Question:

Today, I listened to your radio program. I was shocked about the story where the young girl got pregnant and went first to her youth pastor. Is there a biblical basis for youth groups? Why are churches so interested in splitting up the families at church. Please answer using Bible verses to back it up. I have an 11 yr-old and of course we are concerned about the youth culture. It seems that at church, parents need to be taught to teach their children as it says in the Bible. I can't find any teaching of youth groups in the Bible. I looked in the archive for biblically based answers and it did not mention the Bible. I am sure your ministry does good and you have a good heart. I just question the way the Church seems be drawn into the world's culture through youth groups.

Answer:

Thank you for contacting us. You are correct. Youth groups are not in the Bible. But, keep in mind that just because something is not specifically commanded or found in the Bible does not make them anti-Biblical or inappropriate. Give it some thought. You can probably come up of lots of examples of how churches - their activities, groupings, things they use - aren't specifically spelled out in the Bible - but are helpful in fulfilling Biblical mandates and principles.

Youth ministry is a legitimate, needed area of ministry for the church. The church is mandated Biblically to motivate and care for the spiritual growth of all people (see Colossians 1:28). The church is also commanded to reach out to others with the good news of Jesus Christ and to teach everyone to obey His commandments (see Matthew 28:41). Adolescents are people included in these mandates. The Bible doesn't envision that adolescents function apart from the intergenerational nature of the church. Believers, young and old, are all a part of the One Body of Christ and are necessary for its proper function (see 1 Corinthians 12). Yet, because of the cultural distinctiveness and legitimacy of adolescence as a unique time of life, a specialization of ministry to youth is in no way theologically forbidden. Consider a foreign mission analogy as an example: English speaking missionaries spend months - to years - getting to know foreign language and culture - so they can communicate the gospel in a way that foreign peoples will understand. They do not try to speak in English with people who don't understand English. Similarly, youth culture is very much a separate sub-set of culture. It makes good missional and pastoral sense (see 1 Corinthians 9) to recognize and minister to the specific spiritual, physical, emotional, intellectual and educational needs of adolescents.

Still, it must be said that there is no doubt that parents, not youth ministries, have the primary responsibility for raising kids (see Deuteronomy 6:6-9). Youth ministries should serve as partners with parents in equipping and caring for young people. (Note that while the practical direction of Deut. 6 is to parents - the address is given to "Hear, O Israel" - which also implies the support of the spiritual community.)

Churches and youth ministries, during our lifetime, have not always done a great job in supporting parents - and have at times have actually served to keep families apart and have not helped parents interact with their teenagers. Today, however, there is a fresh sense of the importance of family in the church and many youth ministries are helping to partner with families and parents in some very positive ways.

Having served as a youth pastor, it would not surprise me at all that a student would come and share a problem that he/she had not previously shared with his/her parents. In the situation you noted about a pregnant girl in the youth group, a wise youth pastor should handle the situation with respect and care. A youth pastor ought to help the girl to see the need to speak with her parents about the issue - and would provide her with the support she needs to do so. The wise parent should consider the youth pastor as a resource and partner to provide the entire family with support, and especially during difficult times.