Are you tempted to let your teenager skip youth group because they’re just too busy? A youth leader warns….don’t do it.
Greg Stier (a parent of a teenager and Founder of Dare 2 Share) has 5 reasons to keep your teenager in a youth group.
1. Teenagers need models and mentors. Parents are called to be the primary spiritual mentor but your teen needs other godly adults!
2. Teenagers need community. In an age of bullying, gossip, slander, and hatefulness (which can destroy a teenager’s self-identity), young people need other young people who can lift them up, encourage them and challenge them in all the right ways.
3. Teenagers need mission. When Jesus challenged his most-likely teenaged disciples to “go and make disciples of all nations”, he was tapping into the activist wiring of these young men.
4. Teenagers need theology. Youth group is a place where teenagers can wrestle through the theology you’ve been teaching them and have it reinforced in a powerful and personal way.
And finally. Teenagers need a safe place to confess and confide. Often teenagers feel trapped by their sins. But a healthy youth ministry can create a safe space for teenagers to open up and talk honestly about their struggles.
Stiers says, At the end of the day, our teenagers embracing and embodying the Christian faith is more important than sports and academics. Getting them involved in a healthy, vibrant youth ministry is worth fitting into a crazy, busy schedule.