Youth Ministry

The ministry of youth broadly refers to the ministry in the church that strives to provide the variety of experience and opportunities that seek to draw young children and adolescents into accountable, active contribution in the life, work, plus mission of faith community as well as the greater church. According to Mariano (2011), it is a major factor in the development and life of the church. The youth ministry program remains as the major factor that assists in preparing the student for the effective ministry in churches to different levels of education institutions and their families within the full context of the local church or the par church organization. It forms the excellent means for both schools going students as it assists them in growing as responsible as they explore different values, ideas, as well as faith within the context of the supportive community inclusion of peers and adults. The purposes that come with youth ministry are many as the ministry is more than programs and events. The goals of youth ministry include empowering the kids in the church to live as faithful disciples of Jesus Christ in the current society. It draws teens to responsible participation in the mission, life, as well as works of the church community as it fosters the spiritual growth of every young person.

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Youth ministry has the purpose of helping the teenagers to integrate with ease into the larger community of the church. The department focuses on the idea o invitation of the individuals who are not already part of any church to be into the deeper narratives of the plans of God. The idea makes the ministry bring the teenagers into the closer relationship with the one another and Jesus Christ during their developments. The program of youth ministry remains as a church based centered on young people that foster the personal and spiritual growth. It works by drawing young people into responsible participation in their entire life as it empowers them to live as God-fearing individuals. The goals of the youth ministry are achievable in different areas that involve prayer and worship, community life, advocacy, evangelization, development of leadership, as well as justice a service. These entire sectors make the youth ministry to have the purpose of bringing up all-rounded and well-versed leaders in any religion as they can combat the challenges that come with the modern society. In accordance to Quinn (2012), youth ministry provides the sense of belonging as well as develops the individual to have a servant mindset making the youths have a constructive outlet for their needs for social growth. The ideas within the youth ministry enable teenagers to form their value systems under religion guidelines. These purposes make youth ministry to be vital in assisting teenagers to integrate into the community of the church as the ministry reminds the church that teenagers are not marginalized members but they are co-creators plus conspirators in the holy work of the church.

Gaps in youth ministry

The modern society, as well as culture, has neglected the well-being of the teenagers. The modern world has remained to prioritize on the false images of successful of operation and wealth of youth ministry rather than concentrating on the well-being of adolescents in society. The youths around the ministry have been unable to receive proper developmental assets from their teachers at school, their parents at home, and even at their religious centers like churches. Therefore, there is a need for the leaders of youth ministry in churches and parishes to incorporate contemporary approaches to the ministry. The idea has been able to modernize ineffective methods that had been in place as it establishes the foundation for proper growth for the youths in the current society. Additionally, the proper operations of youth ministry require finances (Glanzer et al., 2015). The lack of funding needed by the youth activities in appealing to the younger audience in the modern world has lead to a significant gap in the achievements of objectives of ministry. The initiative of holding fund raising programs by youth ministry in supporting the activities of youth ministry has been very helpful. Although in the process of fundraising, small teen numbers, as well as ineffective techniques of fundraising, has made the finances remain low for the operation of these ministries in different churches.

The idea of creation and maintaining the active youth program in churches needs a proper schedule, adult volunteers, and the right amount of advice to the leaders. In instilling discipline among the young people, parents need to partner with the ministry for the youth group to successfully collaborate with parents in ensuring control is maintained among the youths in their daily lives. Even though it is the responsibility of parents to discipline their children, the partnership between youth leaders and relatives will enable the leaders to know that they have the role of assisting parents in teaching their children (Koshy & Mariano, 2011). The development in youth ministry needs to mentor teenagers as it is integral to the success of the youth group in the church.

Theological rock in the book by Clark, Starting Right

The book of Starting Right" Thinking Theologically about Youth Ministry by Clark reveals that youth ministry forms the theological mission that exists between action of human as well as divine action. Religious rock like culture provides youth ministry with the deliberate development of reflections that enables responses that are original to the particular situation of young people in society. Practical theology according to Starting Right forms the reflection on the life of Christian as it focuses on the ideal moments, situations, as well as human practices where actions of Holy God intersect to events of youths as it transforms actions of human into something regard as holy and life-giving. According to Quinn (2012), practical theology remains as the primary discipline that zooms in the work focusing on service of the Kingdom of God making human activities be as communicative performance in the employment of the Gods work.

With the development of theological rock in culture, the focus on youth in youth ministry seems to misplace sight of the central information that it remains as church ministry. Youth ministry is also like other ministry and not so diverse from ministry with anyone in the church. Manifesting of ministry of youth as a theological duty need to take place when heavenly actions, as well as individuals actions, meet as people link the active work of divinity in the globe. Furthermore, ministry of youth should not entail that leaders bring divinity to the earth except just focus on elegant inclusion of humankind by God into every continuing action of man. Theological task points to facilitate people need to contribute in the current department of the Word of God while leading to the incarnation that that seems to celebrate the idea of humanness while not condemning the idea (Koshy & Mariano, 2011). Therefore, it is advisable that the young and aspiring Christian leaders among the youth ministry in churches need to read widely, ranging from people they agree with their opinions to individuals they do not agree with while making their judgments. The implementation of the theological task according to "Starting Right" by Clark advice that all the things need to be equal as the people who speak while confidence will easily rise to the top in guiding young people.

References

Glanzer, P., Hill, J., & Robinson, J. (2015). Emerging Adults' Conceptions of Purpose and the Good Life: A Classification and Comparison. Youth & Society. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0044118x15602918

Koshy, S. & Mariano, J. (2011). Promoting youth purpose: A review of the literature. New Directions For Youth Development, 2011(132), 13-29. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/yd.425

Mariano, J. (2011). Conclusion: Recommendations for how practitioners, researchers, and policymakers can promote youth purpose. New Directions For Youth Development, 2011(132), 105-111. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/yd.431

Quinn, B. (2012). Other-Oriented Purpose: The Potential Roles of Beliefs About the World and Other People. Youth & Society, 46(6), 779-800. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0044118x12452435