As I reflect on my 26 years in DCE ministry, I think about students who have been a part of the different youth groups I have had the privilege to lead and wonder where they are at now. Thanks to the marvels of social media, I have some window into the lives of at least a few. Some are active in their local church, raising their own kids in the Christian faith. Others I worry are as far from Christ as they are from their time in youth group.
When you get into ministry, you likely do so with the hope that your efforts on behalf of Christ will have a lasting impact on those who God calls you to serve. Now we really cannot fully know what impact we might have had. I have little doubt that many of us will meet people in heaven for whom our ministry had an impact that we, in this life, had no knowledge of whatsoever.
The researchers at the Fuller Youth Institute understand this aspect of the heart of youth leaders in churches across the theological spectrum. In their capacity, resourcing churches and church leaders, they published Faith Beyond Youth Group in 2023. In this book, they outline “five ways to form character and cultivate lifelong discipleship.” As an advocate of lifespan catechesis, I resonate with their desire to empower churches with an approach to ministry that will better equip the youth in our ministries with the character that will keep them connected not only to the church but to a life of discipleship that lasts.
As an organization that seeks to both appeal to and work with churches from across the theological spectrum, Fuller has attempted to present the findings of their research in a way that takes this theological diversity into account. Specifically, the authors note on p. 45 that
We recognize that questions about LGBTQ+ identity are both prominent and controversial within many churches and traditions. Our purpose in including language about sexuality and LGBTQ+ teenagers in this book is not to take a particular theological position on human sexuality but rather to urge you as a caring adult and community to listen and empathize and to uphold the dignity of every person made in the image of God.[1]
While in this instance the authors set out to avoid taking a particular theological stand on a controversial issue, there are other places in the book, where that pretense fails, and particular views rise to the surface regardless of the intent to remain more theologically neutral. For example, while the authors rightly offer the church challenges concerning how they handle diversity, it does not take much to see that this critique is written from a distinctly left-of-center perspective. It is important for readers to keep both a Lutheran understanding and a clear view of how to teach God’s Word clearly.
Keeping that in mind, there is still much in this book that makes it well worth the read. In framing their research, the authors cite James K. A. Smith where he writes “We’ve confused keeping young people in the building with keeping them in Christ.”[2] The authors of Faith Beyond Youth Group go on to say “This confusion often causes churches to look at attendance numbers as the sole measure of success.”[3]
We do well to keep track of how many youth are involved in our youth groups, but simply knowing the trend line on whether that number is increasing or declining does not scratch the surface toward truly having a sense of whether the young people in our groups are being discipled in a lasting way.
Living in a post-pandemic world, the authors point out that “For the next decade, every student in your ministry will be a pandemic-impacted kid.”[4] They point out that in 2029, we will have students in our youth groups who were in Kindergarten during the COVID-19 pandemic. We must take that into account as we shape our ministries to be responsive to their emotional and relational needs.
The main takeaway from this book is unpacked as they walk through their Faith Beyond Youth Group Compass. Exploring how we can 1) Cultivate Trust; 2) Model Growth; 3) Teach for Transformation; 4) Practice Together; and 5) Make Meaning, the authors provide a useful tool that can be used to structure an intentional approach that sees the purpose of youth group as something with a lifelong impact rather than merely short-term goals.
As youth leaders, God calls us to care for those in our youth groups with a vision not merely for the next weeks, months, or even a couple of years, but to have in mind how our catechesis and discipleship efforts can impact their walk with Jesus for a lifetime.
While there are points of theological discord in Faith Beyond Youth Group, but the larger vision, the accumulated research, and the model for addressing this pressing concern that we all should have makes this book from the folks at the Fuller Youth Institute, well worth your time.
The materials reviewed for this resource are not produced by The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod and may mention beliefs not in line with the LCMS. This resource is intended to provide an LCMS perspective to equip adult leaders to utilize resources for youth ministry while also pointing them to the teachings and beliefs of the LCMS.
[1] [1] Powell, K., Bradbury, J., & Griffin, B. M. Faith Beyond Youth Group: Five ways to form character and cultivate lifelong discipleship (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2023), 45.
[2] James K. A. Smith, You Are What You Love: The Spiritual Power of Habit (Grand Rapids: Brazos, 2016), 146. Cited in Faith Beyond Youth Group, 29.
[3] Powell, K., Bradbury, J., & Griffin, B. M. Faith Beyond Youth Group: Five ways to form character and cultivate lifelong discipleship (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2023), 29.
[4] Ibid., 42.
0 Comments