I have been asked on the other thread to offer up an alternative approach to student ministry. I will gladly do so but first I would like to point out that this is simply thoughts from my own personal reading and reflection on the matter. I do not have all the answers...just some thoughts. It will be interesting to see where we are at the end of this thread. If you completely disagreed with me on the previous thread then this one will make your head hurt for sure but I welcome any thoughts, good or bad.
First thing we must do is see what the bible clearly teaches on the discipleship of children. In Deut. 6 and Ephesians 6 its obvious that the home; the family; is central in God's plan for discipleship. Just chew on the magnitude of Eph. 6:1-3. The first commandment with a promise. How huge is this truth?? The first 4 are really a big deal yet it is the 5th commandment that God attaches a promise to. So there can be no doubt that the family is the primary and most important place for discipleship. I don't think this is too bitter of a pill to swallow. The first created institution of God was the family, not the church. Therefore, any student ministry that exist must make the parents; the family; the primary focus of their ministry (equipping them and guiding them to disciple their children).
A second passage of scripture I want to draw your attention to in the area of teaching young people is Titus 2. Older men and women teaching the younger. That is the model.
Why do I draw attention to these 2 issues? Because the current approach actually works against them. Not that it is bad altogether; it just works against what we clearly see. All of our bible study is age graded in our churches. So how are the older teaching the younger? Most youth ministry mission statements reflect a counter-biblical approach in that we want youth discipling youth when Titus shows this is not to be. How can a young man teach another young man how to live like a muture man? The answer is: He cant!
My proposed model would involve familes doing bible study and discipleship and worship together instead of splitting them up when they get to church. This model would provide a sound and biblical example to the kids whose parents are not saved. The youth pastor who is in his early 20's with gel in his hair can't be the father figure to the young man that is 16 whose dad is not saved. The youth minister is more like an older brother than a father. So let that young man study and worship with a family who has kids his age. Let that man disciple and teach that 16 year old boy how to be a Christian man.
First thing we must do is see what the bible clearly teaches on the discipleship of children. In Deut. 6 and Ephesians 6 its obvious that the home; the family; is central in God's plan for discipleship. Just chew on the magnitude of Eph. 6:1-3. The first commandment with a promise. How huge is this truth?? The first 4 are really a big deal yet it is the 5th commandment that God attaches a promise to. So there can be no doubt that the family is the primary and most important place for discipleship. I don't think this is too bitter of a pill to swallow. The first created institution of God was the family, not the church. Therefore, any student ministry that exist must make the parents; the family; the primary focus of their ministry (equipping them and guiding them to disciple their children).
A second passage of scripture I want to draw your attention to in the area of teaching young people is Titus 2. Older men and women teaching the younger. That is the model.
Why do I draw attention to these 2 issues? Because the current approach actually works against them. Not that it is bad altogether; it just works against what we clearly see. All of our bible study is age graded in our churches. So how are the older teaching the younger? Most youth ministry mission statements reflect a counter-biblical approach in that we want youth discipling youth when Titus shows this is not to be. How can a young man teach another young man how to live like a muture man? The answer is: He cant!
My proposed model would involve familes doing bible study and discipleship and worship together instead of splitting them up when they get to church. This model would provide a sound and biblical example to the kids whose parents are not saved. The youth pastor who is in his early 20's with gel in his hair can't be the father figure to the young man that is 16 whose dad is not saved. The youth minister is more like an older brother than a father. So let that young man study and worship with a family who has kids his age. Let that man disciple and teach that 16 year old boy how to be a Christian man.
