Comments on: Youth Ministers

By: Jones Yoakam

Jones Yoakam — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 11:23:02 +0000

Google is the best search engine

By: Adam Martin

Adam Martin — Sat, 24 Sep 2005 17:35:00 +0000

As a youth minister who IS a deep thinker, I appreciate so much your post. Thanks for giving us some credit!

By: Lindsey

Lindsey — Wed, 21 Sep 2005 16:03:00 +0000

Great post

By: Franklin Wood

Franklin Wood — Wed, 21 Sep 2005 15:26:00 +0000

Thanks for the boost, Mike! We youth ministers REALLY appreciate pulpit ministers who show GENUINE interest in us, and don’t just think of us as “junior ministers.”
Thanks again!

By: Youth and Family Guy

Youth and Family Guy — Wed, 21 Sep 2005 12:55:00 +0000

Thanks, Mike! Your words make me feel good for the first time in a long time about who I am as a youth minister!

By: Chad Nall

Chad Nall — Wed, 21 Sep 2005 03:51:00 +0000

I’ve got some black bear meat and moose meat in my freezer

By: Chad Nall

Chad Nall — Wed, 21 Sep 2005 03:50:00 +0000

It’s messy, frustrating, exhausting, exhilerating, intense and so much more. I can’t imagine doing anything else. I have the opportunity to stand on holy ground with students as they ask tough questions, try to discover who they are (or aren’t), come to terms with this thing they call faith. My prayer is that they fall in love with Jesus and conform to his likeness for the sake of others.

By: Rick McCall

Rick McCall — Wed, 21 Sep 2005 03:29:00 +0000

Hi Steve -

I appreciate your comment on the success, or lack thereof, of youth ministry. No question, there are things wrong with youth ministry. For that matter, I think we would all agree that there are things wrong with the church as a whole.

However, I would disagree with the conclusion that youth ministry has failed, based on the statistic quoted. That number should alarm parents even more than youth ministers, because we are talking about a function (teaching Jesus and helping develop faith) that is the job of the parent.

The function of the youth minister has never been to be the primary person who teaches and helps teens understand and grasp faith. For children of believers, that is the job of the parent. The youth minister is a tool to help parents accomplish that challenge and to try to assist parents in equipping their teens for lives of service, sacrifice and outreach.

The very premise of the statement that 4% of 14-27 year olds grasp faith and therefore youth ministry has failed assumes that the primary person responsible for the teaching of faith to that group is the youth minister or the youth ministry.

I also think it is very dangerous to speak in broad generalizations. While I’m sure there are youth ministries that don’t go deep enough (although I’m not exactly sure what that means), in my experience, the vast majority of youth ministers have no desire to keep kids and parents happy.

Instead, they seek to help teens mature in faith, help them know Jesus better and help them know how to share that faith with others. And they are passionate about that call.

Just as the church struggles in those very issues, so does youth ministry. But, as you correctly point out that we need to leave behind the old model of ski trips, etc., I would likewise suggest that we leave behind the old model of assuming that the youth minister is primarily responsible for the faith formation of teens. We are a tool and we strive to work in overdrive to help teens in that way, but the believing parents are the ones who hold the God-given responsibility for that.

I wish we in the church were mature enough to be rabid about sharing the Good News with others, but unfortunately, the evidence suggests we are not. That 4% number partially reflects that fact.

We must all do all we can to reverse this trend in The Body of Christ. And it really has to start in the home.

The encouraging thing is that there are pockets of radical faith emerging in the church that are outside the traditional box and are earnestly seeking relevant ways to share the Good News with not only the lost, but with those who have some faith, but haven’t yet begun to mature in it.

Many thanks to Mike for the gracious words! You were Barnabas to me today.

By: Byron

Byron — Wed, 21 Sep 2005 02:40:00 +0000

Bubba Martin - best YM ever. Raised in a boys home in Mississippi by saints named Olonzo and Catherine Welch. Was not a trained YM as we have today, but he understood boys and could have lectured for days on unconditional love. I owe so much of who I am to Bubba, his wife Robynn and their family. I am so thankful that my parents allowed me to spend countless hours with the Martins.

By: Niki

Niki — Tue, 20 Sep 2005 22:06:00 +0000

Amen Mike! (And Steve Jr.) A little thanks goes a very long way. It’s easy to get cynical when you are the one trying to make the changes towards missional instead of towards traditional, and the parents, elders, whoever don’t get it or they think it’s all about THEIR child.

There are some great men and women out there focused on teens. Some are paid, some are not. Some are full-time, some of them make the time “after hours”. But they ALL have atleast one thing in common. They love to hear that what they are doing is making a difference and how much they are appreciated. Not just once a year when they are officially recognized by the whole church, but day to day when they are in the trenches.

Thanks again Mike! So many people look to you to set an example and you do it so well!

By: Steve Jr.

Steve Jr. — Tue, 20 Sep 2005 19:50:00 +0000

Fajita — Right on, man. The key word in your response was “missional” youth ministry. Unfortunately, I haven’t seen this much. Call me a cynic, but I was in youth groups or around church teens all my life, and most church youth groups are about — well, the same thing most churches are about — maintenance rather than mission. I like your concept of a “church within a church.” This is key. Youth groups do often lead the way in terms of responding to urgent needs and pushing the older folk out of their comfort zones. My prayer is that focus in youth ministry turns from “keeping our own kids happy and coming back” to “igniting a fire within our kids to reach their friends.”

By: monniecoco

monniecoco — Tue, 20 Sep 2005 19:47:00 +0000

I was a youth minister’s secretary for 4 years. Now he’s serving a one of the shepherd’s at my congregation. When he was selected, I told him there was NO one I would rather be led by. He was a wonderful boss, he is a godly man and elder. I will hold him and his family in my heart and prayers always.

By: Fajita

Fajita — Tue, 20 Sep 2005 18:34:00 +0000

The youth ministers at my church move mountains. They host a huge youth rally every Christmas break. Now that youth rally is going to be (if they can possibly swing it) in Southern Mississippi and the purpose of changing venues is for one reason - serve Katrina victims.

This ain’t no ski trip, baby.

Some people take the view that youth ministry is a stepping stone to preaching ministry. No! Youth ministry is a good stepping stone to church planting.

Take a look at who is leading the emerging church movement. If you nudge Brain McLaren out of the way, it is a bunch of youth ministers who refuse to be domesticated, that’s who.

Missional youth ministry cannot help but create a church within a church, that hopefully will permeate the culture.

By: Katherine

Katherine — Tue, 20 Sep 2005 17:44:00 +0000

Wow-what a great and encouraging post!! We seriously need to hear that more-I too have been blessed by many many youth ministers, who I am sure played a huge role in my calling to do youth ministry.

I couldn’t ask for a better job than the one I am doing right now-working, living, and serving with Freshmen who are making so many decisions and trying to find their own faith. It is a completely different ministry, but still such a blessing!! I still love those junior high kids, though…

I am also making fajitas tonight, but mine are starting to not sound near as good…I’ll echo the rest…when did you say dinner was?

By: Daryl

Daryl — Tue, 20 Sep 2005 17:44:00 +0000

Mike, if it were not for a former youth minister in FW, named Ron Beasley, I can’t even imagine where my life would have taken me. 27 years ago he counseled me in an old stable in Mexia, Texas and my life was changed by his prayer and words of encouragement. I thank the Lord for him and his family everytime I think about Youth ministers and the work they do.