How do you decide on your youth group programmes? Perhaps it is a sense of, ‘I would like to teach this part of the Bible next.’ I know that I have done that through the years. And that is okay; if I am enthused and being changed by Jesus from the text, then that will be infectious.
Perhaps it is a sense of, ‘I think the young people need…’ This is also okay, as it considers the young person, and it is seeking to address a perceived need or issue. Do we include the young people in shaping the programme?
In previous articles we have considered how the Bible is where the young person encounters the living God, and how they are full human beings with views and opinions. This dynamic holds the key to effective ministry. There may be points and observations that we disagree with, even make us feel uncomfortable, but it seems strange to exclude them entirely from the process of planning their own groups.
