We are continuing our series on youth ministry. These is not a how-to manual on doing ministry well. They are just little nuggets of wisdom that I’ve picked up along the way. If you missed part one, it was about loving your students well, and you can find it here. Now on to part two.
Youth Ministry Nugget #4: Teach the Bible.
Now again, we are living in the obvious, but I just can’t skip. Yes, I know you know this. But I also know when I was a youth minister, I spent a vast majority of my time doing something besides teaching my kids the Bible. This needs to be the focus of our ministry for a number of reasons, but to me the main one is this: The Word of God can change the lives of students.
That IS what we’re trying to do. And this is the way that happens. Not through games, or songs, or videos. The Word of God brings life. All the other things we do should be enabling their connection to the Word. I see teachers go to school for however long they choose to, in order to teach basic concepts to students, to understand how a specific child learns and help them. Youth ministers learn how to do all these other things, and then we throw the Bible out there and hope that it sticks. Now I’m not saying you’re a bad preacher. That’s not it at all. I have no idea. I just think the Bible has to be a huge part of youth ministry.
Youth Ministry Nugget #5: Trust in the Gospel.
We try so often to spice it up. To make it attractive. It’s not. The gospel is a stumbling block. A life preserver is only beautiful to someone who realizes they are drowning.
We don’t need to make the gospel something it’s not. We need to trust that in its simplicity and complexity, God will draw those hearts He desires to Himself.
Youth Ministry Nugget #6: Be careful about teaching what you learned that day.
When we learn something, we get so excited and we want to teach it immediately. But honestly, we’re not really qualified to teach that yet. Does that mean God cannot use that? Of course not, but then, God spoke throught a donkey as well. When you learn something, commit to study. Dig deeper. Understand it in the context of the whole Scripture. Share it with your community, not your students but your peers. Let them challenge it. Begin to walk it out. See what this truth looks like in real life. Then let God birth a teaching that is full and whole, not just a t-shirt slogan.
Thoughts?
Todd
Thanks for the Nuggets, They fit well with something I read this morning in IMMERSE, An article called ‘changing the Rule Book’, Written byTash Mcgill,
It doesn’t matter if it is to kids in a youth group, or codgers like me in a Bible study, the Bible and God need to be the main focus period! We spend so much time on feeding people’s felt needs or desires that the majority of our “groups” have very little to do with God, His glory, or our growing deep roots in the faith. This is something I have struggled with for a few years now, I don’t need a Bible study tailored to fat old white comic book fans, I need a Bible study that starts with, focuses on, and ends in God’s Word – we all do.
BTW: My almost 5 year old walks around singing “I Need No Other” all the time, and is now going to be singing it at church in a few weeks. BUT, in order to keep her on track with it (begin to end), she needs the music, or else she gets into a loooong line of choruses. I’ve looked to no avail, do YOU know of a place where I can buy and download a copy of the sing either without the vocal, or split-tracked, etc? It would be a BIG help! Thanks!
God bless you and yours, will be buying the new disc very shortly!
serloren
It doesn’t matter if it is to kids in a youth group, or codgers like me in a Bible study, the Bible and God need to be the main focus period! We spend so much time on feeding people’s felt needs or desires that the majority of our “groups” have very little to do with God, His glory, or our growing deep roots in the faith. This is something I have struggled with for a few years now, I don’t need a Bible study tailored to fat old white comic book fans, I need a Bible study that starts with, focuses on, and ends in God’s Word – we all do.
BTW: My almost 5 year old walks around singing “I Need No Other” all the time, and is now going to be singing it at church in a few weeks. BUT, in order to keep her on track with it (begin to end), she needs the music, or else she gets into a loooong line of choruses. I’ve looked to no avail, do YOU know of a place where I can buy and download a copy of the sing either without the vocal, or split-tracked, etc? It would be a BIG help! Thanks!
God bless you and yours, will be buying the new disc very shortly!
serloren
I wholeheartedly agree that the Word changes lives and needs to be taught. My encouragement to youth leaders is to teach it with great passion as a love story that reveals the heart of God through Jesus rather than a book of rules or beliefs or historical events. The only way to teach the Bible this way is to fall in love with the Word (Jesus) rather than idolizing the printed pages. Students and adults can tell the difference. Dogma does not change lives; love does. From Genesis to Revelation, the scriptures reveal the heart of God, his love, and his passionate pursuit of us to reconcile us to himself. Although leaders cannot force students to fall in love with God, they can create a thirst in their students to dig for more of what their souls have been yearning for–a Person who brings the scriptures alive because He is alive. Don’t settle for the “moral of the story” teaching; rather, offer them life-giving studies that bring healing to their brokenness.
First of all, I’m really impressed that you’ve learned how
to do a hyper link! Okay, now I’ll go read the rest of your blog…..
Okay, done reading. There’s a lot of wisdom in this one
Todd! God has spoken through His word and we don’t need to improve upon it. Of
course we can examine it and even attempt to place some things in historical
context (sorry, the history major thing coming out again) in order to gain a
richer understanding. But we have to remember that the Bible alone is God’s infallible
word to us, everything else should be carefully scrutinized to see if it lines
up with scriptural truth or not.
The last part of your blog requires a lot of discipline, but
you’re right.
Once again, it was great to have you here, and I hope you
make it back again soon. Blessings to you and yours…and yes, I am praying for
you. Tess
I especially liked Nugget #6. we need more Truth revealed in us and less scriptural slogans worn by us.