“Owning Faith” is a book about youth and family ministry by Ron Bruner and Dudley Chancey. The authors identify several indicators of a healthy youth and family ministry, including:
-
Contents
Spiritual Growth:
Quotes:
- “A healthy ministry provides regular opportunities for youth and parents to encounter God through Bible study, prayer, worship, and service.” (p. 35)
- “A healthy youth ministry must have a clear goal of spiritual growth, and all of its activities must aim toward that goal.” (p. 55)
Scriptures:
- Colossians 2:6-7 – “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.”
- Psalm 1:1-3 – “Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers.”
-
Parent Involvement:
Quotes:
- “A healthy ministry actively engages parents in the spiritual development of their children and provides resources and support to equip parents for this role.” (p. 71)
- “A healthy youth ministry values the input and involvement of parents and seeks to partner with them in the spiritual formation of their children.” (p. 83)
Scriptures:
- Deuteronomy 6:6-7 – “These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”
- Proverbs 22:6 – “Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.”
-
Relationships:
Quotes:
- “A healthy ministry prioritizes relationships over programs and seeks to build a community of believers who care for and support one another.” (p. 109)
- “A healthy youth ministry fosters relationships between adults and youth and creates opportunities for intentional mentoring relationships.” (p. 127)
Scriptures
- Titus 2:3-5 – “Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.”
- Proverbs 13:20 – “Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm.”
-
Relevant Teaching:
Quotes:
- “A healthy ministry provides relevant and age-appropriate teaching that addresses the real-life issues that youth and families face.” (p. 153)
- “A healthy youth ministry teaches the whole counsel of God in a way that is engaging and relevant to the lives of young people.” (p. 169)
Scriptures:
- 2 Timothy 3:16-17 – “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
- Matthew 22:37-40 – “Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
-
Accountability:
Quotes:
- “A healthy ministry promotes accountability and responsible behavior among youth and families by setting clear expectations and boundaries.” (p. 195)
- “A healthy youth ministry provides a safe and supportive environment for youth to grow in their faith and encourages responsible behavior.” (p. 213)
Scriptures:
- Galatians 6:1-2 – “Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”
- James 5:16 – “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”
-
Outreach:
Quotes:
- “A healthy ministry is actively engaged in outreach to the surrounding community, seeking to share the love and message of Christ with those who do not yet know Him.” (p. 237)
- “A healthy youth ministry equips young people to share their faith with others and provides opportunities for service and evangelism.” (p. 253)
Scriptures
- Matthew 28:19-20 – “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
- Acts 1:8 – “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Ministry Discussion Questions:
- Are youth and families actively growing in their faith?
- Are parents actively involved in the spiritual development of their children?
- Are relationships being built between youth and adults, and between parents and other families?
- Is teaching relevant and age-appropriate, addressing the real-life issues that youth and families face?
- Are clear expectations and boundaries set for youth and families, promoting accountability and responsible behavior?
- Is the ministry actively engaged in outreach to the surrounding community, seeking to share the love and message of Christ with those who do not yet know Him?
