New Year New You (and New Youth Ministry)
3. Going deeper into the wilderness.
I’m a Lord of the Rings geek, and one of my favorite lines is, “Not all who wander are lost.” I love this because it reminds me that exploring the unknown is central to our calling. In a world driven by social media, it’s easy to assume that our youth merely want to be entertained.
I’m finding the opposite of this to be true. Today’s kids want to ask hard questions and go deeper into the Word of God. They no longer want to know if God is real. Instead, they want to know what it looks like if God really cares about them.
This generation’s moral foundation is subjective, and they like to filter it through their circumstances. This means the truth of Christ and his radical love can be lost on them. So I’m spending more time training our small-group leaders how to graciously handle tough topics. And we’re discovering that creativity is critical in what we do.
I’m not afraid to try new things and take new risks to help students know the heart of Jesus better. This approach has generated more discussions, station experiences, and activities than ever.
So for a new year new you, dare to challenge and grow kids’ faith.
Happy New Year New You(th) Program!
As a student of my teenagers, I find solid leaders and know how to help them lead. And as leaders step up, we gain the traction to try new approaches to impacting students. I can’t wait to see how the new year leads to new youth ministry.
This article by Leneita Fix originally appeared here.
