Especially for a junior high or high school student, affirmation is vitally important. They live in a world where their every move is criticized, they’re constantly in fear of being judged and negativity reigns. Without pushing back against the negative, students may feel that they aren’t good enough or they don’t live up to people’s standards.

In student ministry, we should be making sure that our students are affirmed way more than they’re criticized. Encouragement is key, and it’s something we can do in little ways all over the place. A simple “That was a great thought!” or “You’re great at that!” goes a long way toward building a student up.

One way we’re being really intentional about affirming our students is taking a whole small group meeting time and doing affirmations. It will be our last “official” time together, so what better way to end the last two years. The week before, we’ll tell all the guys to be thinking about 2 things to affirm each guy in the group. The last week, we’ll just go around in a circle spending time building each other up and reflecting on how everyone has grown in the last 2 years. It’s a small thing that can have a great impact toward encouraging and building up students.

Question: What do you do to make sure your students are affirmed? Let us know here.