Video Transcript: Lesson 1 Section 2

There are many reasons for doing youth ministry. But maybe you're wondering what the Bible  has to say on this topic. The concept of youth ministry is certainly not new. When God's  people were exiled in Babylon, Jewish leaders were intentional about teaching their children  Hebrew, so they can read the Torah. The first five books of the Bible, synagogue schools  became the primary place to learn how to read, write and speak Hebrew. Going to the schools was a rite of passage. Graduation granted young men the privileges and responsibilities of  adulthood, they could serve with the leaders in the synagogue, as well as in the courts.  Providing the language for faith was a primary importance to help adolescents grow  spiritually. And that is still the case today. There are many methods for doing youth ministry,  but whatever model we choose should be built on the ministry guidelines God establishes in  Scripture. Here are a few of these guidelines. Faith development begins with spiritual  instruction in the family home. knowledge is gained through experiencing the larger  community faith. Faith is supported by mentoring from spiritual leaders on specific practices  and duties. These guidelines play out in the biblical example of the Life of Timothy. The story  begins with the Apostle Paul. Paul had deep knowledge of the Bible and of God from a young  age. But it wasn't until his dramatic conversion experience on the Damascus road that he  truly encountered Christ. After coming to faith, Paul was mentored first by Ananias and later  by Barnabas. Paul later mentored other church leaders, including John Mark, Silas, and finally,  Timothy. In fact, Paul calls Timothy his spiritual son. We don't know how old Timothy was, but  it's safe to assume he was a young adult. Paul encourages him to not let the church in  Ephesus look down on his youthfulness. Timothy's family may have become Christians during  Paul's first missionary journey to Lystra. When Paul returned five years later, Timothy had  matured in his faith under the spiritual guidance of His mother and grandmother. Timothy  demonstrates that youth ministry begins in the family home and continues to grow in the  larger faith community. Timothy was an active member of his church in Lystra and the Bible  says that many spoke well of him. Timothy spent time with other believers and proved  teachable and sincere. Older Christians saw potential in him and recommended him to join  Paul's ministry team. Timothy joined Paul in his missionary travels, and he was mentored in  how to develop healthy churches. Timothy also learned from Paul the sacrifices needed to  advance the gospel. The first thing he had to do was be circumcised, so he could more closely identify with those he was trying to reach. Paul later sent Timothy to Ephesus on his own, he  was to correct false teachings that had infiltrated the church there. Two of the letters Paul  wrote to Timothy during this time have become a cornerstone for church leadership practices  today. We can only imagine Paul smiling because he reflected back on his selection of Timothy as his disciple. Paul had chosen other disciples in the past and had been disappointed by  them. So he must have been proud to see Timothy's faithfulness throughout his life. Certainly, Paul was reassured to know that the churches he planted would continue to flourish under the leadership of Timothy, and others. We see each of the biblical guidelines we talked about in  the Life of Timothy. Timothy is an example of what God can do in the life of a young adult who plants deep spiritual roots in the family home, is encouraged and strengthened through the  local church, and mentored by a godly leader. Paul's relationship with Timothy highlights  another important truth about why we do youth ministry. Youth Ministry is a process of  discipleship in the life of a younger believer in order to see God's purpose realized in the  world. Jesus modeled this principal as well when he selected his 12 disciples. Mark chapter 3  tells us that Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, that they  might be with him, and that he might send them out to preach and to have authority to drive  out demons. Jesus didn't want people to follow him around just so he could feel important. He, like Paul selected younger believers to invest in with a purpose of expanding God's kingdom  through them.