Why Youth Ministries Avoid Theology
It is unfair and inaccurate to say that youth ministry is anti-theological. There have always been branches within youth ministry that are theologically driven. However, mainstream youth ministry has indeed been suspicious of theology. Theological instruction has been viewed as cold, impersonal, and impractical. Meanwhile, youth workers have seen their students walking away from the faith after graduation. As many evaluate the way they make disciples of the next generation, an increasing number are rediscovering the value of teaching theology to students. This is encouraging and something Youth Pastor Theologian is happy to support.
In this article I hope to articulate a few possible reasons for this suspicion that I’ve observed in nearly 20 years of youth ministry. These aren’t shared in order to point fingers, but to prompt our own self-reflection as we think theologically about and within youth ministry.
Prioritizing Evangelism
Youth ministries are often the most evangelistically-minded ministries in the church. This emphasis can easily lead to a “cookies on the lowest shelf” approach to ministry. It’s common to hear youth workers say, “I just want to lead kids to Jesus.” But this is narrow-sighted. After all, “who is Jesus,” “why did he have to die,” and “do we really need to believe in Jesus to be saved or will God‘s grace cover anyone who has good intentions?” These are important theological questions that drive and shape our ministry to unbelieving teenagers. Disregarding theology in our evangelism will only lead to students making professions of faith that are well intentioned but are not actual gospel-professions, or it can lead them to begin their faith on a poorly poured foundation. This evangelistic zeal ought to be commended, but buffered with theological integrity.
Theology Divides
Theology does indeed create divisions. Baptists are not Methodists, and Methodists are not Presbyterians, and Presbyterians are not Roman Catholics. There are important distinctions that are worth recognizing. Some divisions are important because they help us describe and define what we believe and why. But other divisions cast judgment and create distance between those who disagree. In an effort to be unified as brothers and sisters in Christ, some youth workers overlook important theological distinctives in order to partner in ministry with other youth workers to reach students. It’s valuable and important for Christians to work together and collaborate in ministry. But that should not lead to silence on theological differences. In the midst of those ministry partnerships, I am concerned about ways some have avoided teaching about biblical truths that are valuable but controversial: Baptism, the Lord’s Supper, theories of the atonement, and views on creation and eschatology. We should not avoid theology in general, or these topics in particular, over fear of division. Instead, let us model gracious yet convictional instruction on what we believe Scripture teaches in order to equip students to develop a mature and robust faith.
Prioritizing Application
Every youth pastor knows their students are nonverbally asking the question, “So what?” when they hear they get up to teach. Church kids have heard these Bible stories growing up, and unchurched youth are wondering whether any of it’s relevant to real life. Therefore, many well intentioned youth workers prioritize application and cultural relevance. When our teaching always needs to be relevant and have a concrete application, theological depth will play second (or third!) fiddle. These youth ministries will talk about sexuality and media discernment (which are both important), but not about the attributes of God or the Trinity. Good teachers know how to apply God’s Word to students’ lives. No one is disagreeing with that. But when the youth ministry concludes a lesson about the holiness of God with a “try ____ this week” type of application, then something’s gone wrong. Sometimes the best and most important applications are to invite students to think more biblically about who God is and what it means to be human. Embracing a catechetical approach to structuring their teaching plan can help you intentionally apply the Word of God to students’ head, heart, and hands.
It’s Just Not As Much Fun
Fun and games are not the enemy. Youth pastor theologians have game nights, and they want students to have fun together. But fun is not the greatest good. Leading a theologically-driven youth ministry will result in different priorities than the other youth group down the road. Some students (and parents!) might decide that other youth group is more fun, and their kid enjoys going there more, and so your numbers may decline. When this happens with enough students, it often leads to difficult conversations with church leadership. Parents can begin to whisper (and eventually not whisper…), and suspicion can grow about why you’re anti-fun. Except you aren’t - but you have a different set of expectations about what youth ministry is supposed to be. These can be really painful and difficult conversations - and even to termination. A fun youth pastor will have far greater job security than a theologically-minded one.
Lack of Theologically Trained Youth Pastors
When youth pastors have not received formal theological education they’re going to be less theologically-inclined. They are worthy of our respect and appreciation as godly men and women who love Jesus and are committed to passing the faith from generation to generation. Often, churches hire youth pastors from within the congregation who have education and job experience in non-ministry related fields. That can be a wonderful way to identify a youth pastor! But their ability to lead a theologically-driven ministry will be an uphill climb. Seminary isn’t always the answer, but some measure of formal training and education would be wise. It must also be recognized that some camps in mainstream youth ministry actually discourage theological education (“it makes you too theological and unrelatable”). Another reason youth pastors tend to be less trained than other pastoral roles is because veteran youth pastors often leave youth ministry to become senior/associate pastors. When a high percentage of seasoned pastors leave youth ministry, it shouldn’t be surprising when most youth pastors are young and less theologically-trained.
There Aren’t Good Resources
There are very few resources available to help youth pastors teach and lead theologically. This is especially true consider that most small group leaders and Sunday school teachers are not the actual youth pastor, but volunteers. When there’s a lack of theological resources for youth ministry, what are youth pastors supposed to use? And yet, publishers are hesitant to invest in such resources because they are skeptical that anyone will buy them. Since publishing is indeed a business, they are reluctant to take on such publishing contracts due to the fear of losing money. If they can only publish a few books per year that will not be profitable, a theologically-driven youth ministry book simply won’t make the cut. This leads to youth pastors who have little formal theological education without resources and guides to help them and their volunteers teach theologically. So they are left on their own to develop their own theological curriculum. Sometimes their efforts are fruitful and deserve high admiration. But sometimes they veer into accidental heresy because they tried but weren’t equipped for the task. If Christian leaders want youth pastors to teach students to think theologically, then we need publishers to make these resources available.
I’m thankful and encouraged for the community that has come around Youth Pastor Theologian this past year. There is an exciting groundswell of youth workers who are recognizing the need for theologically rich, yet practical resources. There is momentum building for this vision and youth ministry, not only in the United States, but internationally as well. As culture grows increasingly post-Christian, there’s a need to anchor the next generation to big truths as they mature into a godly remnant.
