We’ve all done it! Maybe it’s the warm sanctuary, the comfortable pews, or just the lullaby-like tone of the preacher. It might also be that for many, the worship service is the first time all week they’ve been able to just sit down and relax. Several years ago, I was preaching, and a man fell asleep during my talk. I tried my best to keep him awake since he was fighting valiantly, but eventually, I watched as his head slumped to his chest, and for the next 30 minutes, he was lost in dreamland. After worship, I stood by the door as usual to greet people as they headed home. The man walked up, shook my hand, and with tired eyes said, “Thank you, Pastor, that was an excellent message!”

In Acts 20, the Bible tells the story of a young man named Eutychus, who fell asleep while the Apostle Paul was preaching (now I don’t feel so bad). Unfortunately, he fell asleep while sitting on a windowsill three stories above the ground. Imagine the horror in the room when he fell out of the window and plummeted to his death in the middle of the church service. Quickly, the Apostle Paul and all the members rushed down and surrounded him. Miraculously, he came back to life and rejoined the worshiping congregation.

There are at least three youth ministry lessons we can glean from this. First, never fall asleep in church. I am sort of kidding here, but we might want to come to church rested, so we don’t fall out of any “window,” lie to our pastor about his “excellent message,” or, worse yet, miss what God has to say to us through His word. Second, church members need to be aware of the spiritual condition of their young people. The big question in this story is why nobody noticed that the boy, whose name literally means “lucky,” was in such an unlucky position. Often, we church members are so busy doing church that we don’t notice the next generation falling asleep spiritually and drifting away from the body of Christ. Had someone been paying attention to Eutychus, maybe they could have offered him a “seat at the table,” not the windowsill. They might have also offered him spiritual care or godly mentorship.

Where are the youth in your church sitting, literally and spiritually? Are they in the front, listening intently to God’s word being preached, or are they on their cell phones, in the lobby, or sitting near the door, waiting anxiously for the service to end? Thirdly, rather than sitting around mourning the loss of so many young people, we need to actively and redemptively pursue them. Perhaps many of the youth in your church have fallen out of the proverbial “window” and are no longer attending. Like Eutychus, perhaps they are already living lives that are dead “in trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1). If so, don’t be discouraged or paralyzed by a sense of guilt or helplessness!

Notice that Paul immediately sprang into action for the younger generation. He became the first action hero! He didn’t sit around lamenting that there are “no young people in the church anymore.” Instead, taking His cue from Jesus, Paul left the “99” and immediately went after the fallen young man. The Bible says, “And Paul went down and fell on him, and embracing him said, ‘Trouble not yourselves, for his life is in him’” (Acts 20:10). What compassionate efforts are you (not just your church or pastor) making to reclaim those missing youth? Hopefully, you are praying for them, but beyond this, what are you doing? Are you writing them, calling them, visiting them, or attending their key life events? If not, what’s stopping you?

There is a deep hunger in this younger generation for an older generation to love them like Jesus does—with “grace and truth” (notice the order). Do you know their names, birthdates, and current challenges? Do you listen to them, or like the Apostle Paul, do you do all the talking (verse 7)? Do you search for them when they are not at church? When they do attend, do you go out of your way to make them feel welcomed and part of the family of God? This generation doesn’t need expensive programming, a fully salaried youth pastor, fog machines, or vibing music (though they may appreciate these things at times). What they need most is you, your time, your willingness to come close to them, and bless them with your presence and practical care. As in our Bible story, when we do this, young people, in time, come to life again! The solution to retaining and reaching the next generation is not complicated. In fact, it’s quite simple and so exhilarating that it will keep you and me awake as well!