Good communication skills are essential for youth ministry leaders to effectively share purpose, objectives, information, and directions and for making a spiritual impact. Good communication also models necessary skills your youth will need in situations as diverse as asking for a date, delivering reports in school and being interviewed for a job.
Five Secrets of Effective Communication

1. Know your assignment. Effective communication begins with knowing your assignment. You call balls and strikes at a baseball game differently than you lead a small group in Bible study. 
2. Know your audience. Know their ages, their interests, and activities that took place during the week that may have raised questions, challenged them or made them happy.
3. First impressions. Dress appropriately for the situation (don’t show up to do a worship at a school picnic in your best Sabbath outfit). Be on time. Be prepared. Don’t be too nervous!
4. Tell stories. Illustrate your communication with plenty of easy-to-understand stories. Many people learn better from the illustrations than they do from the rest of your presentation.
5. Stick to a time limit.The old wisdom is true: it’s better for people to wish you had said more than for them to wish you had said less.

In his book, Back to the Heart of Youth Work (Victor Books, revised, 1994), Dewey Bertolini suggests ways to communicate a personal touch. Among his suggestions are the following:

Communicating a Personal Touch

1. Greet every young person at every meeting.
2. Phone or send an occasional note just to say hello.
3. Be the first to acknowledge a birthday.
4. Open your home for special events (New Year’s Day, Super Bowls, etc.)
5. Send notes of congratulations and thanks.
6. Answer all mail and return all phone calls.
7. If you have an office which kids frequent, properly arrange it so that it communicates, “welcome.”  

From: ABZ’s of Adventist Youth Ministry
Permission to copy for use in the local congregation or group.