A Covenant for Youth Ministry
First Baptist Church of Asheville
Authentic. Formative. Missional. Relational. Safe. Sustainable.
Authentic youth ministry equips families to pass on their faith and produce followers of Jesus. Authentic youth leaders are honest and transparent in all interactions while respecting appropriate boundaries. Authentic youth ministry is consistent with what is taught and how people are treated.
Formative youth ministry helps youth and adults set spiritual goals. Formative youth ministry marks milestone events in the lives of youth. Formative youth ministry provides intentional time for youth to reflect upon their relationship with Jesus. Formative youth ministry places a priority on spiritual formation and faith development.
Missional youth ministry focuses less on serving the youth who are a part of the church and more on helping youth to be the church in the community around them. Missional youth ministry will be shaped by the unique gifts of the group. Missional youth ministry will assist youth in engaging the world around them, both locally and globally. Missional youth ministry reflects the goals, vision, and mindset of the congregation.
Relational youth ministry places priority on the steady process of discipleship. Relational youth ministry seeks the transformation of youth as they grow more into the likeness of Christ and their own true selves. Relational youth leaders are attuned to connecting with youth, not merely counting them. Relational youth ministry welcomes youth from a myriad of personal experiences, backgrounds, beliefs, and characteristics, with leaders always seeking to meet youth wherever they are. Relational youth ministry seeks to connect youth intergenerationally and interculturally, for the sake of the broader Body of Christ.
Safe youth ministry cherishes the life of every youth and proactively pursues their complete health and well-being. Safe youth ministry follows appropriate ratios of adults to youth, provides careful oversight and supervision, and respects each person’s gender, identity, and privacy. Safe youth ministry has no tolerance for pranks or bullying. Safe youth leaders practice attentive, legal, and safe driving, and generally work to avoid dangerous situations.
Sustainable youth ministry simultaneously functions with a living memory of the past, a keen knowledge of the present, and a hopeful expectancy for the future. Sustainable youth ministry seeks to nurture youth and their families, whether the youth is fully active or nominally involved. Sustainable youth ministry continually expands, encourages, and guides youth leaders, both within the youth group and among the parent and adult population of the congregation. Sustainable youth leaders share their spiritual gifts and welcome the gifts and accompaniment of others.