As a student minister I hate to hear that people see ministry to the next generation (ministry to preschool through high school) as something secondary to the work of the church. I know that there have been poor examples of next generation ministry. There are student ministers who seem to be trying to get fired because of their lack of discernment (basketball dodgeball anyone?). There are children’s ministries who are more committed to a method or a program than to the actual discipleship of our children. Despite these examples, there are those who are truly seeking to plant the seed of faith in this rising generation. Here are 10 reasons that ministry to the next generation matters.
1. We are called to make disciples in all nations and let’s assume of all ages. Ministry to the next generation is obedience to the commands of Christ.
2. The next generation will be the leaders of our churches tomorrow. Let’s be honest, what we invest in the children and students of today will be the foundation that the church will be built on tomorrow. If students learn to appreciate God’s word, then the churches of tomorrow will be taught this desire. If our students understand that their faith is something that is lived out every day, our churches of tomorrow will fight for something more than a Sunday morning faith.
3. The next generation will be the incredibly annoying church members of our churches of tomorrow…unless we can present them with a love for God and His church that allows them to see the church as a God-ordained missional community rather than a place that caters to their desires.
4. The next generation has genuine problems that the church can help with. Spend a few minutes in Wal-Mart. Look at how some of the children in there are treated by their parents. Don’t you think that a place offering unconditional love and the story of a Savior might be relevant for those kids? In this past year I have ministered to students with eating disorders, problems with cutting, suicidal thoughts, and bullying. Some of them have imprisoned parents, divorcing parents, neglectful parents, and parents who have kicked them out multiple times. These kids have problems and if the church is not able and willing to help them in this time, who would it fall to?
5. These children will be the parents of tomorrow. Our students are 5-10 years away from being parents. They will be responsible for raising another generation. Ministry to the next generation speaks into more lives than you will ever know. The church can have the honor of breaking patterns in families and reversing the fortunes of families for years to come. The church can have the honor of building a foundation that healthy families and healthy marriages are built upon.
6. The next generation is not set in their path. It seems to me that the older you get, the harder it is for you to change. You mature over time, but over the years we build up a pretty sizable amount of baggage. Intervening in a student’s life before they make bad decisions or set out on a bad path is an incredible way to make an impact. We can’t control the student, but we can at the very least offer an option that is different from everything the world will be telling them.
7. The next generation can make an impact now. I just read that a 27-year-old sold his company for 1 billion dollars. There are teenagers moving to other continents because they believe that sharing the gospel is more important than living a life of comfort. We continue to hear stories of young people doing extraordinary things. Our world has evolved to the point that anyone can make a difference. There are no age limits, but if we want to see young people continue to do extraordinary things it will take mentors and adults who can guide them and inspire them.
8. The next generation can reach its own generation. As we minister to the next generation, we recognize that we are also creating missionaries who will be able to go out to their own crowds and share the gospel in ways that an adult would never be able to.
9. Teaching the next generation gives us a deeper way to learn. As we minister to the students and share the truth of the Gospel, we grow as disciples because we too are encountering the life-changing lessons we are teaching. In fact, by teaching the word, we often develop a greater understanding of the word than if we had simply experienced as a participant in a class. In addition to teaching a lesson, learning to disciple and serve students allows us to grow in ways that we could not grow without those relationships.
10. When we serve the next generation, we are also serving their families. In fact, ministering to children and students must involve ministering to their parents. We don’t just partner with students in next generation ministry–we partner with families. As we partner with families, we are actually ministering to a significant portion of the church from preschoolers to grandparents.
Ministry to the next generation is disciple-making in one of its truest forms. Churches who get this concept will be building up individuals who will be the salt and the light of their generation.
Journey of Faith 