By Anita K. Palmer
YWJ's Senior Copy Editor and freelance writer from San Diego, California
What are the key issues and trends for youth ministry workers in church settings? To find out we asked:
Daryl Nuss, Chief Ministries Officer, the National Network of Youth Ministries. Founded in 1979, the
NNYM and its staff of 20 reach 73 ministries among its “cooperating organizations,” and nurtures 900 local networks of individual youth workers.
Darryl Lamar Smith, National Director for Student Venture, the high school and junior high ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ.
Student Venture, founded in 1967, has a U.S. staff of 172, and an international staff of 20 Americans and 90 nationals. From June 1, 2006, to May 31, 2007, Student Venture recorded presenting the gospel to 80,173 students, with 9,295 young people making a decision for Christ.
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. Founded in 1941,
Young Life has a worldwide staff of 3,180 worldwide, and estimates that during the 2006-2007 school year it ministered to 613,431 middle school and high school kids, a number that does not include Capernaum, a ministry to the disabled, or international outreach.
Dr. Dave Rahn, Vice President, Chief Ministry Officer, Youth for Christ. Founded in 1944,
YFC says it has 1,518 staff deployed, about 100 of whom are World Outreach missionaries. In addition, more than 100 nations are chartered with YFC International and 3,932 staff work around the world for a total of 5,450 staff. Last year YFC recorded contact with 331,353 young people, with the number of young people who indicated that they made decisions to become followers of Christ for the first time was 24,542.
Here’s what our four experts told us.
YouthWorker Journal: What do you see as the key opportunities and challenges for youth ministry today?Daryl Nuss: One challenge is adapting to the changing culture that youth live in, but certain aspects of their culture have shifted from the one that even the youngest youth worker grew up in.
For example, the means of social communication is changing. Five years ago you could connect with youth via email. Today they don’t use it as much; they are more likely to use social networking or text messages. Family structures are not what we grew up with. Kids are disconnected from traditional mooring, but they’re very connected amongst themselves.
Dave Rahn: The interest in spiritual things among youth provides a tremendous opportunity, but the relative disinterest in organized religion is quite a challenge. Honestly, the combination of these conditions makes me tremendously excited. I think it will compel us all to a healthy reform process as it relates to how we follow Jesus together and invite others to join us.