Does your church’s youth group fall into any of these categories? If so, that’s probably a bad sign and you should do something about it.
By Joseph Mattera
1. The youth pastor has no biblical depth and has a shallow walk
I have seen the disastrous effects when the youth pastor merely “shares” the word but has no unction or depth in the word. The result is shallow instruction which does not provoke the young attendees to hunger and grow in the knowledge of God (2 Peter 3:18).
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2. There are no guidelines or accountability regarding dating
There needs to be consistent monitoring and teaching on dating and proper male/female relationships. This is because the hormone levels of teens are at their peak during this time in their lives and they can easily fall into sexual sin. When the biblical view of dating and courtship is not taught, sexual sin will abound because this is usually the end result of dating.
3. There are no standards based on biblical ethics and holiness
A youth group needs to have consistent preaching on holiness, repentance and standards of ethics. Without this, there is a vacuum and the youth will adapt the ethics of the surrounding culture. I have heard of many churches closing down their youth groups because they became a haven for sex and drugs. This is what will happen without consistent powerful preaching on holiness. Grace without truth is a recipe for disaster.
4. The goal is a crowd without biblical discipleship
Many youth groups merely exist to fill up their sanctuary. Hence, the result is they develop a culture of entertainment. Every youth group should have a goal to draw young people in, so they can disciple and ground them deeply in the faith. Crowds without quality is building a youth group on wood, hay and stubble (1 Corinthians 3:12).
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