Youth Ministry is a church problem
I've probably said it before, but I still find it amazing that most times I go to a church to help them think about youth ministry the issues end up being with the wider church in some way.
For example:
Problem with youth discipleship? Usually means lack of intentional or thought out spiritual formation with adults.
Problem getting youth to integrate to "adult church"? Usually something more than just a problem with the youth!
Problem getting volunteers? Often about sense of ownership and vision in wider church.

I realise its never as simple as my examples.
But time and again I'm struck by a comment from Mark DeVries:
"When leaders in churches began to see teenager's growing disinterest with the church they responded like a good mechanic: isolate and fix...but the Christian community is not a machine. In fact the "solution" of isolation created a much worse problem. Because teenagers are an integral part of the body of Christ, perhaps we would be better off to approach this problem less as a mechanic would and more as a physician would" (Family Based Youth Ministry, p43).


Youth Ministry
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