Why I Still Believe in the Lock-In
“If staying up all night with games and junk food is what compels a teenager, then that is what we’ll continue to do.”
The lock-in. A staple
of youth ministries everywhere. This relatively simple concept relies
on sugar highs, carb overloads, crazy games and general sleep
deprivation to reach students for Christ—or so they say. But is pulling
an all-nighter really an effective tool for the Gospel?
Recently, some youth leaders have (rightfully) questioned the effectiveness, and even the safety and wisdom, of lock-ins. So often we fall into routines in ministry that we fail to stop and ask if what we’re doing is still relevant, so I commend these leaders for stepping back and looking for ways to improve their ministries.
However, as the former director of an event called Reverb, which is basically the most fun and extreme lock-in you’ve ever experienced, I would argue that the lock-in is not dead. In fact, it’s one of the most effective and strategic tools for evangelism that we’ve seen.
At Reverb, we partner with sports teams in cities across the United States to create absolutely unforgettable events for youth groups. Students begin the night at a sports game, and then have the opportunity to stay out all night at a variety of different venues offering games, food and a clear Gospel presentation. Sponsored by Word of Life, a nondenominational ministry, Reverb is also a way to take the work off youth leaders and allow them to focus on what matters most: the spiritual health of their students.
And guess what? It works.
Each year, we see thousands of students pack these events, have the time of their lives and come to Christ. We see churches come together to reach youth for Christ, and watch ministries flourish and grow.
So before you close your doors, cancel your Domino’s order and hit the sack before midnight, here are three reasons why I believe lock-ins still work:
1) They create an environment for students to hear the Gospel.
Some arguments against lock-ins focus on the fact that they do not directly grow the Kingdom. Sure, junk food and staying up all night is a ton of fun (at least for those of us under 30), but does that really result in life change? Do students know Christ better or begin a relationship with him over pizza and cheesy games?
I would argue that the Kingdom growth you see depends entirely on the goal and format of your lock-in. At Reverb, we do use the appeal of an all-night event, food and crazy, fun games to draw students to the event, but that is all those things are: a draw. They give students a reason to show up and let their guard down, so that we can then step in and do what we’re called to do, which is share the Gospel. Reverb events have a very intentional, focused Gospel presentation and invitation, and we have seen more than 100,000 students come to know Christ because of these events.
There’s nothing wrong with doing events for the sake of having fun. But if you want to see Kingdom growth from your event, you have to make that an incredibly purposeful and clear part of your program, with a direct call to respond.
2) There is a measureable return on investment.
Lock-ins require a lot of time, energy, effort, money and resources. The planning, the manpower, the personal cost of staying up all night and the hard costs of food and activities can certainly add up. But I would argue that anything worthwhile takes work and resources—and it’s only expensive if it doesn’t work.
When thousands of students are coming to Christ, we believe it’s well worth the time and energy to create a great event that students will attend. If you have a small ministry or your leaders are stretched thin, an event like Reverb is a fantastic resource to take some of the work off the leaders. We do all of the groundwork, from booking the venues, buying the tickets, ordering the pizza, planning the games, scheduling the speaker and raising money to provide scholarships for unchurched students. All the youth leaders have to do is get their kids to the event, and they can focus on ministering to them while they are there instead of running logistics.
Be good stewards of your money and people, but do not let the work stop the spread of the Gospel if you are seeing a return on your investment.
3) They create opportunities for students to share their faith and create a missional culture in your group.
Some lock-in defectors argue that lock-ins send the wrong message about church and ministry, selling it as a crazy, over-the-top experience that is all about fun and not about growth. If that’s the only message you’re sending, this can certainly be the case. However, I believe exciting events are a chance for you to instill a heart for evangelism in your core students and create a missional culture for your youth group.
Instead of just telling your group about how much fun they will have, also explain to them that this is an opportunity for unsaved students to experience the Gospel in a safe, non-threatening environment. Encourage them to invite their friends. Bring them into the vision and mission of your group, explain why you do what you do, and use these events not just for evangelism, but as way to disciple the Christian students in your group. So often, we think we have to lure in students with flashy offerings, when really, we need to invite them into a mission.
Sure, chugging Mountain Dew and staying up all night is not the healthiest thing for anyone, and yes, keeping hormonal teenagers up all night in close quarters requires dedicated supervision and strategic planning to make sure your lock-in doesn’t take an unintended turn. But as followers of Christ and leaders, are we not called to make sacrifices, take risks and put in the hard work required to reach people for Christ?
There is absolutely wisdom in questioning whether your outreach methods and ministry activities are relevant, effective and a good use of resources. If you haven’t seen growth from your programs, I challenge you to step back and think strategically about your lock-in or event. Are you using it as a way to seem cool to boost your numbers, or are you using it to create a safe place for students to hear about Christ? Is it about keeping kids busy and filling time or intentionally sharing the Gospel?
Jesus told us, via a parable in Luke 14:23, to “go out into the highways and along the hedges, and compel them to come in.” If staying up all night with games and junk food is what compels a teenager, then that is what we’ll continue to do.
Recently, some youth leaders have (rightfully) questioned the effectiveness, and even the safety and wisdom, of lock-ins. So often we fall into routines in ministry that we fail to stop and ask if what we’re doing is still relevant, so I commend these leaders for stepping back and looking for ways to improve their ministries.
However, as the former director of an event called Reverb, which is basically the most fun and extreme lock-in you’ve ever experienced, I would argue that the lock-in is not dead. In fact, it’s one of the most effective and strategic tools for evangelism that we’ve seen.
At Reverb, we partner with sports teams in cities across the United States to create absolutely unforgettable events for youth groups. Students begin the night at a sports game, and then have the opportunity to stay out all night at a variety of different venues offering games, food and a clear Gospel presentation. Sponsored by Word of Life, a nondenominational ministry, Reverb is also a way to take the work off youth leaders and allow them to focus on what matters most: the spiritual health of their students.
And guess what? It works.
Each year, we see thousands of students pack these events, have the time of their lives and come to Christ. We see churches come together to reach youth for Christ, and watch ministries flourish and grow.
So before you close your doors, cancel your Domino’s order and hit the sack before midnight, here are three reasons why I believe lock-ins still work:
1) They create an environment for students to hear the Gospel.
Some arguments against lock-ins focus on the fact that they do not directly grow the Kingdom. Sure, junk food and staying up all night is a ton of fun (at least for those of us under 30), but does that really result in life change? Do students know Christ better or begin a relationship with him over pizza and cheesy games?
I would argue that the Kingdom growth you see depends entirely on the goal and format of your lock-in. At Reverb, we do use the appeal of an all-night event, food and crazy, fun games to draw students to the event, but that is all those things are: a draw. They give students a reason to show up and let their guard down, so that we can then step in and do what we’re called to do, which is share the Gospel. Reverb events have a very intentional, focused Gospel presentation and invitation, and we have seen more than 100,000 students come to know Christ because of these events.
There’s nothing wrong with doing events for the sake of having fun. But if you want to see Kingdom growth from your event, you have to make that an incredibly purposeful and clear part of your program, with a direct call to respond.
2) There is a measureable return on investment.
Lock-ins require a lot of time, energy, effort, money and resources. The planning, the manpower, the personal cost of staying up all night and the hard costs of food and activities can certainly add up. But I would argue that anything worthwhile takes work and resources—and it’s only expensive if it doesn’t work.
When thousands of students are coming to Christ, we believe it’s well worth the time and energy to create a great event that students will attend. If you have a small ministry or your leaders are stretched thin, an event like Reverb is a fantastic resource to take some of the work off the leaders. We do all of the groundwork, from booking the venues, buying the tickets, ordering the pizza, planning the games, scheduling the speaker and raising money to provide scholarships for unchurched students. All the youth leaders have to do is get their kids to the event, and they can focus on ministering to them while they are there instead of running logistics.
Be good stewards of your money and people, but do not let the work stop the spread of the Gospel if you are seeing a return on your investment.
3) They create opportunities for students to share their faith and create a missional culture in your group.
Some lock-in defectors argue that lock-ins send the wrong message about church and ministry, selling it as a crazy, over-the-top experience that is all about fun and not about growth. If that’s the only message you’re sending, this can certainly be the case. However, I believe exciting events are a chance for you to instill a heart for evangelism in your core students and create a missional culture for your youth group.
Instead of just telling your group about how much fun they will have, also explain to them that this is an opportunity for unsaved students to experience the Gospel in a safe, non-threatening environment. Encourage them to invite their friends. Bring them into the vision and mission of your group, explain why you do what you do, and use these events not just for evangelism, but as way to disciple the Christian students in your group. So often, we think we have to lure in students with flashy offerings, when really, we need to invite them into a mission.
Sure, chugging Mountain Dew and staying up all night is not the healthiest thing for anyone, and yes, keeping hormonal teenagers up all night in close quarters requires dedicated supervision and strategic planning to make sure your lock-in doesn’t take an unintended turn. But as followers of Christ and leaders, are we not called to make sacrifices, take risks and put in the hard work required to reach people for Christ?
There is absolutely wisdom in questioning whether your outreach methods and ministry activities are relevant, effective and a good use of resources. If you haven’t seen growth from your programs, I challenge you to step back and think strategically about your lock-in or event. Are you using it as a way to seem cool to boost your numbers, or are you using it to create a safe place for students to hear about Christ? Is it about keeping kids busy and filling time or intentionally sharing the Gospel?
Jesus told us, via a parable in Luke 14:23, to “go out into the highways and along the hedges, and compel them to come in.” If staying up all night with games and junk food is what compels a teenager, then that is what we’ll continue to do.
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