| Statistics: |
| • |
Churches in Scotland,
Wales and Northern Ireland employ 7000
youth workers. |
| • |
44% of the employed youth
workers are female. |
| • |
87,000 church attendees
in England are involved in youth work
or youth ministry in their churches. |
| • |
Around 225,000 young people
attend church youth groups and significant
numbers are actively involved in church. |
| • |
Over 57% of churches do
not provide any activities, club, fellowship
or other provision specifically aimed
at young people. |
Quotes:
'Young people
relate to young people. It is not just the
leaders’ responsibility to reach others.
It’s everyone’s responsibility.
Everyone is part of the workforce.'
: 24-year-old male
‘Without
the young people there is a gap and we need
to do what we can to be reaching out to
the future of the church.’
: 31-year-old male
‘[The Salvation
Army] has massive potential…that’s
what it is that just keeps me addicted…we
have a massive potential and that is ahead
of us rather than behind us.'
: 28-year-old male
‘Research
has suggested that young people need 6 significant
adult figures in their lives at any one
time for positive development. We need people
who are prepared to commit themselves and
make that vital investment; people who are
prepared to be real life role models; people
that will show young people that they can
live another way.’
: 24-year-old female.
Bible: Romans
12: 4-6 and 1 Corinthians 14:12
Just as each of us has one body with many
members, and these members do not all have
the same function, so in Christ we who are
many form one body, and each member belongs
to all the others. We have different gifts,
according to the grace given us.
Since you are eager to have spiritual gifts,
try to excel in gifts that build up the
church.
The role, gifting and ministry of a youth
worker is vital to the life of the church.
Research has demonstrated that churches
with an employed youth worker are significantly
more likely to have a strong and growing
sense of belonging. In addition, people
attending churches with youth workers are
almost twice as likely to be involved in
church based evangelism activities.
However, being a youth worker can be quite
a thankless and isolated role – the
rest of the church don’t always understand
why the youth group aren’t coming
along to the Sunday service or why the 9
hour sermon isn’t resulting in more
young people coming to faith…
Given that God has blessed his church with
a rich diversity of gifts and talents for
the building of his Kingdom, how can we
best support those called into this high
calling, specialist area of ministry? What
can we learn about what it means to support,
inspire and encourage young people and young
adults in their faith?
Prayer Ideas:
Speak to your youth workers and find out
what their prayer needs are both personally
and for the young people that they work
with. Commit to pray for one or two of the
young people across the year.
Serve the youth work that is happening in
your church in prayer, money, time or other
resources.
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Source acknowledgement:
Statistics and Quotes taken from:
The Burden of Youth Report:
by The Henley Centre, commissioned by The
Salvation Army in 2001.
Beyond
Belief? Barriers and Bridges to Faith Today:
Nick Spencer of The London Institute of
Contemporary Christianity.
The Profile
of Youth Workers 2003:
a private report by Alison Gelder and Philip
Escott, commissioned by Churches Together
in England Coordination group for Youth
Work. Copyright Churches Together in England
2003. |
