I think everyone is concerned about today’s youth.  They are struggling in ways that are almost insurmountable.  They battle with extreme loneliness in the middle of the most connected world that has ever existed.  They are facing dangerous emotional health issues, so much so that even the Surgeon General has addressed the problem.  Compared to previous generations, they have more of so many things. They have more stuff, more free time, more entertainment, and more money.  They have phones that cost more than previous generation’s yearly clothing budget. Oddly enough, in some areas, they also have fewer things than previous generations. They have far fewer strong families.  They have less fathers and less father-figures.  They have less satisfaction and less purpose.  They have less joy, peace, and love.  How do you minister to this generation? There are many, many answers, but here are a few that I am convinced are vital.  

1. Take advantage of wisdom, experience, and spiritual maturity. 

Youth ministry, by nature, tends to be lead by those who are younger.  There aren’t too many youth pastors who will remain in youth ministry as they grow older, although some very effective youth pastors have done so. Having younger ministers for youth has great advantages, sometimes just because they are, well, young.  They have energy and enthusiasm. They have an understanding of youth culture that tends to diminish as one gets older.  I support young men in youth ministry who are well trained and who are influencing teens with Bible truth. However, I will also add that youth ministry “help” is quite often populated by the spiritually immature who themselves are only recently removed from their youth. They have not yet gained maturity and wisdom nor have they had time to grow via experience.  While I am not necessarily opposed to younger people helping in youth ministry, I do believe that we are missing the influence of wisdom, experience, and spiritual maturity.  And we need those influences.  Said in another way: It is very rare to find youth ministries who are incorporating older and spiritually mature believers into the work.  It is my observation that it makes a difference.  One of the major assets my children had as they were growing up was that they were heavily influenced by older believers, some of those whom they still “look up to” even today.  When we placed them under the influence of younger believers, we always chose those who evidenced wisdom and maturity far beyond their years. It made a huge difference!

2. Preach.  

I believe that nothing can take the place of preaching!  Some place greater emphasis on activities and discussion groups than on the preaching of the Word.  While such groups can certainly have their place, they can easily become nothing more than a “this is what I think” discussion instead of a  “this is what the Bible says” one.  This sometimes happens because we are depending on younger and immature believers to act as leaders.  The result is that preaching is undermined.  A younger and immature believer (or older and immature believer too, for that matter) who does not know “what the Bible says” and who is still living in Ephesians 4:17-23, will hurt rather than help our teens.  It is because their only recourse is to share opinions rather than impart Biblical truth.  Preaching helps with that.  Re-reading my first point above can as well.  Preach truth.  Teach truth.  Make it clear and reasonable.  Make it pointed and specific. Young people love when you can take truth and teach it to them in an understandable way.  And it makes a difference.

3. Build their conscience.  

When we teach truth and principles from God’s Word, we should be specific enough that it helps our young people to have awakened consciences.  Warning them about the dangers of alcohol, for instance, can be a great tool when they are faced with the temptation to drink.  Truth, through your voice and the convicting power of the Holy Spirit, can become the determining factor as to whether a teen will do right or do wrong.   We should all open the Scriptures and preach in such a way that our teaching builds a conscience sensitive to the teaching of God’s Word.  Teaching Bible truth about social media, dishonesty, alcohol, dating, and fornication makes a difference. Trust me, it works.  No, trust the Bible. The Bible works!

4. Spend one-on one time when it is possible.  

Small groups do have their place, but one-on-one time is far more important.  We don’t even have to add more to your schedule to do so.  Text them. Email them. Check on them. Schedule time to talk to them.  Are you working on a project?  Do so with a teen.  Are you making a visit?  Do so with a teen.  Are you taking a trip? Take a teen.  Adding a young person to the normal events of our lives can allow us to accomplish tasks while simultaneously influencing them in real time.  Deuteronomy 6:6-7 teaches this principle in relation to parenting.  We train our children and teach them truth during the normal events of life (sitting in our house, going to bed, getting out of bed, and walkling through life). And speaking of parenting . . .

5. Strengthen their families as much as possible. 

Every church should have family training sessions that help our young parents know how to train, correct, discipline, and direct their children.  Parents who are raising teens need help as well.  And here is where wisdom, experience, and spiritual maturity can be of great help.  A 25 year old youth pastor who has no children can schedule mature believers to help him.  He can offer books written by godly leaders.  He can depend on his senior pastor, church elders, deacons, and even widows.  He can be the leader who makes it all happen, while at the same time tapping into the wisdom, experience, and spiritual maturity around him in the local church.  Together with the entire pastoral staff, speakers should be sought and conferences should be held that encourage, direct, and correct.  All of us need the encouragement.  We often need the direction.  Sometimes we need the correction too.  

Youth ministry is hard. Our youth are worth it. May God help all of us to find increasingly stronger ways to make a difference.  

What do you think?  Do you have other ideas?  I would love to hear from you.

Thanks for reading.

Your sincere friend,

Dave Young