Is youth ministry a thing of the past?

In October I attended the annual meeting of the Association of Youth Ministry Educator meetings in Louisville, KY.  Dr. Kara Powell from Fuller Youth Institute was one of the keynote speakers.  In her presentation she made the statement that "there is a strong link between youth staying in church and their involvement in intergenerational relationships and worship."  Research and experience tells me that this is true.  Although it was an "AH HA!" statement, I have known that this is true.

When I was a youth pastor, I fought hard to keep the students IN the Sunday morning worship service.  Okay . . . it was a a "space issue," we didn't have enough rooms for the youth to meet on Sunday morning.  However, it was also a "heart issue!"  I wanted teenagers to worship alongside and with the adults.  In many of our churches a student can grow-up, attend children's church, and youth group, graduate from high school and have NEVER sat through an entire worship service!  We have specialized and age-segmented our way toward a faith crisis!

Don't think that I've "gone off the deep end" and want to abandon children and youth ministry! (NO, I'm their biggest supporter!)  But, we must stop segregating by age and learn to worship, serve, and grow together.  There will always be a need for specialized ministry and specialist when it comes to children and youth.  I'm not trying to get rid off something I've devoted my entire life toward. However, we need fewer "organizational leaders" and more "family pastors."  Stop running the church like our educational systems or our welfare offices and start being the body of Christ, with every part being important, invovled, and vital to its survival and success.

What does that look like?  You tell me!