As mentioned last week, social media has changed the landscape of youth ministry. By training the youth to become content creators instead of solely being consumers, “the why” of today’s youth ministry is shifting. Instead of the task of “getting them saved” and hoping that they make friends during the process, our culture now calls for us to equip our youth and address 2 needs: that they not only understand their spiritual gifts, but that they also consistently put them to use for the benefit of the Kingdom of God.
In the midst of this transition from a task-based approach, we provide information as to how they can change their world within the context of a relationship with Christ. It is from the collision of faith and life that the students of today grow in their relationship with Christ. Through a consistent engagement of their faith within the context of relationships, the church is then able to help the student understand what gift(s) the Lord has blessed them with so that they may be able to begin shaping the calling that the Lord has placed on their lives.
In the midst of this transition from a task-based approach, we provide information as to how they can change their world within the context of a relationship with Christ. It is from the collision of faith and life that the students of today grow in their relationship with Christ. Through a consistent engagement of their faith within the context of relationships, the church is then able to help the student understand what gift(s) the Lord has blessed them with so that they may be able to begin shaping the calling that the Lord has placed on their lives.
It’s similar to the older models of
youth ministry, but there’s a subtle shift. Just how media today is moving towards
an on-demand and interactive approach that grants control to the individual,
the church must also move away from one-direction programming or education and
instead move more toward a collaborative and engaging model of youth ministry
that serves alongside the students (rather than at the students).
The model of youth ministry that I’ve just outlined here may cause some anxiety
and cause you to jump ahead on the logistics. “So you’re telling me that the
students should run everything?” Well, kind of, but not really. You as the
youth pastor are still at the helm (and I certainly would not suggest that a
church should eliminate all of its traditional programming). How a student-led ministry looks will differ depending on the resources available and the size of the ministry, however the principle of letting students lead remains.
Having a student-led youth ministry
may not sound achievable right now (or at best, extremely daunting). Your
students’ interest in youth group may not feel like it is at an adequate level
in order to make this happen. Your supervisor who lived in the glory days of
program-based youth ministry may brush aside such a preposterous concept. The
parents of students in your group may raise an eyebrow when you hand a
microphone to their student to have them share their testimony or preach a sermon. However, this
is expected. Before being distracted by the naysayers and the doubtful stares,
it is important to prayerfully consider that whenever we venture into unknown
territory, there will always be uncertainty and a bit of fear. Even the
Israelites experienced this when seeking the Promised Land. If it wasn’t for a
courageous few like Joshua and Caleb who saw through the fear, it’s possible
that they may have wandered another 40 years (Numbers 13:30-14:10). The moral
of the story? Be encouraged. Be a Joshua or a Caleb, because our youth today
doesn’t have another 40 years to wander.
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