Why do we do youth ministry? At its core, youth ministry is about building strong faith foundations for youth, and helping congregations, and the wider community, to really see and understand young people. The reality is that being a young person today is much different than it was 20, 10 or even 5 years ago. A ministry to youth provides a space where we can ask young people, “what’s good news to you?” and “what are you searching for?” This is not to imply that youth should be segregated from the congregation, but that there should be a balance of space and offerings specifically for young people along with an appropriate integration into the life of the larger community of faith.
In this course, we’ll explore envisioning and building a thriving youth ministry. The course is designed as an interactive exercise and divided in sections. Each will provide an opportunity for you to “prepare, engage and reflect” on each topic. If every section were to be completed, with the group meeting weekly, this course would take eight weeks to complete. It is also possible to complete the course in a shorter period of time by combining sections based on your team’s availability. Similarly, this could be expanded, and the focal Scripture passages—merely used here as a discussion starter, and a backdrop for the youth ministry topics— could be used as a jumping off point for a whole Bible study for each gathering. We are hopeful that the person leading this effort will feel free to adapt what is provided to their particular community’s needs.