Why is a relationally based youth program important to Christian formation? Becauseour young people tend to experience and express faith in a culture that stresses individ­ualism and youth.

How connected are young people to the adults in their lives? How connected do they want to be? How connected do they need to be? More than 50 pastors, youth ministry leaders, authors, and scholars gathered last fall to examine those key questions and others at the Christian Formation of Youth Consultation.

Our question is not How do we reimagine youth ministry? Our question is How do we NOT? Youth ministry must be constantly reimagined. The books and the seminars and the conventions are great; but when it all boils down, our job is to get teenagers to meet Jesus. To do this we must be willing to change...