A Parent's Guide to Youth Ministry

So many resources are available that address ways youth ministries can involve and impact parents. There are many resources that address ways parents can impact their own kids. However, there is very little literature written directly to parents about impacting the youth ministry of their church. That is where this simple guide comes into play.

If you are a youth minister, then pass on the information found in this article to parents. If you are a parent of a teenager then I hope these ideas help you realize the potential you have to impact the youth ministry at your local church. For too long, we as youth ministries have willingly taken over the responsibility of discipling your teenagers. In time, we have come to realize our mistake and desperately desire to help equip you to fulfill your God-given responsibility and privilege. There are some key things that we want you to know about youth ministry that will be beneficial both for you and us.

1. We want to be on your team.

We realize that students spend way more time with you than they do at the church. Because of that, we want to be in a position where we can help equip and train you to be the most effective parent and disciple-maker you can be. That is why we also want you to be involved using the gifts and skill sets God gave you within the context of the youth ministry. Your qualifications as a parent enhance our scope as a ministry.

2. We actually have a strategy.

We don’t plan stuff just to plan stuff. A youth ministry should have a specific strategy, purpose, mission, vision, or some other related lingo in which they operate. We have a specific audience, goal, and path in which to achieve that goal. That goal is often related to leading students toward becoming fully devoted followers of Christ, and the path is typically related to the specific programs and philosophies of the youth ministry. I don’t want to say that youth ministry is just like running a business, but in one way it is. We have reasons for doing what we do. If you don’t know what those are, then check with your youth minister to find out. If your youth minister does not know, then encourage him to develop a strategy.

3. Let us know when we do right…and politely let us know when we do wrong.

Everyone likes to get encouraged for doing something right. In the same way, let your youth minister know when they did something right. We also need to know when we fall a little short; just don’t do it in a way that causes anger or a confrontation. Constructive criticism never hurt anybody…when done with a loving attitude.

4. Be an advocate for the youth ministry because we want to be an advocate for you.

When criticism comes from an outside source that doesn’t really understand the situation, it is great to have someone on our side. That is where you come in. If you have invested in the youth ministry and are in line with the vision, then you can serve as a cheerleader for what we’re all doing. If parents are on board, then we can usually convince the stubborn criticizers of the importance and value of the ministry. Also, we don’t want to take away the value that your family has over the youth ministry. We want to encourage you and help build up your family. If your teenagers complain to us about how weird or mean you are, we know that you have a bigger picture in mind than just making your teenager think you are cool. We want to be an advocate for the importance of you as a parent in the life of your teen.

There is probably a ton of stuff that your local youth minister would like you to know, but maybe they are a little intimidated to let you know. I hope these few things help you to realize the value you can be to youth ministry and to encourage you to seek out what else your local youth minister would like you to know. And, if you’re a youth minister and you’re reading this, then make sure you let your parents know just how great a resource they are.