Picking a fight?
Stuart has a post up today calling youth ministry degrees to the carpet. He sees them as unnecessary and even stupid, citing that they should not be offered at seminaries and colleges. He has some good reasoning for his thoughts, so please do not dismiss him out of hand. I replied to his post, and figured that would be a topic i could use to offer my thoughts as well on the topic.
The cons of a Youth Ministry Degree:
Students in college see it as a blow-off major. They do not appreciate the work that actually goes into it. The degree itself also furthers the idea of specialized ministry instead of communal ministry to the whole body. People are trained to see teens as their sole responsibility instead of the whole church.
The Pros of a Youth Ministry Degree:
Specialized training is not a bad thing. It allows someone to be raised to confront teenage-specific problems such as drama (over nothing), relationship woes, and the underdeveloped brain. Yes, most adults have these problems as well, but remember that today adolescence runs into the mid twenties (ugh). YM Majors are taught specifics of lesson planning, balancing budgets, scheduling, the importance of time, how to confront teens, how to listen to teens, and more. All of these could be learned in other capacities in other areas, yes. But within a YM degree, they are all in one place.
This is not a comprehensive list. I myself hold a Bachelor’s Degree in Student Ministries from Geneva College and stand by my education. It did not make me perfect, nor did it make me a guru. The environment I was in allowed me to succeed and encouraged me to think things through critically. The professors taught us the best, most impactful ways to influence students in positive ways for Christ. I do wish that counseling was a more integrated part of ministry training (for any ministry degree), and do agree that we need to be reminded that ministry to the body as a whole is the ultimate goal. Volunteers are important, whether they hold a degree or not. The one youth leader above all others who impacted me the most was a construction worker with no formal training in Youth Ministry.
So what do you think?
I agree with you, doctor. I do think that often a “youth ministry” or “student ministry” degree seems too specialized. I personally would have appreciated more classes dealing with church management and personal issues; classes dealing with preparing and delivering sermons; and – as you mentioned – counseling classes.
I also would like a “church humanities” class, where we could have learned how the history of the church – politically and culturally – influences where the church is today.
Hear hear Pappy. Maybe we can influence Geneva (and other Christian Liberal Arts colleges) into adding courses such as these?