I have written previously about how youth groups in the United States should begin transitioning from an “attraction-based” model to a “mission-based” model. Today, I am adding some thoughts regarding the youth group’s relation to the church and the community.
In the mission-based model, the youth group is not a church within a church or an island unto itself. The youth minister must never forget that parents have entrusted their children to the youth group. The youth ministry exists as a special ministry to teenagers, for the church. Therefore, the youth group is directly accountable to the rest of the church. I believe the youth group must be going in the same direction as the rest of the church, and the youth minister is accountable to the pastor.
1. Two Extremes
There are two extremes in the relationship between the youth group and the church. The first takes place when the youth group is continually being served by those in the wider church but is never given an opportunity to serve anyone else. When this happens, the teenagers form the mindset of expectation, of receiving without giving. Then, the youth group thinks it deserves the support of the church, even though the group has done nothing to show the church why it deserves its support.
I saw the other extreme in a church that I ministered in during my time in Romania. The youth group did just about everything. The youth ran Awana for the kids; they had a special song service for the adults in every worship service; they taught the younger children to play the mandolins; they even held English lessons for the church. In this situation, the church expected the youth to do all the tough work, but rarely gave back to the youth group by sending them out in mission or in retreats. It was like pulling teeth to get the church to fund anything for the youth group.
2. Service in the Church
The mission-based model seeks to strike a biblical balance between these two extremes. The youth group serves the church and the church serves the youth group. Ministers would seek to include the youth in service to other areas of the church.
The youth should be integrated into the church, making sure their service is employed during major activities (Christmas, VBS, Awana, other ministries). They should also be serving in worship. Perhaps there could be a youth choir or youth ensemble, a drama team, or a puppet ministry to be used occasionally at the children’s worship service. The mission-based model seeks to involve the youth in a variety of church-wide functions, and not just youth activities and events.
When I was a child, my family attended a small church plant. I remember the teenage boys being the ones to take the offering during the church service. I always felt inspired and I wanted to be like those guys whenever I joined the youth group! It is important for the rest of the church to see the youth active and involved in church. When the youth group is isolated, the church misses out on being blessed by the youth, and the youth miss out on the blessing of being a blessing.
The Youth Group’s Relation to the Community
As the youth grow accustomed to serving the wider church, they will become increasingly comfortable serving the wider community. When the surrounding community thinks of a church’s youth group, I would hope that they would think of great teenagers who are constantly showing up to help in important endeavors. This is not only a good testimony for the community; it is also life-changing for the young people.
Youth can reach out to help the community, whether it is handing out water to marathon runners during the summer, or giving away snacks and water at Band Camp every year, or volunteering at the Salvation Army around Christmas, helping with the Angel Tree ministry, visiting nursing homes every month to sing, talk to and encourage the elderly, visiting shut-ins from the church, helping the elderly by seeing needs and then meeting them, perhaps by doing yardwork for those who can’t, helping paint a house or fix a roof. When parents or grandparents are in the hospital, why not send a group of teenagers to visit them?
Ministers need to lead the youth to look past their own personal needs and attention to the needy in the community and church. This way, they begin to live the Kingdom way now in their young age and will be accustomed to this way of living by the time they are adults.
written by Trevin Wax © 2007 Kingdom People blog
