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David's Deliberations . . .

On Youth Ministers and Youth Groups:
Is It Time to Try Something Different?

10 May 2010
Many of us have either heard about or experienced first-hand the heartache produced as a "youth minister" goes astray from the truth of the word, or worse, leads his youth group (our kids) astray with strange doctrines or unscriptural practices. While acknowledging the wisdom in avoiding generalizations, Mark Twain makes the following point: "All generalizations are false, including this one." It seems that all generalizations, including those about youth groups, stem from a pattern of behavior or outcome. In other words, there is a bit of truth in any generalization. That having been said, generally speaking, our youth programs are not producing satisfactory results. While only some "youth programs" are successful in grounding and retaining our youth, we are surprised or shocked when a youth minister errs or a "youth program" fails to provide the desired result of conversion, grounding, and retention of the Lord's young people. We shouldn't be surprised at all when we consider the prevailing "wisdom" in the brotherhood in regard to hiring a "youth minister." The rationale goes something like this: "This is an important work, and we need someone to be dedicated to it full-time, who can connect with these young people; we need to hire a "youth minister." By the way, is there any mention of a "youth minister" or anything even remotely like it in the Scriptures? Or, do we have youth ministers because the denominations have them? If so, is this not parallel to Israel demanding a king to be like other nations? So, a congregation hires a young man (a youth himself by Biblical definition), barely older (or wiser) than the youths he is hired to teach and lead, simply because he is young and can "identify" or "connect" with the youth and they with him. He "identifies" with the youth, or they with him, precisely because he is still in many ways, a youth. Does "inmates running the asylum" ring any bells here? Some congregations have the requirement that this young man already have a wife so that he will be "settled down," and not distracted by the drive to seek for a helper fit for him (though he will be distracted by the effort of learning to live with his [relatively] new wife. See 1 Corinthians 7:32-35.) A congregation hires a young man right out of a preacher school or one of our Christian Universities because, as a part of his schooling, he has learned "how to be minister" and he has to "start somewhere and work his way up." "Start somewhere" means "start at the bottom" in the secular workplace. Are the young people in the church "at the bottom" of the priority list? "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over, but expecting a different result" (attributed to Ben Franklin and Albert Einstein). In light of the reported dismal statistics regarding the church's lack of retention of young people, isn't time to try something "different"? Denominations who are heavily invested in youth ministers and the programs that go with them are experiencing similar difficulty in retaining their youth as they mature into adults. The blame for failure here does not lie solely at the feet of youth ministers (who lack life-experience) and those (with the best of intentions) who hire them, but rather more at the feet of congregations and families. Jesus said the hireling cares nothing for the sheep (John 10:12-13), at least in comparison to the shepherd. Shouldn't those who have a vested interest in our youth be involved in the care of the flock's "little lambs"? The church does not need more "youth groups" led by "youth hirelings." Instead, each congregation needs to develop, as a part of the congregation as a whole, a community of like-minded young adults who could grow together and enjoy each other's company. As was common in decades past (and still practiced with success in some congregations), the families of the young people should be involved to organize and host events beginning perhaps with a monthly or semi-monthly "Family Youth Night." These would include the teens, of course, with a study time for them. Families would be encouraged to stay so that parents and siblings could build friendships and in turn begin to network together with other families. Elders and deacons with their wives would have a standing invitation to attend (and should make a point of it; after all, the shepherds are responsible for all the flock and should be engaged in the organization and motivation of this and every aspect of the work). Other Family Youth Events can be planned: skating parties, bonfires, picnics, camping trips, service events, ball games, and so on. Family Youth Nights can be expanded occasionally or permanently to include youth families from other congregations. As our teens mature into young adults, they would have this group from which to relate to each other and others' families, as they develop skills and maturity in preparation for the time when they are ready to begin courtship and seek a mate. In the meantime, they learn their relation to and importance in the congregation as whole. Now, what do we do with the young men who would have been the youth ministers? We hire them as ministers. We put them in the pulpit on a frequent basis, listen to their doctrine, and help them to refine it along with their speaking skills. We give them the seasoned ministers and elders as mentors who encourage and include them in all facets of church work: visiting the sick and shut-ins, calling on visitors, checking up on members who miss, conducting home Bible studies, attending the breakfast for seniors, teaching Bible classes for all ages (cradle roll, too), and working with our youth. We help them to become well-grounded and -rounded: knowledgeable, experienced, sound, confident in the Lord, and comfortable working with and for any segment the congregation. With these arrangements in place, our youth and young ministers have the environment and opportunity to develop into productive, well-grounded members of the Lord's body.

—David Carl Swanson