In my previous articles, I suggested that the dynamic of youth ministry revolves around the encounter between God and your young people in Scripture. I have suggested that young people need a voice in youth ministry to enable them to be able to work through questions, struggles and doubts. But what of you, the adult? What is your role in youth ministry?
Some models of youth ministry elevate the young people so much that the adult must be verbally absent. I am not saying that, although I have suggested it may be that we need to stop and listen more. Other models put the adult in the place of God as His mouthpiece - there is an element of that in preaching as there is external revelation to be communicated. But I would suggest that is not the key dynamic. This can often lead to the adult being the all-knowing guru, the sage on the stage, which can bring dangers of spiritual abuse and hero worship.
A fellow-pilgrim
The main dynamic the leader must take is one of fellow pilgrim. We are to be those who are still working out how to follow Jesus, still wrestling with questions and still plumbing the depths of the mysteries of the gospel. This means that we are doing what the young people are doing, we are just further ahead. We can warn them of issues that we have already faced. We can encourage them with how we persevered through the troubles they are facing. We can share the mistakes we made, where appropriate, in the knowledge that they are facing similar challenges.
'We are like an embodied form of the passage, a version that they can see and test...'
One of the most important aspects of this is sharing how we have encountered God in the text that we are sharing: ‘I was challenged so deeply that I’m not thankful in prayer like David is.’ For the young people, we are like an embodied form of the passage, a version that they can see and test. This will show them that we, too, are authentic Christians: ‘Imitate me as I imitate Christ.’ (1 Corinthians 11:1).
This, of course, can become forced and manipulative as can anything. But this also means we are not telling them what to do or moulding them into an idol of ourselves but calling them to 'work out their salvation with fear and trembling'. It gives us the privilege of walking alongside them in humility, not lording it over them - but being gentle and humble.
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