Parents back in Youth Ministry

High school life is really in a bubble. It is in it’s own world tucked away from the real world. It is an entire existence, an entire culture, that has little to do with real life. Yes, it is all about preparing adolescents for adulthood but the culture, or subculture, has overtaken most families.

True, teens do experience real life. Pregnancies, addictions and empty spiritual homes are experiences all too real to teens. So real that it affects them for the rest of their lives. The affects are so large because that bubble burst. Bubbles are good for baths, protection, and may even provide a safe, or sterile environment to learn that formula to ease teens into adulthood and responsibility. But life, adolescent life, spiritual life shouldn’t always be in a bubble.

What inadvertently has happened is our youth are growing in their faith but it is often outside of the church family. When these youth grow into adulthood, very often the transition into the church family doesn’t happen and these now young adults are lost to the church. Maybe you too have heard other ministers describe youth ministry as “orphaning structures.” Why do your youth disappear after confirmation, or graduation?

It is because the now young adult’s only connection to the church hasn?t been grown. Fear plays a huge part in the success of or failure of youth ministry.

Fear of what?

Fear of being laughed at, not accepted, rejection, etc?..

What causes the behind youth ministry to be fixing what is broken, when in fact the ministry was never broken at all.

My wife Tracey and I have rescued dozens of teens through Christ from making bad choices, cutting, drinking, drug use, parent teen relationships, and bringing them closer to their Savior Jesus. This was not accomplished through a curriculum, or by becoming substitute for the church. Our volunteer efforts encouraged parents since most of the latter do not provide the spiritual direction and accountability that their children need.

But there is a problem here: kids take their cues from their family, not from their youth ministers. God’s plan was for the church to support the family, and for the family to be the front-line of ministry within the home.

Teenagers may glean some truths and principles from youth leaders, but the greatest influence in their lives will remain their parents.” “What are youth ministries doing to serve families? They are too busy to serve, and Mom and Dad are okay with this.

You may have parents who feel intimidated by your talented youth worker so they only drop their youth off for the youth meetings and do little else in the area of spiritual training?

Or have you had parents complain about the talented youth worker because he/she is not teaching their children the way they or the Pastor?s would like?

It is time to bring the parents back into youth ministry.

It is also time to bring the entire church family back into youth ministry.

How you do this can take many forms. This is a working resource adding new ideas and new resources from people who are trying out this new youth ministry model. We are here to help and inspire.

Brian Arthur Lampe
Tracey Lampe
CEO Ministries