Youth work and ministry?
Much has been said on the blogs, in discussion (face to face and virtual) and books on the tension between youth work and youth ministry.
Today I was over at http://www.infed.org for the first time in a while.
This article by Carole Pugh put a lot of that stuff in perspective!
The whole thing is worth a (slightly long) read.
I was struck by phrases such as:
"Evangelical youth workers have been seen as 'indoctrinators' and 'brain washers' whose obsession with conversion reduces their interest in developing self reliance and maturity, eyes are clouded by ideology they see young people as 'spiritual scalps' "

"Is Christian nurture different from Christian youth work?"

"motivation sets Christian youth work apart, as it is based on beliefs, which to non-Christians may seem unfounded. While the concerns around social justice may appear the same, the agenda is different"

I'm not wanting to rehearse tired arguments, or get bogged down in dualism, but the article brings us back to the question - what is the goal of Christian youth ministry? What does success mean for us?