What is Youth and Family Ministry?

Youth ministry has got to be about more than catchy slogans and energetic youth directors.

Family-Based Youth Ministry is about accessing the God-designed structures of the nuclear family and the extended family of the church to help young people grow toward mature Christian adulthood.

I like to use the 6-5-4-3 model of Youth and Family ministry from the Center for Youth and Family Ministry:

SIX PLACES for shaping faith

1. Children and youth, recognized and empowered as disciples of Jesus Christ, use their God-given gifts in purposeful ministry.
2. Families are equipped and strengthened by their congregation to be the primary nurturers of faith.
3. Congregations are safe, inclusive, welcoming, and nurturing for all children, youth, and adults, as they live out their faith in the midst of community and the larger world.
4. Christians live their faith daily, experiencing Christ in Community, learning from, as well as serving the needs of community.
5. Children, youth, and adults experience God’s presence, learning from people from a variety of Cultures, while being part of God’s transformational work within culture.
6. Christians live in harmony with Creation, recognizing, receiving, celebrating, and caring for God’s handiwork.

FIVE PRINCIPLES for passing on faith

1. Faith is formed by the power of the Holy Spirit through personal trusted relationships – often in our own homes.
2. The church is a living partnership between the ministry of the congregation and ministry of the home.
3. Where Christ is present in faith, the home is church, too.
4. Faith is caught more than it is taught.
5. If we want Christian children and youth, we need Christian adults.

FOUR KEYS for practicing faith

1. Caring Conversations
2. Devotions
3. Service
4. Rituals and Traditions

THREE CHARACTERISTICS of Christian Disciples

1. Authentic
2. Available
3. Affirming

I would love to talk more with you about this and help you to discern how you can start to implement this within your own family. Feel free to hunt me down and ask!

Peace

Greg

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~ by sotpyouth on April 20, 2010.