By Byron Washington Columnist
Youth in the United States, China, and Singapore face very similar issues. The cultures and norms may be different but the underlining issues are still the same. They want to be accepted and need somebody to talk to about issues of identity, sexual interactions, and being unsure about their faith.
Youth ministry is a tricky arena. Every church wants “great” youth ministry, which is often determined by the number of youth versus the impact. If a church has a large youth group it is seen as doing well. However, the litmus test for your youth ministry is when your youth leave (go to college, enlist in the armed forces, or start working), do they continue to grow and maintain their faith?
I recall doing college ministry and freshmen would arrive. By the third week of school, many of them from “good” youth ministries were on the verge of being lost. By the second semester, some of them were not sure about God, were confused, or in some cases, they did not even make it to the second semester. College is a challenging place, which is why their faith and foundation have to be strong so if they start sliding or hit a hard place, they know where to turn.
We can have the most entertaining and well-known youth ministry in the city or state. Yet, if the youth leave the ministry and do not survive the crucible of life apart from that ministry then we have to raise some questions.
All of this does not rest on the ministry or the youth pastor because people are going to make choices but our goal should be to see our youth survive and not just survive but to be better when all is said and done. When they return home from college or from a break in military service, we should be able to see true growth and not a “spiritual façade.” They are actually being able to see and sense that they have matured in their faith.
Local youth ministries cannot engage in “Spiritual Cold Wars,” where we are constantly trying to upstage the other ministries. Where the goal is to be the biggest or host the newest activities, we end up missing the point of what our ministries are supposed to be doing. Youth ministries should be connecting and working together and not creating territories, boundaries, and demilitarized zones.
Youth ministry is a balancing act and not every church will do it well. Yet, the main focus should be ensuring that when the youth leave that ministry that they know what they believe, know how to explain and defend it, and know where to turn when trouble comes knocking at their door.
