Urban youth ministries are as varied as the churches in the body of Christ.  Each approach has its strengths and weaknesses, but overemphasis on any one aspect of youth ministry tends to nurture a limited and unbalanced adolescent spirituality.
In examining these approaches I have come to see there is another approach to urban youth ministry that can combine the strengths of these three varied approaches. I call this approach the Prophetic Paradigm, and it is my hope that an awareness of this approach among youth workers can contribute to increased critical reflection and dialogue regarding the best ways to do youth ministry in the urban context.
Comparing Three Approaches to Urban Ministry
The Prophetic Paradigm borrows something from each of the three major approaches, which I will summarize briefly. Each of these approaches is based on biblical models, each has its supporters, and each has its strengths and weaknesses.
1) Traditional
The traditional youth ministry paradigm, which is very common, develops a ministry-centered program that addresses the spiritual needs of urban youth. Programmatically, this approach emphasizes Bible studies, worship/liturgical services, religious education, and Sunday school that focus on discipleship.
At its best, traditional youth ministry challenges us to be rooted in the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. At its worst, it is more concerned with winning souls, indoctrination into a specific tradition, and engaging in spiritual warfare at the expense of addressing the social injustices of this world.
2) Liberal
The liberal youth ministry paradigm is very popular with mainline denominational churches, particularly within middle-class and upper-middle-class neighborhoods and in inner-city neighborhoods with churches that are led by theologically liberal pastors. The emphasis of this paradigm is on compassionate ministry for urban youth. Programs focus on meeting felt needs of urban youth, with special emphasis on therapeutic programs, support groups, mentoring, family-based initiatives, intergenerational activities, trips, arts and crafts, and choirs. Liberal youth ministry retreats are developed to help urban youth better understand themselves and their uniqueness and to nurture a healthier self-awareness.
At its best, the liberal youth ministry paradigm challenges us to address the personal and emotional needs of youth. At its worst, it tends to overemphasize the humanity of Jesus at the expense of the divinity of Christ, who is Son of God. Also, middle-class urban youth ministries may not fully appreciate the suffering realities of their urban sisters and brothers in the inner city.
3) Activist
The activist youth ministry paradigm focuses on developing an urban-ministry-centered program addressing the social needs of urban youth. Therefore, in order to meet these many needs, the activist youth ministry tends to offer after-school programs, economic empowerment programs, job-training, and social-justice initiatives. The guiding principle for the activist youth ministry is justice.
At its best, the activist youth ministry challenges us to be engaged in addressing systemic injustice and social sin. At its worst, it seems overly concerned with deconstructing traditions, fighting systems, and overturning institutions rather than growing in Christ.

Toward a Prophetic Youth Ministry Paradigm
I believe prophetic youth ministry is the most effective and holistic paradigm for ministering to urban youth. Unfortunately, it is also the least popular approach by current urban youth ministry practitioners.
The prophetic paradigm focuses on developing a Christ-centered ministry for urban youth. The assumptions of this paradigm begin with Christ, then develop a ministry for youth.
This starting point is significant. The traditional youth ministry focuses on youth ministry programs. The liberal youth ministry focuses on the personal felt needs of youth. The activist youth ministry focuses on the social concerns affecting urban youth. While all these issues are important, the prophetic youth ministry does not begin with these. The heart of the prophetic youth ministry is Christ—from Christ the ministry reaches out to address all three of these needs.
Prophetic youth ministry asks: How is Christ growing, deepening, and manifesting in the lives of urban youth? The outcome is a more holistic and integrative approach that seeks to address the spiritual, personal, and social needs of urban youth. For the prophetic youth worker, to address only one of the three aspects over and above the others is nonsensical.
The prophetic paradigm differs substantially from the three other approaches.
First, a traditional youth ministry may address the spiritual needs of urban youth, but does it help them deal with their personal and emotional needs? And does it speak out on behalf of social justice? A youth ministry certainly needs to share the gospel message with teenagers and help them to grow in Christ (meeting spiritual needs). But in many urban communities where schools are subpar, gang membership is growing, recreational sexual behavior is the norm, and homes may be in disarray, youth ministries need to provide academic help, personal encouragement, and emotional support (meeting personal needs).
It is important to note that many traditional youth ministries are now reaching out to youth in more nontraditional ways. They hold hip-hop concerts, minister in the neighborhood, or sponsor sports tournaments. While these approaches are certainly very important and may be evangelistically effective, they do not make a youth ministry prophetic.
Second, a liberal youth ministry may address the personal needs of urban youth, but does it help nurture a deepening and growing relationship with Jesus Christ? And does it speak out on behalf of social injustice? Many liberal youth ministries, particularly liberal youth ministries in the inner city, tend to be engaged in meeting the personal and social needs of their youth. However, they also tend to soften the radical social message of Christ as well as the gospel message that the assurance of salvation comes through Him alone. The prophetic paradigm affirms the liberal paradigm’s commitment to the personal and charitable concerns of youth but challenges the liberal paradigm to be more faithful to the traditional and orthodox gospel message, as well as to become more radically engaged in social justice.
Finally, an activist youth ministry may address the social needs of urban youth, but does it help nurture a deepening and growing relationship with Jesus Christ? And does it help deal with the many personal and emotional needs of youth? The prophetic paradigm certainly feels camaraderie with the activist paradigm’s social commitment, but it challenges the activist paradigm to be more faithful to the traditional and orthodox understanding of the gospel. Certain activist youth ministries have championed causes outside the traditional understanding of biblical orthodoxy. Some activist youth leaders have even embraced behaviors, actions and worldviews that are in direct contradiction with an orthodox understanding of the Holy Bible.
A prophetic youth ministry is committed to address all three components—spiritual, personal, and social. Programmatically, it offers activities and initiatives that address all three components, integrating many of the programs listed in the three other paradigms. A job-training initiative, GED preparation, tutoring service, group processing, or mentoring programming is added to a Bible study, worship service, or youth rally. Prophetic youth ministry retreats are developed to help youth better understand their relationship with themselves, with Christ, and with others.
The guiding principle for the prophetic youth ministry is transformation. How can youth be transformed holistically—spiritually, personally, and socially? A primary goal of the prophetic youth ministry is to remove the veil covering the soul of urban youth and show them how beautiful they really are. The call to transformation is to confront and transform the ugliness within ourselves (personal), within our hearts (spiritual), and within our society (social).
Prophetic Youth Ministry Defined
The biblical prophets were an unusual bunch. They were often misunderstood and disliked. They exhorted people to turn away from their sins and prepare for a day of judgment (spiritual repentance) and to change their ways of living (personal repentance). The prophets also challenged both spiritual and political leadership to initiate social justice (social repentance). Prophetic youth ministry seeks to do the same through the following seven distinctives.
Prophetic youth ministry is built upon three building blocks: a traditional understanding of the Holy Bible and Christian orthodoxy; the spiritual, personal, and emotional development of youth; and social justice.
Here is how the prophetic paradigm works in the urban context.
1) A prophetic youth ministry is Christ-centered. A prophetic youth ministry is centered first and always on Christ. While all youth ministries claim to be Christ-centered, the emphasis here is to distinguish the prophetic youth ministry from being programs-centered, felt-needs-centered or even youth-centered. A program may not necessarily need to be Christ-centered in order to be helpful or resourceful. However, if it is not Christ-centered, then it is rooted in something else and, ultimately, can neither be holistically transformative nor be biblically prophetic.
2) A prophetic youth ministry is fundamentally holistic. A prophetic youth ministry is philosophically and constitutively committed to address the spiritual, personal, and social needs of urban youth. A youth ministry which does not fundamentally root itself in all three of these components is not holistic.
3) A prophetic youth ministry is programmatically holistic. A prophetic youth ministry intentionally programs the youth ministry to meet the spiritual, personal and social needs of urban youth. A youth ministry which does not programmatically address all three of these components is not holistic.
4) A prophetic youth ministry engages its community. A prophetic youth ministry is committed to the transformation of its community, as well as to the teens that enter the church. It does not isolate itself from the community. It is incarnationally involved in the spiritual, personal, and social transformation of the community’s youth.
5) A prophetic youth ministry is liberational. A prophetic youth ministry believes Jesus Christ liberates urban youth—and all people—from personal and spiritual bondage, as well as social and systemic sin. It does not evangelize alone, without social action. And it does not address social action alone, without evangelism.
6) A prophetic youth ministry promotes eschatological hope. A prophetic ministry recognizes not all the promises will be fulfilled in this life but is demonstrating and pointing to the kingdom of God, which will only be fully realized in the future. This eschatological hope is one thing that distinguishes the prophetic from the liberal and the activist paradigms. A prophetic ministry succeeds when the prophetic message has been spoken and enacted, not just when it sees results in terms of actual liberation or change of social conditions. Yet this prophetic hope must be held without giving in to defeatism or inactivity.
7) A prophetic youth ministry is transformational. A prophetic youth ministry believes transformation is a process toward the fulfillment of the reign of God, in and through the lives of urban youth. The prophetic youth ministry begins with liberation and proceeds with transformation, a lifelong spiritual, personal and social process.
The prophetic paradigm toward the transformation of urban youth and their communities: It is faithful to the Christian faith, encourages a holistic worldview, and challenges youth ministries to be engaged in community development—meeting the spiritual, personal, and social needs of youth in its community. It honors Christ and urban communities.

Fernando Arzola Jr., or Fred, is Assistant Professor of Youth Ministry at Nyack College in New York City and the founder of Urban Family Empowerment. This article is adapted from his book Toward a Prophetic Youth Ministry: Theory and Praxis in Urban Context. Copyright (c) 2008 by Fernando Arzola. Used with permission of InterVarsity Press (ivpress.com).

Fred is Chair of the Department of Interdisciplinary Studies and Assistant Professor of Youth Ministry at Nyack College.  He also serves on the board of the Association of Youth Ministry Educators (AYME).  Fred received his Ph.D. in Religious Education from Fordham University. He has more than 20 years of experience working with youth in New York City. Most recently, he founded the Urban Family Empowerment Center, a faith-based community center initiative located in the Northwest Bronx whose mission is “to holistically empower urban families.”