29 May, 2026 Surprising outcomes from national youth outreach survey
Where Christian youth ministry in NZ has declined
– there are FOUR practices church and youth leaders could engage in and support that could change this.
Read more now!
A national youth outreach survey was undertaken by the Shining Lights Trust on behalf of a national youth leaders round table (unity and discussion group).
Those involved included 15 denominational youth reps and 10 national youth outreach organisation leaders.
As a context, NZ Christian youth ministry is attending at about one quarter of what it was 25 years ago.
- Below is a summary of findings
- At the bottom are links to the printed report (full and summary), and a videoed presentation of findings (full and summary)
1. Youth numbers – and who is and isn’t equipped
We have about 24,000 year 9-13 youth in New Zealand’s 1,200 youth groups. But there is a problem. Here is how we could fix it together.
- 73% of youth groups discuss outreach
- 23% of youth groups equip for outreach
- 15% equip 3 or more times out of their 52 weeks annually
- 3,600 youth are equipped to reach 324,000 youth in 544 High Schools
While there are 471,000 youth of intermediate and high school age, only 324,000 are high school age. With only 23% of youth groups equipping for outreach, 8% do this 1 or 2 weeks of the year – which data showed to make little difference.
With just 15% of youth groups equipping 3 or more weeks per year, that leaves 3,600 NZ youth equipped to reach their 324,000 peers in 544 High Schools. This is clearly deficient.
However, this 15% have an 88% correlation to school groups. This is to say, if youth are equipped they’ll begin to BELIEVE they can make a difference, and will then ATTEMPT new things!
The solution is clear. We need 100% of youth groups (not just 15%) equipping their youth for conversational outreach every year. We could achieve this together. The results might be surprising.
2. Youth who unite to find their voice in their schools
To reach youth we need to go where the youth are – which is at school. But there is a problem. Here is how we could fix it together.
- 544 high schools nationally
- 17% with an active Christian group
- 22% of those groups include outreach as a intentional goal
- 49% of youth leaders aware of a local school group.
If only 17% of our 544 high schools have an active Christian group, that means 4 out 5 do not. That’s a problem.
Furthermore, with only 22% of the groups that exist have programming for outreach as a goal. So, if there are 120 school groups (we found 92), only 25 of these are actively trying to cataylse wider spiritual conversation and interest. This isn’t good also.
Positively, there was an 88% correlation between regular outreach equipping (15% of youth groups, 3+ times annually) and school groups. So if all youth leaders will equip for outreach, that will already make a difference.
Positively also, 49% of youth leaders were aware of a group – probably because they were the reason it exists. (Leaders who equip youth for outreach will naturally cast vision for and support their youth in running school groups.)
The solution is clear. We united in a vision of young people being intentionally encouraged (vision) and helped (support) to UNITE in every high school, gathering weekly, to PRAY together about what they might DO to catalyse spiritual interest and conversation. This is achievable!
3. Youth leaders who united to serve the youth of their city or town
When youth leaders regularly meet in a city or town, it makes a measurable difference. Where they do not, few wider outreach events occur – and most youth remain entirely unreached. So we have a problem – but also a solution!
- 48% of youth leaders connect with other youth leaders locally
- 42% of these meet 6 times or more per year
- 200% These leaders have twice the connection to school groups
- 200% These leaders run twice the number of larger events together
While 48% of youth leaders say they meet with other youth leaders locally, for many this is actually just meeting a friend once or twice for coffee. There is no vision or intentionality. The data showed only 20% meeting six or more times annually – and this had a measurable effect. They were twice as connected to school groups, and have twice the number of combined events.
The process is easy to understand. Meeting in a PRIVATE LOCATION, their hearts UNITE to PRAY. As they do this they see all the youth they aren’t reaching. Seeing their combined capacity, they begin to believe they could make a difference. They therefore plan to DO something about it – catalysing school groups, running more large events – and hopefully also equipping their youth.
The logical goal is that youth leaders in every city and town with a high school to UNITE at least two times per school term to PRAY about what they might be able to DO together. The results would speak for themselves.
4. Combined youth events – multiplying connections
When youth leaders unite regularly behind a vision in and for their city or town, it makes a difference. Here is the data.
- 85% of youth groups connect with a combined event annually
- 16% of these events are focused on outreach
- 33% of youth groups connect to one combined outreach event annually
- 200% Youth leaders who unite regularly have twice as many combined events
While 85% are connected to combined events, only 16% of those events are focused on outreach. This is immediately concerning and needs discussing, so it is changed.
With 33% (one third) of groups connected to one combined / larger outreach event annually – we therefore have a staggering two-thirds are not. This needs changing.
However, youth leaders who met 6+ times annually (2x per school year is a good pattern) were twice as connected to school groups, and had twice the number of united events. There is a pattern here.
A logical goal follows. What if youth leaders were regularly united in every city and town with a high school, with a vison of running at least four united events annually, at least half of which had a gospel focus? The results would likely speak for themselves.
Conclusions
Application points are clear.
The momentum and scope of NZ Christian youth ministry might be entirely turned around were our churches to do the following four things:
- Equip all youth (3+ times) annually to engage spiritual conversations with their peers – so ‘mission impossible’ begins to become ‘mission possible’ for them (Gospel skills – conversational skills – storytelling skills – invitation)
- Encourage and support youth unity in schools – to help youth find their voice
- Unite youth leaders in each city and town (2x per school term) – to catalyse increased vision and sight
- Unite to establish a habit (4x annually minimum) of united outreach events – to increase the total connection.
To read the report: