YOUTH MINISTRY IN THE LOCAL CHURCH

It is disheartening to see that youths in many Churches are wasting away. They
seem not to have any sense of direction. This situation should be changed. Every
youth should find his/her position in the body of Christ and be involved in serving
the Lord in various ministries.
1. THE NEED FOR YOUTH MINISTRY IN THE LOCAL CHURCH
a. The world’s population of the youth is massive. The harvest is plenteous.
b. Jesus’ last word was a command to preach the gospel to every creature, to
the old and the young.
c. Future ministers of the gospel are the youths of today.
d. Increasing immorality among the youth. Official statistics available today
indicate that 20 million people officially registered as prostitutes allover the
world. There are others who are not registered.
e. Drug use and trafficking is found mostly among the youth.
f. Rising waves of false religion and worldly fashion.
g. Increasing riot, disobedience, violence, armed robbery, fraud and other evil
practices associated with the youth. Many youths take trips to far Countries
where they get involved in all kinds of evil.
i. Safe-guarding the future generation. Future leaders are the youths of
today. Africa continent needs help to come out of poerty, idolatry, heavy
debt burden, injustice, oppression, incurable diseases which are the order
of the day.

For these reasons, the youth must rise up and get involved in ministry in
the local Church because the gospel of Jesus Christ remains our only hope. The
time has come for our youths to lift up the gospel light.

2. DIVERSITY OF YOUTH MINISTRY IN THE CHURCH

Let us consider some areas of youth involvement in ministries in the local
Church.
a. Singing ministry (musical concerts)
b. Drama ministry
c. Hospital Ministry.
d. School ministry
e. Rural rugged ministry
f. Personal evangelism and soul winning
g. Literature and tract distribution.
h. Christian film/video shows ministry.
i. Short mission trips.
j. Church planting.
k. Youth prayer meeting and intercessory ministry.
l. Teaching ministry among children, success seminars etc.
m. Open air crusades.
n. School/ home fellowships.
o. Youth camp meetings.
p. prison ministry.
q. Invitation and follow up of converts ministry.

All these ministries must be organized and Church based but we are to depend
on God to open our eyes to where He wants us to function. You can easily
identify your calling by following your passion, fruitfulness and counsel of your
spiritual leaders.

3. EQUIPPING AND TRAINING FOR YOUTH MINISTRY

Apart from being born again and filled with the Holy Spirit, we need to go
through some training for effective ministry. We need both information formal
training.
Information training is got from day to day interaction with leader or
members of the Church. This is the type of Jesus gave to His disciples. The
components of this training are: Exhibition of the ideal life (Jn. 13:34, 15:10).
Consecration (Jn. 17:19; Heb. 10:10). Association with developing lives and
delegation of limited assignments (Mt. 10:1-17; Lk. 10:1-9). Feedback and
supervision (Lk. 10:1-20). Correction and discipline (Mt. 17:17-21).
Production (Jn. 14:11-12; Jn 15:1-9).
For you to be developed to maximum capabilities, you will have to submit to the
church authority, be faithful and available to attend Church leadership training
programmes (New Life School, Workers’ Training School etc).
Formal training entails training in Biblical studies.
This should embrace the ministry needs to make the training relevant. The
training should not be general education but specific training relevant to the
ministry you are being prepared for.
Continuous training and development are necessary for you not to become stale
and irrelevant in God’s programme and work (e.g. conferences, retreats etc).
4. HINDRANCES TO EFFECTIVE MINISTRY
a. Fear of persecution, shyness, timidity- 2Tim. 17, 8; mt.5:11-12; Acts
20:27.
b. Guilt complex-1jn.1:9; 2cor.5:17; prov.28:13.
c. Lack of genuine salvation experience-Acts9:1-6; mt.3:8-9; 1Jn.3:8.
d. procrastination-Heb.4:7; 2cor.6:2; Ez.33:8-9.
e. Feeling of inadequacy- jer.1:4-8; judges6:6-8, 14-16.
f. Lack of fruit-Is.55:11.
g. Wrong value system- Mt.6:33.
H. Lack of passion- Acts 17:1-31.
All these hindrances can be overcome by turning to the Lord Jesus Christ for
help. He is the answer to all hindrances that may come our way to fruitful service.
 MINISTERING SINGING IN THE LOCAL CHURCH

The ministry of singing is highly respected and recognized in every culture. The
singing ministry is a powerful tool both in the kingdom of God and Satan. Both
kingdoms need music to function. There is a battle over church music today.

1. THE POWER OF SINGING MINISTRY:

The ministry of singing can invoke both the Holy Spirit and the powers of
darkness (2Kings 3:14-16; 1Sam. 18:6-8; 10:5,6). We need to realize that
music is more than songs.

i. It dose invoke evil spirits and demons of the kingdom of darkness e.g. in
masquerade and god of thunder/iron festivals in Yoruba land.

ii. Singing evokes spirits to come upon students during riots. It energizes the
spirit of violence on the students.
iii. For soldiers to go and fight and die, they sing.
iv. When children refuse to sleep, singing puts them to sleep. Children
respond to singing.
v. Singing and talking drum can make a stingy rich man to dip his hands into
his pockets, bring out money and lavish on praise singers.

vi. The fastest way to spread violence, immorality and other evils in any
community is to put it into music.

vii. Singing enters into human soul faster than preaching. Give a singer a song
to sing over nine mouth and he will not be forgotten for ten years. If a
preacher preaches for ten years and dies, “Rock of Ages” have laster for
360 years.

These are the reasons why people in ministry of music and poets must be
very careful. We should not let the devil hijack our lives to be used in music
for his kingdom.

2. CHARACTERISTICS OF A CORRECT SINGING MINISTRY

i. A very close of stud of the bible shows the important roles correct music
played in the worship of God. It should draw the heart of worship closer to
God (2 Chron. 5:12-14; ps.100:2;4;Rm.12:7a: Eph.4:12:5:18,19:col.
3:16,23: icor.14:15).

ii. Correct music will evoke and bring into action dormant anointing that
connects minister to heaven bring down fresh revelation of the word of God
(2 kg3:14-16).
iii. Correct ministration in song will incapacitate the powers of darkness It
confronts and drives away evil spirits from the listeners (1sam. 16:14-
16;23) like that of David e.g. Ps. 91:23.
iv. A correct chorister uses HIS ministry of music (singing and orchestration) to
motivate and inspire the congregation and the community during church
events and minister to their spiritual and physical needs He is not to display
his talents or provide mere entertainment
v. The singing of correct chorister should edify believers; comfort and
strengthen the weak, succour and heal the broking hearted and draw their
hearts closer to God (Act 16:25 - 26 Eph .5:18,19; Col.3:16,23)
vi. A correct singing ministry will bring conviction upon sinner and spiritual
transformation as it draws them to God (Act 16:25- 34; 2:34).
vii. A correct singing ministry should sing spirit – inspired songs that appeal to
the spirit and not the senses of the audience.
If your ministry does not measure up to those as a chorister you need to go to
god in prayer for help and if it does, you need to grow higher.

3. QUOLIFICATION of A CORRRECT
For a singing ministry to fulfill all the above, produce great spiritual result and be
and must fulfilling it must be done in the powerful of holly spirit (Act 1:5,8
jin,:14:26 Epn. 3:16) so a chorister must not only be born Again live the spirit but
must also minister in the spirit but must also minister in spirit in the spirit (RM.
8:11 15).
We will study David s’secret of effective and fruitful singing ministry to see see
the qualification required of us to ministry in the spirit through songs on our pulpit,
from I Sam. 16:18 – 19,

There is need for skills development. Good music requires cunningness, wisdom,
skillful. To produce a good choir, we need to train the voice you can not sing well
with a crack voice. you must known how to combine Alto with bass. This take
people hour to do and practice. Sometime we use All night day, and week to
Rehears a song we will sing for only five minutes. However, need more than
skills.
The chorister must be mighty man or woman