Effective Youth Ministry: Theology-driven in a Cultural Context

Abstract

Recently Youth Ministry finds itself mostly in a crisis as it is wrongly presented. In a nutshell the crisis can be described as falling short of leading young people to become mature Christian adults. Research shows that there are a variety of contributing factors to this crisis. This article focuses on two of these contributing factors. Firstly, Youth Ministry today is skill and socially driven, rather than theology or spiritually driven. The discussion commences by indicating the importance of establishing theology as the foundation of Youth Ministry. A Christ-centric theological framework as foundation for effective Youth Ministry is proposed. The article emphasises the meaning and essence of theology, with the Sola Scriptura approach being followed throughout. The second contributing factor discussed is the issue that cultural relevance is wrongly being made the heartbeat and foundation of Youth Ministry instead of theology. The article gives culture its rightful and relevant place in Youth Ministry, without it overshadowing the foundation of effective Youth Ministry, namely theology. Postmodernism and subculture also receive attention and in the conclusion the emphasis falls on a call to return to a Youth Ministry that is theology driven in a cultural context.Effektiewe Jeugbediening: Teologies-gedrewe in ’n Kulturele Konteks. Tans verkeer Jeugbediening grootliks in ’n krisis, aangesien dit verkeerd aangebied word. Kortliks behels hierdie krisis dat Jeugbediening daarin te kort skiet om jongmense tot volwasse Christenskap te lei. Navorsing toon verskeie faktore wat tot hierdie krisis bydra. Die artikel fokus op twee van hierdie bydraende faktore. Eerstens val die soeklig op die feit dat Jeugbediening tans metode- en sosiaal-gedrewe eerder as teologies- of spiritueel-gedrewe is. Die bespreking toon die belangrikheid daarvan om teologie en die behoefte daaraan as fondament in Jeugbediening te vestig. Die aanbeveling is dat daar ’n Christelik-teologiese raamwerk as fondament vir effektiewe Jeugbediening moet wees. Die fokus is op die betekenis en essensie van teologie met die Sola Scriptura benadering as deurgaans sentraal. Die tweede bydraende faktor tot die krisis is die feit dat kulturele relevansie in plaas van teologie verkeerdelik die hartklop en fondament van Jeugbediening gemaak word. Die artikel bied aan kultuur sy regverdige en relevante plek in Jeugbediening gebied sonder dat dit die fondament van Jeugbediening, naamlik teologie oorskadu. Postmodernisme en subkultuur geniet ook aandag. Ten slotte word die waarde van die artikel uitgelig deur die oproep tot die terugkeer na Jeugbediening wat teologies vanuit ’n kulturele konteks gedryf word.

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