“Youth ministry might be the best indicator of the future of the church.”
As one given the grace from the Lord to run ministry to youth through seminars and writing of training resources in the last 9 years, by the quality of youths I see in churches and seriousness of pastors towards training them. I the importance of youth ministry to the future of am still not convinced that leaders have grasped their churches. Youth ministry might be the best indicator of the future of your church. Why because a youth well trained and thoroughly transformed by the Lord can be extension of your ministry to the next generation. But failure to realize this truth earlier can lead to regrets later.
With this as a backdrop, here are 10 reasons why youth ministry (and, therefore, youth leaders) are more crucial than ever for the future of the church:
1. Youth ministry is the best predictor for the future of the church.
2. Youth ministry done well is the best “club” to involve future world changers.
3. Disciple-multiplying youth leaders often turn into disciple-multiplying church planters and pastors.
4. Well, led teenagers can set the pace for prayer and evangelistic excitement church-wide.
5. Teenagers keep the pain reverberating in our society close to the surface so that adults can know how to minister to their culture.
6. Godly, loving youth leaders are like parents to an increasingly un-parented generation of teenagers.
Recommended Reading
How To Overcome Anger
Tips for Improving Mental Health in High-Stress Jobs
Tips for Rebuilding Trust After Betrayal
MEASURING DEVOTION AND TRANSFORMATIONS
7. Teenagers have a built in “bologna barometer” that keeps hypocrites in our churches on their toes.
8. Every great movement of God in history has had teenagers and young people on the leading edge.
9. Family ministry alone tends to point teenagers inwardly, whereas youth ministry tends to point teens outwardly (and, according to Matthew 9:36-38, that’s where Jesus pointed his mostly teenaged disciples).
10. God has chosen the “foolish ones of this world to confound the wise” (1 Corinthians 1:26-29). If that’s not a case for youth ministry, I don’t know what it is.
Pastors and church leaders, don’t give up on youth ministry or youth leaders. Instead, help them to build Gospel-Advancing, Disciple- Multiplying youth ministries that set the pace for the entire church.