Results
Essential Ministry Objectives
Seven responses received mean scores greater than 6.50 on a 7.0 scale. These objectives were determined to be essential for youth ministry across the cultures. The objectives include:
- Disciple youth to follow Christ in every area of their lives;
- Teach youth to see Christianity as a relationship with Jesus Christ;
- Guide youth to build faith that will last for a lifetime;
- Disciple youth to the point that they can disciple others;
- Lead youth to repent and turn to faith in Christ for their salvation;
- Guide youth to spend time with Jesus in prayer and Bible study as a way of developing their relationship with him;
- As youth leaders, be honest, genuine, and sincere in relating to youth.
Statistical analysis was used to examine any difference between how participants from each continent group responded. For five of the seven objectives, no statistical difference could be found in how the six groups responded.
For the statement, Guide youth to build faith that will last for a lifetime, a significant difference existed in how the European group responded. While the group rated the objective highly, they rated it significantly lower than the Latin American Group.
For the statement, Guide youth to spend time with Jesus in prayer and Bible study as a way of developing their relationship with him, the Australians rated the group significantly lower than the Asian group.
No other difference in rating was statistically significant.
Important Ministry Objectives
A number of additional youth ministry objectives received mean scores that indicated that all groups considered them to be important to youth ministry. Sixty-seven additional objectives were given a mean score of 6.00 or higher on a 7.00 scale. The objectives not included in the essential list, but receiving this high mean score are:
- Nurture youth to grow to maturity in their relationship with Christ and their relationships with other people. (6.48)
- Teach youth to glorify God in their lives. (6.45)
- Help youth understand the love of God. (6.44)
- As youth leaders, pray for youth. (6.43)
- Teach youth to apply the Bible to their lives. (6.41)
- Teach youth to know God’s grace and walk in it. (6.40)
- As youth leaders, build relationships with youth. (6.37)
- Inspire youth to grow in their love for Christ. (6.37)
- Create a community in the church in which youth are loved and accepted. (6.37)
- Lead youth to make their relationship with Christ their own, rather than trusting the faith of their family or friends. (6.35)
- Encourage youth to pursue God. (6.35)
- Inspire youth to live for God. (6.35)
- Show youth how the Bible is relevant for life today. (6.33)
- Encourage a hunger for God in the lives of youth. (6.31)
- Train youth leaders to understand youth and build relationships with them. (6.31)
- Lead youth to develop the discipline of prayer. (6.30)
- Teach youth about their new identity in Christ. (6.28)
- Show students who God really is so they can trust him. (6.27)
- Develop in youth an attitude of being missionaries to their local community. (6.26)
- Train youth to understand and be able to share the gospel message. (6.23)
- Teach youth to care for those without Christ. (6.23)
- Lead students to develop a habit of reading the Bible. (6.23)
- Guide youth to understand and experience the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives. (6.21)
- Encourage youth to develop biblical values. (6.20)
- Teach youth to live their faith publicly so other people will be drawn to Christ. (6.20)
- Teach youth to build relationships with those without Christ in order to show them the love of Christ. (6.20)
- Guide youth to understand how valuable they are as people created by God and loved by him. (6.18)
- As youth leaders, accept youth unconditionally. (6.17)
- Guide youth to understand the importance of being obedient to the teachings of the Bible. (6.17)
- Teach youth to understand what has eternal value and to focus their lives on those things. (6.17)
- Provide opportunities for youth to openly discuss the Bible and its relevance to their lives. (6.17)
- Teach youth to view the world through the Bible. (6.17)
- Involve youth in relationships that help them to grow in their faith. (6.16)
- Provide a welcoming community for youth to invite friends who are without Christ. (6.16)
- Provide opportunities for youth to discuss their personal questions and worries. (6.16)
- Inspire youth to show others love by serving them. (6.15)
- Guide youth to understand that service to God requires service to others. (6.14)
- Train youth in skills to be able to study the Bible for themselves. (6.14)
- Provide youth leaders that continue to work with youth over years. (6.14)
- Guide youth to be confident in their hope for eternity with God. (6.13)
- Inspire youth to have hope for the future because of their trust in God. (6.13)
- Provide youth with adult role models that demonstrate the Christian life. (6.13)
- Provide opportunities for youth to serve people outside the church. (6.13)
- Inspire youth to have a passion for drawing others to faith in Christ. (6.12)
- Prepare youth to make godly choices when they are pressured by friends or culture to do things that are ungodly. (6.12)
- Provide opportunities for youth to share Christ with other youth. (6.12)
- Teach youth why prayer is important. (6.11)
- Lead youth to discover the joyful, abundant life Jesus Christ has given them. (6.11)
- Involve youth in small groups to disciple them. (6.11)
- Teach youth to understand their place in the kingdom of God. (6.11)
- Guide youth without Christ to become aware of their spiritual need for Christ. (6.07)
- As youth leaders, develop an understanding of youth and their world. (6.06)
- Support youth who have experienced abuse or are experiencing a crisis in their lives. (6.06)
- Teach youth to recognize how God is working in their world. (6.06)
- Ensure the youth group is a safe place for youth. (6.05)
- Provide opportunities for youth to learn to trust Christ more. (6.05)
- Teach youth to understand how the Bible speaks to the culture in which they live. (6.05)
- Guide youth to discover how to use their talents and abilities to serve God. (6.05)
- Help youth determine whether or not they are saved. (6.05)
- Create relationships between youth and adults in which the youth feel they can trust the adults. (6.04)
- Teach youth to make moral choices regarding sexuality and relationships with opposite sex. (6.03)
- Provide youth with opportunities to practice and exercise their spiritual gifts. (6.03)
- Teach youth to value people and their relationships with them. (6.02)
- Teach youth to think biblically about their life experiences. (6.02)
- Teach youth to live selfless lives. (6.01)
- Provide opportunities for youth to discuss spiritual issues. (6.01)
- Teach youth to care for the poor. (6.00)