Why Is Youth Ministry So Important
Every Christian is called to spiritual growth. As a person’s relationship with Christ deepens, the result is a growth in holiness and godliness in both thought and action. In 2 Peter 1, Peter points out that this growth does not simply just happen, nor does it occur accidently. Instead, the believer is to apply himself or herself, to be diligent, in order for spiritual growth to occur. While it is up to each individual believer to pursue spiritual maturity, such growth must take place within a covenant community.
The local church is a community of believers who have come together and covenanted to worship God and serve him by expanding his kingdom through evangelism and building up each other through discipleship. In the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20), Jesus commands his disciples to make more disciples. Part of that discipleship process was teaching new believers to obey Jesus. That means targeting both the mind and the actions. The church as a body of believers is to come alongside of one another to teach truth and instill doctrine as well as set an example and train each other to live the Christian life in a God-pleasing way.
As such, the church, as well as the individual, must be intentional in performing this task for all believers within the church, no matter their age. This task is especially relevant for the youth demographic within the church. First of all, it is important to lead the young people within the church to accept Jesus as their Savior and enter into a relationship with him. Second, it is important to disciple them that they might grow in that relationship and develop into mature disciples who are faithful to Jesus throughout their life, no matter the circumstances.
The young believer will face significant threats to their faith on a daily basis. There is an array of enemies that oppose God’s will for these young believers. One, they face internal pressures from their flesh. Two, the world seeks to instill in these believers its own set of values that are counter to God’s values. Three, the chief enemy, Satan, and his followers look to attack these believers so that they will not live out their faith in God, follow false beliefs, and/or abandon their faith altogether. The church needs to be aware that young believers (and many adult believers) are not naturally or automatically ready to face these threats. If the church does not intentionally work at leading its youth into spiritual maturity, it is setting them up to be victims in the spiritual war in which we are involved.
To that end, Beech Springs Baptist Church Youth Ministry (THRIVE) has a vision (WHAT) of seeing the students in its charge to become mature disciples of Jesus Christ. In order to do that, THRIVE has a mission (HOW) to develop students in its ministry to become whole-hearted, faithful disciples of Jesus, flourishing in their relationship with him. The purpose (WHY) of this ministry is to lead students in its ministry into spiritual maturity and faithfulness that they might be prepared to live for Jesus as a light in the darkness.