Territorial Bloggings

Youth Ministry - No sir, I don’t like it!

Neither does Jon over at Beggars All. In a recent posting — Youth Pastors Anonymous — he lays out a wonderfully cogent and timely case against the ghettoizing blight that is “Youth Ministry”.

I agree wholeheartedly with Jon. Herding the youth off into their own ghetto is wrong on many levels. Congregations do not need to be divided over & against themselves in such a way. It serves no one, and it is not a faithful execution of that which is described in Acts 2:40-47. Neither should the OHM be devalued in such a way, for it belies a lack of respect for that which Christ instituted for our benefit.

I don’t understand this desire by so many folks to elevate kids & youth as somehow being unique & having different needs than the rest of church. As Jon puts it so well,

All this being said: A pastor must be discerning and must know which of his flock need milk and which need meat. The milk and the meat however are from the same cow. Children need milk and by the time they are confirmed they should have enough teeth to chew the meat. If a person is not ready for this meat – the pastor should exercise his authority and not confirm this person.

Catechesis is not a function of age and teaching must be tailored to the spiritual maturity of the subject. This spiritual maturity is not a chronological function it is a function of the Holy Spirit.

True dat.

-ghp