In a digital age where teenagers are constantly bombarded with information, one vital element often gets lost in the noise: biblical literacy. Elisha Garcia, a veteran youth pastor with 20 years of experience, recently shared powerful insights on increasing biblical literacy in youth ministry on the Vitals for Youth Ministry podcast.

The foundation of Garcia's approach is surprisingly simple yet profoundly effective: quantity matters. "I want to do as much biblical teaching and exposure to scriptures as possible," Garcia explains. About two years ago, his youth ministry team began intentionally increasing the presence of scripture in every aspect of their programming. This shift didn't happen by accident but through deliberate leadership decisions that started from the top down.

One transformative practice Garcia implemented was having students physically stand during the reading of scripture. This small change in posture creates a significant shift in focus and reverence. "When you change their physical posture, it allows them to kind of focus," Garcia notes. "The other thing that it does is it teaches reverence for the word of God." In our digital world, where the Bible is just another app on our phones, this practice helps restore the sacred nature of engaging with God's word.

Perhaps the most radical shift in Garcia's ministry was moving away from exclusively topical preaching to incorporate more expository teaching. Rather than finding scriptures to support predetermined points, his team began letting scripture itself guide their teaching. "We've gotten aggressive with going, 'OK, this is the text... Let's take entire chapters or paragraphs and let the points come from that,' rather than shoehorning scripture in," Garcia explains. This approach resulted in a series called "Five Chapters," where they preached through the book of James verse-by-verse over seven weeks.

The transformation extended beyond large group gatherings into small groups as well. Garcia's ministry redesigned their small group curriculum to focus on reading through entire books of the Bible over a semester. Rather than expecting leaders to be biblical scholars, they equipped them with resources, including pre-recorded discussions between leaders about the passage and guided questions to facilitate conversation. The goal shifted from leaders teaching content to facilitating discovery through discussion, with a 70-30 principle: 70% conversation among students, 30% leader guidance.

One particularly innovative practice Garcia shared was teaching students to pray scripture. "The most powerful prayers are not even necessarily our words. They're God's word through us, back to him," Garcia explains. By modeling how to pray through scripture line by line, leaders show students a powerful way to engage with the Bible beyond just reading. This practice addresses a common struggle among teenagers who often don't know what to say when praying.

Garcia's personal transformation began with joining a Bible reading community with other ministry leaders. The daily discipline of reading scripture and discussing insights with peers rekindled his love for God's word, which then influenced his entire ministry. "As a leader goes, so goes the organization," Garcia reflects. "If the leader isn't in love with scripture, with Bible, it's never going to happen in his students."

Importantly, Garcia emphasizes that increasing biblical literacy doesn't mean abandoning creativity or attractional elements. His ministry still hosts large-scale events with DJs and creative elements, but they ensure these experiences are grounded in biblical truth. "I don't think that you have to sacrifice the creativity, the fun or the attractive," Garcia states, "but if that is the only substance that you're giving people once you get them in the door, it's a flash in the pan."

The key takeaway for youth pastors? Start with the basics: prayer and scripture. These fundamental elements, when consistently prioritized, create a foundation for spiritual growth that lasts well beyond the high school years. By implementing simple yet intentional practices like standing during scripture reading, studying books of the Bible together, and teaching students to pray scripture, youth ministries can make significant strides in biblical literacy among today's teenagers.