 Ministryblue aims at getting free, cheap or innovative resources for Churches, not for profits, missions , school and similar groups in Australia |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| HOME | Monthly Specials | Waratah Lodge, Katoomba | Photocopiers | Home Loans | Web hosting | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
Asking the right questions in Ministry!Return to Youth Ministry Resources List Return to Christian Youth Resources Home Page
WHAT YOUTH MINISTRY IS NOT RULE ONE: What has happened in the past doesn't have to happen in the future! RULE TWO: Discipleship doesn't have to be boring. RULE THREE: Youth can spiritually grow and know Christ personally. RULE FOUR: Guilt is not a good way to find people for ministry. RULE FIVE: Christian conversion and growth is a process not just an event. RULE SIX: Ministries needs to be planned not just happen by chance. Well someone at church said "Hey, we are looking for a new Youth leader, what about you?" You say yes and its down the road to the local Christian bookshop for 10,000 bits of mega youth clip art (brochures are covered),a book on awesome games for the brain dead and hyperventilating (activities covered), a huge book of radical youth studies (talks are right) so now return home thinking have a forgotten anything. YES! Buy lots of food. You still however have this awful feeling that you have forgotten something. It is a bit like going on holidays thinking you left the oven on. The first priority in youth ministry or any ministry is why are we doing it? How does it fit into the ministry life of the church? How will this help people in their spiritual walk? The aim of this book is to give you a working model on how to plan your ministry. It may end up giving you more questions than answers, but I pray that it will let you focus on Jesus and what he is calling you to do. Hebrews 12:1-3
"Such a large
crowd of witnesses is all around us! So we must get rid of everything
that
slows us down, especially the sin that just won't let go. And we must
be
determined to run the race that is ahead of us. We must keep our eyes
on
Jesus, who leads us and makes our faith complete. He endured the shame
of being nailed to a cross, because he knew that later on he would be
glad
he did. Now he is seated at the right side of God's throne! So keep
your
mind on Jesus, who put up with many insults from sinners. Then you
won't
get discouraged and give up." (CEV)
WHAT YOUTH MINISTRY IS NOT A place to just keep kids off the street. Some churches will say " we have all these youth roaming the streets, we need a place for them to go." Thus a low key youth group may start. The problem is the group is only on Friday night, so what stops them from wandering the streets on Saturday or Wednesday or even after the group finishes. Outreaching and reaching the lost is excellent but a group that only keeps them off the street is selling itself out short. If such a group is run, the leaders need to think through "what are we going to do if someone gets 'saved'". Will we provide a second group in which to grow. Bridging ministries are excellent as long as they make a bridge to somewhere. A group that holds them in the church until they are adults. If you put your arm in plaster to save it for the future will it grow strong or end up withered. Those ministries that are waiting for youth to 'come of age' will find that they are creating wishy washy adults and will find no point in taking up serious discipleship. You will be creating a group of lazy young Christians who when they take up leadership will not have a strong kingdom passion but will like to stay with the norm! Secondly, such a group can quickly degenerate into being only a social group. The result of many such groups is disintegration when the members get there own cars or licences and are able to go further afield for entertainment. God hasn't set up
churches
to try and outdo the "world' in entertainment but to reach, minster and
equip for ministry!
A fun factoryYouth Ministry is not a choice between fun and serious but each program must ask of itself. " Will this program as a whole help people to know Christ?"If your energies are tied up in preparing the games more that the studies then you run the risk of having a group of consumers. Many a church has sought to have such a great social program to hold the youth, that have only ended up giving their young people a desire to "party". The Church is not in competition with the world on who can provide the most fun. Is your program
geared to
be consumed or aimed at helping people to love God and each other? We
must
be on our guard that popularity is not mixed up with spirituality and
that
personality is not mixed up with holy living.
The Church of tomorrowYouth are not the church of tomorrow but are of the church TODAY. They need to be seen are people who can pray, love God, share their faith, financially support the church, discuss faith etc. Because a person is tithing off of $4 and thus gives only 40 cents doesn't put mean that their giving in not significant. For this is training them for what they should do when they get full incomes.What are about the youth who wander the streets...This desire can also be for youth who... suicide, are latch key children, etc "what about the .... youth?"Our society has many sorrows, but to merely feel bad about the injustices of society doesn't deal with the deeper issue that EVERYONE NEEDS CHRIST. RULE ONE: What has happened in the past doesn't have to happen in the future!So much of Youth Ministry and for that matter many ministries in churches has been determined by a past generation. Sunday Schools have only been around for a little over a hundred years but most churches act as if they were started by the disciples. Most churches have been running youth groups for less than fifty years. Small group Bible study groups for many churches have been operating for less than thirty years.Although we must learn from the past, it does not limit how we will minister in the future. Some churches have always run a Friday night ministry. Friday nights are not sacred! Youth groups don't have to sing or play games to fulfil the great commission. It is wise to consider the direction of the past program to see how it fits in with you aims and strategy. The other fear
here, is that
some people think that anything of the past is bad and the lot should
be
thrown out. Consider that the average youth leader lasts two years and
you realise that if this model is followed then you will have three or
four different programs for youth as they go through High School.
RULE TWO: Discipleship doesn't have to be boring.Some groups treat the social as the fun time and the religious part as what we have to get through.Yes, it is true that most non-Christian are not excited by being disciples. But the aim of discipleship is to grow Christians. You ministry needs to provide opportunities where Christians can be equipped for ministry and provided opportunities to grow. I have always been delighted to hear young Christians share their faith with their friends, and it is great excitement when a young person leads a friend to a saving faith in Christ. Discipleship is
not a comprehension
test or purely a competition on who can argue the best, but an
opportunity
to help people grow spiritually.
Serious Bible Study
doesn't
damage the brain. We can mix up lack of interest by some, to equal lack
of interest by all. When planning a study do take their age into
account.
Don't make the questions go over their heads. Try to remember what it
was
like at that age.
|
