John, Wow, I agree with you. Good stuff. Derick ------------------------------------ The Baptist Church of Springville Derick Dickens Pastor derick@... 17 South Central Ave Springville NY 14141 tel: (716) 592-7624 fax: 240-337-8896 mobile: 716-597-8320 www.thedickensfamily.org ------------------------------------ > -----Original Message----- > From: john okeefe [mailto:jxpxus@...] > Sent: Monday, February 16, 2004 7:36 PM > To: pastorsforum@... > Subject: Re: [PastorsForum] Youth ministry concept > > > dean, > > the best way this can happen is when we stop using > terms like "youth minister" and realize that there is > no such position in scripture - all are pastors and > some are better at serving youth - pay them the same, > treat them the same and most of all - let them be the > leader they are called to God to be - it is when we > see it as a "steping stone" to being a "real minister" > we have a problem :) > > pax > jok > > > --- Dean West <ldw45@...> wrote: > > Hey Guys, > > Here is some interesting information from a > > conference on youth. > > > > http://youthworkers.net/parents/ > > > > a.. Whereas God intends for parents to serve as > > the primary spiritual > > instructors of their children (Deuteronomy 6:4-9), > > > > > > b.. Whereas God intends for those He calls as > > ministers to equip His > > people for service (Ephesians 4:11-13), and > > > > > > c.. Whereas many parents in church fail to fulfill > > their responsibility > > for the spiritual development of their children > > (Judges 2:10, 14), and > > > > > > d.. Whereas the church makes its greatest impact > > upon unbelieving youth > > and families when its own youth and families are > > healthy spiritually (1 > > Timothy 3:1-13), and > > > > > > e.. Whereas we as church and organizational > > leaders too long have failed > > to equip parents for their vital role in the > > spiritual instruction and > > leadership of their teenage children, > > Therefore, > > > > a.. We call for youth ministers to take on their > > rightful role as pastoral > > ministers to parents, acknowledging parents as the > > primary spiritual leaders > > of their children and serving parents in that role. > > To further define this role, > > > > a.. We call for youth ministers to champion the > > call for churches to pray > > for parents and to mobilize parents to pray for > > their teenagers. > > > > > > b.. We call for youth ministers to spend > > intentional time each week > > administering and communicating ministries that > > impact the home. > > > > > > c.. We call for youth ministers consistently to > > involve parents with > > leaders and resources that equip parents for > > biblical parenting and primary > > discipling of their children. > > > > > > d.. We call for youth ministers to acquire > > training in family ministry to > > be equipped to respond to families in crisis and to > > refer when necessary. > > > > > > e.. We call for youth ministers to include events > > and experiences that > > bring parents and teenagers together when it best > > achieves ministry > > purposes. > > > > > > f.. We call for churches to call youth ministers > > in agreement with this > > document and to support and encourage existing youth > ministers to make > > a transition toward parent ministry. > > > > > > g.. We call for senior pastors and church leaders > > to incorporate the > > spirit of this document in the church's ministry > > with parents of children of > > all ages. > > > > > > > > -- > > To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: > > pastorsforum-unsubscribe@... > > > > "In essential things, unity; in non-essential > > things, liberty; and in all things, charity." > > > > > ===== > john o'keefe > http://www.ginkworld.net > > __________________________________ > Do you Yahoo!? > Yahoo! Finance: Get your refund fast by filing online. http://taxes.yahoo.com/filing.html -- To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: pastorsforum-unsubscribe@... "In essential things, unity; in non-essential things, liberty; and in all things, charity."