Youth ministry often leaves us questioning our metrics of success. Are we focused on the right things? Are we measuring what truly matters? These questions plague both new and veteran youth pastors alike, as Andy Lynn, NextGen Director for New Jersey in the Assemblies of God, outlines in our recent podcast conversation.

After 18 years in ministry, with 11 years dedicated specifically to youth ministry, Andy has learned that our measurement systems often dictate our ministry priorities—sometimes with problematic results. "Be really careful what you measure," Andy warns, "because whatever you measure will become important." This simple but profound insight reveals why many youth pastors find themselves trapped in unhealthy cycles of pursuing attendance numbers rather than focusing on discipleship.

The conversation centers around the concept of "leading" versus "lagging" indicators in youth ministry. Leading indicators are the inputs within your control that will eventually produce the desired outcomes (lagging indicators). For example, if your goal is spiritual growth in students, your leading indicators might include consistent Bible teaching, intentional prayer, leadership development, and fostering biblical community. The lagging indicators—attendance growth, salvations, baptisms—come as a result of faithfully pursuing those leading indicators.

Andy shares a powerful story from his early ministry years that shaped his approach. When faced with conflicting parent feedback about his youth program being "too deep" for some and "not deep enough" for others, his senior pastor took him to the church finance office. There, they discovered that the families who were meaningfully engaged in church (as evidenced by their financial participation) offered constructive feedback based on kingdom principles, while others typically complained based on preference and entertainment factors. This taught Andy to weigh feedback differently based on the source's level of engagement.

For youth pastors struggling to shift their ministry paradigm, Andy recommends creating simple daily and weekly checklists focused on leading indicators. These might include praying for students by name, calling parents, preparing for leader development, and devotional study—tasks directly within the youth pastor's control. "If you do these things," Andy explains, "you have won this day in youth ministry." The beauty of this approach is that it works regardless of context—whether you're full-time, bi-vocational, or a volunteer, in a large church or small.

Perhaps most encouragingly, Andy notes that he's "never seen it not work" when youth pastors commit to this approach. By measuring obedience to biblical principles rather than outcomes beyond our control, we position ourselves to experience God's faithfulness. "If we're obedient and faithful," Andy concludes, "our God is faithful and He is miraculous and powerful to move mightily in our midst."

This paradigm shift doesn't mean abandoning attendance tracking altogether. Andy still measures attendance and missions involvement but doesn't lead with those metrics. Understanding seasonal fluctuations in youth attendance helps set realistic expectations without creating unhealthy pressure. In his context, the period after Easter through mid-June typically sees lower attendance, which would be demoralizing if attendance were his primary success metric.

For youth pastors feeling overwhelmed by comparison to larger ministries on social media, this framework offers tremendous freedom. Your youth ministry shouldn't look like anyone else's—and that's by design. God has uniquely positioned you in your specific context to shepherd the students He's entrusted to your care. By focusing on biblical leading indicators rather than attendance-based lagging indicators, you can embrace your unique ministry context with confidence and clarity.