As I have stated in a variety of places, youth ministry has experienced a significant shift in the past decade or two. Youth ministry, at least from my perspective, has become more theological and thoughtful in the last five-to-ten years as demonstrated by organizations and podcasts like the Youth Pastor Theologian, Rooted Ministry, D6 Academic, and Youth Ministry Institute at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.
One could also point to any number of books like Dean Borgman’s Foundations for Youth Ministry: Theological Engagement with the Teen Life and Culture,Mike McGarry’s Biblical Theology of Youth, Kendra Creasy Dean and Andrew Root’s The Theological Turn in Youth Ministry, or Gospel-Centered Youth Ministry put out by The Gospel Coalition. Academic journals are even taking the topic seriously, like the Journal of Baptist Theology and Ministry, the Journal of Youth and Theology, or the Journal of Youth Ministry. Moreover, there are institutes for youth ministry at places like Fuller Seminary, Princeton, and Yale.
To be sure, some of these resources are not friendly to Bible-believing Christians. And yet they seem to contain a more critical engagement with youth ministry. We have achieved part of what we had hoped for: a more theologically rich focus on youth ministry. But we must also assess whether the shift is taking us in the right direction. This article seeks to establish the direction we should head as we pursue a more theologically rich youth ministry.
The Fundamentals
As we think about orienting theologically rich youth ministry in the right direction, we need to ensure we always remember the fundamentals. A quick illustration may help. Last fall, my two older sons started playing tee-ball. One was four, the other was about to turn six. They learned a few things, but, for the most part, it was all we could do to make sure they ran the bases in the right direction and did not play in the dirt.
The following spring my older son turned six and was now in coach-pitch. To his surprise, many of these kids had played coach-pitch already. He felt like he was a little behind and was hesitant to play. But I told him he needed to work on a couple of basic things: throwing, catching, and hitting—the fundamentals.
At first, it was like pulling teeth getting him to practice in the backyard—that is, until he started to see himself improving. After he began to see improvements, we would go out in the back and spend time just throwing the ball back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. Then we would hit the ball, hit the ball, hit the ball. We even went to a minor league game during that time, and I pointed out to him that these guys, who were really good, would begin the game by throwing, catching, and hitting: the fundamentals.
What does this story mean for those involved in youth ministry? Since we are seeing changes happening in youth ministry, and some possible improvements, we might ask ourselves: what should we do? I recommend we remember the fundamentals.
The Five Solas
The real question becomes, “What are the fundamentals of theological youth ministry?” While we could enumerate a long list, the “five solas” from the Protestant Reformation are a good place to start: sola Scriptura, sola fide, sola gratia, solus Christus, and soli Deo Gloria. You may have heard them as: (1) Scripture alone, (2) faith alone, (3) grace alone, (4) Christ alone, and (5) to the glory of God alone.
These five solas help orient youth ministry (and ministry in general) away from individual desires and back toward God. The solas focus on His word, His gift, and His grace. This truth flies directly in the face of any kind of person-centered ministry. It also lays an axe to ministries and/or ministers that have bought in too deeply to the success syndrome. Two quick examples may help.
Focusing on sola Scriptura in youth ministry means that Scripture is sufficient for instructing us in how to grow a ministry. A sola Scriptura ministry practices the clear ways in which God has told us in Scripture to grow His church. We find these practices throughout the New Testament, and they are prominently on display in the book of Acts. Often you will hear people call them the “ordinary” means of grace. That is because these are the things we do ordinarily. They are not some kind of silver bullet or quick fix. However, they are the week-by-week, day-by-day kind of ways of growing in the Lord, individually and corporately. And they are rooted in Scripture. These means of grace are not flashy. You might even think to yourself, “Is this it?” Yes, this is it. “Read your Bible, pray every day, and grow, grow, grow” is true. These means of grace, found in Scripture, are the ways of growing in the Lord.
As another example, we should also apply solus Christus to our youth ministry. If salvation is through Christ alone, then my ministry must be Christ-centered. With this kind of theological ministry focus, Christ becomes the focal point of all we do in ministry. Everything we do and say revolves around Him. This fact is not just in our teaching but also in our motivation. Our desire is to know Jesus and to make Him known. Your teenagers should never leave a youth session without hearing something about Jesus. Making Christ the center of our ministry causes all of us to live missionally because we want others to experience the same grace and faith we have in Christ. This approach forces us to push back against moralistic ways of doing ministry. Instead, we make much of King Jesus.
The five solas, when rightly applied, help emphasize the distinction between what Martin Luther called a theology of glory and a theology of the cross. At first blush, we might think a theology of glory is good, but think of it more as a theology of self-glory. Think here of two columns. On one side you have a theology of glory. This theology emphasizes human effort, sees God as a means to an end, views evangelism as arguments to be won, and focuses on self-protection and legalism. On the other side, you have a theology of the cross. This theology emphasizes God’s work, sees God as the end of all things, views people as image-bearers, and focuses on self-sacrifice and grace. There is a world of difference between these two approaches.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, theology drives methodology. What I think about God and His truth for the world affects everything I do in ministry. I need to get my theology right, and my methodology should follow. Let us then make sure, as we are heading into a more theologically rich time of youth ministry, not to forget the fundamentals. Let us harken back to the basics of Scripture alone, by faith alone, through grace alone, in Christ alone, to the glory of God alone.
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