The Pit of Performance Based Student Ministry

by Steve Spence

I’ve fallen into the pit of performance-based youth ministry more times than I’d like to admit. You know the one—the deep hole where the health of your ministry feels tied to how well you preached, how many students showed up, or how loud the laughter was at the event you spent weeks planning. It’s that silent belief that if I perform well, the ministry will flourish. And if I don’t, everything falls apart.

It’s a dangerous pit—one that smells a lot like success but is filled with pride.

I can remember seasons where I gauged the effectiveness of our student ministry by the energy in the room. If students were engaged, laughing, and responding, I walked away feeling confident. But when the night felt flat, I’d drive home replaying every line of my talk, wondering where I’d lost them. My worth as a pastor was being measured by applause, not obedience. My joy was tethered to performance, not presence.

Here’s the truth I had to learn the hard way: when the spotlight is on me, it can’t be on Jesus.

Dr. Richard Ross, in his powerful book Student Ministry and the Supremacy of Christ, reminds us that when students aim their lives toward Jesus, He becomes the star of the show. That one statement wrecked me. I realized I’d subtly made ministry about what I could do for Jesus instead of who I was becoming in Jesus. I was performing for Him rather than pointing to Him.

Performance-based ministry starts small. It begins with a sincere desire to do things well—because excellence matters. But it slowly morphs into an obsession with outcomes. We start checking attendance instead of checking hearts. We start crafting moments that “wow” instead of cultivating moments that “worship.” And before long, we’re exhausted, because keeping the spotlight on ourselves takes endless energy.

The worst part? When we perform as the lead discipler, we unintentionally prop ourselves up as the only one capable of discipling students. That’s not ministry—that’s dependency. We teach students to look to us for spiritual growth instead of Jesus. And when we do that, we stunt the very discipleship we’re trying to foster.

The seed of this mentality is pride. It whispers, “If you don’t do it, it won’t get done right.” It tells us the ministry needs our voice, our charisma, our leadership to thrive. Pride hides itself under the mask of “excellence” but feeds on insecurity.

The reality is, performance-based ministry can look really successful from the outside. It can even draw crowds. But crowds aren’t the same as disciples. Jesus had both, but He never confused the two. The crowd was loud, but the disciples were loyal. The crowd wanted a show; the disciples wanted a Savior.

When we make ministry about our performance, we start to crave the crowd more than the presence of Christ.

The shift for me came when I stopped asking, “How did I do?” and started asking, “Did I point them to Jesus?” It’s a simple question that re-centers everything. Because at the end of the day, the goal of youth ministry isn’t to make people remember us—it’s to make them remember Him.

I’ve learned that freedom in ministry comes when you stop performing and start abiding. Jesus said, “I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me”(John 15:5, CSB). Abiding doesn’t require performance—it requires surrender.

So if you’re reading this and you feel that pressure to perform—take a deep breath. Step out of the spotlight. The ministry doesn’t rise and fall on your shoulders. It rests securely in the hands of Jesus.

You are not the main event. He is.

Maybe today is a good day to repent of pride and step back into humility. To remind yourself that your calling is not to perform but to point. To teach your students, volunteers, and parents not to follow you, but to follow Him.

When Jesus is the focus, freedom follows. The burden lifts. The joy returns. And the ministry begins to look less like a stage and more like a movement.

Don’t let pride build a pit you have to climb out of later. Step into the light—the kind that shines on Jesus alone.

That’s where the real fruit grows.

If this message hit home and you’re wrestling with what it means to lead from a place of authenticity and surrender, I’d love to walk alongside you. Click the link below to schedule a one-on-one coaching session through Fresh Calling. Together, we’ll rediscover the joy of ministry that points fully to Jesus—and lead from a place of freedom, not performance.