity, integrity, and adaptability—shaped our inquiries during these visits. While these are universal concepts, each manifested differently in both theory and practice, providing a rich landscape of best practices in youth ministry. 

Most assume that to be “inclusive” means to have people from all races, ethnicities, and backgrounds not only at the table, but also valued for what they bring to it. And while that universal definition applies in ministry, there’s another layer of nuance when it comes to working with youth. Insights from the youth ministry leaders we interviewed suggest that to have inclusivity is to first ensure that table is a safe space and then ensure that everyone has a seat.  

Creating an inclusive youth ministry 

Inclusivity can translate into creating a space where a multitude of identities are acknowledged and valued. It was crucial for SD United Co-Leader Marshela Salgado-Solorio to create a group that was a true reflection of their community, so from the outset her and her co-leader emphasized that all were welcome, no matter one’s race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, or ability level. They used all aspects of the program to make this belief overt, weaving it into recruitment materials, their online presence, and their curriculum. 

For other groups, inclusivity means building a space where young people can explore one core identity that may be minoritized in society. Juan Escarfuller, who serves as the director of Instituto Fe y Vida, the organization who leads Engaging Stories, says the week-long retreat provides Latina/o young people space to explore the intersection of their racial, cultural, and faith identities. While centering one identity may appear exclusive, this approach allows young people who may be excluded from society due to their minority status to feel included.  

“Maybe there are teens who identify as LGBTQ, maybe there are teens who identify more with the Black community here in the US because of issues of color,” Juan says. “Maybe there are teens who for whatever reason don’t identify as Brown or don’t identify with the Latino community because again, it could be color, it could be accent, whatever. Maybe there are teens who are immigrants and don’t identify with anything in the US and maybe actually are really having a hard time here and wish they could go back in a heartbeat, but they can’t. [At Engaging Stories] you get to explore what it means for you to be a Latina, Latino, Latinx. You have a space here where you can explore those issues of identity, those issues of belonging, those issues of do I even have something to contribute and a purpose in light of the fact that I don’t necessarily feel like I belong.” 

Building inclusive spaces 

For other leaders, building an inclusive space means offering a place where young people can show up with all their doubts, fears, and questions—one where they can struggle with aspects of their faith. They might even leave for a time, yet these spaces feel safe enough for young people to return, when they’re ready, without fear of judgment. Pastor Eric Barnes of Second Reformed Church recalls how Henri Nouwen’s book, The Return of the Prodigal Son, opened a new approach to youth ministry that he’s since incorporated.  

“But I think that that sense in which God is always welcoming us back wherever we’ve been and whenever we’re ready to return [is powerful and I] have kept that posture,” Eric says. “And so, as kids come, and they’re like, ‘I don’t know if I believe any of this,’ my sense is my arms are still open: keep coming, keep being a part of the community. I don’t need you to have it all figured out. And also, if you need to go for a bit, and that’s fine, you’re always welcome back.” 

Ministries like The Place deliberately hold space for those who have not come back to the church environments of their childhood, providing a safe environment for them to explore and grow their faith. For the creators of The Place, that meant avoiding the use of the word “church” to describe their monthly gatherings.  

“The word ‘church’ sometimes feels so unsafe because we have had church models that were judgy and we had church models that were harmful, church models that [were] abusive,” says Founder and Co-Leader Trevor Beauford. “We have all these things wrapped up in this word ‘church,’ which is completely antithetical to what the Jesus ‘church’ word is, but that’s just who we are. And because it comes with layered language, there are people who will not come to church who will come to The Place … We’re intentional that we are a safe spiritual community, that you really can go in and out as you please.” 

In their work with ministries, Together Lab’s Director of Youth Initiatives Chris Dela Cruz says what most young people are longing for is simply a space to be themselves.  

“[Having an] adult and a [trusted] space just allows folks to drop the veneer,” Chris says.  “That’s when young people most feel like, ‘I can be more in my own skin’ … Many of us spend a lifetime trying to grow into that and the power that we can have just by creating just a little more space for young people to be comfortable into their own skin and to feel like that they belong here—which we believe that they do—then there’s some power in that.”