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Monthly youth leaders column

Do we need the youth group?

Youth groups? Do we need them? They always seem to have been around but they are a relatively new phenomenon in church life.

In the ‘old days’, when the family went to church, they all went, sat together, and went home again. It was assumed, sometimes wrongly, that parents would be training their children in spiritual matters and that training would include the family attending church. Those were the days, some might say. That was when children were always obedient and happily sat through church services. I doubt it.

Family first

Of course, the major part of a child’s growth in maturity must come from their family however that family is made up. They clearly have a responsibility to train their child in the ‘discipline and instruction of the Lord’ (Ephesians 6.4, ESV). God gave parents the gift of that child to train in obedience and to teach and model what it means to be a believer. That job is never completed until the day you die. Many parents don’t find this easy, particularly if they don’t have Christian parents themselves. They have little to base their training on and, if their church gives them no guidance, essentially they have to work it out for themselves.

Church helping

One of the greatest needs in our churches today is to help parents find ways to help their children grow as disciples of Christ.

But the church is God’s only plan for Christians to grow together in Christ. Parents who are believers want their children to follow Christ as Lord and master. But increasingly in the secular world, children are given freedom to express their own convictions and are given a massive selection of belief systems which are deemed to be equally valid. We have to ask the question — what is most likely to enable our young people to follow Christ in the days of multi-faith? If it is to be part of a church service and that service engages with their doubts and questions, then let’s do that.

But if the opportunity is not given for young people to express their doubts and questions in an atmosphere where they can verbalise their issues, they may feel that this environment doesn’t help them. We need a place where young people can grow as Christians and, inevitably, that will involve them asking questions relating to their issues. That means a youth group must provide that ‘safe’ environment where the young people can search for biblical truth under the guidance of godly leaders.

John and Fred

Then let us consider John. He is 15 years old and passionate about his faith — he longs to be a faithful soldier and servant of the Lord. He gets to meet Fred at school and talks to him about his faith. Fred comes along to the church youth group and gets converted. He is now a babe in Christ — he needs nurture and quickly. If that can be achieved in our church services, then let’s do it. But we may find that is not easy to achieve. We need a place where Fred is going to be able to learn more about the faith into which he has come. Youth groups are vital for this purpose. If we get converts, they need food.

A youth group that provides a place of fellowship and teaching is going to give new disciples the best chance of growing into mature believers. We have many examples of people currently in church leadership who were saved as young people and were cared for in their youth group. So please let’s see the maturing of young people as something for which parents have prime responsibility, but where the youth group can play a vital role.

Dave Fenton

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<< January 2011 >>