The New Rhetoric of Youth Ministry

2003 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 8-19
Author(s):  
Kenda Creasy Dean
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Christian Education ◽  
Practical Theology ◽  
Youth Culture ◽  
Youth Ministry ◽  
Youth Programs ◽  
First Century ◽  
Christian Community ◽  
New Rhetoric ◽  
The Church

Surprisingly, despite the litany of crises that ushered in the twenty-first century, the rhetoric of despair that once typified the conversation about mainline Protestant youth ministry shows signs of softening. This article traces three developments that have gathered momentum in the last thirty years to set the stage for a rhetorical change of heart surrounding youth ministry. Today's conversation about ministry with young people aligns itself with practical theology as well as Christian education, claims as its context global postmodernity as well as youth culture, and interprets its curriculum as the spiritual practices of the Christian community, and not simply as youth programs. Armed with a broader purpose, a broader context, and a broader curriculum, the present discourse surrounding youth ministry suggests an emerging "rhetoric of hope" as it sets out to redefine the church as well as youth ministry itself.

scholarly journals The connection between youth ministry’s division of evangelism and discipleship, and the lack of retention of youth in North American churches

2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenneth A. Moser ◽  
Malan Nel
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
Young People ◽  
Practical Theology ◽  
Youth Ministry ◽  
Dropping Out ◽  
Evangelical Church ◽  
Evangelical Churches ◽  
American Churches ◽  
The Church ◽  
Pastoral Practice

The evangelical church in North America is facing a crisis in its failure to retain young people. Research has shown that young people are dropping out of the church and they are not only leaving but also failing to return once they are older. This crisis did not appear in a vacuum; it is the result of the church’s movement towards a style of programming that has created a division between evangelism and discipleship. This style of programme not only seeks to reach those outside of the church at the expense of those youth in the church but also creates a dichotomy between who we are (our identity) and what we do (our mission). The church must seek to remove this dichotomy between identity and mission and utilise strategies that work with our identity rather than against it.Intradisciplinary and/or Interdisciplinary Implications: This article is an interaction between practical theology and pastoral practice in Christian ministry. The crisis of youth leaving evangelical churches in North America is because of the dichotomy between mission and identity. Once this dichotomy is erased, mission will be a natural outworking of identity in youth ministry.

Youth Ministry as a Practical Theology: Making a Case for Youth Ministry as an Academic Discipline

2003 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 68-83 ◽  
Author(s):  
Malan Nel
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Christian Education ◽  
Practical Theology ◽  
Youth Ministry ◽  
Academic Discipline ◽  
Children And Young People ◽  
Vital Part ◽  
The World ◽  
Practical Theological

Traditionally Youth Ministry is seen as an appendix to Christian Education. Many still do not even consider it to be an academic discipline within it's own right. Nel's conviction is that ministering to youth is the broader field and should be researched, studied and taught as such. The new well established paradigm of what Practical Theology is opens up new possibilities to explore and make a case for Youth Ministry as a sub-discipline within Practical Theology. Of such a sub-discipline Christian Education is a vital part. Youth Ministry however is more than Christian Education. It includes research of the present governing theories as well as the praxis. Only a Practical Theological approach to this field and ministry will bring about scientifically sound new theories arid a new praxis whereby and where in parents, churches and other agencies will be empowered to minister to the millions of children and young people around the world

scholarly journals PENGEMBANGAN KURIKULUM PENDIDIKAN KRISTIANI

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-15
Author(s):  
Branckly Egbert Picanussa
Keyword(s):  
Curriculum Development ◽  
Christian Education ◽  
Christian Faith ◽  
Education Curriculum ◽  
Literature Study ◽  
Christian Community ◽  
Education Foundations ◽  
Church Ministry ◽  
Church Life ◽  
The Church

Some Christian education experts have expressed their views on how the church should develop a curriculum to educate church members to achieve maturity in the Christian faith. This article purpose to develop a curriculum for Christian education in Church ministry. The method used is a literature study on the opinions of D. CampbellWyckoff and Maria Harris. The characteristics of Wyckoff and Harris's opinions and various responses in "imaginative dialogue", as well as modifications of the Christian education Foundations, Principles andPractices schemes of Robert W. Pazmino became a model to develop a Christian education curriculum in church life. The development of the Christian education curriculum begins with setting the goal of implementing Christian education for a group in the Christian community. Furthermore, curriculum development requires thecontribution of various development foundations, including biblical, theological, philosophical, educational, scientific and technological, historical, socio-cultural, ecclesiological and psychological.

New Age Spirituality and the Integrity of Christian Education and Youth Ministry

2000 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Wright
Keyword(s):  
Christian Education ◽  
Youth Ministry ◽  
New Age ◽  
Contemporary Dance ◽  
Dance Culture ◽  
Cultural Boundaries ◽  
Christian Understanding ◽  
Gospel Message ◽  
New Age Spirituality ◽  
The Church

THE AGENDA OF Christian education and youth ministry has been dominated in recent years by a concern to relate the Gospel across cultural boundaries. Such a relational hermeneutic needs to be supplemented with a hermeneutic of resistance in situations in which the culture of those to whom the Gospel message is addressed is incompatible with the integrity of Christian faith. Contemporary dance culture is identified as just such a context. Its post-modern and new-age credentials may be traced back via romanticism to traditions of esoteric gnosticism fundamentally opposed to the Christian understanding of reality. This is especially the case in its rejection of meta-narrative, reliance on the immediacy of experiential sensibility, and failure to achieve an adequate anthropology of being-in-relationship. However, the possibility of a Christian hermeneutic of resistance is undermined by a failure of the church to hold fast to an adequate Christian stance in these areas.

A Psycho-Theological Synopsis of Youth Culture and Faith in Africa

2004 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 28-36
Author(s):  
Saneto Maiko
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Youth Culture ◽  
Developmental Theories ◽  
Theological Perspective ◽  
The Church

In this article, Saneto Maiko considers the need for the church to develop the faith of young people in Africa. Maiko is concerned to develop his theory from a sound theological perspective alongside the developmental theories of Erikson, Fowler et al. Maiko's reflections on the African situation speak powerfully into other perspectives too.

scholarly journals Revisiting the practice of Bible-translation: The need to engage ordinary believers when translating the Psalms

2018 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
June F. Dickie
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Practical Theology ◽  
Oral Communication ◽  
Basic Training ◽  
Biblical Poetry ◽  
Church Ministry ◽  
Bible Translation ◽  
Language Groups ◽  
And Performance ◽  
The Church

Many young isiZulu speakers find the 1959 Bible translation difficult to read and understand. However, they are interested in getting inside the black box of Bible translation, and being participants in the process. Moreover, they have a culture of composing and performing poetry, which lends itself to their involvement in the translation and performance of biblical poetry. An experimental study sought to see if Zulu youth could compose translations of some praise psalms and perform them such that the community would accept them as ‘biblical material’, and relevant and engaging for young people. The methodology was to invite interested persons to participate in workshops that provided basic training in Bible translation, features of oral communication and performance, Zulu and biblical poetry and Zulu music. The participants then made their own translations of some short psalms, and performed them as songs, rap or spoken poetry items. The results suggest several benefits that could be replicated in other situations and with other language groups. These include new, vibrant ways to share Scripture, and a means for individuals to engage with the Scriptures and ‘own’ the translation. In conclusion, there is an open door for ‘ordinary’ members of the community (especially those interested in poetry and music) to contribute significantly to poetically-beautiful and rhetorically-powerful translations of biblical psalms. Moreover, the experience they gain will not only support the discipleship ministry of the church, but also its outreach to other young people, drawing them in by engaging and relevant performances of the biblical message.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: This study challenges the traditional perspectives of Bible translation and Practical Theology, suggesting that ‘ordinary’ members of the community can enrich the translation of biblical poetry, and their engagement in the process can have many positive outcomes in terms of church ministry.

Educating youth ministers in the Anglican Diocese of Sydney; John Kidson and the Youthworkers Course

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-25
Author(s):  
Ruth Lukabyo
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Youth Ministry ◽  
Historical Analysis ◽  
Educational Model ◽  
Youth Ministers ◽  
The Bible ◽  
Counter Culture ◽  
The Church

Abstract This study is a historical analysis of the education of youth ministers in the Anglican diocese of Sydney in the 1970s and 1980s. John Kidson ran the Youthworkers Course with the goal of educating professional, specialised youth ministers that could evangelise young people who were influenced by the counter-culture and increasingly disengaged from the church. Kidson used a distinctive educational model that emphasised relational outreach, transformative community, praxis, and the importance of the Bible. His goal was only partially met. He trained youth ministers that were able to communicate with and evangelise non-churched youth, but there were small numbers being trained, and few remained in youth ministry in the long-term. The Youthworkers Course and its strengths and weaknesses can be used as a case study for churches and colleges today as they consider the best way to educate youth ministers.

scholarly journals Effective Youth Ministry: Embracing a family-orientated approach

2014 ◽  
Vol 48 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Philippa Strong
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Spiritual Growth ◽  
Youth Ministry ◽  
Reformed Theology ◽  
Church Community ◽  
Contributing Factors ◽  
Adult World ◽  
Role Players ◽  
Christian Maturity ◽  
The Church

This article embraces the Sola Scriptura approach of the reformed theology. Firstly, the article focuses on the crisis in Youth Ministry, namely its inefficiency in leading young people to Christian maturity. It addressed one of the contributing factors to the crisis: the isolation of youth from the adult world, and particularly from their own parents and the larger church community. From the Sola Scripturaprinciple, a family-orientated approach to effective Youth Ministry is proposed where parents are expected to take responsibility for their children’s spiritual growth. The church should then support parents and families in this process. Different role players in a family-orientated Youth Ministry are identified and some new perceptions regarding their different tasks are proposed.Effektiewe Jeugbediening: Omhelsing van ’n familie-georiënteerde benadering. Hierdie artikel ondersteun die Sola Scriptura-benadering van die reformatoriese teologie. Aanvanklik fokus die artikel op die huidige krisis in Jeugbediening, naamlik dat Jeugbediening nie effektief toegepas word om jongmense tot volwasse Christenskap te lei nie. Dit bespreek een van die bydraende faktore tot hierdie krisis: die jeug se isolasie van die volwasse wêreld − spesifiek van hulle eie ouers en die groter kerkgemeenskap. Vanuit ’n Sola Scriptura-benadering word ’n familie-geörienteerde benadering tot effektiewe Jeugbediening waar dit van ouers verwag word om verantwoordelikheid vir hulle kinders se geestelike groei te neem, as uitkoms voorgestel. Die kerk behoort dan ouers en families in hierdie proses te ondersteun. Verskillende rolspelers in familie-georiënteerde Jeugbediening word geïdentifiseer en ’n paar nuwe insigte aangaande hulle verskillende take word voorgestel.

Encountering the Gospel through Confirmation

2019 ◽  
Vol 76 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-25
Author(s):  
Terri Martinson Elton ◽  
Richard Osmer
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Holy Spirit ◽  
The Body ◽  
Body Of Christ ◽  
Christian Community ◽  
The World ◽  
The Holy Spirit ◽  
God's Mission ◽  
Bear Witness ◽  
The Church

Confirmation is a ministry aimed at strengthening young people's understanding of faith, deepening their experience in Christian community, and equipping them to discern their calling to join in God's mission in the world. As the church engages in confirmation, young people encounter the gospel anew and congregations bear witness to the redemptive love of God and the covenant of grace into which all Christians are baptized. Learning from and with each other, within and across denominations, enhances confirmation as a discipleship ministry for young people. But it does more than that. As the body of Christ comes together to help young people encounter the gospel anew, lives are changed and become open to the Holy Spirit. Embracing our call to share the gospel and cultivate faith within young people not only serves the church today, it invests in the future.

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