Youth Ministry & Para-church Organizations

The relationship between the church, especially youth ministry, and para-church organizations is a long-standing relationship.

Really, the beginnings of youth ministry can be traced back to a close working relationship with organizations like Youth For Christ in the mid-1900s, the YMCA in the late 1800s, and even welfare centers like soup kitchens and rescue missions in the early 1800s.

In my 38 years of youth ministry, I cannot remember a time when I did not have a strong relationship with the para-church organizations in my area.

It may have been Youth For Christ, Athletes In Action, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Young Life, or Youth Alive, but, the relationship between my youth ministry and these orgs was intentional.

Let’s do two things. Let’s talk about what a para-church organization is, and, why the relationship is so important.

What is a para-church or NGO (non-governmental organization) organization?

A para-church ministry is a ministry that operates outside of the confines of a traditional church. While many of these organizations have some type of connection to a church, they look at ways they can give back to the local community and others in need in ways that a church often cannot.

So, in general, a para-church or non-governmental organization (NGO), is similar to the local church, but will often have the freedom of operating in a faith-based or non faith-based approach.

Let’s look at two things on this podcast:

What is a para-church or Non-governmental Organization (NGO)? And, why is this relationship so important to the local church?

1. Most para’s will have two separate working components; non-faith and faith-based approaches.  This allows the para to fit within, let’s say a public school’s anti-proselytizing guidelines through a non faith-based component making it welcomed into the school as an assist and not a threat or violation to the school’s anti-religious guidelines.

2. The church will most often put lots of effort and resources maintaining church programs and ministering to already churched people. The para-church is much more comfortable in the context of the marketplace.

Too often churches will send people across the world on mission trips to minister but will not be as involved as they should in the local scene.

The para teaches the church about context and missiology.

3. The para organization is adept at the local scene and has built multiple intentional relationships with the government, education, and the private sector.

4. When the church youth ministry volunteers with the para, discipleship happens. It builds the faith of the church to be on mission at home. To practice our faith with our works.

5. When the church volunteers with the para, apologetics happens. In too many cases churched kids now feel too uncomfortable with their faith in the context of their world.

Para-church involvement of our students helps them contextualize their faith in the setting of their home, their school, their team, and their friends.

6. Many para-church organizations have intentional relationships with social services.  With so much depression and other teenage mental health referrals to counseling and social services, the church will have a great opportunity to follow paras into social service.

7. Some of my best leaders throughout 4 decades of youth work have been para-church leaders. They bring a maturity to the youth ministry. They also bring the advantage of connection and networking to the youth ministry.

8. A youth leader and a para-church relationship is special. The relationship that a youth pastor has with a para-church leader will be a resource for both of them.

It will bring a para-church leader some stability and resources if they get involved with the local church. On the other hand, the relationship with the local church youth ministry will allow para-church leaders to funnel converts to the local youth ministry as well.

9. As far as the youth pastor, the wealth of knowledge and networking of relationships that a para-church leader has is a great assist to the local youth pastor.

The circle of friends expands when a para-church or NGO and a local youth ministry develop a two-way relationship between each other. Relational capital increases exponentially through networking.

10. A healthy youth ministry requires a healthy symbiotic relationship with a healthy para-church organization. Both will benefit from the many open doors and avenues that para-church has built over the years.

Finally

If a local church youth ministry wants to build a more effective and healthy youth ministry, the para-church partnership is an important relationship that must be built. And, in the same way, the para needs the youth ministry for both to be able to effectively reach a region.