Youth Oriented Ministry

Paper Summary:

In this article, the writer notes that a minister's responsibility is not merely to convey the gospel, as for that purpose, a parishioner could merely turn to the text. Instead, a minister's pastoral responsibility is to provide guidance to the members of a congregation, depending on their immediate spiritual needs. A minister must also creatively respond to the individual's unique social needs and take into consideration where he is located in his personal life journey history. Today, young people are faced with tremendous moral challenges about what makes a meaningful Christian life. The writer discusses that, although from a minister's view, the underlying message of finding fulfilling devotion in serving Christ may be the same for all Christians, the way that message is conveyed must be tailored to suit a person's current stage of development. The writer maintains that children must learn the gospel from stories that invigorate and excite them and older people must learn about the ministry in a way that suits their needs and life challenges, such as retirement and relating to their grandchildren.

From the Paper:

" It is important to recognize that children are children, that young people are no longer children, and that adults are seeking to better relate to their children. Today, young people may have the difficult task of going to a competitive institution of learning, have to face the pressure of work, classes, and the social pressures of peers, and still find a way of leading a meaningful life. Adults may face the pressures of balancing work, school, and home life. Even today's children have seen their country go to war, and may have had friends or loved ones participate in that war and may ask, how can God allow this to happen, how is the world still good. All must learn to exercise their critical thinking faculties, and in fact are likely to want to do so, and will do so amongst themselves, without prodding, even though young children may be silent upon such topics in the presence of adults. Ministers must find a way of creating a safe, directional, and nonjudgmental yet still faith-based place for all of these age groups to express spiritual concerns in a way that they will be 'heard.'"

Sample of Sources Used:

• Keeler, Randy. "Developmental Theory and Ministry to College Youth." Direction Journal. 31 (2). Fall 2002. pp. 186-193, 13 Jun 2007, <http://www.directionjournal.org/article/?1264>
• Snell, Gina. "Keeping it real: Churches compete against worldly temptations to reachteens," Kentucky Herald-Ledger. 9 Jun 2007. 13 Jun 2007. <http://www.kentucky.com/158/story/93008.html>

More papers on Youth Oriented Ministry:

• Essay # 24370 : "Youth-Oriented Films of 1960s Britain"
• Essay # 74266 : "Ministry of the Church"
• Essay # 137741 : "The Impact of Youth Violence in the Educational "

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: