Wednesday, June 29, 2011

What is a Student Ministry?

I have been working on a definition of what student ministry is and I want to hear your thoughts.

A Student Ministry is...

"A ministry of the local church that assists parents in the evangelization and discipleship of students." 

What do you think? Have you come up with a definition of your own? Please offer any thoughts and critiques.
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3 comments:

  1. sJune 30, 2011

    A post that I am preparing is: "How our theology of the family affects the praxis of Youth ministry."

    Thoughts:

    1. I like the order of Evangelization and Discipleship

    2. I like the term "assist" associated with parents.

    3. This is a ministry to the Local church, therefore, is this youth ministry exclusive in its ev. and disc. to the youth within the confines of the local church and parents only belonging to the local church?

    Critique:

    1. What does the "assist" look like? The supremacy of the father's leadership is essential in the youths life. Therefore, my direction would create, as an essential form of the ministry, discipleship to the parents.

    2. The focus of the ministry seems to be directed to the youth. What is the involvement of family life within this definition? My question I am working through is, how is youth ministry and discipleship affect the homelife. Therefore, Fathers and family are a priority. To "assist" parents suggests reinforcing what they should be doing, but a further question is: How is youth ministry ministering to the "family" while having a focus upon Jr. High and Sr. High?

    My Purpose statments consist of the following. The grammar needs to be re-worded upon looking at it again, but the general idea is there:

    The goal and purpose behind our Sr. High and Jr. High School ministry is to equip parents and walk alongside them in the teaching and training of their children to become radically transformed through encountering Jesus Christ in the Gospel. Fruit of effective ministry is that every person would desire to grow spiritually in their devotion to God, to the Word of God, prayer, worship, and the exercising of their gifts. This in turn would cause them to edify each other, function well in their family, submit to the elders within their congregation, proclaim the Gospel to their community and the world for the glory of Jesus Christ, and develop disciplines of spiritual growth and worship.

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  2. Paul StewartJuly 19, 2011

    I totally agree with this philosophy, but our ministry is also, "creating an environment and events that appeals to the interest of the youth so that we can reach them directly with the gospel."

    I would imagine you guys spend time doing the same thing. So do we be honest and put this into the definition of what student ministry is? Or leave it out since it is not our primary focus?

    I like that Shawn used the phrase "walk alongside" - instead of "assist". But I would still add the element that we work directly with the youth as well.

    Here is my take, "Our youth ministry purposes to walk alongside parents in the evangelization and discipleship of their children, and work hard to create an environment in which the student can better understand the gospel."

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  3. Paul StewartJuly 25, 2011

    Is your ministry know as being Christ-Centered or Child-Centered? For some of your parents it will depend on how much fun your kids are having?

    Should our children's/youth ministries be know for having fun? Or is being serious and reverent the only way to properly train our children?

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