Stuck at 10–25? Here's What to Do Now

Ellen Hembree • January 20, 2026

Why So Many Youth Ministries Stall at 10–25 Students (and How to Move Forward)

Many youth ministries don’t fail — they stall. And most often, that stall happens when a youth group reaches somewhere between 10 and 25 students.

It’s a deceptively comfortable season. You’ve reached critical mass. You’re no longer wondering if anyone will show up. You can reuse lessons. You know every student’s name. In many ways, it feels like success. But for many ministries, this becomes the ceiling — not because God placed it there, but because leaders unintentionally did. In this episode, Ryne and Keith unpack why youth ministries get stuck in this range and what leaders can do to steward this season well so growth — both spiritual and numerical — can happen.

First: Don’t Take This Season Personally

Let’s get this out of the way first: The size of your youth ministry is not a measure of your faithfulness.

Jesus discipled twelve — and He chose teenagers. If small numbers meant failure, Jesus Himself would’ve missed the mark.

So don’t get discouraged. Don’t carry unnecessary guilt. But also don’t ignore the reality that decisions do matter, and leadership choices can either prepare a ministry for growth or quietly stall it.

Why Youth Ministries Get Stuck at 10–25 Students

1. Treating Limitations as Ceilings

Many leaders confuse current limitations with God-ordained boundaries.

“We don’t have enough space.”
“We don’t have the staff.”
“Our church is small.”
“Our budget can’t handle growth.”

Those may be real challenges — but they are not commands from God. There’s a popular idea that youth ministries should be about 10% of church attendance. While that can be a helpful benchmark, it becomes dangerous when it’s treated as a hard limit. History — and plenty of real ministries — show that youth groups can grow far beyond those ratios. Limitations should shape strategy, not kill vision.

2. Seeing Youth Ministry as Only for “Church Kids”

In smaller churches especially, youth ministry can drift into a passive mindset: “We’re just gathering the teens who already attend.”

But youth ministry is not just about gathering — it’s about reaching the lost and making disciples. One of the most freeing mindset shifts is learning to go with the goers. You can’t disciple students who don’t want to be discipled. Focus on the students who show up, and empower them to reach others.

3. Letting Student Opinions Control Direction

Student feedback has value — but student control kills growth. In a group of 10–25, one or two students can disproportionately influence culture. Leaders can fall into the trap of asking:

“What do you guys want to do?”
“What would make this better for you?”

But teenagers don’t always know what they need. Henry Ford famously said, “If I asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.”

Seek counsel — especially from mature students — but remember: leaders are called to lead.

Why This Season Matters So Much

The 10–25 range is powerful because:

You still have deep access to every student.
You can personally invest in future leaders.
You can build systems before chaos arrives.

This is a training season, not a maintenance season. Jesus had the crowds — but He invested deeply in a few, especially the younger ones who would carry the mission forward. In the same way, leaders should especially invest in middle school students, who will shape the future of the ministry for years to come.

Key Mindset Shifts That Unlock Growth

1. Prepare for a Time When You Are Not the Center

In small groups, students often come because of the youth pastor.
In healthy, growing ministries, students come because of the community.

Your goal in this season is to prepare for a future where you are no longer the central hub — which means developing leaders, empowering students, and building structures that don’t depend on you doing everything.

2. Stop Running a “Boutique” Youth Ministry

When numbers are small, it’s tempting to customize everything for everyone:

Extra meetings
Personalized exceptions
Constant bending to keep one student or family happy

But what feels caring in the moment often becomes unsustainable — and painful — later.

Growth requires clarity.
Clarity requires saying no — not because ideas are bad, but because focus matters.

3. Focus on People, Not Programs

Programs don’t create growth — people do.

Better games, nicer rooms, and more offerings may attract attention, but they don’t produce disciples. What you win students with is often what you win them to.

Invest in:

Prayer
Training
Leadership development
Student ownership (not control)

God brings increase through people, not polish.

4. Use Your Flexibility While You Have It

Right now, you can pivot quickly.
If something isn’t working, you can change it tomorrow — not next year.

Don’t waste that flexibility by drifting aimlessly. Use it intentionally, while it’s still easy.

5. Replicate Yourself and Delegate Early

This is the season to:

Recruit the right volunteers
Cast vision, not desperation
Clarify roles so everyone is truly needed

People don’t join ministries to fill slots — they join movements they believe in.

When vision is clear, leaders step forward.

6. Don’t Chase Attendance Highs

Big events are exciting — but they are not the same as growth.

A one-night spike means nothing if there’s no follow-up, care, or discipleship afterward. Sustainable growth comes from faithfulness, not sugar highs.

Be faithful with the few — God handles the increase.