Components of a Biblical Youth Ministry
Julia grew up attending youth group at her church growing up but no longer identifies as a Christian. Unfortunately, we all know many young men and women just like Julia. Some of them were passionate about their faith for a season, others were simply present.
But now . . . they have walked away. Parents, youth leaders, and pastors achingly offering their prayers for the Lord to bring the prodigals home.
As students continue to reject the faith of their youth, an increasing number of youth workers and church leaders are asking, “Are we doing this right? Is there a more biblical way to reach the next generation?” Rather than hearing these questions as a threat, youth workers and other concerned Christians should lean into the question.
This is the question that eventually became A Biblical Theology of Youth Ministry: Teenagers in the Life of the Church (Randall House Academic, 2019). While the book focuses on an exegetical, historical, and theological foundation for youth ministry, this excerpt from the epilogue aims to encapsulate the practical implications for parents, youth workers, and church leaders.
PARENTS FIRST
Youth workers are important and play a crucial role in the lives of teenagers, but they must never replace the spiritual priority of parents. Instead, they are called to come alongside parents as co-evangelists and co-disciplers of the next generation.
Students whose parents display genuine faith and relational warmth are far more likely to continue in the faith through adulthood than students who attend every youth group event throughout high school but whose parents are spiritually passive.
When parents are not discipled, they are left unequipped to be the spiritual leaders their children so desperately need. This is disappointingly common. In these cases, and in those families where the parents are not Christians, the youth worker might want to consider spending less time with students in order to minister to the parents.
As counter-intuitive as that seems, it may pay a long-term dividend in the life of the entire family. While the priority of parents has long been a stated value of youth ministry, it is time for partnership with parents to become an actual priority for youth workers.
WORSHIP TOGETHER
Churches who provide a separate “worship experience” for students during the church’s gathered worship time are in clear disregard of the biblical worship.
Throughout the Old Testament, New Testament, and even throughout church history, the generations worshipped together. The liturgy often carried an emphasis on passing down the faith from generation to generation, which obviously necessitated the generations to actually be together. Ethnic churches where there is a language barrier pose unique challenges to intergenerational worship for obvious reasons, but the default for Christ’s church should be intergenerational worship.
This does not necessitate complete elimination of all age-specific ministries, but it does require two things: first, that children who are old enough to learn and understand are present, and second, that those who plan the worship service to keep children in mind as they prepare.
Pastors who never consider the children and teenagers listening to their sermons are guilty of a form of spiritual negligence.
THE CHURCH MUST COMMIT TO DISCIPLESHIP
Youth workers have employed incredibly effective strategies to get kids to attend their ministries. But the last century of modern youth ministry also shows that attendance simply isn’t enough. It hasn’t worked.
Rather than focusing on increasing attendance, the church should begin to focus on retention, and that requires a renewed commitment to discipleship. In Scripture and throughout history, discipleship of the next generation was never the task of the select few. It has always been a community project.
“Rather than focusing on increasing attendance, the church should begin to focus on retention, and that requires a renewed commitment to discipleship.”
The entire clan would share in passing down the faith to the next generation. The faith community would support parents in their discipleship efforts and would sponsor children throughout their catechetical journey. Pastors would often meet with the adolescents for Bible Studies. These were not tasks delegated to the spiritually immature or to those who were only a few years older than the students themselves—they were high callings that were prioritized by the spiritual leaders of the church community.
Perhaps our desire to reach a post-Christian generation needs to begin with discipleship rather than evangelism.
THE GOSPEL ALWAYS
Youth Ministry does not exist to make teenage discipleship. The biblical purpose of youth ministry is to make adult disciples whose faith took root in their teen years. Whether they are church kids or vocally opposed to religion, faithful youth workers serve with a commitment to announce the good news of Jesus Christ to teenagers.
Rather than allowing for an “evangelism or discipleship” debate, gospel-centered youth workers seek to help students receive the grace of Jesus Christ through the narrow gospel while discipling students into a biblical worldview through teaching the broader gospel.
At the end of the day, youth ministry must resist the temptation to have a “try harder” approach that can only produce behavior-modification, and must instead adopt a grace-driven obsession that points students to the love of God through Jesus Christ.
A FINAL WORD
It is a daring thing for pastors, youth workers, and parents to honestly ask the question, “Is my ministry to the next generation biblical?” Because if the answer is “No,” there will be a potentially dangerous dilemma.
Ignoring the conflict does not seem like a viable option. But making the necessary changes can lead to conflict—with church leadership, parents, or other youth workers who think everything is fine the way it is.
Conviction requires courage. The difference between conviction and arrogance is wisdom. Look for easy victories and begin to stack them on top of each other.
Finally, and I have experienced this myself, if your convictions about the way youth ministry should be done leads you to conflict with others—be gracious and kind, but stand upon the Word of God. Christ will build his church and he will lead his children home.[i]
[i] If you have read this article and are struggling with a few areas where you see the need for alignment, please consider reading A Biblical Theology of Youth Ministry for further guidance; especially chapter 8’s counsel to “think big, start small” (p.154).
Mike McGarry is youth pastor at South Shore Baptist Church in Hingham, Massachusetts. He serves on the steering committee for Rooted and authored one of the chapters in Gospel-Centered Youth Ministry. He is married to Tracy, and they have two children. He is a life-long New Englander and has been educated at Gordon College and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (MDiv and DMin thesis). Mike is the author of A Biblical Theology of Youth Ministry.