7/30/2021 by Larry Barker
This year’s SOAR conference had over 1100 youth in attendance with solid Biblical preaching that challenged all of us to “Pause.” We set up a booth (healthychurchpodcast.com) to interview ministry and youth leaders and ask them why all of this time and effort is important. We even reached out to several youth pastors and leaders to give us some bullet points on why student ministry does matter. Here is an open disclosure, it does matter! I am so thankful for leaders who loved me and poured into my life when I was a teenager. Having been a youth pastor and having had youth pastors on my staff, my prayer has always been that youth pastors would be another layer of support to the family, parents, and students.
Here is how some have responded to why student ministry matters. Donny Parrish reminds us that “the majority of people in the United States are saved before the age of 16 and that the opportunity for discipleship is optimized at an early age. It is a great opportunity for the church to partner with parents and aid in leadership development.” He also emphasized the importance of lifelong relationships in a Christian environment and the opportunity to minister contextually. Having observed Donny for a long time I would say he is one of the best I have ever seen at always seeing the potential in every teenager God crossed his path with.
Dan Carson shares, “The future of the church depends on student ministry. Lifeway Research shares that in a 2017 study, 66% of church-attending young adults are leaving the church after high school graduation. The eternal future of our students depends upon it. Barna reports that adults 19 and over only have a 6% chance of accepting Christ. Students’ ability to navigate society as a believer depends on student ministry. Beyond their eternal destiny, God calls us to help shore up their faith. As they go off to college or enter the workforce, they must be prepared for the opposition that they will face.”
Brad Faulk from Washington is a former youth pastor, church planter, and now the Pastor of Summit Church. He was one of the speakers this year and he states, “Student ministry offers our teens today what no other organization or club can give them and that is real love and real truth. In reality that’s not only what they need but what they want. Real ‘no strings attached’ love and straight-up ‘not watered down’ truth. God’s love! God’s truth! That’s why student ministry matters! In his message, he stated, “It is not cause and effect, but pause and effect.” Student ministry teaches youth to spend time with Jesus.
Jonathan Cofer is the new youth pastor at Antioch, Conway. He shared, “The faith of students can change culture and start revival in our nation and around the world. Family discipleship starts in the home and then goes out to reach the world. Non-Christian families can be reached for Christ and the church can be surrogate families. Students make a huge difference in our communities (after serving in student ministries in OK, TX, and AR) and I can tell you that without a doubt communities will support teenagers (sports, etc) if these students are on fire for Christ! Communities can change and see revival.”
Zach Lee from Oak Park in Little Rock, our youngest in the mix, shared with me that, “Student Ministry matters because we are called to reach the lost and there are students that are lost. Students want to have fun and student ministry incorporates a fun environment specifically generated towards students, which makes it easier for them to be more attentive to God’s Word. It allows certain men in ministry to follow a specific calling to shepherd students. It draws specific students into the church that otherwise wouldn’t be interested in coming. Students need to know how to read, understand, and share God’s Word.”
How student ministry looks in your church can take many different shapes and forms but it is important to minister to the entire family and to students. Students need to be discipled to be disciple-makers and the best environment for discipleship in a church is quite often the students. The sooner they learn to read, understand, teach, and share the word of God as self-feeders the better. There are multiple examples of student ministries where students are discipling students. At Cornerstone Baptist Church in Jacksonville, TX, where I pastor, the most vibrant, growing, exciting, and disciple-making part of our church is our youth.
Some other thoughts from these men included that student ministry better incorporates students into the entire body o,f the church. Throughout and that throughout history you discover that some of the largest movements of revival began with teenagers on fire for the Lord and were concerned enough to begin praying for revival to spread. Never forget that God may send you youth who receive no encouragement or support at home. They are being raised in an environment void of any spiritual influence at all. Youth must be discipled in a Biblical worldview because when heading off to college they will be inundated with a very naturalistic, humanistic, and even atheistic worldview.
Youth ministry does matter and it has a powerful impact on so many. More next week on why student ministry matters!