Wise people believe the why (biblical and theological foundations) should always inform and influence the what (programs and practices) of youth ministry. In practice, however, we often act without thinking much about what we’re doing, why we’re doing it, and how it fits into our broader strategy of serving young people.
The three wise people featured in this Foundations Roundtable want to help you make a stronger connection between what you do and why you do it.
Scot McKnight is a prolific author and professor in religious studies at North Park University in Chicago. According to this New Testament scholar, it’s the Shema—the ancient Jewish creed that commands Israel to love God with all its heart, soul, mind and strength—that’s the foundation for Christian life, a case he also makes in his book The Jesus Creed.
A pastor for more than 40 years, Gordon MacDonald is the chancellor of Denver Seminary and editor-at-large of Leadership Journal. Gordon is also the author of more than 20 books, including Going Deep, a book that uses story to explore how to cultivate spiritually deep people.
Amy Jacober’s Ph.D. in practical theology has helped her connect why and what. Amy is associate professor of practical theology and youth ministry at Truett Theological Seminary in Waco, Texas, and author of The Adolescent Journey: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Practical Youth Ministry.
YWJ: Is there such a thing as a biblical basis for youth ministry?
Scot McKnight: Not directly, but at the core of every observant Jew’s day was the recitation of the Shema: “Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and strength” (
It was the obligation of Israelite parents to teach their children, through example and word, the Torah as God’s way for life. In
Amy Jacober: Adolescence is such a new construct that it simply would not be considered as a biblical, categorical option. The principles of ministry, however, are applicable across the board. I ground my work in Chalcedon, meaning I model ministry after an understanding of Jesus. It was at the Council of Chalcedon in 451 that church leaders settled key Christological issues about Jesus being fully God and fully human. This demands paying attention to the spiritual and human sides of existence and to the spiritual and psychosocial sides within the life of a teenager.
YWJ: On what biblical and theological foundation should youth ministries be built?
Gordon MacDonald: Bible stories. When you grow up in the church, you learn Bible stories and get a story-driven faith. If you come to faith later, you get a propositional faith. You learn Bible verses, but rarely have an adequate foundation of Bible stories. When you’re thinking theologically, it begins with learning the stories of the Bible as they display the actions and character of God.
Amy: Historic doctrinal positions are as applicable today as they were hundreds of years ago. Ministry should be informed by the incarnation, the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ, imago dei, sabbath, sharing a holistic gospel with the world, caring for others and building a team for ministry.
YWJ: How have the biblical and theological foundations for youth ministry changed in the past 30 years?
Scot: Youth ministry has shifted from guarding and protecting the youth from the world to learning to live as followers of Jesus in a radical way. The foundation has shifted from salvation as rescue to salvation as discipleship.
YWJ: How should a youth ministry’s biblical and theological foundation shape its practices?
Scot: We have to work out how everything connects and fits with what we believe. Let’s say you value love or wisdom. If those are near the top of our foundation’s mission, then we have to ask this question of everything we d How does this event, time and teaching connect to loving God, loving others and to wisdom? If it doesn’t, we need to shift the emphasis so it does. If it does, we need to let it flourish.
Gordon: Biblical and theological foundations shape how we do things. Go back and study the way of rabbis. People are best transformed in groups of 12 to 17. Long before sociology came around, people intuited this. Jesus taught and then withdrew with His 12 and went deep.
Amy: The theological foundation of a youth ministry should be the lens through which everything is viewed. Realistically, many ministries just happen because youth workers are busy, and there are outside expectations that keep leaders from living their convictions. Even more common is a lack of theological reflection because ministers have not been encouraged to slow down and study, let alone articulate what they believe. A lot of ministry is spaghetti ministry: Throw a bunch of stuff out there, and see what sticks to the walls; and that determines the ministry. Ministry too easily can become shaped by what works rather than what flows from a biblical or theological foundation.
YWJ: What are the challenges of building youth ministries on solid biblical and theological foundations?
Scot: The biggest challenge is that we have to become a Bible-Story shaped people. We have to learn to read the Bible from beginning to end and not just rip verses out of context or master a systematic theology. We need to know the Story so we can live the Story. We have to master and be mastered by the Story. Doing this means we’ll have a Story that provides identity, meaning, direction and a future to our communities and personal lives.
Gordon: The biggest challenge is time. The good youth leader isn’t going to lead a normal life because young people need quality time, as well as quantity time.
Amy: Foundations don’t tend to be flashy or fun. They’re hard work and demand individual and corporate study, reflection and implementation. The church is not immune to the influence of a world that values quick fixes and spectacular results in increasingly shorter amounts of time. From a very different perspective, I also hear from many ministers that trying to build a solid theological foundation makes them lose focus. There’s a false belief that theology unnecessarily complicates ministry.
YWJ: One of the criticisms sometimes lobbied against youth ministry is that it’s shallow and lacking in foundation. Is this is a fair critique?
Scot: Sure, and surely not. I’ve met youth ministers who were shallow theologically and deep personally; who were theologically informed, but personally and pastorally stunted; and some who were shallow on both sides. Youth ministers are easy and often misdirected targets. Frustrated parents scapegoat youth ministers because they’d rather blame them than themselves. Pastors under pressure take it out on the youth minister. Here’s my experience: Youth ministers are dedicated, swimming in deeper waters than can be managed, and seeking to help the youth in those waters navigate their way up river. It’s not easy, and there’s no proven secret. So sure, there are shallow youth ministries. What to do? Change. Repent, pray, read the Bible, study and seek the wisdom of the wise who can point the way to deeper ministry.
Gordon: I’d be very reluctant to be critical of youth ministry. My first attempt at ministry was working with youth. By my own judgment, I failed many times. It’s easy for adults in the church to be critical of youth ministries when we see them playing games and having a lot of fun. We don’t recognize that when it’s done right, fun is another word for learning.
Amy: There’s a lot of depth in many youth ministries that are quietly honoring the Lord in their communities and encouraging adolescents to walk with the Lord for life. There’s also a lot of shallow youth ministry. Youth ministries are no less shallow than our churches. When we as adults are willing to take our faith seriously, spend time with the Lord and live out our convictions, the entire church will be strengthened.
YWJ: What advice would you give youth workers about how to develop a solid biblical and theological foundation for their youth ministries?
Scot: Find a wise spiritual director to whom you’re accountable as a follower of Jesus. Drop all chat about ministry and keep it personal. Find a wise youth pastor who’s done it well, and routinely check in with him or her about what you’re doing. Ask questions, and listen well. Insist that your pastor and/or elders treat you as a pastor. Meet with, learn from and challenge them. Let them challenge you to become a better Christian and minister. Read solid theological and biblical stuff. Go to theological and biblical conferences so you can be challenged to think beyond where you are now. Forget asking, “How will this help me in ministry?” and ask, “How can I learn more?”
Gordon: If you’re the one in charge, give 20 percent of your time to training people. A good youth leader is watching people in order to select candidates to recruit and train for two to three years down the line. Once you make the careful selection, invite these people to come close, study the Bible together and submit to discipline. Godly people are disciplined people who live out their conversion.
Amy: Get a mentor, nurture your own soul and be willing to learn from others—even those younger than you. Create a reading plan that includes how-to books, why books and books that encourage your own spiritual growth. If it’s a viable option, training and seminary are valuable. Get beyond the notion that preparation is not doing real work. Preparation is taking the work of a lifetime seriously.
YWJ: What else do we need to know?
Scot: A very important word in the Bible is wisdom, seen in respect for the elderly and in guidance of society by those with wisdom. Our culture is into innovation and newness, not wisdom. Youth ministry’s foundation is only secure in a wisdom culture. To create this, we have to value wisdom, the importance of those who are wise and guide our young adults into seeing the wisdom of the wise.
Amy: Theological conversations are much more than mental gymnastics. They’re conversations that lend themselves to faith, seeking understanding in real and tangible ways lived out in the world.
Recommended Resources
The Training of the Twelve by A.D. Bruce
Spiritual Leadership by Oswald Sanders
The Henrietta Mears Story by Marcus Brotherton
Ordering Your Private World by Gordon MacDonald
The Challenge of Jesus, The Kingdom New Testament and Simply Jesus by N.T. Wright
The Mission of God by Chris Wright
