Chap Clark - Youth Ministry in the 21st Century: Five Views

Youth, Family, and Culture Series

Chap Clark, series editor

The Youth, Family, and Culture series examines the broad categories involved in studying and caring for the needs of the young and is dedicated to the preparation and vocational strengthening of those who are committed to the spiritual development of adolescents.

2015 by Chap Clark

Published by Baker Academic

a division of Baker Publishing Group

P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287

www.bakeracademic.com

Ebook edition created 2015

Ebook corrections 01.30.2017, 10.26.2018

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meansfor example, electronic, photocopy, recordingwithout the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.

ISBN 978-1-4412-2788-1

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version. NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com

Scripture quotations labeled ASV are from the American Standard Version of the Bible.

Scripture quotations labeled ESV are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. ESV Text Edition: 2007

Scripture quotations labeled KJV are from the King James Version of the Bible.

Scripture quotations labeled NLT are from the Holy Bible , New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations labeled NRSV are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1989, by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

I loved this book! I was engrossed by the sometimes sharp disagreements coupled with the contributors grace and mutuality. The book was a real page turner in places. For example, I could hardly wait to see what Greg Stier had to say about Fernando Arzolas critique of his primary point. Youth Ministry in the 21st Century triggers deep reflection about models and motives and will facilitate advancement of that very kingdom enterprise, youth ministry.

Len Kageler , Nyack College

Most youth pastors struggle to ever get beneath the day-to-day aspects of youth ministry. But if you want to get to the heart of why and what you do, get this book! The five views expressed allow anyone to explore, compare, and strive to live out a biblically based philosophy of youth ministry. This book belongs on the required reading lists of all youth ministry programs and deserves to be on the shelf of any youth pastor who wants a deeper understanding of where they are, how they got there, and where they might want to go in the future.

Allen Pointer , youth pastor, speaker, trainer, and owner of Point A Coaching

I have been craving this discussion of youth ministry models with deep theological roots, pointed critiques, and passionate debate on the pros and cons of each view. I predict that Youth Ministry in the 21st Century will be a much-needed push beyond the glut of negative statistics about adolescents and their faith into deeper exploration of the theological underpinnings of next-generation ministry and reimagining of effective models of youth ministry. I cannot wait to use this book in my college and seminary classrooms.

Danny Mitchell , youth ministry coordinator, Committee on Discipleship Ministries, Presbyterian Church in America

As a former youth pastor and Youth For Christ director turned educator, I welcome the critical thinking, assessment, consensus, collaboration, varying perspectives, and even the disagreement found in this book. And while I embrace discussions of theory, this project helpfully transforms theories into the building blocks of ministry practices, skill sets, and practical theology. Whether you have a high youth ministry IQ or you are in youth ministry 101, this book will challenge your thinking.

Steve Vandegriff , Liberty University

Contents

Acknowledgments

Greg Stier: Thanks to Jane Dratz for her tireless efforts to make this project excellent. Her editing skills, insights, and ideas have been a gift from God! I am also deeply grateful to Debbie Bresina, who has been working with me for almost twenty years at Dare 2 Share. Her forthright and wise input into this project, like so many others, has been invaluable.

Brian Cosby: Id like to thank Doug Griffith, Norm Dunkin, and Tim Gwin, who guided me as I wrestled through a means-of-grace and consistently Reformed understanding of ministry in general and youth ministry in particular. Though he doesnt know me, Id like to thank Voddie Baucham for his theological and exegetical assistance in helping me develop a much more family-supporting approach to my position. Finally, Id like to thank my wife, Ashley, for her loving support of me over the years as Ive engaged to equip the saints for the work of ministry.

Chap Clark: Many thanks to the writers in this book, and for all those who keep pushing the edges of youth ministry in the service of the kingdom. And, of course, as always, thanks to Dee, Chap, Rob, Katie, and Ben. You all help me to keep pursuing new views every day!

Fernando Arzola: I am grateful to Dr. David Turk and my colleagues at Nyack College for their continued support of my scholarship. To my mother, Aida, and my sister, Rebecca, for their affirmations. To my wife, Jill, for her continued support of my research. To my daughter, Nicole, who has taught me more about adolescent development and youth ministry than any book ever has. To the teens in the Bronx and throughout the New York City area who have kept me honest and youthful in mind and spirit. Finally, special thanks to Chap Clark for his invitation to participate in this endeavor and his encouragement throughout the process.

Ron Hunter: Special thanks to Richard Ross, Timothy Paul Jones, Ben Freudenburg, Mark DeVries, Mark Holmen, Brian Haynes, John Trent, Jim Burns, Steven Wright, Tim Kimmel, and Rob Rienow, most of whom lived, wrote about, and taught Deuteronomy 6 before it was called D6. Thanks also to Chap Clark for making this project happen.

Visit
www.bakeracademic.com/professors
to access study aids and instructor materials for this textbook.

Introduction

Why This Book?

[Jesus] matters because of what he brought and what he still brings to ordinary human beings, living their ordinary lives and coping daily with the surroundings. He promises wholeness for their lives. In sharing our weakness he gives us strength and imparts through his companionship a life that has the quality of eternity.

He comes where we are, and he brings us the life we hunger for.... To be the light of life, and to deliver Gods life to women and men where they are and as they are, is the secret of the enduring relevance of Jesus.

Dallas Willard, The Divine Conspiracy

Oh, that we would, that we could, pass excitement for Jesus on to our kids.

Comment by a father following a parent meeting on lifelong faith

I n 2001 I had the chance to join three other youth ministry leaders to come together to debate in the book Four Views of Youth Ministry and the Church : Trinity Evangelical Divinity Schools Mark H. Senter III, the editor; Southwestern Baptists Wesley Black; and Malan Nel, from South Africa. We were invited to define and defend one of four ways of looking at youth ministry, write a brief critique of the other three, and finally have one last word in response to the critiques. The four positions were