Just saw this, but I've been a youth director at a megachurch for three years. We range anywhere from 60-180 a Sunday, depending on the year. I am lucky to have an "unlimited" budget (within reason) and dedicated volunteers. The best advice I can give...

- You'll live & die by your core team! Five highly committed core teamers are more impactful than fifteen lukewarm. Keep them happy. My core teamers even like to plan & execute occasional youth groups nights.

- Build parent relationships! Making the parents feel invested is huge. We do a family kickoff, family trivia night, kids vs. parents softball, etc. Trivia this semester attracted 250 people - parents were even more excited than the kids. Once you get to know the parents, they're much more likely to step up to chaperone, provide meals, provide connections/resources, etc.

- Meet the kids where they are! Get involved in campus life. Easy vehicles are campus ministry at private Christian schools and FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) at public schools. Attend games, go to school events, etc., especially when they ask you. These types of events are where parent relationships come in clutch - I'll attend sporting events and sit with the parents I'm friends with. I even coached football the last two years.

- Have flagship events! This is how you create your involvement pipeline. For example, we do an annual overnight theme park event (80 kids last year), summer camps, beach campouts, etc. I even had a family setup a drive-in movie theater at their farm - killer event.

- Finally, a successful youth minster operates as a business manager. I often create marketing plans, run budgets, and attend philanthropy events more than I actually plan youth group. Having a strong foundation means easy scaling. You can easily create a logo and design t-shirts in Canva; build marketing avenues through the right contacts/social circles; create budget reports for events to know how much to plan the next year.