Moving from activity based ministry to ministry by meeting needs.
For many years and in many churches, youth ministry has been focused on planning programs, events, and activities with the thought of keeping teenagers and young adults interested in church. Perhaps that has been our approach to ministering to youth. There is a place, of course, for activities and events, but in today’s complex world and media-driven culture, more is needed to be effective in ministering to young people. Today’s teens don’t need entertainment—they are exposed to plenty of entertainment outside of church. They need to come face to face with their need for a relationship with God and realize the importance of living out God’s plan for their lives through service to others. This happens with need-focused ministry.
Think about it—what really impacts the members of our youth groups? They may or may not remember the night of a planned activity, but they will never forget the hour you spent talking with them when they were facing a difficult decision. They might have fun at a party you plan, but they will always remember how you showed God’s love by bringing meals to their house when their mom was sick. And your great teaching may or may not stick, but the time they spent reading to homeless children will change them forever. It’s not enough just to keep today’s youth busy. They are looking for sacrificial love and a challenge to action, not just activities and events with a devotional tossed in.
Need-based ministry doesn’t eliminate all events and activities. You will still plan activities and events, but they will be chosen because they illustrate and reinforce the concept of service and meeting needs, not because we think they might be entertaining or draw a big crowd. Focusing on meeting needs places parameters around your planning, so that your ministry will be targeted, consistent, and will be most effective for your youth.
COMMON NEEDS OF ALL PEOPLE
This story is from the August 2017 edition of White Wing Messenger.
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This story is from the August 2017 edition of White Wing Messenger.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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