Youth Ministry: When to run a youth group
This is a quote from some guy here:
Principle vs Form | The key is to talk in principle, rather than form. There may well be principles that are universal - but what form they take may look entirely different depending on the context.
What do you think are the principles in thinking through WHEN to run a youth group?
What form does that take in your context?
There are idiots who claim to be youth ministry gurus who say it is stupid to run youth group on a Friday night. My guess is that one of the reasons they have small youth groups is because all of their "Christian" family kids are getting sloshed, stoned and sexed with their mates from school on a Friday night and are still too hung over to be able to turn up to church on the Sunday!Let me clarify a bit. I don't necessarily have a problem with youth ministries that don't run on a Friday night. Without knowing their context it would be hard for me to make the call. My problem is when people legislate and say: "You must not run a group on Friday night". So much has to do with context. Someone from outside my context is not the best placed person to determine the timing of our youth ministry.
Principle vs Form | The key is to talk in principle, rather than form. There may well be principles that are universal - but what form they take may look entirely different depending on the context.What do you think are the principles in thinking through WHEN to run a youth group?
What form does that take in your context?
Thursday, June 14, 2007 12:16:00 am
g'day, got to your site from Mike's and as someone who is thinking through lots of youth ministry questions here in Tassie at the moment, i've found it a pretty interesting read so far.
Here are my thoughts:
As for principles, it would depend, i think, on what your aim for your program is. For us it is to create something that is fun enough for people with any belief to want to come to, but that has a culture of people eager to share about Jesus (be that an on fire 12 year old or a 25 year old).
That means we want to be a open community of God's people. For us Friday night is the choice because 1. it is the culture of what has always existed (not a particularly good reason, but a reason none the less). 2. there is nothing else on at this time (school sport is on saturday, no school training, no need to have homework done by the next day, no need to be in bed as early as normal).
Good question to be thinking through! I like that your asking these questions.
And as a former boy from the central coast (a long time ago) i hope your doing great things there! top
Thursday, June 14, 2007 1:23:00 am
g'day chris. glad you could visit!
i agree that aim and purpose is a good place to start.
i think that the 2 reasons you have come up with are valid. #2 particularly.
former central coast boy... how long ago? where? etc...
central coast is pretty good - but hobart can have a close 2nd! top