Bible-Centred Youth Ministries

 

• Instead of addressing teens’ questions, most church youth groups focus on fun and food.  The goal seems to be to create emotional attachment using loud music, silly skits, slapstick games -- and pizza.  But the force of sheer emotional experience will not equip teens to address the ideas they will encounter when they leave home and face the world on their own. A study in Britain found that non-religious parents have a near 100 percent chance of passing on their views to their children, whereas religious parents have only about a 50/50 chance of passing on their views.  Clearly, teaching young people to engage critically with secular worldviews is no longer an option.  It is a necessary survival skill. —Nancy Pearcey (from her article, How Critical Thinking Saves Faith) 

There is absolutely nothing wrong with having fun. It's something I do a lot and wish I had time to do more! It's something which characterized our parenting style from early on.

There's also nothing wrong with eating  food as part of youth group activities. In fact, there's a lot right with it! It can convey hospitality and help to break down barriers.

I don't want any of you to read this post and set up a false argument about what I am saying. I am NOT about to say that fun and food for teenagers in a youth group context is wrong. I don't think the article says that either.

I do think that with much youth 'mission', there's a serious, gaping hole at the centre, and that's good quality Bible teaching. Without that, your children stand a very good chance of shrugging off their faith, like too-tight, unfashionable clothes, when they leave home, go to university or just grow up.

When you are deciding which church, or para-church activities, such as summer camps, to encourage your children and teenagers to get involved in, look for signs of Jesus/Gospel/the Bible being right at the centre. I don't mean a 5 minute-vaguely-religious talk tacked on to the end of a hectic evening of games and caffeine-laden drinks, either.

In fact, I believe that the 9 Marks of a Healthy Church needs to also apply to a healthy youth ministry. You may not be able to have all 9 elements present at every event, but as many as possible and always, always, always the Gospel of Jesus. This is a great tool for measuring the healthiness, by which I mean effectiveness, of any child or youth ministry.

Hey, there's nothing wrong with going bowling, eating pizza or hanging out, Dear Daughter! Let your children have fun while learning about their faith.

 

But it won't help your child to develop their faith, if everyone forgets why they are bowling in the first place.
Mimi is a wife to Jamie, mother to two grown up children, a mother-in-law and a grandmother to a darling little grand-daughter. She home-educated her children and now teaches exam subjects to groups of home-educated children. She's a Worship Leader in her church and has a passion for helping women raise children to adulthood with a strong faith in the Lord Jesus.