John 3:16
You’ve seen this Scripture at ball games on TV. Read it.
• What does it really say?
• What does it really mean?

How do the plans for youth ministry in your local church reflect your goal of making disciples of Jesus Christ?

The content of youth ministry needs to include happenings that create INTERRUPTIONS in the same old/same old everyday lives of our youth. Happenings might include
• challenging speakers,
• people talking about their faith journeys,
• films and other media that show God at work in people’s lives,
• youth rallies and revivals,
• youth retreats with themes that highlight how God is actively at work in people’s lives,
• traditional Christian behaviors (prayer, seeking and receiving forgiveness, Bible study, and so on).

Don’t be afraid or timid about doing the “God thing.”

It is like the young person at the Seder table—what actions, behaviors, or programs can you include in your youth ministry programming that will bring out the big-picture QUESTIONS?

Alert and/or train youth who are leaders and adult leaders to the fact that people are probably are going to be asking faith questions from time to time. Help many youth within your group to develop skills of listening and to be prepared to tell their faith stories. Be ready to share with God in being a part of their ANSWER.

Provide opportunities for youth to share their experiences of REALIZATION—“when the light bulb turns on.” This could be at

• sharing times,
• campfire and fireplace chats,
• times of personal testimony,
• services of rededication and commitment.

During those times, reinforce the faith significance of ACCEPTANCE and its vital role in beginning and moving forward on the journey of faith.

Share openly and lovingly the trials and tribulations of the journey of faith with all of the youth that are part of your youth ministry settings. Invite them to share in your spiritual GROWTH as you share in theirs. We will know that we are making progress when youth and adults in our group begin including bits of their faith stories in their regular conversations with one another.

Some Useful Stuff to Have Around

Sometimes a good interruption and questions can come from reading a thought-provoking brochure or booklet. Have some good ones to hand around wherever your youth ministries are centered. Make extras available for youth in your church to pass on to a friend. Check out your local Cokesbury bookstore or Cokesbury website and ask the church office about catalogs they get. Please read a sample of each piece thoroughly before you buy or distribute it. Some are great, but some are trash. Make sure that the content they include is theologically sound and appropriate for youth. Avoid negatively worded tracts. Look for the language of invitation.

A lending library of Christian videotapes, CDs, and audiocassettes could be a great investment. Use the same guidelines—always screen and preview.

Tip—check out Devozine, a devotional magazine for youth, from The Upper Room.

From Youth Reaching Youth, © 1998 by Abingdon Press. This material may be reproduced for educational purposes.

Other articles in the Youth Reaching Youth series:
Planning Visitor-Sensitive Youth Settings.
Faith Conversation Skills.
Making Disciples of Jesus Christ.
Telling Our Faith Stories to Youth.

B>Brought to you by your youth ministry colleagues at Cokesbury.