Youth Pastors

Well...

Our youth ministry is awesome! I have seen various hilarious and fun things happen with our youth groups... but every time they meet there s a lesson taught, observed and discussed. We took 19 high school students to New York for 5 days, and they "cold-witnessed" (witnessing to someone without knowing them first) in Central Park, Washington Park, Battery Park and other places. This was encouraging to see video and hear stories of the kids sharing their faith with complete strangers. And they bought 246 Bibles before they left and returned home having given all of them out.

I'm sorry that youth ministry isn't like this where you are, Mark. I'm thankful to God for giving us a man like Bob here at Northside.

In His Grip,
joshua

 

If your youth ministry is as Mark and Timothy have described, then I agree it is fruitless and needs an overhaul.

That said, I think youth ministry can be a great thing. Teenagers do have their own culture, and that's not bad. We have a different culture than did our parents, and they had a different culture than their parents. How can we not expect our kids to have a culture of their own?

I used to question some of the "fun" activities, wondering what they had to do with ministry, but then I realized that a lot of it did have to do with keeping the kids involved in the church. I don't think that's bad. Kids don't have the ability we do to just go somewhere, and much of the time they're left to their own devices, just doing nothing or hanging out like mini-bums. The activities give them something to do that will 1) foster relationships with other Christian kids, 2) incorporate Christ and the Bible into their social lives and 3) yes, however terrible some people think it is, keep them involved with the church.

If all a youth group does is play silly games and such, then yes, it's likely a waste. But I haven't been to many churches that were just big fun camps like that.

My experience has been that youth pastors are 1)less educated, 2)worse paid (I'm not including the senior pastor in that) and 3)less experienced.

 

Teens have special needs and not everyone is patient or even just called to work with teens and college aged. I'd rather have 17 three year olds than 2 teens! It's just MY calling tho!

Our youth minister (Student Minister) is so very nice. I posted his education and experience above. He's firm but friendly. He has already made some changes. The youth have an intense Bible Study on Wed. nights. The previous youth minister was part time and they took SO many trips ....

Timothy! I think your daughter is old enough to be in service with you! Good choice. It's different if it's a squirmy 4 year old. You can teach them and sing with them for a while but they do need play time if left for 2 or so hours. One of the games I use is almost like blind mans bluff. One child is blindfolded and stands in the middle of the room. One child is chosen to be the shepherd and will say to the blindfolded child, "I'm the good shepherd. Follow me!" Then, all the children begin to walk around the circle saying.. I'm the shepherd, etc. but the blindfolded child has to listen to the quiet voices and try to choose the real Shepherd. Then we talk about how important it is to listen for God's voice when the world is calling us to do this and that....... So, even my game has teaching!

Diane

 

I would find it interesting to see some defense of the current style of youth ministries, youth pastors, and/or youth programs based on "thus saith the Lord" as opposed to "I thinks" and testimonials.

 

Why is it that the hyper-fundamentalist always resort to the "thus saith the Lord" argument everytime they disapprove of what others are doing?

 

Why is it that some resort to name-calling when they don't have a "thus saith the Lord"? Is a "thus saith the Lord" a bad thing? Is it too much to ask?

 

I'm amazed at how many assume that all churches have or need a "youth ministry" or a "youth program"

Many, many churches do not including my own.

I teach my own children as well as the others in the church I pastor nothing but pure unadulterated Bible.

This is the Lord's idea of youth ministry.

Bible, Bible, and oh yeah, More Bible.

 

I just thought it would be good to repost this to show the moral and spiritual destitution of the non-fundamentalist mindset.

Mark Osgatharp

 

Mark/Kent

I really do feel sorry for the youth of your churchs - provided you have not already driven most of them off, at least those who are not forced by their parents to come.

I have had great youth ministers and not so great. The difference being IMHO, the great ministered and taught the adult volunteer leaders as much as they ministered and taught to the youth. The second thing they did was to disciple the youth, oh yeah, they also had a great time with the youth and forged great relationships with with them. There are times that a youth will not go to their parents with issues or concerns but will go to their youth minister or their spouse and get Godly counsel. In my family - without christian parents, my sisters and I all sought counsel form our youth ministers. I hate to think where I might be without them.

So keep preaching at the youth you have left and patting yourself on the back for not lowering yourselves to thier levels - and keep that chip on your shoulder about losing them to the church across town with the dynamic youth progam.

 

Originally posted by Mark Osgatharp:

"I just thought it would be good to repost this to show the moral and spiritual destitution of the non-fundamentalist mindset."

I do not believe that having a different viewpoint on certain Scriptures, especially where the Bible is silent, necessarily means being spiritually destitute.

I also do not think that one can speak of "youth pastors" and thereby include all the ramifications of what this could possibly mean. Just as there are good and bad pastors or even good and bad church members, there are also good and bad youth pastors. I would be more concerned with what he is doing more than I would with what label the Church hangs on him.