Pastor Jim, who works with the youth at PF asked a bunch of youth leaders in the area to get to the core of their strategy and purpose in working with teens. You should go to Jim’s Blog and check out the comments that the other youth workers gave. They are really thought provoking. Below you will find my response as I think about my own ministry to teenagers.
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Wow, these are great answers to a hard question. Like my brother, I have been working with teenagers a long time. I jokingly say that I have either been a teenager or ministered to them since 1983. :-)I can sincerely say that at the core of everything I have done in youth ministry has been to help them to understand that they are loved, they are wanted (acceptance) and they are needed (valuable).
I feel those are the overriding needs that every young person is trying to have met and only Jesus provides genuine answers. So, my job in loving teenagers is to do everything I can, with every tool at my disposal, in all the power of the Holy Spirit to have them understand how Jesus sees them.
Sometimes it's teaching the Bible, praying and other typical "ministry stuff." But much of the time it's smiles, hugs, watching their soccer games or a host of other seemingly insignificant things
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