The State of Youth Ministry

According to the most conservative estimates, over 60 percent of those raised in evangelical homes end up leaving church at age 18. In some cases the estimates range as high as 90 percent. So what are we doing wrong? Why are we failing to pass the faith on to the next generation, and what should […]

On this edition of the program, Michael Horton talks with Greg Koukl and Brett Kunkle from Stand to Reason about various strategies of passing the faith on to the next generation. In particular, Brett discusses his own crisis of faith during his first semester of college and how that crisis affects his unique approach toward youth ministry.

On this program Michael Horton, Greg Koukl and Brett Kunkle of Stand to Reason continue their discussion from the last episode about the importance of preparing our youth for a life of faith in a secular age. Not only should they be taught what they believe and why, but before they leave home, they should also be […]

How should we disciple young adults? Though some are aware of the problems with entertainment based youth ministry, many are fearful that content based or catechetical approaches will leave kids bored and disengaged. Is this actually true, or should we challenge these assumptions? Michael Horton discusses these important questions with Derek Rishmawy and Brian Thomas […]

If you visit a typical youth program at the average evangelical church, you’ll no doubt observe an emphasis on fun and entertainment. Yet most Christian teens are ignorant about the basic message of Scripture, and statistics show that the majority of them will abandon church after high school. Youth ministry in a society driven by […]

How are we to raise up the next generation of Christians to think seriously about their faith if they haven’t been taught how to think in the first place? How are we to keep our kids in the faith if they are constantly propagandized by the messages in movies, advertisements, or college classrooms? The apostle […]

What are the assumptions about “youth” in our time, and how do those assumptions differ from what we find in Scripture? How do technology and social media ghettoize today’s kids? In a time of perpetual adolescence, how should we form our children to become mature adults? As we conclude our series on Youth Ministry, Michael […]

It was a brisk November evening in 2022. Winter’s chill had settled in, wrapping the world in clouds that promised a cold night ahead. But the air was filled with the laughter of children clutching bright plastic shovels, their excitement lighting up the gathering.

In a recent church small group, in which I was the youngest participant by several decades, I witnessed a surprising display of emotion. Older women—saints in the church who have nurtured and fed me literally and spiritually—tearfully sharing painful memories from their middle school years.

When orthodoxy is quietly displaced, institutions may continue to function administratively, yet they no longer recognize their purpose. They become like cathedrals built without load-bearing walls: they may stand for a time, but their structural integrity is already compromised.

In 2022, Ligonier and Lifeway published “The State of Theology,” where Evangelicals were surveyed about various theological claims. The results were startling to say the least. For example, 55% of surveyed Evangelicals agreed that “Jesus is the first and greatest being created by God.” […]