Current Trends in Youth Ministry
What is happening in the current youth culture is exciting!
One of the questions I get asked often around the country is about the condition of youth ministry in our nation. Because I’m in the small, medium, and large church in the rural, suburban, and urban setting on a weekly basis, it gives me a unique perspective.
let’s look at a few of the trends in youth ministry that we cover in the new ythology resource book the study of youth.
What do you see around the country in youth ministry?
There are many things we have posted over the years in this blog, but, let me deal with three trends that I see right now.
First, one of the trends is the disintegration of the family.
This is no secret. We have lost the family structure in America. And much of what we are dealing with in the wake of this is not good. We need youth leaders to step up and model healthy family and fix this.
If we don’t stop this negative trend, it will only get worse. Capitalize on this moment. Seize the day. When things are the worse…that is when a Culture Producer steps up. And youth leaders are Culture Producers!
Just like David, Esther, Paul, and Jesus, each of us must pray and fast so that the Spirit will come upon us and we can impact our generation. We have to do the same things today that great men and women have done through the ages.
We are not just raising a fatherless generation anymore. We are raising a motherless and a siblingless generation. Students who do not know their family system. There is no correction or mentoring from the family because it is simply disjointed. And the condition of our society has mirrored the condition of our families.
One very practical way for youth ministry to stop this trend is to model healthy family. Here are a few practical ways to do that: Family devotions weekly, prayer at the family table or with the kids before bed, sitting together in church as a family, and youth leaders who invite students into their home to show them what a healthy home looks like. Look at this graphic of a vibrant and spiritual home.
Here’s another trend we deal with in the new book.
A growing creative fine arts and worship movement
with the rise in television shows such as American idol, dancing with the stars, and America’s got talent, there is a great emphasis and culture on personal talents and gifts. Aside from this the music revolution is at the center of teenage life. Whether the TVs, the movie screen, or Apps on their handheld device, young people are inundated by music.
This has caused a great growth in the emphasis of fine arts and worship globally.
America’s Got Talent
I believe the fine arts and worship movement could bring two things to youth ministry if we are wise and capitalize on this.
The identity teenagers are looking for.
Oftentimes teenagers do not realize how gifted they really are. When we allow them to be used in fine arts it can help them to understand their identity in Christ.I believe the fine arts and worship movement can bring theology to a culture of teenagers who lack a biblical worldview.
When students worship they begin to understand God in a real way that cannot be duplicated by many other mediums. The experiential and tactile nature of worship is a great way to teach students the nature and character of God.
You can accomplish these two things by programming worship into the youth ministry on a regular basis. Creating a night of worship or a combined youth rally with other churches in your area can be a dynamic way to use fine arts and worship.
We go into greater detail and insight on these trends in the new book. Additional trends that we cover include a growth in theology, racial diversity among Gen Z, and a hunger for the supernatural in this generation. it will be important for you to understand how these trends can influence the future of youth ministry.
Finally
Next week we are going to review the last section of the new book on the future of youth ministry. This will be an exciting look at what youth ministry could look like in the next 20 years if the Lord tarries.
You can purchase the book at www.amazon.com/JeffGrenell or you can order it right here on the website.