Your Definition Of Youth Ministry Will Shape What You Do

How you define youth ministry will inevitably shape how you do it.

Have you ever taken the time to write down a comprehensive definition of youth ministry? If not, it’s not a bad idea.

We all do youth ministry a little differently. And while there are common ingredients in our individual “recipes,” the exact amount of each can differ. You may put more emphasis on group activities or games than the youth worker down the road. She may have more emphasis on missions than you do. Sometimes the difference between youth ministries is due to denominational distinctives.

But my hunch, whether you realize it or not, is that your ministry functions out of your understanding of what youth ministry is.

Your definition of youth ministry shapes what you do.

There is another side to this coin. Maybe you’ve never really thought about why you do what you do.

Maybe you just do what the guy or gal did before you. Maybe you do what you were taught to do and you’ve never questioned it. If this describes you, now is a pretty good time to step back, define what you think youth ministry should be, and set out to build a ministry that achieves your definition.