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Part 3 Family Based Youth Ministry

Part 3- Family-Based Youth Ministry
Perhaps I should share some of my youth ministry guidelines with you- I do not bad mouth parents. I work to help teens understand things from their parents’ viewpoints and vice versa. When teens complain and whine about their parents I challenge them by putting the Bible in their laps and then ask them to show me from the Bible where their parent is wrong. If they can prove to me from a biblical stand point that they are right and their parent is wrong I agree to talk with their parent about it. So far none of them have found their parents to be wrong from the Bible’s stand point.
I regularly meet with parents and involve them in many of the different aspects of the youth ministry on a behind- the-scenes level. They are active prayer partners for their teens and for each other. I send out a weekly e-newsletter to the teens and their parents of all that is going on in the youth ministry and church in general plus a devotional. We have parent-teen events such as gym nites and game challenges. I work hard to listen to parents and their family schedules. The last thing most parents want is another program that has the family pulled apart in 3 different directions. There is no youth pew or youth seating section in my church- I encourage the teens to sit with their families and I sit with mine. The youth group meets on Sunday nites the same time as our children’s scouting program and the evening adult service. I lead a mid-week bible study for any that are interested. Right now it is a study for the young women and I am looking at doing a study for moms and daughters together.
Family-based youth ministry is about helping to reaffirm the family foundation. It is about helping build stronger bonds between parents and teens and coming alongside to continue the building of the spiritual foundation. It’s not about having 20 different youth events that exist only to keep teens busy and off the street and lead me to insanity.
Family-based youth ministry is also about the teens seeing my family as important. I think one of the pluses I bring to ministry is that I am a wife and mom before I am a youth pastor. When I hand my teens the monthly youth calendar there are big black Xs on the dates that are reserved for me and my family. My dear Mr. Steady is my right-hand ministry man- with us the church got a 2 for 1 deal- we are a ministry team. (The only events I do without him are the girls’ only ones). I often bring my children with me to [appropriate] youth events/activities. I believe it is important for my teens to see me interact with my husband and children. It’s important for them to see how I defer to my husband and how I handle my children.
End Part 3. Stay Tuned for Part 4.