What a good youth ministry needs

Youth ministries need a sense of balance.

In the past I would have referred to the importance of youth ministries providing senior and junior/middle school students with opportunities for:

• Social interaction:  The so-called fun stuff.  The games, the Finger Blaster and Yuck nights, the swimming parties, the indoor rock-climbing, the Six Flags trips, etc.
• Spiritual development: The so-called serious (or religious) stuff.  The Bible studies, the retreats, the choir tours, the worship experiences, the home/cell groups, the Christian concerts, and things with a distinct Christian flavor.
• Service to all of humankind:  The so-called bleeding heart or National Honor Society stuff (I don't like either of these descriptors). The poverty simulation experiences, the mission trips, the mission projects, Servant Evangelism experiences, etc.

But life and ministry can't be that easily compartmentalized-- there's a lot of overlap in these well-meaning categories.

Therefore, I've come to this conclusion. 

Let's find a sense of balance by focusing on what makes us unique-- what sets us apart from the well-oiled civic organization across town.

A good youth ministry helps today's teenagers discover, encounter, and to be transformed by God's love.  It's all about equipping them to transform the world, with God's love, one person at a time.

And we'll accomplish these goals, with some degree of effectiveness, with a lot of social interaction (planned and unplanned), spiritual development (formal and informal) and serving humankind (individually and corporately).

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