This may seem like a strange question. I certainly get strange looks at times when I ask it of people involved in youth work. But this is a question that any who desire effective youth ministry in our churches must explore. After all, have we not tended to separate these two elements in the past? Haven’t we said, “Teens aren’t interested in theological gobbledygook… it just goes over their heads”? We have decided that what they “really need” is someone to “relate” to them and to “keep it simple.” Though it is true that the message must be understandable to the adolescent mind, it is my observation that we have assumed too much about teenagers. In many of our youth ministry courses offered at Bethany, inevitably this question comes up. Granted, many times it is asked in jest, but the fact that we joke about it indicates what we have been accustomed to.

The fact is teens' lives are saturated with theology. Media and other forms of societal pressure try desperately to indoctrinate our youths. Dr. Kenda Creasy Dean in her book Starting Right states, "Theological images permeate music and movies, theological rituals find their way into gangs and families, theological assumptions work their way into the way teenagers approach proms and parents, homework and careers. Adolescents traffic in theology every single day.”¹

Actually, like all of us, teenagers are constantly reflecting their own theology in the way they live. Perhaps the way they treat a classmate who is often ostracized by other peers reflects their doctrine of creation. Or maybe their refusal to forgive an ex-boyfriend or girlfriend gives us a glimpse of their theology of grace. Though it may not be done consciously, we all reflect our beliefs in our actions.

The conclusion we must come to is clear: we must take our theology seriously as we approach youth ministry.

We cannot dumb down our message claiming that teens are not interested in theological matters. Who says that teens wouldn’t be interested in studying the Bible and theological concepts? A 10-hour ride in a van full of teenagers on the way to a mission trip or conference will quickly reveal how hungry teens are to discuss deep questions regarding God and religion. Could we be raising the next Thomas Aquinas or Martin Luther by a steady diet of all-nighters and chocolate bar fundraisers? Of course, these are not evil things and I am thankful we have them, but can they exist as the heart of our youth ministry programming?

We also can no longer be making decisions in our youth ministries on a solely pragmatic foundation. Determining what direction to go in order to best minister to the youths of our community needs theological reflection and prayer rather than a careful examination of what is working in the church that exists on the other side of the fence amid the greener grass.

Let’s take for instance a situation calling for a difficult decision. How do we know what to do? Should we make a decision based on what works? … on what will keep everyone happy? … on what is the safest route? In the aforementioned book, Dean offers a great strategy in applying practical theology. It is a fourfold plan calling us to 1) Understand, 2) Reflect, 3) Detect and Evaluate, and 4) Project.

Understanding a situation takes time and simply answers the question, “What’s going on?” If we don’t understand the situation, how can we remedy the problem? Reflecting goes beyond gathering data. Here we can discover what is currently being done, which brings us naturally to our next step. Where reflecting would ask the question, “What are we doing?” detecting and evaluating asks a rather painful question, “How well are we doing it by God’s standards?” The act of projecting thrives on not only theological application, but also on our God-given creativity and innovativeness. Projecting asks, “How can we do it better?”²

Initially, it may seem intimidating to walk down such a theological road in youth ministry. On the contrary, however, it is actually very freeing. Allowing scriptural truth to lead us through our decision-making and program directing helps us practice casting our burdens on the Lord as he has instructed us to do. Otherwise, the weight rests solely on the youth worker. What does theology have to do with youth ministry? Everything!

[1] Dean, Kenda Creasy, Chap Clark and Dave Rahn, 2001. Starting Right: thinking theologically about youth ministry. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, p. 29.