Commitment level youth ministry in a local church should fall under the oversight of an individual. This would ideally be a full-time youth pastor but could by a youth worker in an honorary or part-time capacity. This is the case at Windsor Fellowship where the author fills the role of Youth Ministry Director - a synonym for Youth Pastor - in an honorary capacity.
1. Description
In seeking to provide comprehensive ministry to the whole spectrum of youth within the church a Youth Pastor should be appointed with oversight of all youth ministry (we shall define the phrase youth broadly, including people from birth up to the age of around 35).
2. Scope
The following ministries could fall under the scope of youth ministry: pre-school, children, teenagers, young adults and young mothers. Ministries should be age-defined, targeted at various commitment levels and involve various purposes within each age-group, ie. outreach, worship, fellowship, discipleship and ministry.
3. Functioning
The Youth Pastor shall function through a Youth Ministry Council consisting of a representative from each age-specific ministry, as well as youth specialists within the church, such as social workers, counsellors, parents or concerned adults.
4. Responsibilities
The Youth Pastor shall have the following responsibilities:
A. Consult
To develop each age-specific ministry according to the commitment level philosophy of ministry (ministering to people at each level of spiritual commitment) - where ministry is extensive in scope (reaching and discipling youth) and intensive in depth (caring for and developing youth and leaders); to communicate a vision for ministry that is relational, incarnational and purposeful with each group; to help each ministry create strategies and programmes that accomplish their objectives; and to inform the church on these ministries, allowing youth to impact adults and adults to impact the youth.
B. Coordinate
To ensure continuity between the various ministries so that the transitions between the various groups are as smooth as possible and that as few youth are lost to the church as possible; to provide a unified sense of purpose and direction in terms of focus and curriculum (without necessarily studying the same material); to organize combined events that bring the different groups together, and to share resources between the groups.
C. Care
To shepherd the leaders of the various ministries by giving them ownership, rewarding them verbally and visually, never allowing any unfair criticism to be directed toward them, and standing up for them as their advocate while allowing fair criticism. This will also require being involved in their lives as a spiritual mentor and friend.
D. Communicate
The Youth Pastor will report to the church, as represented by the leadership team. A representative from the church leadership team could be a part of the Youth Council.
The Youth Pastor should be viewed as a resource person. The Youth Pastor's ministry will be behind-the-scenes in nature in order to provide support and assistance to the leaders of the various age-specific ministries. The leadership pattern followed is found in 2 Timothy 2:2: "And the things you (Timothy) have heard me (Paul) say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others." The Youth Pastor functions in a mentoring role (as a Paul) to ministry leaders (as Timothy's) who lead the various ministries. It is the responsibility of the age-specific ministry leaders to minister into the lives of the workers under their care. While the Youth Pastor's assistance may be sought, the responsibility lies with the ministry leaders to ensure that it happens.
Return to Model of Youth Ministry