Waymaker Youth Ministries

Statements for Waymaker Youth Ministries

 

 

Statement #1: Prayer fuels Our youth program. Prayer can help our youth group stay on track with the mission.

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If our ministry does not rely on God’s help by praying, the youth ministry could unravel on us (Acts 1:14). Acts 1:14 states, “They all joined together consistently in prayer.” The Biblical Vision for YM is to teach the Youth on how to have a personal relationship with God through developing their understanding of prayer. Prayer can help them “Cast their anxiety on Him,” to feel the peace of God that guards their heart and mind in Jesus Christ.

Prayer can also help the Biblical Vision of Youth ministry to stay pure. When our Youth staff does not pray, it can weaken our defense against the flaming arrows that the Devil throws at us (Ephesians 6:12; 2 Corinthians 10:3-6.

 

Statement #2: Youth Minister, along with the parents, should teach that Spiritual warfare is true and needs to be addressed (Ephesians 6; 2 Corinthians 4:4-6).

           

Spiritual warfare is essential to the Biblical Vision of Youth Ministry because if one does not recognize spiritual warfare, then their ministry will fail. Spiritual Attacks can rage on in the lives of the youth. So, The Youth Ministry core team should teach them about how to successful respond to spiritual attacks of drugs, peer pressure, bullying, and sexual immorality. When we are successful on teaching the youth about how to respond to the spiritual attacks that plague this earthly world, they are more likely to stay in church.

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Statement #3: The Foundation of Youth Ministry to teach the youth, along with the parents, how to be disciples of Jesus Christ.

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            Our Youth Program will teach these core aspects of how to be a disciple of Jesus Christ with the parents help.

First, the teenagers, in this youth program, will understand that God is Holy (Revelation 4:8b) and loves his wonderful creation which is mankind (John 3:16; Romans 5:8a; 1 John 4:10,19).  Second, the Teenagers, in this youth program, will understand that they are sinners and the punishment of their sin is eternal separation from God (Romans 3:23; Romans 6:23a). That due their sinful nature (Jeremiah 17:9), they cannot enter the presence of God because God cannot allow evil in Heaven (Habakkuk 1:13). Third, The Teenagers, in this youth program, will know that God provided a way for them to enter the wonderful presence of God. This way is by God sending his perfect son (2 Corinthians 5:21) down to earth in the form of a man to take our place on the cross to pay our penalty of sin (Romans 6:23b). Fourth, they will understand that this is the only way to be saved and enter in the presence of God (Ephesians 2:8-9, John 14:1-5). The only way the youth can fill their emptiness is simply believing in Jesus Christ that He died on the Cross for your sins and conquered death by rising on the third day. Nothing else can feel that void. Fifth, The Teenagers, in this youth program, can respond to this invitation of salvation.  Sixth, Once they respond correctly to this free gift of salvation (Ephesians 2:8-9), they are children of God (John 1:12-13). Seventh, now that some of the youth, in this youth program saved, they are transformed from the old way of life to the new way of life (2 Corinthians 5:17). They are no longer clinging on their past sin because the Holy Spirit is convicting them of their sin and is their helper in their time of spiritual storms (John 16:6-10; John 14:26). Eighth, they need to confess their sin so that God can be faithful to forgive their sin and cleanse them from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). Ninth, they also need to be discipled once they are saved so that they can mature and develop their faith (Hebrews 5:11-14). Tenth, Once they are children of God, they can choose to take up the mantle of service (Mark 10:45). God calls his children ambassadors of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:18).

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Statement #4: The Teenagers, in our youth program, will know that God has a special plan for their life which is to let their darkness be turned in a beacon of hope that the world can see through their life (2 Corinthians 4:4-6).

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2 Corinthians 4:4-6 (ESV) states, “In their case, the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we proclaim is not ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” This verse shows us that our role in this Youth program is to be the beacon of hope that enables the Youth to become more Christlike.

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Statement #5: Our Youth program will train up youth and young adults to be lifetime disciples of Jesus Christ by passionately pursuing them and intentionally building them up through the use of Scripture memory system.

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To help train the Youth, they need to understand Scripture and what the Scripture has to say. The foundation of the Scriptures is to help readers know the Love of God. Too often or not, churches offer these Scripture memory programs but neglect to tell the students the importance of the Scripture that they are memorizing. One can memorize all verses in the Word of God, but if you do not apply them to your own life, the Word of God becomes meaningless and void. To better enhance our understanding of how to be doers of God’s Word, we need to look at James 1:19-27.

This passage has three practical steps that a Christian can do. The First step to being doers of God’s Word is by receiving the Word of God through hearing. The Second Step is listening to the Word of God. The Third Step is practically applying the Word of God to our lives while we are still here on Earth. To an unbeliever teen that attends this youth group, the Word of God is like a mystery box that is not easily solvable. However, to the believer, the Word of God is groundwork to solve every life problem.

            Therefore, the Youth and Youth Minister needs to read the passage from an author-centered perspective and apply that passage in their own life and in the lives of the youth. It is so easy to forget to use the word of God in your life; that is why God commands us to be doers of the Word of God, not just hearers. One of the most critical foundations found in Scriptures. This passage has three practical steps that a Christian can do. The First step to being doers of God’s Word is by receiving the Word of God through hearing. The Second Step is listening to the Word of God. The Third Step is practically applying the Word of God to our lives while we are still here on Earth.

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Statement #5: Our Youth program will outreach to the lost sinners (Luke 19:10).

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Randy Alcorn states, “A Christ-centered Church is not showcase for Saints but a hospital for sinners.” This is so true. Jesus did not hang around self-righteous people all day. He ministered to the lost sinners on a frequent basis. This is one the biggest statements that impacts the Biblical Vision of Youth Ministry. Luke 19:10 proclaims that one of the foundation ways to help youth is by helping them focus their attention on the redeeming work of Jesus Christ. 

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Statement #6: Our youth program will help disciple the Youth to be spiritual mature in their faith (Hebrews 5:11-14) through creating a spiritual mentorship program for the fatherless and motherless children (the orphans).

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Every day, boys, and girls, who are underprivileged, are in a fatherless home. The National Fatherhood Initiative saw that according to the U.S. Census Bureau that “19.7 million children, more than 1 in 4, live without a father in the home.”[1] The U.S Census Bureau reported,

Between 1960 and 2016, the percentage of children living in families with two parents decreased from 88 to 69. During the 1960-2016 period, the percentage of children living with only their mother nearly tripled from 8 to 23 percent and the percentage of children living with only their father increased from 1 to 4 percent. The second most common family arrangement is children living with a single mother, at 23 percent.[2]

To combat this staggeringly statistic and the fatherless crisis that plagues America today, Spiritual Fathers and Mothers (in a nutshell, spiritual mentors) need to come alongside these children and mentor them according to the Gospel Message. To begin this journey, one needs to define what Spiritual mentorship is. The Importance of having a father figure in their lives of youth are imperative for the men to continue in the ways of the Lord. Spiritual mentorship is when you come along with someone and help them out spiritually, physically, and emotionally. In our youth program will assign Godly men to mentor the young men and godly women to mentor the young women (Titus 2:1-8). When things get tough, these men or women will not leave them. They should come alongside them and build them up in the ways of the Lord (Hebrews 5:11-14; Hebrews 10:24-25). When someone grows in a fatherless home, they are ten times more likely to join a gang, get hooked on drugs, or go to Juvie.  Rick Burgess and Andy Blanks wrote in How to be a Man, “Did you know that the Biblical picture of discipleship is of an active godly man leading his family? Numerous studies have shown that when a father is obediently following after Christ, it’s more likely that his family will also be devoted Christians.”[3] With this quote, our stance is that we will train young teen guys on how to be a godly father and also show them what a great Father they have in Heaven who is none other than Jesus Christ. So Spiritual mentorship is important to those who do not have a mother or father they can rely on.

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Statement #7: All Children and Youth are made in the Image of God. God crafts each one of his vessels with unique gifts and talents (Ephesians 2:10; Isaiah 64:8). This will be done by teaching the Teenagers the “Imago Dei” Principle. The “Imago Dei” Principle is the principle that God fearfully and wonderfully made everyone in the image of God and that He molds and shapes us into fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ (Isaiah 64:8, Matthew 28:19-20, Ephesians 2:10, 2 Timothy 2:15).

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The "Imago Dei" principle was built on the scriptures. The scriptures were built to help answer these questions and help the unbelievers and the believers figure out who they are. God wants believers and unbelievers to experience the "Imago Dei" principle. "Imago Dei" stands for the Image of God. By understanding the Image of God, a person is inching their way to the Gospel presentation. The "Imago Dei" is vital because it can lead a person to know the Gospel message. When a person compares the Image of God and their human Image, they will find out that their image is marred with sin, but God's Image is not marred with sin.

The six aspects of the "Imago Dei" Principle are the following: God's Image is perfect, His image is without error and imperfections, Jesus Christ is the perfect Image of God, God fearfully and Wonderfully made you in His image, God's Image, which God made us in, is marred with Sin, Jesus Christ restored our image by dying on the cross for our sins and conquered Death by raising on the Third Day, and Jesus reconciles us in God's Eyes.

This is what we would teach the Teenagers who attend our youth program. God calls us to remind the Youth that they are fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of God. God crafts each young student in unique and different way (Isaiah 64:8).

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Statement #8: Our responsibilities to the teens in our youth program.

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We will be leading a transforming Ministry in the lives of the Youth (Romans 12:1-2). When our youth program is a transforming ministry, the teens can better know (Romans 1:18-20), love (John 4:10-19), and serve (Mark 10:45) Jesus Christ. Knowledge is imperative. The Right knowledge can lead to the right actions. We will speak the truth in Love to Church Members and Church staff members (Ephesians 4:16). We should teach the Youth the Statues of the Lord (Psalms 34:11) and help them understand where they fit in the church (Ephesians 4:11-16; 2 Corinthians 13). Youth Ministers should help the Fatherless (Isaiah 1:1-10). We, as the youth Ministers, should be treated as Elders (1st Timothy, 2nd Timothy, Titus: The Requirements of a deacon and elder). Elders are the spiritual leaders of the church. We should be established and rooted in the Faith (Colossians 2:6-7). We should be Outreach-centered and Disciple-centered (Mark 16:15; Matthew 28:19-20). We should always be Jesus-centered and rooted in Jesus Christ (Colossians 2:6-7). We should teach the Bible (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Youth Ministers should raise up Approved Workman for God (2 Timothy 2:15).

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Statement #9: Our Youth program success will hinge on training the Youth to be lifetime followers of Jesus Christ and will also hinge on how many people will continue to develop their faith after they graduate out of our Youth program.

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            Success is defined if that teenager genuinely pursues Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:19-20). Our success hinges on fulfilling the great commission. Also, success hinges on how much that teenager retains during the teaching we teach during Sunday school and Youth Group. We are training up the next generation to know, love, and serve Jesus Christ. In Addition, success can be measured if they serve in some capacity in the local church (Mark 10:45).

Statement #10: Our Vision is to train students and young adults to be fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ who passionately pursue God (Luke 19:10) and intentional build others up through helping them gain the knowledge to train others for Christ and by strengthen their relationship with God.

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Statement #9: Our Vision to help Students gain a firm foundation regarding the Bible by enabling the Teens to hear the Word of God, to read the Word of God, to study and apply the word of God, to memorize the Word of God, and meditate on what they learn. By practicing these things, the Youth are on their way to be fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ.

 

 Step #1: Hearing the Word of God (Romans 10:17).

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How can the Youth hear the Word of God? At Waymaker Youth Mission, Youth can hear the word of God by the articles they read and by the sermons the founder of Waymaker Youth Mission makes. How can they can change their ways? By hearing the Word of God. Romans 10:17 answers this question well. Romans 10:17 (ESV) states, “So Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of God.” The Pastor’s role at W.Y.M is to proclaim the word of God to students so that it can help them hear the Word of God so that they can be on their way to be fully-devoted followers of Jesus Christ.

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Step #2: reading the Bible (Revelations 1:3).

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At Waymaker Youth Mission, the core team will develop a curriculum by which the teens will adequately read and study the word of God every day.

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Step #3: Studying and applying the Word of God (Acts 17:11; James 1:24-27).

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            Studying God’s word is imperative so that you can learn how to change yourself to be more Christlike. Then, once you study God’s word, they will be able to apply spiritual truths to their lives.

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 Step #4: Memorizing God’s Word to help them cleanse and purify their ways (Psalms 119:9,11).

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            Memorizing God’s word can help you not sin against God (Psalms 119:11). It can also help you confess your sins to God (1 John 1:9). It can also help you meditate on God’s truths (Joshua 1:8-9).

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Step #5: Meditating on God’s Word so that they can know how to train others up for Christ and strengthen their relationship with God (Ps. 1:2,3).

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            Meditating on God’s Word and Memorizing God’s word goes hand in hand. If you do not memorize God’s word, you will be able to meditate on them as easily. Meditating on God’s word can help you renew your mind in Christ Jesus (Romans 12:1-2).

 

After the Youth at Waymaker Youth Mission practice these 5 steps, they are on their way to be fully-devoted followers of Jesus Christ because they are intentionally listening to the word of God and practically applying biblical principles to their life.

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Statement #11: Parents, alongside YM Workers, should give the students the chance of having a spiritual dinner with God through eating Spiritual meat and drinking Pure Spiritual Milk. This Spiritual Dinner comes through reading the Word of God, understanding Jesus Christ, and communicating with God through prayer. (1 Corinthians 3:2; Hebrews 5:11-14; 1 Peter 2:2; John 7:37-39; Matthew 4:4; 1 Corinthians 10:4; 1 Thessalonians 5:17).

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End Notes 

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[1] The National Fatherhood Initiative. (2020). “The Proof is in: Father Absence Harms Children.” The National Fatherhood Initiative. Date Accessed October 8, 2020. URL: https://www.fatherhood.org/father-absence-statistic#:~:text=According%20to%20the%20U.S.%20Census,a%20father%20in%20the%20home.

 

[2] United States Census Bureau. (November 17th, 2016). “Two Majority of Children live with two parents, Census Bureau reports.” The United States Census Bureau. Date Accessed October 8, 2020. URL: https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2016/cb16-192.html

[3] Rick Burgess and Andy Blanks. How to be a Man: Pursuing Christ-centered Masculinity. (USA: Iron Hill Press, 2016), pg. 1