How Does 'Watershed", the New River Youth Ministry Function?
Vital ELEMENTS
Traditionally, youth ministry has focused on context. We have had great camps, great concerts, great events, and all kinds of basically great stuff. In order to compete with the world around us and the subculture that teenagers live in, we have focused on coming up with awesome events. I call this, the “dang” factor. In other words, too many times the intent was to get teenagers to show up to an event and say, “Dang! That was awesome!” Or something similar.
So much energy has been focused on context, that many times we have been content just to keep teenagers entertained and hope that they will hang around. We just hope that somehow they’ll listen to what we have to say and that they will avoid making dumb mistakes. If you think about it for more than a nano-second, that’s not the best way to teach for life change.
So let’s talk about content, or what we should teach for a minute. What are the key components, the VITAL ELEMENTS that teenagers should know by the time they graduate high school? We could come up with a nearly endless list of specific things, but talking in broad categories, what would be the bottom line, take this with you for the rest of your life, rock solid principles that teenagers need to know when they’re through with high school?
In youth ministry, we have a tendency to design our environments first (the context) and then figure out what the content could be. For instance, we decide to have Hawaiian Luau night in the middle of January because that would be fun and then we go and buy all the supplies, cook the food, put on a great Hawaiian shirt and then think about what we could teach that night. Or we plan a trip to the beach and make all the arrangements and then we decide what we could teach during that week at the beach as we’re driving there.
What if we did things the other way around? What if we started with what we hoped the “end product” would be and then went about figuring the best way to get that product produced? What if we first determined what our content was going to be and then we spent energy designing an environment around the content so that the context enhanced the understanding of the content? That’s the heartbeat of the Student Ministry at New River. Content MUST drive the context.
Let’s look at what happens when content drives context. Instead of planning our environments and events first, then considering what we could teach, let’s turn that around. We can allow the truth of God’s Word to show us how we plan and create our environments and events. We talk about the need to keep the message pure and adjust our methods to
reach teenagers. We say we want to use what is cultural to communicate what is timeless, but in truth many youth ministries have dropped the ball when it comes to being intentional about the message.
Content drives our context. We are committed to creating student friendly and relevant environments. But the environment must support the content. We have discovered that once we have identified what we want students to walk away with, creating the right environment is much easier. Our environments become more focused and effective.
This approach to student ministry does not de-emphasize the importance of a creative, fun and relevant environment. Just the opposite is true. Once we have clarified what it is we want to communicate, we feel even more compelled to create just the right setting.
These VITAL ELEMENTS are an intentional, systematic approach to student discipleship focused on the content of discipleship. These VITAL ELEMENTS are the bottom line—the must know, can’t be without principles. They are not all that is important. But they are what we are convinced are most important for students. We are convinced that these are the seven basic principles every student should understand, commit to memory, and embrace before they leave the safety of their homes and youth ministries.
Authentic Faith
God can be trusted. He will do all He has promised to do.
Authentic Faith focuses on a correct understanding of our faith. Confusion in this area is the primary reason so many students abandon Christianity. True faith is confidence that God is who He says He is—and confidence that He will do everything He has promised to do.
Critical Question: Do you trust God with the critical areas of your life?
Key Passage: Proverbs 3:5-6
Spiritual Disciplines
When you see as God sees, you will do as God says.
Spiritual Disciplines focuses on your devotional life. The apostle Paul says that true spiritual transformation begins with a renewed mind. Only as you begin to renew your mind according to the truths of Scripture will your attitudes and behavior begin to change.
Critical Question: Are you developing a consistent devotional and prayer life?
Key Passage: Romans 12:2
Moral Boundaries
Purity paves the way to intimacy.
One of the most important things a teenager can do is to establish clear moral limits. Students need to learn how to protect their body and emotions by honoring God’s plan for sex and morality. The depth of your intimacy with God and others depends on how prepared you are to draw the line with music, movies, sex, conversations, etc.
Critical Question: Are you establishing and maintaining godly moral boundaries?
Key Passage: 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8
Meaningful Friendships
Friends will determine the quality and direction of your life
The people we associate with the most will have a direct and lasting impact on the decisions you make and the standards we choose. Healthy friendships build you up and draw you closer to God; unhealthy friendships bring you down and cause you to compromise what you know is right.
Critical Question: Are you establishing healthy friendships and avoiding unhealthy ones?
Key Passage: Proverbs 13:20
Wise Choices
Walk Wisely
It is important to apply Godly wisdom to the choices we make. Good decision making is more than simply choosing between right and wrong. Students need to learn to ask themselves, not only what would Jesus do, but also to embrace God’s wisdom behind the choices we make.
Critical Question: Are you making wise choices in every area of your life?
Key Passage: Ephesians 5:15-17
God Given Authority
Maximum freedom is found under God’s authority.
Freedom and authority are often viewed as opposing concepts. But the Bible teaches that true freedom is found under authority. Students need to recognize God’s ultimate authority and respect the earthly authorities God has placed over us.
Critical Question: Are you submitting to the authorities God has placed over you?
Key Passage: Romans 13:1—2
Others First
Consider others better than you
Selfishness comes naturally to us. SelfLESSness must be learned. Jesus “made himself nothing" in order to serve the people He loved. He put the needs of other ahead of is own. Others First focuses on true humility and service.
Critical Question: Are you putting the needs of others ahead of your own?
Key Passage: Philippians 2:3-11
Some material adapted from The Seven Checkpoints, by Stuart Hall and Andy Stanley.
