Monday, February 9, 2015

The Importance of Youth Ministry



Last night, we had our kick-off informational meeting for a cooperative 4-UMC youth group. As we started the meeting, I asked the tables to discuss this question:

Why is youth ministry important?

They had some great answers. I would like to share some of my answers to that question as well. So here it goes…

5.       Research has connected youth ministries as a driver of congregational health.  Healthy churches have youth programs.
4.       Research has also shown that most Christians experienced transformational Christian formation when they were youth. It makes sense. As teens, we are making decisions that affect the rest of our lives.
3.       I have seen teens change the attitude of congregations. They have a way to bring joy and hope into a congregation. They also often are those who shift an activity from “something we always do” to “something God calls us to do.”
2.       As a Methodist, youth ministry is often the closest match to Wesley’s class system within our churches.  It creates a community of accountability and encouragement.  It provides opportunities for mission engagement. It creates new leadership within very quickly. It has to, because youth are continually aging out of it.

The most important reason for me that trumps all these other good reasons above is this:

1.       I was called by God to be a pastor as a junior high student. Youth gave me an opportunity to provide leadership when the pastor and church didn’t quite know what to do with me. To this day, when ministry gets hard and I think about quitting, I think about the kid I was then and how God used youth group to give me my first taste of leadership in the church. Youth ministry didn’t just help me to respond to God’s call, it continues to empower me to follow that call.

As we form this new group, I am excited to see how God uses this small group to influence all his disciples and to build his kingdom. I am excited to see how our churches become healthier, how young lives are transformed, and to see a new generation of pastors receive their calling.

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