Issues in Youth Ministry

Here are some of my thoughts of issues in Youth Ministry that needs to change:

1. The role of the youth pastor. He is no longer a buddy buddy to students - let him equip students and families.

2. The role of Family. Family is HUGE!! Get their involvement.

3. The role of God. Sure God is said to be central but let's focus on the triune roles of God.

4. Exposing the lies. Let's give Hope to our Students - none of this Battle cries or all students are abandoning the faith.

5. Pride. Don't depend on the youth worker or the church even to Rescue students ... God is still in control.

6. The role of the church. Get away from programs. Be the Church.

7. Comparisons. Recently I asked a fellow youth pastor, how many kids do you have now (I haven't seen him in awhile) His response: 35. I was like WOW ... you must of adopted some. His natural response was to compare and say youth group size - not his Family.

8. Soul care. Leaders need to tend to their souls to help in turn point people to the one who is healing them.

9. Leadership. Too often good leaders are hard to find.

10. Theology. Theology and methodology is a big issue either helping or hurting the youth ministry as a whole.

What is the future for youth ministry? Only time can tell. My prayer is that youth ministry reflects the Church and Jesus to the World.

Ad I came Across

Saw this ad years ago and thought to share:

Wanted:(Name of Church, person, email, phone number) "minister with an evangelist’s heart, a shepherd’s walk, and a physician’s care who accepts mature responsibilities and possesses youthful vision; dedication to the cause of Christ’s Kingdom should be equally or more important than Canadian or American citizenship;should be ready to accept challenge of living on an island and a bit of culture shock; less than one hour from major shopping centers"


Here's the translation: "You do all the work, you help the elderly, you are to blame if anything goes wrong, want you to be young to hire you cheap, work you to death for the cause of Christ (No life but Church work), we're patriotic much like the next guy, challenge of living on an island, beware of the sharks, and well there isn't a Super Walmart nearby and good luck"

Apples and Oranges

Gimmicks.

It is so easy to fall into the Trap - oh, whoa is me (Almost an Elijah whining session 1 Kings 19:10) I dislike Entertainment Ministry. What you win them with is what you have to keep them with. I dislike the comparison game. Why? Because I feel it does disservice to the Kingdom.

So why not be ourselves? When people see the cool ministry down the road, why not ask them, so what are you doing here? Why not involved.

I think comparing churches (And we do it ourselves and as people ..I mean come on ...how many of us compare ourselves to good ole mega pastor guy?) is like comparing apples and oranges. Both are fruit. Both are round. Both are very different. Maybe that is what it is about our churches. Both are trying to be the Church. But both come with different contexts and cultures to consider.



So the next time you find yourself wandering and wondering how I can be more like Church X, why not just wonder how you can just be the church and person God called you to be, and not this imitiation.

Otherwise we'd be too loose with the facts ...See these quotes below.



Came across this quote from YWJ:

"Youth Ministry Is in the Spotlight
There was a great story on youth ministry by Austin American-Statesman religion writer Eileen Flynn. And did you see the front-page story on the Friday, Oct. 6, issue of The New York Times? The headline said it all: “Fearing the Loss of Teenagers, Evangelicals Turn Up the Fire.”

“Despite their packed megachurches,” said the article, Christian leaders like Teen Mania’s Ron Luce are sounding an alarm that “their teenagers are abandoning the faith in droves.” The National Association of Evangelicals has even warned about “the epidemic of young people leaving the evangelical church.” But Christian Smith (author of last year’s acclaimed Soul Searching book) thinks people who claim that only four percent of teens are “Bible-believing Christians” are being too “apocalyptic” and too loose with the facts. "

A Preaching Stat

Thom Rainer (According to Preaching Rocket) did a study a few years ago in which found that 90% of unchurched people chose a church was because of the preacher or preaching.

Better preaching is often more effective than advertising, social media, and even ministries when it comes to growing the church. Want a better church, learn to be a better preacher. Conclusion: I have a lot of work to do ..how about you?

Don't buy the lies

So I'm reading Group Magazine's latest issue. Sept/Oct. 2006. And in it is 3 Dirty YM Lies and a Fourth.

Here are the lies:

1. YM is a meat grinder that will destroy you.

I like How Rob Bell puts it in Velvet Elvis, you can be cynical, and bitter or you can choose to reclaim your innocence.

2. "Do it all myself" is the best way. - UMM ever hear of working yourself to an early grave?

3. Close Relationships are the goal of Youth Ministry. Umm isn't the goal about presenting Jesus?

4. The percentage if young people who are Bible Believing Christians has now dropped to 4%. Funny thing is it is based upon sampling polls from Barna and even the Data from that April 2003 Report is different. I think there is more hope.

Here are some more lies (The above 4 were discussed in the issue but I gave them and my opinion)

5. The average Tenure of a Youth Minister is 18months. Where did this come from? I still haven't seen the stats for this. And if it is? in 6years to have 4 churches ... Might invest in U-Haul rather than Youth Ministry."Youth Ministry Tenure

Most of us have heard it quoted that the average length of a youth minister's stay at any one church is a year and a half. GROUP magazine reports, "The 18-Month Myth is now part of youth ministry lore. It's been used over and over to describe youth ministers as easily scared gypsies who bolt at the first sign of trouble. And it's all a bunch of bunk. We here at GROUP asked our research staff to complete a scientific survey of North American churches using a representative sampling of denominations. We discovered that the average paid youth minister has been at the same church for almost four years (3.9 years, to be exact)." From Group.

6. Most High School Christian Teens Desert the Church. Over 66% or more in their freshmen year. Where Does this come from?

7. Bigger is Better. Mega Church Student Ministry is the way to go.
Umm didn't Jesus start with 12 ordinary men who turned the world upside down?

8. If you build it, they will come. Now come on. What you win them with is what you have to keep them with. So gimmicks, games, and prizes ..guess what you have to keep doing.

9. Youth Ministry is easy. Umm, ever do a lock-in, ever deal with teens' issues. It isn't easy but the rewards are worth it.

10. You will get Rich in Youth Ministry. Book deals, meeting Doug Fields, everyone will like you. Ummm hello, McFly .... you are in it due to the calling not some Christian celebrity bit.

Thoughts? Other lies to add?

Marketing Jesus?

What are your thoughts on Christian becoming an adjective rather than a noun?

Youth Ministry as a Crutch

I wrote this article several years ago ....

So I got thinking that there are churches that think Youth Ministry as a Crutch. They use, abuse, and misuse the idea of youth ministry. So here are some things that churches do that use Youth Ministry as a Crutch:

1. They see it as a way to Grow the Church.
2. They see youth ministry as glorified babysitting.
3. More programs, more outings = more fun, games and more of YMCA director.
4. They get what they pay for. So let's pay our youth minister poor, give him no Budget but we expect our church's youth group to be like Willow Creek, Saddleback or any other Mega Church (Insert Name here)
5. Isn't youth ministry just a stepping stone so young ministers can be "REAL" Ministers and get their own "Church" (Notice tongue in cheek)
6. Let's Sell. Fundraise and market Jesus. Afterall it will bring people to our church.
7. We don't want those type of kids. (What type is that anyways?) Just look after our kids. (Back to the babysitting mentality)
8. The Senior Minister is the final authority. (Translation: Don't you dare do anything to tick us off or you're fired and we'll talk to the Senior pastor before you because we don't have to come to you ...)
9. Why aren't you at all our kids events, and why did you have to have all these trips during my sons basketball season, and why is it my "Sally" can't be in the Praise Band but that girl with "Pink hair" can?
10. Everyone is your Boss.

Don't you just want to love God and love students rather than using the Crutches and politics of Church agenda.