Youth Ministry a Just Cause?

my dad is a youth pastor... however he says that there was no such thing as a "youth ministry" in the Bible... because back then when you hit 13/14 years old you became an adult... so really there's only Children and Adults... so dad treats us like we're adults in many ways. He's basically an advisor/chaperone/discussion starter... we really kinda "run" the Bible studies... and yeah we do go hiking and we do have fun... but we have to have fellowship time too!

 

At my church, there is Bible study, teaching and edification. That's what people of all ages need. Teens need to be prepared to go into the adult world spiritualy. One day the teens will be the adults and elders in the church. "Train up a child in the way he should go..." while I believe that verse is speaking to parents raising kids, I supose it could be applicable in church.
While I see no scripture for youth misitries, I also don't see scripture for sunday school, Wenesday night prayer meetings, ect. but they are still practiced in most Baptist churches. And I'm not against these things either because I've seen people saved through these ministries.
Youth groups definatly ought to be more than just fun and games {loud music in my opinion should have no place at all!} although it's good to laugh and have a good time, if you're gonna have a youth ministry it should be based on seeing the young people mature in the Lord, and then to get other young folk saved and decipled.
If the ministry is only used for fun and games, no it shouldn't have a place in the church. But if it's teaching Bible truths and teaching the young folks to have some Bible convictions, praise the Lord for it.
When the youth in my church get together we study the Bible, and sometimes our young men called to preach will give a sermon to the group, and we spend time discussing the Bible. That might be why we only have a few in our group. But I'll say this. A church may try to use programs and contests to get people to come, and yeah, you might get a good crowd...for awhile. But the thing that keeps em coming back is God's word. Teach it, preach it, share it, and live by it. That's what churches should do! Not just in the youth ministry but in any aspect of the church. Church is NOT a social club, but it's God's house, and should be treated as such.
~Miss Abby
Proverbs 31:30

 

Actually my pastor sees Sunday School and Wednesday Night Prayer meetings as what the apostles did with their mini churches... there was the BIG church meetings and then the fellowships where there was prayer... Frances Shaffer(sp?) did a whole study on it and it made sense LOL

Not trying to argue... but that puts way too much *seriousness* into the church idea. If you don't have fun at church why go? That puts us into the stereotype of "Christians are stuck up, and no fun"

I know you probably don't mean that we're not to have any fun... but we have church BBQs AT THE CHURCH... on Valentines Day the Youth Group hosts a Sweetheart Dinner at the Church... we've had comdey nights on New Years Eve, we've had Karaoke... we've had some GOOD TIMES at the church... the church is just a building... "God's House" or "Temple" is us... God doesn't live in a building... He lives within US.

I'm all for keeping the building looking nice and having reverance during services and other things like that... but ya gotta let loose once in a while...

 

In any church you also have somewhat of a cross section of society. There is one true faith in God, but a congregation is divided along generational and occasionally cultural lines. I don't listen to the same music as my parents do and people of my age group live life differently, in some respects, and have different worldviews. I went to a singles group at one church when I was in my early 20's. Nearly everyone in the group was over 40. I went back once more and called it quits. Not because I was "on the prowl" for a desirable Christian mate, but because of the age proximity, very few people in that group and I had much in common. Different programs in church exist to meet the needs of its constituents and that includes providing areas where certain demographic groups within the church can gather and associate with their peers who share similar inrterests and perspectives. Group segregation in the church is not about exclusion or seperation, its about inclusion of everyone. I know of many churches where some people in the congregation are resentful of the youth group because of its activity and success in growth and winning people to christ. Young people in their teens who dont have to worry as much about the stresses of getting and maintaing a job etc... can often devote more time to church activities and business. Some youth groups I have seen get off track to varying degrees, but I think in perspective, this happens in all a church's hiearchy. Church ministries serve a twofold purpose of meeting the requirements and expectations of a program with repect to biblical standards, and also that of ministering to the needs of its congregation members. Youg people have many needs including association and reinforcement of their Christian peers with whom they can identify, and also being in a place that will provide the right environment for finding a potential mate as they head into that phase in life where those events will most likely occur. Most of the criticism leveled at youth ministries comes from the people who don't like the proliferation of contemporary music in the church. Well there has been a mountain of debate on this that I won't reiterate here, but that mostly boils down again to a generational difference. And its usually leveled at "Rock Music". Christians seems to be rather indifferent to country music despite the fact that a majority it promotes infidelity, fornication, alchohaulism, and a loser lifestyle in general. But hey its easier on the ears so what the heck!

 

#1:The majority of time put into youth ministry should be spent teaching the Word.Period.

#2:This does NOT mean you can't have fun in youth. There is the opposition to loud music.What is wrong to listening to loud music before and after youth, just having fellowship with other Christians?Just because it's loud doesn't mean it's not godly;that is a very narrow-minded standpoint. It talks about in 1 Kings 1:40 of pipes being played, people rejoicing, and the earth shaking at their noise. We have to get over the 'loud music is bad no matter what; we can only listen to traditional hymns ' stigma. Just because there's loud guitar doesn't mean the musicians and the musicians' lyrics aren't passionate about Christ... because they are.

#3:Neither should youth be a bunch of fun and games and no learning about the Lord. Does that mean youth ministry can't plan special occasions where the youth get to have a good time? Absolutely not.Fellowsihp outside the youth room is important. The regular youth gruop meetings, however, should be 100% focused on the Scripture.

 

ITA and Amen....

InTheNameOfLove you hit the exact points I was trying to make