Q&A with Joivan Jimenez

I was shocked when I first read about the severe drop-off in young men compared to young women, but then I thought more about it and— yeah, that’s right. We are losing young men.

First, we’ve got to give guys opportunities to dig in and open up, to ask questions without fear of being shut down. I think gender-specific small groups should be part of the equation, to help keep focus on what matters. It’s hard to show off and be real at the same time.

Second, I think sometimes male leaders are especially hard on young men because we know what it’s like. We put so much pressure on them not to make mistakes, to walk perfect. And they feel guilty just for being male, for experiencing the temptations that are normal for young men their age. But they need to know God loves them. He is not condemning them. His Spirit can give them power to keep walking, even when their walk is not perfect.

Third, we’ve got to open more doors to ministry. When I was coming up, there was a huge push for young men to pursue a ministry calling. Ministry was exciting! We were called by God to change the world! But to us, “ministry” was “pulpit ministry”—you were only called if you were called to preach in church. But ministry is way beyond the pulpit. Kids can be called into ministry in the arts, in sports, in cooking, in science, whatever. Ministry is still exciting! But we’ve got to open the doors for young men (and young ladies, too) to pursue a higher calling.