Youth Ministry Should Not Exist (Part 1)

God holds men accountable for their wives and for their children. 1 Timothy 1:3-4 says the criteria for a pastor in the church includes watching them to see how well they pastor their own family. You go to the wife, "does he love you as Christ loves the church? does he care for you? does he provide for you? is he a good teacher? does he pray with you?" You go to the kids, "does your daddy read the Bible to you? Does he pray over you?" Because that’s what God does, that’s what a good pastor does, and that's what a good man does. Foolish men would rather their wives live their own lives so they do not feel responsibile for them or their actions. The current trend is separate bank accounts, separate cars, separate missions, and separate lives. Foolish men would rather their children live their own lives so they do not feel responsible for them or their actions. Regardless of whether the men are taking responsibility, God still holds the men responsible (Genesis 3:9). God sees us as one. One mission, one motive, one calling, one life.

As the church in America is emasculated and women are the majority in attendance, the men stay home drinking beer and watching the game, while the kids are dragged to church to be taught their doctrine from surrogate fathers. Paul warns in 1 Timothy 5:8 that if men do not provide for the needs of their family or they have denied the faith and are worse than an unbeliever.

Youth ministry exists because Christ-exalting, God-honoring men do not.

Out of the 32 boys attending my youth ministry in 2006, only one of their father's attended the church. This trend permeates American churches. One out of four boys grow up without a father. On average, the other 75% are given only 5 minutes per week of their father's time. Youth pastors are expected to act in the place of fathers by teaching boys to become men through 1 hour sermons once a week throughout the length of the child's teenage years.

I believe it is Mark Driscoll who says "if you win the men, you win the war."

The church fails when the men are ignored, because ultimately, the majority of sons will replicate the lifestyles of their fathers.

Paul tells Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:2 to entrust what he has learned to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.

Teach the men to be good husbands and good fathers, and the wives and children will follow.

*Edit: No, I'm not proposing your church ditch youth ministry. Until we meet our perfect Father, there will always be a great need to take the gospel and training to youth, it's one of my greatest passions.

*Edit #2: I am limiting the phraise "youth ministry" to the average American church program consisting of an age-specifc audience being addressed by a youth pastor.