Abstract
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.
Highlights
I write this article as a youth ministry practitioner and a teacher of youth ministry in Canada
Reflect on a youth ministry promotional video or clip that you may have recently seen. Is it built on Christian practices and activities that typify a Christian gathering (Bible reading, prayer or songs of praise)? Or, does it show a group of youth running around engaged in some energetic activity? The goal of this article is not to espouse a dour youth ministry, but rather to point out that the identity of youth ministry has shifted from spiritual characteristics and pursuits to those deemed culturally attractive at any given time
Bosch’s insights here are helpful as he encourages the Christian community to see that it is in mission where we find our true identity, as we bring the message of new life and salvation to this world (Bosch 1991:83)
Summary
I write this article as a youth ministry practitioner and a teacher of youth ministry in Canada. The church in Canada, as well the United States to our south, is in a crisis because of a failure to retain young people. Citing the coming changes that would impact young people, he wrote, ‘continued modifications of the current system will not keep up with the changes in the world in which we live’ (Senter 1992:29). Very little youth ministry has a lasting impact on students’. His contention was that we need to ‘completely change the way we do youth ministry in America’ (Yaconelli 2003)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
