How's that for a loaded question?
But seriously, I'd like you to ponder a quote from Andy Root's , which for my money is the absolute best youth ministry book out there right now.
[Youth] ministry is not about helping these kids be better Christians; it is about helping them be what God created them to be -- human.1
What's your reaction/response to that? Leave a comment and let me know! I'll post the paragraph the quote is taken from to provide a bit more context if there's interest.
- Root, Andrew. . City: IVP Books, 2007. 15. [↩]
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Without context, I both agree and disagree with this comment. I think youth ministry is partially about allowing teens to be human and to fully discover themselves. Certainly, this is more important that a youth director trying to create the teen in the minister's perceived notion of a good Christian. But, I also think that youth directors help steer teens in the direction of realizing their full selves as God's creation…where they are loved, accepted, and beautiful. Ideally, teens can head toward an understanding of self-worth, a foundation for faith (that they can return to even if their questioning leads them away), and an experience of love. Of course, with context, this may be the sort of thing Root was getting at. ;)
I think this is exactly what he's driving at. And to be honest, I don't think your two ideas are very different in light of the quote posted. It seems to me that they're both working towards the same thing: "helping them be what God created them to be — human."
Jake – I, too, enjoyed Root's book. I'm planning to re-read it this weekend before our school-year ministries kick off. Pertaining to the quote, I think that being fully human is a part of being a Christian…so, in that sense, if we help kids become human, we are helping them to be "better" Christians. If anything, Root sometimes tries to hard to separate the talk from the walk…but his overall points are right on. Thanks!
I didn't think you were looking for difference from the quote. I was offering my reaction, which is what it appeared you were looking for. My point was that the quote on it's own implies a sort of imperfection, as in "only human." Also, taken on its own (apart from the book), the quote could mean that the sole role of youth ministry is to support teens in their self-focus and mistakes. I merely offered additional perceived roles of youth ministry. Blessings for your ministry.
I think we're miscommunicating here… I was pretty much saying that I thought your reaction(s) actually support Root's point.
Root's use of the word "human" is used to contrast that which de-humanizes teens… Our role is to help (re)humanize them as God would have them be humanized.
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