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The importance of youth ministry
The importance of youth ministry
The importance of youth ministry
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We all know the horror stories about being forced to go to church each and ever Sunday, and there are so many teens that see going to church as an inconvenience, but why do we look at it that way? Could it be because we don’t understand the concept? Maybe it’s because we think Sunday is our “sleep day” to catch up on the loss of sleep from the rest of the week. There are a lot of teens that enjoy church because they understand the concept, or because that is the only place they feel that they can be themselves. I can honestly say that I have been on both sides of this spectrum. I was once a teen who decided that every Sunday would be a day to sleep instead of a day to worship. Now, however, Sunday’s are the days that I get up out of bed at 8:00 and I go to church. I’m sure you’re thinking, why on earth would she want to get up so early just to go to church to sing some stupid songs and listen to some boring man preach? Well, for me… it’s therapy for my soul and for my life.
Things have a weird way of happening to me when I least expect them, and this whole church thing is definitely one of those weird things. I came to a point in my life about 4 months ago where everything was going wrong and I wasn’t sure what to do. My friendships were fading, my personal life wasn’t the best it could have been, and I definitely needed to reevaluate my lifestyle. Just when I thought that nothing could go right, along came this boy that changed me more than anyone has ever been able to. Although I didn’t expect it then, and I really didn’t notice until recently, he has made me a better person.
One day we were driving and he asked me if I wanted to go to church with him. A little skeptical at first, I agreed and that’s what started it all. Since that Sunday, I have been regularly attending Wesley Free Methodist Church and I can honestly say that I love it. The sermons are directed toward the entire congregation and not just towards one group, and they are definitely well thought out and well preached.
The best part about this church is that the youth group plays a big part in all that we do.
Christianity is one of the largest religions in world with believers spreading across barriers of language and culture. Christianity can come in many forms with beliefs on different subjects varying wildly, but there is one practice that remains relatively the same: church attendance. The ritual of getting up every Sunday morning and attending a church service including a sermon by a pastor and sometimes a smaller, more focused lesson given during what is called “Sunday School”, is something that is practiced by many faithful Christians across the world and the United States, in particular. Attending church is a practice that is integral to the Christian faith as it is shown in the Bible. It informs and impacts the lives of many believers of
Rainer, Thom S. I am a Church Member: Discovering the Attitude that Makes the Difference. Nashville, TN.: B&H Pub. Group, 2013.
I loved church. From belting "Father Abraham" to watching Gospel Bill videos to coloring pictures of David and Goliath, it was endless fun. The Sunday School teachers seemed immortal, and I loved talking to them, and I wanted to be just like them when I grew up. I learned to obey my parents and love my neighbor and speak in tongues. And of course I learned to love Jesus.
You no longer have to stress about your daily life issues, such as work, family, relationship problems, because you know as long as you pray to God, and ask him to provide, he will do just that. Trust also is important in the church, some things you share with your brothers and sisters and church leaders can be personal. In order for you to be able to open up to them, you must first, trust them to not tell others and ask that they just pray for you. Even if it may be a person trying to confide in you, they must gain your trust as well, so it’s important to have trustworthiness.
My high school was like any other, and within its walls, you could find the standard division of teen culture played out in three main categories: the popular kids, the nerds & the metal heads. Though the names of each clique may change from one generation to the next, the roles remain the same. On April 20, 1999, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold made history when they beseiged their high school in the deadliest massacre ever recorded in United States history for an American high school. In the aftermath of Columbine, the writings and videos left behind by the shooters made it clear that they were enraged by the low-level position imposed on them by the upper echelon of their classmates. With limited supervision in our public schools, kids are virtually free to create their own class society. This system of division is the epitome of savagery, creating a "survival of the fittest" atmosphere.
...tial ideas and theologies that are absolutely the cornerstone to having a healthy ministry. Ideas like community, grace, love, and forgiveness could all have their own paper written for them individually, but acceptance is absolutely essential to any ministry. To accept someone into your family, just like the father in the story of the prodigal son, is to share all of these values listed above. By accepting them we are showing them grace, love, forgiveness and belonging, that each and everyone one of them so desperately desires. If we as youth pastors can embrace acceptance and also use it genuinely and not as a technique for recruiting, then surely our ministry will grow both in numbers and in depth in the knowledge of the word of God. By doing exactly what God does for us, we can show His love, His grace and His mercy by simply accepting others into our family.
LaRue, Jr, John C. "A Glimpse at Christian Teens | YourChurch.net." ChristianityToday.com | Magazines, News, Church Leadership & Bible Study. 31 Mar. 2009 .
The religious fanfare in America is overwhelmingly Christian. There appears to be a major increase of interest in spirituality. However, there is a vast difference in the devoutness of churchgoers in frequency of church attendance. The manner in which these individuals attend church is influenced by their ages and also whether or not they have endured difficult life situations. After attending a few church services, one becomes very aware of the various types of attendees. There are three types of churchgoer categories: the Never- Miss-a-Service Churchgoers, the Show-Up for Sunday Morning Service Churchgoers, and lastly, but certainly not the least, Holiday Churchgoers.
Sonnenberg looks at the various different components that make up the bigger picture in the community aspect in a youth worship setting; these components are looked at systematically. In the article Sonnenberg and her fellow researchers addresses four aspects which are discussed theoretically which are the following: physical presence, empathetic and emotional equality, the opportunity to cross social and ecclesiological boundaries and sharing faith (Sonnenberg, Nel, Kock, & Barnard, 2015). In the quest to address the question the importance of these four aspects the researches firstly presented the importance of each of these aspects individually, by analysing previous research and looking at the background regarding these aspects (Sonnenberg, Nel, Kock, & Barnard, 2015). Additionally the researchers observed these four aspects in a practical manner by using various methods to collect data; the data was collected through pictures, videos, field notes, small group and individual interviews and conversations and through email correspondence (Sonnenberg, Nel, Kock, & Barnard, 2015). The leaders of the different organisations and youth groups were also interviewed (Sonnenberg, Nel, Kock, & Barnard, 2015). A study such as this is of great importance when it comes to a Church context but not only is relevant for the Church but for youth leaders and even how one goes about one’s daily
First of all, church has greatly influenced many different aspects of my life and caused me to be the person I am today. I have always been taught to treat others with respect and to treat them how I would want to be treated. This has caused me to try to be considerate of others' feelings and thoughts as much as I can. I also respect other people's property and take care of it just as I would my own. I have also been taught at church to respect those in authority including my parents, teachers, and elders. I also have participated in church activities such as choir and video production. This has helped me to improve my social skills by interacting with other people. These things have influenced me and made me the person I am today.
Teens reflect a culture all of their own within American society. The language that they speak, music that they listen to, and many aspects of their lives differ from that of past generations (Linehan 3). Therefore, many people of older generations tend to make judgments and assumptions about teenagers. These assumptions are typically based on the manner in which teenagers speak, dress, and present themselves. Because of these generalizations, faith of many teens is commonly overlooked. In a society where violence seems to be accepted and many teens are lost about who they are, faith can be the one bond interlinking a group of many. Despite occurrences such as the shootings April 20, 1999 at Columbine High School, and other negative aspects surrounding teenagers’ lives, there are still many young people involved and/or seeking a life with faith in Christ.
... into our lives and into the lives of the youth that we minister to. Hopefully with an understanding of these areas of theology we will be able to help our students grow in spiritual formation.
I grew up as a Southern Baptist. My family has always belonged to the same church and to this day my parents and my brother’s family still attend First Baptist Church in Forest City, North Carolina. One of the reasons Baptists are given this name is because they are not baptized as infants, but when they are old enough to understand the full concept of Jesus and the sacrifice He made for us. I accepted the Lord as my personal savior when I was thirteen and made a public profession of my faith by walking to the front of the church one Sunday morning. Many factors in the past have influenced my relationship with God and continue to do so daily.
Growing up, I was raised in a southern Baptist church setting. Every Sunday you were required to attend church which included going to Sunday school, first service, and second service. You were also required to be active in the church whether it be ushering or singing in the choir. For my foreign experience of worship I decided to attend a Catholic church. At first I was a bit skeptical about stepping outside of my background history of worship because I thought that attending a Catholic church may change some of my beliefs or practices. I will admit before my attendance to this Catholic Church I had negative thoughts and was determined that my paper would be only about negative experience that I had. Once I entered the church all of my negative thoughts were out of my mind. Prior to researching background information I really didn’t think that Catholics and Baptist had a lot in common, besides their belief in the faith of Jesus Christ. In my essay about my Catholic Church experience I will describe the physical setting of the church, tell you about the church service, and lastly tell
As a young child, I spent Sundays in the pews of various churches. My extended family had a wide variety of different denominations of Christianity. Some churches had loud music with singing and dancing, others lots of sitting and standing. But the