What You Wanted To Know About Youth Ministry But Were Afraid To Ask

If you could ask any question related to youth ministry…no holds barred…no parameters…no judgment…your question is anonymous…what would it be? Go ahead. Formulate it in your head if it is not already on your lips – and say it out loud. Or at least write it down.

That is exactly what I asked the students to do this week as I taught at the Word of Life Bible Institute second year program in Schroon Lake, NY. Before I began teaching my ten hour module, I asked them to answer three questions. The last one was to tell me about any general youth ministry question they would like answered.

Their questions were deep and insightful and I thought it was worth repeating a few of them. I have only given some basic thoughts about each one and not attempted to give full answers in this post.

• I watched my youth pastor fall into secret sin…If I go into ministry…what can I do to keep from making the same mistake? (All of us in leadership must personally fortify ourselves spiritually, which requires personal discipline. Accountability must also be a part of our lives. If we are not willing to be accountable to someone else then we are candidates for disaster.)
• Why is Youth Ministry so hard and why do so many leaders quit? (First of all, being a leader in a youth group requires time, money and sacrifice. Sometimes this is just too much for the average person. Another issue is that we often recruit without a strategy. When we do not provide tools or structure that people need to feel competent, they walk away.)
• Can you teach doctrine to teens and if so how do you do it so as to keep them engaged? (Teens “get it” better than we understand but I can think of three concepts that will make the difference when teaching doctrine. Be passionate about what you are teaching explaining the benefits of the knowing doctrine. Be creative with your teaching: doctrine should never be boring. Be a leader who gets the students involved. I believe the more they are involved, the more they take away life-related application.)
• How do you distinguish between a growing and dying youth group? (Do not assume that a group is growing or healthy because of size or outward energy. There are many ministries that are like fireworks on the fourth of July. Rather, look for leaders and students who are growing spiritually. One of the marks of a growing youth group is how many 2 Timothy 2:2 students are being developed.)

These are only four of the one hundred and twenty plus questions I received from the students this week. I wish you could be here to witness these students taking this information in and interacting with me on Youth Ministry Philosophy. They are truly stimulating.

So…is there a question about youth ministry you would like to throw into the arena to be answered in a future blog? If so, leave it in the comment section and I will try to schedule it in.