At Milestone, we actively seek to transfer the hope of Jesus into the next generation of leaders. Elevate, our student ministry, provides environments where students can encounter God, connect with others, and align their lives with His mission. We are committed to providing an atmosphere that embraces young people in a totally non religious, yet uncompromising way. Our heart is to see students meet Jesus, grow in their faith, and influence the culture and community around them.

Nation often depend their future on the lives of the young people. The same is true with the Church. To have a firm and well-established Church, that will continue to deliver the Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, you must have a firm and strong youth ministry. Adolescent stage can be considered as the most dangerous stage in human life. These people, known as the youth, are subject to violence and different kind of danger that will grab them away from their faith. In the current generation, there are numbers of bad influences that may ruin a youth's life.

The best thing to keep them away from those matters is to keep them close to the arms of the Beloved. Youth who live and spent most of their time on Church really have a different attitude from those who live outside of it. These two kinds of young people also have different views and have different kind of future. Therefore, the Church has a big responsibility on the kind of path that the youth in their community may have. In order to keep the youth in the Church, there must be people who will lead them in the right path. Thus, there is a need to build a strong and leading youth ministry.

There are important steps that a church must consider in building a leading youth ministry. First thing is to focus on the youth that are present in the Church. Divide them in small cell groups with a spiritually matured leader that will help and guide them in their spiritual lives. It is important that each one of them will be involved in every discussion and will have a chance to share the kind of life that they have outside the church. Second, is to enhance their God given abilities and talents that will be beneficial to the church. This can be done through regular workshop and trainings that is sponsored by the ministry. Third is to have a regular fellowship among other young people inside the church. Bible studies and Sunday school classes are some ways where this step can be done. Fourth, is to invite them or encourage them to share their faith to their fellow youth in the community. Through this, the young people will become aware about the importance of their ministry within and outside the Church.

The church must also develop the leadership aspect of the youth's life in order to prepare them to their future calling. Their spiritual lives and prayer lives must be regularly checked so that they will not be subject to spiritual stagnation. By making them part of the whole church ministry, the youth will learn to value their faith. The most vital part in building a leading youth ministry is to help them develop a strong relationship with the Lord. They must be aware of the reasons why they go to the church and why they have their own ministry. A strong relationship and commitment with God will also help them to hold on and to keep on doing the ministry not just for ministry sake, but most of all because of their love for Jesus Christ.

Listen to their concerns, maybe even set up support groups, see them as friends of the youth ministry not as enemies.

I can still hear some of the most dreaded words from my childhood ringing in my ears. It is time for spring cleaning. I did not really fear the work, but I really feared losing my stuff. We can be the same way as student pastors. Many times we have the youth ministry resources that we have known and loved for years, and they have become like a security blanket for us. But we need to always be in a constant state of re-evaluation, and the materials we use are no exception. We may not have to get rid of everything, I'm pretty sure I still have a handheld version of Tetris somewhere. But we do need to at least look at everything and decide what is necessary. We need to ponder on what is still relevant to our students and our community. We have to ask the tough questions about whether or not what we are doing is working.

For example, I am sure you play some games. This category of youth ministry resources is probably the toughest one for me. Honestly, I do not enjoy games that much, and I go back and forth on whether or not we should play them. But I have found them useful for community building and for object lessons. Not to mention the usefulness of wearing out a middle school student or two. But I have learned they are not a one size fits all. A game may be great with one age group but not another. Or sometimes, groups are just different. One 7th grade group may be high energy, and want to run around, and next year's group may like to sit around a table. You have to be sensitive to this.

Sermons can be the same way. Are you preaching the same sermon over and over again? Is it working? Maybe it is time to change it up a little. There are plenty of youth ministry resource sites out there with fresh ideas for sermons and lessons. Why not check one of them out and see what happens.

We have to be willing to change in some areas and be flexible on occasion, but be sensitive to where this needs to happen. You do not necessarily have to literally throw everything away. Some things definitely come back in to style. But we do have to give everything a good look. Is it time for you to do a little spring cleaning?

However, whether you involve parents directly or not you still need to keep them fully informed of your plans and vision. Their children are their responsibility our task is to support them in their sons/daughters development.

Youth ministry is defined as a group of young people, usually in a church or religious organization that is aimed on pursuing certain purposes. For one, it encourages the youth to be more involved in their spiritual side, letting them profess their need for the Holy Word. It provides enriching and informative activities such as Bible camping trips, evangelical missions, service projects, and the like are also examples. Supporting these kids may lead to future leadership and camaraderie among the younger members as well.

If you'll get to ask some youth on why they joined a group, they would have different answers. Some would say it is a past time. Some were just invited or pushed by friends or family members. And some are really interested in discovering more about the Bible, which is definitely a good start.

Youth ministry resources are now seen as an important part of the church. It helps young people maintain that balance in their active lifestyles and still seek that much-needed relief from all the stress they're experiencing. Getting to know other members of their age also gives them an assurance that they are not alone. It gives them a wider perspective of the things they see around them. It provides them a whole, different angle of the world and what it actually is. Youth ministry must and does perform this purpose with the rest of the body of Christ.

Now we know the reasons why a youth group exists. Question is: Where do we start? That would always be the most difficult part. Remember though that the premise behind the ministry will be enough foundation for everything to push through. There are several options to consider before making one.

First, set your goal. Be sure that it is attainable. Recruit people who really know what to do and believes in the purpose of the project. Get them perked up and more energetic to fulfil their functions. Don't be discouraged. Of course, there would be stumbling blocks along the way. That is normal. Rome wasn't built in a day. It takes a few of that here and there and you'll get used to it. Treat it as a challenge. Do not take it too seriously. Bear in mind that everything will pay off eventually. And, of course, the sacrifices and efforts are all for our Lord.

Next, get support from everyone around you. Parents, teachers, your friends, and even colleagues might actually help you in some ways you never expected. A pastor's participation would be greatly appreciated, too. They are the leaders of the church and would be a wonderful addition. They could ultimately give quick advice as to how to make things work. Be accountable for all that's been assigned to you. Take responsibility for things and set up boundaries. Take note that you are trying to expand your church's community and not disrupting it. So there, those are just hints that you could apply. For your ministry to grow, develop a spiritual relationship with everyone that works within your community and the rest will follow.

Nation often depend their future on the lives of the young people. The same is true with the Church. To have a firm and well-established Church, that will continue to deliver the Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, you must have a firm and strong youth ministry. Adolescent stage can be considered as the most dangerous stage in human life. These people, known as the youth, are subject to violence and different kind of danger that will grab them away from their faith. In the current generation, there are numbers of bad influences that may ruin a youth's life.

The best thing to keep them away from those matters is to keep them close to the arms of the Beloved. Youth who live and spent most of their time on Church really have a different attitude from those who live outside of it. These two kinds of young people also have different views and have different kind of future. Therefore, the Church has a big responsibility on the kind of path that the youth in their community may have. In order to keep the youth in the Church, there must be people who will lead them in the right path. Thus, there is a need to build a strong and leading youth ministry.

There are important steps that a church must consider in building a leading youth ministry. First thing is to focus on the youth that are present in the Church. Divide them in small cell groups with a spiritually matured leader that will help and guide them in their spiritual lives. It is important that each one of them will be involved in every discussion and will have a chance to share the kind of life that they have outside the church. Second, is to enhance their God given abilities and talents that will be beneficial to the church. This can be done through regular workshop and trainings that is sponsored by the ministry. Third is to have a regular fellowship among other young people inside the church. Bible studies and Sunday school classes are some ways where this step can be done. Fourth, is to invite them or encourage them to share their faith to their fellow youth in the community. Through this, the young people will become aware about the importance of their ministry within and outside the Church.

The church must also develop the leadership aspect of the youth's life in order to prepare them to their future calling. Their spiritual lives and prayer lives must be regularly checked so that they will not be subject to spiritual stagnation. By making them part of the whole church ministry, the youth will learn to value their faith. The most vital part in building a leading youth ministry is to help them develop a strong relationship with the Lord. They must be aware of the reasons why they go to the church and why they have their own ministry. A strong relationship and commitment with God will also help them to hold on and to keep on doing the ministry not just for ministry sake, but most of all because of their love for Jesus Christ.

These youth ministries activities are generally conducted in order to help the youth group to develop an attitude of living their lives in a respectable and trustworthy manner. These activities are generally taken place in order to develop the following qualities in a teenager.

Mentoring is slowly losing its shine as a lost art within the Christian sector. However, it is mentoring on which the Christian heritage is based. Youth ministry training by older women and men helps to replace their leadership one day. Mentoring helps students find their true sense of self through Christ, opening the door for bigger opportunity, in addition to getting inspiration and encouragement.

Introduce the Topic to Youth

For creating a successful mentoring program, there is a need to have a lot of attention and excitement. It would do well to go for research in history and find how mentoring made a difference in the world. Collect statistics that show success in mentoring and how that made the difference. There could be inspirational stories to share from history or from one's own experience. More often, students find stories relating to their own experiences more appealing.

Find Mentees

An effective way of mentoring is to work with senior high students and beyond. Although, all students should be encouraged to participate, but there could be some who do not have the maturity to relate to a mentor. Students should be made to understand that each mentor / mentee pair functions differently. Working with their mentor, a student will be able to make out how often to meet and the functioning of their relationship. Most mentor / mentee pair should come into contact in some form at least once weekly. There are endless benefits for youth and mentors. Youth find it encouraging to be with an adult friend to relate, apart from their parents. Mentors help students to realize their potential, encouragement, and also providing job avenues, service or opportunities for youth ministry.

Find Dedicated Mentor

Start by declaring within the church about your intention to start a mentor program for the youth. Hold informational meeting for those who are interested. Have the would-be mentors speak out about the reasons to invest in the life of a youth. Discuss the structure of the program and the time that you could spend in each student. Make a background check for persons willing to be a mentor for students' protection. Programs from mentoring vary from group to group. There should a weekly contact between mentors and mentees every week or two. Contact could take place through an email, a letter or a personal visit. Mentors should plan to contact their mentors at least once every month.

Match up Mentors to Mentees

The right matches of mentor and mentee is the key to an individual success. Female mentors should be paired up with girls and male mentors should be combined with boys. In a situation where more students are there compared to mentors, pair up 2 to 3 students with a single mentor. In meetings of mentees, let questionnaires be filled in detail by the students mentioning their likes, dislikes, hopes, expectations for mentor / mentee relationships, life experiences, etc. Let mentors have similar forms to fill for themselves.

Make pairs, in keeping with similarities and compatibilities. After the creation of pairs, hold a special event to promote relationship building with each group.

Encourage and Empower

Provide helpful hints to mentors on ways to connect with their youth. These hints could be in the form of writing encouragement notes, plays, going to ballgames, going to mentees' home to meet spouses, children, etc. There are different needs with each mentor / mentee pair.

Evaluate Often

Let there be regular meetings with mentors and mentees throughout the program. Let the pairs report on their experiences. Make a list of issues and questions to be covered with the groups. Apply the suggestions on a regular basis in addition to inviting feedback.

The church must also develop the leadership aspect of the youth's life in order to prepare them to their future calling. Their spiritual lives and prayer lives must be regularly checked so that they will not be subject to spiritual stagnation. By making them part of the whole church ministry, the youth will learn to value their faith. The most vital part in building a leading youth ministry is to help them develop a strong relationship with the Lord. They must be aware of the reasons why they go to the church and why they have their own ministry. A strong relationship and commitment with God will also help them to hold on and to keep on doing the ministry not just for ministry sake, but most of all because of their love for Jesus Christ.

It's an important question... because most of the sexual malpractice by ministers has been violating boundaries with teens. And... The clinical record shows that most ministers who violated sexual boundaries with adolescents... thought they were doing ministry! Astonishing... isn't it?

But thought is exactly what was missing in every one of those cases... because there is a certain anti-intellectualism that permeates virtually all ministries.

Ministry puts little emphasis on the mind but great emphasis on feelings ... loving God... loving one's neighbor. But the latter too often becomes making love to one's neighbor... and sadly... to their children.

A Google search for youth ministry brings back nearly four million pages... all referring to youth ministry. But few pages... if any... can be found that actually define it.

Using the word to define itself by saying that youth ministry is ministering to youths is just an example of a lack of the presence of intelligent... knowing... mind in ministry.

The word ministry itself is perhaps the most overused... undefined... word in Christendom. Though there are millions of examples of ministries. By defining ministry itself... we automatically exclude everything that isn't ministry... everything that does not fit that definition.

Some say Everything is ministry!... but the Gospel (Matt. 7:21) disagrees and says there are apparent ministries where one does evil under the guise of doing ministry...

Not everyone who says to me Lord, Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven...Many will say to me on that day... Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name?Did we not drive out demons in your name? Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?Then I will declare to them solemnly... I never knew you. Depart from me you evildoers.

So here's a definition of ministry... and all examples must meet its requirements... or be excluded.

Ministry is...

Religious activity... that brings both minister and people closer to God.

Now with that definition no one... in their right mind... could claim that violating sexual boundaries with children and adolescents was ministry. Such activity is not religious and does not bring both minister and people closer to God.

So the youth minister/coach who... with no medical training... helps prevent testicular cancer in teenage boys by checking them for it... cannot assert... as he did... that he was doing health ministry.

Unable to hide behind 'ministry' as defined here... he would need to confront the real reasons for his predatory sexual behavior. So his treatment had to begin with a rational definition of ministry.

Because of the false belief that predatory ministers are helping youths by violating sexual boundaries... there is genuine abuse with lasting residual non-sexual effects. You can read more about those at the URL below if you want to know how pervasive they can be.

Now...

What's a youth?

Typically we make a vague separation between children and youths by the onset of puberty. I say vague because girls generally enter puberty sooner than boys... and puberty can be early or late in both boys and girls.

It's probably more useful to define a youth by their present social context... and the rites of passage that take place in that context. So... a 13 year old eighth grader is not the same 'youth' as a 15 year old sophomore who is about to get a driver's permit... or an 18 year old senior who is thinking of getting engaged... or planning to leave the family nest... and its influence... and go to college.

So... a youth is

A minor... at a specified stage of development.

And youth ministry has to bring both these minors... and their ministers... closer to God through religious activity.

An emphasis of youth ministry then would be to help young people cope with their present stage of development... such as the onset of puberty and its meaning in Christian life... and to prepare them for the next stage of development.

For example... driving creates more mobility for the teenager... more opportunities to get into various kinds of danger... some of which may be serious risks to life... to health... and to morals.

So youth ministry can be understood as integrating religious values with specific increasing freedoms and independence.

How this is done is a major task of definition... of putting the intelligent mind into ministry... and not just hanging out with... being with... being there for... or serving... youths.