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Have you ever thought about why we at St John’s invest so much time and money and resources into our kids and youth ministry? Is it simply to free up parents so that they can actively participate in their own services? Is it so that in 5-10 years’ time we might have faithful adult Christians who can become the future leaders of the church? Sometimes we can speak of the real value of ministry to young people as either for the families it attracts to church, or because of the future Gospel growth that we will see.

Even though there is truth and validity to these benefits of kids and youth ministry, it’s actually about so much more. It’s about making and growing disciples of Christ amongst our kids and youth now and into the future.

As a wider church family, we need to recognise that faithful kids and youth ministry helps young people live as Christians right now. Children can and do have faith. Teenagers can be and are faithful, mature believers in Christ right now in their adolescence.

In Colossians 1:28, when the apostle Paul says that the aim in his ministry is to, “present everyone mature in Christ,” we would be wrong to think here that Paul conflates spiritual maturity with age. In fact, in Mark 10:14-15, Jesus upholds children as the example of what it looks like to belong to the Kingdom. There is beauty and simplicity to a humble child-like faith that is a model to the whole church.

Kids and youth are not worth discipling just because of their future faith or future usefulness as leaders of the church. Kids and youth are worth discipling because they are Christ followers right now. They can know, love, and follow King Jesus in their childhood and adolescence. Their value and the value of effective kids and youth ministry, is not in the future. It is right now.

Young people are not merely the church of tomorrow. They are part of the church of today. And so, let’s ensure that we recognise and celebrate this truth in the life of our church.

Let’s continue to pray for the kids and youth who are part of our church family: 

  • That they would continue to grow in love and faith in Christ.
  • That we as a church would value them now and not just for the future.
  • That St. John’s would continue to be a place where kids, youth and adults are transformed by the hope of the risen Christ.

Jaison Jacob
Associate Minister

 

 

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash