Youth Ministry: Philosophy and People

Transcription

1 Youth Ministry: Philosophy and People Philosophy of Youth Ministry A philosophy of ministry answers the following basic questions: 1) What Scriptural justification do we have for the existence of this ministry? 2) What is the purpose of this ministry? 3) How does this ministry carry out that purpose? No ministry can maintain Scriptural effectiveness without answering all three of these questions. The ministry that is backed by a clearly Biblical philosophy will not be susceptible to whimsical ministry fads. Scriptural Foundation of Youth Ministry Before Christ ascended to heaven, he charged his followers to be witnesses of Him throughout the entire world (Acts 1:8; Matthew 28:19-20). This charge to protect and proclaim the truth about Jesus applies not only to the apostles of the first century, but also to the church of Christ for all ages. This is the central mission of the church (Galatians 1:6-9; Philippians 1:7), and it must give shape to everything the church does. The way that local churches carry out this command is by making and maturing true disciples of Jesus Christ. Mission of Youth Ministry: Making and Maturing True Disciples of Jesus Christ This mission statement making and maturing true disciples of Jesus Christ applies not only to the local church as a whole, but to each subgroup that makes up the local church. The mission statement of the BBC youth group is basically a recasting of Christ s charge to the church on that day he ascended to heaven. BBC Youth exists to disciple young people to become God-loving, Word-filled, ministry-minded disciple-makers. This statement specifies what Christlikeness is, breaking it down into four basic components. God-loving: Makes relationship with God the priority; heart belongs to God Word-filled: Keeps a consistent devotional life; makes Bible-informed decisions Ministry-minded: Focus of life is on serving God and others; service in the church is a nonnegotiable Disciple-making: Witnessing is a regular part of life; takes initiative to disciple younger Christians Method of Youth Ministry: God s Truth through Human Personality Because God s Word is what is guaranteed to bring about Christian maturity (1 Timothy 3:16-17), the success of youth ministry will hinge upon the prominence and passion of the communication of God s Word. Youth ministry should communicate God s word primarily in three different ways: preaching it, living it, and structuring the program to reflect it. God s Truth through Preaching Preaching forms the basic part of our youth program because it is God s prescribed way to Christian maturity. Paul stated that the proclamation of Christ includes both warning and instruction, and that the goal and result is to present everyone mature in Christ (Colossians 1:28). In directing the young pastor

2 in his duties, Paul charged Timothy to preach the Word (2 Timothy 4:1-2). A biblically successful youth ministry will be committed to the verbal communication of God s word when the teens gather. Planning Your Preaching Paul was able to say to the elders of the church at Ephesus that he did not shrink from declaring to *them+ the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:27). The youth pastor should be intent that no teen will graduate from his youth group having received a meager diet of God s Word. In order to provide a healthy diet of Biblical teaching, the youth pastor should plan to balance his sermons within these three categories: 1. Biblical exposition so that the teens would be familiar with their Bibles as a whole Plan to preach through books of the Bible. The youth pastor must preach to unveil the power of God s word as it stands in the text, and to teach the teens that understanding and applying the Scripture is something that anyone can and should do. This sort of expository preaching not only communicates Biblical truth in the way it is revealed, but also makes a strong statement about the power and sufficiency of God s word. 2. Christian doctrine so that the teens would be grounded in right doctrine and identify false doctrine Most Christian theology books cover in detail the following doctrines: How did we get out Bible? How do we know it s the Word of God? (Bibliology) Who is God? What is He like? How do we know He exists? (Theology proper) Who is Jesus? Is He God? (Christology) What is the role of the Holy Spirit in my life? (Pneumatology) What are angels and demons? Do they really exist? How do they affect my life? (Angelology) What is the Gospel? How do I whether I am truly saved? (Soteriology) What is the church? What should my involvement in it be? (Ecclesiology) What will happen at the end of the world (Eschatology) How can I defend what I believe (Apologetics) 3. Teen Topics so that the teens know God s mind on the various issues they face Topics to cover include: Anger Assurance of salvation Authority Dating Decision-making Depression Finding God s will Friends How to study the Bible Lust Modesty

3 Music Purity Parents Speech Spiritual disciplines Worldliness God s Truth through the Leaders Lives Although preaching is the most direct and basic way of communicating God s word, no less important and powerful is the living out of God s word before the teens. We have this treasure *the gospel+ in earthen vessels (2 Cor. 4:7). We bear in ourselves the life-transforming message of the gospel, and we must give evidence that it is constantly transforming our lives. This means that we must be committed to being sensitive to the Lord s working in our hearts if ever we are to have an impact on the teens. This method of communicating God s word drives the selection of qualified leaders to be involved in the youth ministry. We want to place before the teens living examples of God-honoring marriages, ministryfocused careers, and Biblical child-rearing. Long after the teens have forgotten specific sermons, they will remember the investment of godly leaders in their lives. God s Truth through the Program The program (activities and events) of the youth group should reflect biblical priorities. As the leadership team keeps a clear focus on the purpose of youth ministry making and maturing true disciples of Jesus Christ the entire program will be geared that way as well. Failure to root each aspect of the program in clear biblical reasons will result in teens who ditch their involvement in the church after they leave the youth group. For example, if the youth group is merely an enclave of the whole church designed to lure in and keep teenagers who otherwise would spend their Sundays and Wednesday evenings doing other things, the youth group has reduced its purpose to being an age-specific interest group. The teen program should center on the Word of God, and this emphasis should be clearly communicated. This emphasis does not mean that a youth program should jettison fun events, crazy games, and exciting competition. Such enhancements are one way to demonstrate love and companionship to teens at a time in their lives when they deeply need it. However, the saying goes true that what you win them with you win them to. If they come merely for these activities, they will stop coming when these are no longer offered. A youth ministry should seek to cultivate a sense of anticipation toward the preaching and discipleship time, as the focal point of the ministry. Essential Characteristics of Youth Ministry The following list is essential because if any one of them were to be removed, the result would be a youth ministry that would be sub-biblical and ineffective. We want to make these characteristics so prominent that people from the outside would be able to recognize them as being intentionally developed. 1. God-Centered In a culture that celebrates self, and during a time of life when people are naturally egocentric, youth ministry must be clearly all about God. The shift from God-

4 centeredness to man-centeredness can be subtle. It can even come in the name of good ministry practices. The biblical youth ministry, however, will maintain an exclusive reverence and passion for God that He deserves. 2. Gospel-Driven Youth ministry does not merely trying to manage behavior in order to produce good kids. Instead, it strives to let the message of the gospel fundamentally transform the teens lives in a way that will extend past their six years in the youth group. 3. Relationship-Nurtured Youth ministry must be nurtured by intentional relationships with the teens. Leaders must be aware of the spiritual needs of the teens, and love them enough to exhort them, uplift them and confront them. 4. Parent-Involved Effective youth ministry involves the parents by letting them know what is being taught, and communicating with them how their children are growing, and struggles their children are experiencing. If a teen comes to any of the youth staff with a big issue, youth leaders should never promise them ahead of time that they will not tell their parents what they will tell them. Youth leaders pray with and for the parents of the teens. 5. Teen-Focused Because this, after all, this is youth ministry, the events should be fun and exciting. Effective youth ministry reaches the teens where they are right now. The leaders strive to learn the teens and the world they live in.

5 The People of Youth Ministry An effective youth ministry is an immense task that involves many people, including the senior pastor, youth pastor, parents of teens and youth leaders. It is not a one-man show! It is critical for a team of committed, godly individuals to work together to accomplish the goal of bringing about Christ-like change in the teens. Youth Pastor The youth pastor is the leader of the youth ministry. As a pastor, he must have unquestionable integrity (1 Timothy 3:1-7) and demonstrate the qualities and skills required of a pastor. As the youth pastor considers where he should focus his time and energies, he should keep in mind the following order of priorities. 1. Serve the senior pastor. In addition to fulfilling the expectations Scripture places on him as a pastor, the youth pastor should be committed to serving his senior pastor in whatever way the senior pastor chooses. Since the senior pastor has delegated to the youth pastor the responsibility to shepherd the teens, the youth pastor must learn exactly what his senior pastor expects of him, in both spirit and letter. Since the senior pastor usually hires the youth pastor, Paul s instructions to masters and servants informs the youth pastor s relationship to his senior pastor, as his employer: Slaves, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man (Ephesians 6:5-7). The youth pastor should love and serve his senior pastor. He should be sensitive to the ministry burdens he bears, and seek to share these burdens. The youth pastor should not be territorial in his desire to grow his own niche in the overall church ministry. 2. Lead the youth ministry (vision and administration). No one will be more passionate about the youth ministry than that youth pastor. Thus, the youth pastor must be constantly focusing his vision for the youth ministry, and communicating that vision to the youth leaders, parents, and teens. He should also constantly clarify the philosophy of youth ministry, and make sure that every aspect of the youth ministry reflects this philosophy. He should evaluate whether the teens in his youth group is growing in Christlikeness. If there is spiritual apathy, he should be asking why, and making sure to probe his own soul for shortcomings. He should examine the youth ministry as a whole, and see to it that it is living up to the values he believes should characterize it (Godcentered, gospel-driven, parent-involved, relationship-nurtured, teen-focused). 3. Disciple the teens and youth leaders. The work of discipleship is the main task that the youth pastor is called to. This will mean that the youth pastor will schedule appointments to meet with teen guys individually and in groups, and that he will have regularly scheduled meetings with the youth leaders.

6 4. Serve the parents. Since the youth pastor shepherds a group of people who are still under the authority of their parents, his ministry involves serving the parents as well. The youth pastor should think of his relationship with the parents of his teens in the following three categories. 1. Communicate about all teen events. Parents want to know what their teen is involved in. A weekly or biweekly should be sent out announcing upcoming teen events, and communicate what the teens are being challenged with spiritually. 2. Equip the parents with resources for parenting their teens. The youth pastor understands that his influence is just a small slice in the pie of influences on the lives of his teens. The most important way in which a teen is being shepherded is through the leadership of his or her parents. The youth pastor can be a great encouragement to the parents as they strive to rear their children for Christ. In addition the youth pastor should study teens and know the world they live in. He can help the parents make wise choices for their teens by interpreting cultural phenomenon and technology to the parents. 3. Provide feedback about the teens. Some parents are open to hearing about the struggles of their children, and will even solicit feedback from the youth pastors. Others are less willing to hear. In either case, the youth pastor has the responsibility to provide parents with thoughtful and discerning insight into the spiritual development of their teen. 5. Preach the Word A large portion of the youth pastor s time and energy must go to preparation for teaching and preaching. The youth pastor must be committed to growing as a preacher. The success of the youth ministry is dependent on the clear and consistent proclamation of Christ in the Scriptures. Youth Leaders In order to be successful in their role, youth sponsors should commit to the following: 1. I am committed toward growing and maturing my relationship with Jesus Christ through time spent with Him, faithful church attendance, and involvement in accountable relationships. 2. I am committed to choices and a lifestyle that are godly and above reproach, knowing that my lifestyle is a model for the teens. 3. I commit to faithfully attending and assisting with all teen events. 4. I commit to attend each youth sponsor meeting. 5. I understand and commit to upholding the philosophy of youth ministry as stated in this manual, as well as the five essential values of youth ministry. Standards for Youth Leaders James 3:1 tells us that not everyone should aspire to become a teacher because teachers incur a stricter standard of judgment. Leaders, like teachers, are held to a higher standard because they serve more people in a more influential way than most people. When considering the limitations that leadership puts upon them, youth leaders should keep as their motto, Limit your liberty; expand your ministry. In

7 order to have greater ministry with the teens, leaders will have to give up some liberties they might otherwise enjoy.