Passing it on: reflections on youth ministry

Christian Century, Oct 4, 2003

NISHIOKA: Many adult leaders of young people are so desperate for contemplation that they immediately assume the young people must love it as well. It becomes yet one more program that is laid upon youth by adults.

DEAN: One of the fallacies in the discussion on faith practices is that spiritual practice means contemplative practice. And that's simply not the case. Spiritual practices include prayer, but also acts of justice, generosity and stewardship, which have a very noncontemplative character. We need to reclaim a balance in spirituality.

On the motivation for youth ministry:

The church is called to be with the oppressed, the poor, the aching, the hungry. And youth are all of those things--psychologically, socially and cognitively. They're searching. They're hungry. They're "the least of these" in a lot of ways. The church is called to be there with them. That's why I'm in youth ministry. I also think that Jesus has a very real answer to the problems facing youth, and so that's why the church is in the business of ministering to youth in its own right, rather than just taking money and giving it to the Boys or Girls Club or to some other secular organization working with youth. It's not that if they accept Jesus into their life then bam! life is great! Accepting Jesus into their life does mean that Jesus is walking alongside them in their pain, frustration and loneliness. And salvation is wrapped up in that. Just because we're mainline doesn't mean we don't think

that Jesus plays a role in the salvation of souls.

--Mike Baughman, assistant pastor, youth ministries, First United Methodist Church, Somerville, New Jersey

On expectations of youth pastors:

Most youth ministries that I've seen are vastly undercapitalized financially and in terms of staff and volunteers. Plus, most youth pastors work with unclear job expectations---other than that their parking lot evaluation has to be positive. We feel guilty as mainliners talking about numbers, but people are always out in the parking lot of the church evaluating youth pastors based on how many kids are showing up. A senior pastor once said to me. "I don't care about numbers, just give me a quality program," He was lying. If I had two kicks show up, and I was making a full-time salary, he would care about numbers. Eventually I learned that I needed to have 100 kids there for him to feel like I was doing my job.

--Mark DeVries, associate pastor for youth and families, First Presbyterian Church, Nashville, Tennessee

On what the church has to offer:

We can go on a ropes course with youth and they might have done that at school or the YMCA, but if somehow we don't have another message or exegete another part of their experience, then we're missing something. Being Reformed, I believe that God is working with youth even before they know it. I want them to understand that God is working even when they don't see him. I see kids begging to be known, begging to be seen, desperate for attention. I think they need to be known by God, and to know who God is. I'm just this little vessel that can help sometimes.