Philosophy
Philosophy of Youth Ministry
1. The Youth Group is one of three ministry branches of our church. It is never to be viewed as a mini church, but part of the body as a whole.
2. Junior & Senior High should, in most cases, be 2 groups. The youth minister should not spend more than 1 month exclusively with any age group. The youth minister is to raise up leaders to teach the other age group.
3. The youth minister must be committed to W.C.F./Catechisms and must teach the Bible from a Reformed perspective.
4. The youth minister must teach by his words & his life. Teaching youth must:
- be Biblically based;
- be clear to today’s youth;
- attempt to draw out & draw in the youth member to the discussion;
- include the whole counsel of God’s Law and Gospel;
- include a time to apply the principles learned to daily living;
- not be a lecture, but seek to keep the youth responsive.
5. The youth minister must be approachable & caring, reaching out to youths by offering advice, counsel, time, and a listening ear.
6. The goal of the VPC youth minister is to compliment the covenantal family, NOT to replace the family’s responsibility of teaching our young people, but rather so as to disciple them to have a:
- Mind that knows God’s Word;
- Heart that loves God;
- Will that commits to the Gospel and to ongoing discipleship;
- Life that connects with, & cares for believers and non-believers within the group, the church, and our society.
7. Means to the goal:
- Through Bible Study
- Through Catechism Study
- Through modeling after Godly examples
- Through dialogue with others
- Through service projects
- Through social interaction with peers and parents
- Through worship & prayer together as a group.
Valley Presbyterian Church Youth Ministries Philosophy
of Music
(submitted by youth minister to senior pastor, 2004)
See church philosophy of music
Purpose:
- Music in the Youth Department at Valley Presbyterian Church exists as a means to glorify God.
- Col. 3:16—“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.”
Therefore, worship music should…
- Convey God’s Word—either by citing Biblical quotes taken directly from scripture, or conveying Biblical principles.
- Focus on who God is, on His will, on His ways, and on His people’s reaction to who He is and what He has done/is doing.
- Be sound doctrinally
- Be sing-able
- Be Psalms, Hymns, and other spiritual songs
- Bring God’s people into His presence
- Contain many instruments (see 1 Chronicles 25:6, 2 Chronicles 5:12, Ps. 71:22, Ps. 81:2, Ps. 98:1, et al. )
- Be emotional (joyful, “meditational”, etc…)
Worship music should not…
- Put emphasis on the musician
- Distract God’s people
- Categorized as traditional/contemporary
- Be so like secular music that a difference can no longer be made
How VPC Youth Ministry music helps promote and establish the greater VPC Philosophy of Music:
- Youth Ministries Philosophy of Music coincides with the VPC Philosophy of Music (compare to “Toward a Philosophy of Music dated: 4/21/2004 & “How We Worship at Valley Presbyterian church”)
- Youth Ministries sings many of the songs that the greater congregation sings.
- There is no dichotomy that exists between the corporate worship service and Youth Ministry music in “why” of music, and for the most part, the “what” of music. The perceived differences are…
- Style—The way the youth ministry plays the songs, and what instruments are used.
- Amount—The Youth Ministry songbook contains 200+ songs for worship.