Introduction to Youth Ministry

PAKO MOKGWANE
 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
As a Youth Leader, working with youth can be the greatest source of
joy and satisfaction as we see them grow in Jesus and become His
disciples. As the church continues to fulfill its prophetic divine
mission from the Bible, the youth leader, as well as the youth of the
church need a clear understanding of the church structure,
departmental structure and Adventist mission as it relates to being
a prophetic church in these last days. Only then can the youth
leader understand the prophetic role the youth department plays in
the work and mission of the church and its prophetic existence in
these last days.
 QUICK QUESTIONS
Which is the most important level of our organization structure?

Which combination of Resources will be most helpful in your ministry?

Would you continue using Online Platforms to do Youth Ministry post the
Pandemic?
 AGENDA
• Organizational Structure of Adventist Church
• NAD Youth Ministries Structure
• History of Adventist Youth Ministries (AYM)
• History of the JMV Classes - AY/AJY classwork
• Name Changes of Department
• Philosophy and Mission of AYM
• Vision/Mission
• Objectives of AYM
• Organizational Chart
• Ideals of the AYM
Church structure
 NAD: STRUCTURE OF ADVENTIST YOUTH MINISTRIES (AYM)

In the North American Division (NAD), they are aligned into Club Ministry, Youth Ministry and
Young Adult Ministry.

Adventurer Club Ministry (pre-Kindergarten to Grade 4)

A family club where the parent-child relationship grows through age appropriate activities that
let the child, with the assistance of their parent/guardian discover more about their God,
themselves and the world around them.

Pathfinder Club Ministry (Grades 5 - 10)

Assists in the critical years of identity formation and adolescent transformation for boys and
girls. Pathfinders guides the energy of young people to focus on their community, offering
intentional activities of service and mission.
 NAD: STRUCTURE OF ADVENTIST YOUTH MINISTRIES (AYM)

Youth Ministry (Grades 9 – 12)

Includes all aspects of youth ministry at the local church. Sabbath School, outreach,
discipleship and mentorship.

Young Adult Ministry (collegiate and post-collegiate)

This includes Adventist Christian Fellowship (ACF) for students on public campuses,
Adventist campus ministry and integrating young adults into local church life.
 LOCAL CHURCH
The local church must become the primary target
of global youth ministry. Our core function is to
resource and build up youth ministry in the local
church. Youth ministry is only effective when it is a
response to local needs, guided by local convictions, in
the hands of local people
WORLD ADVISORY RESOLUTION: LOCAL CHURCH

The 2016 General Conference Youth Ministries Advisory, as part of its ongoing
re-visioning of youth ministry, wishes to recognize the local church as the
primary location and target of its ministry for young people around the world.
While it affirms the significance of large corporate events such as summer
camps, rallies, camporees and congresses to foster fellowship with the wider
youth community and to provide opportunities for decision making, it chooses
to place ministry to young people in local churches at the center of its priorities
and process. The local church is the spiritual home of our young people; their
membership is in the local church. It is in their families and in their local
churches that young people are spiritually nurtured, step up to follow Jesus,
embrace his call to discipleship and find their place in god’s service. While
many of them make decisions at or during wider church events, the location
where they are mentored to become devoted followers of Jesus and to live out
their Christian experience is the local church.
 HISTORY OF ADVENTIST YOUTH MINISTRIES

• The first youth organization in the local Seventh-day Adventist church began in 1879 when
two young boys, Harry Fenner (17 years) and Luther Warren (14 years).

• 1901 the General Conference officially voted into existence the young people’s
organization, under the Sabbath school department.

• 1907 General Conference Council approved the formation of a Youth Department within the
General Conference where Elder M. E. Kern was elected the first GC Youth Director.

• 1907- name finally agreed upon was “Seventh-day Adventist Young People’s Department
of Missionary Volunteers.”
 HISTORY OF THE JMV CLASSES AY/AJY CLASSWORK

• 1947 1st North American Division youth congress- San Francisco, E. W. Dunbar as world
youth director.

• 1969 the first World Youth Congress was held in Zurich, Switzerland, Theodore Lucas as
world youth director.

• The Character Classics Reading Plan (later changed to Encounter) was adopted in 1946.

• 1946- John Hancock organized the first conference-sponsored Pathfinder Club in

Southeastern California Conference at Riverside, California.
 HISTORY OF THE JMV CLASSES AY/AJY CLASSWORK

• 1922 - General Conference session- introduced the work of the Junior Missionary
Volunteer Society - “progressive classwork.”

• 1927 - General Conference Autumn Council, enlarged the Progressive Classwork to

include three classes, Friend, Companion and Comrade, for junior youth and one class for
senior youth and adults

• 1928 - MV Honors and the Master Comrade Class—developed for senior youth and adults
“who desired to prepare for junior leadership.” The first Master Comrade (later called Master
Guide) was invested in 1931.

• 1950 General Conference adopted the Pathfinder Club organization.

NAME CHANGES FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF ADVENTIST YOUTH
MINISTRIES
• 1907 as “Seventh-day Adventist Young People’s Department” (known as MV – Missionary
Volunteers), changed to “Youth Department of Missionary Volunteers” in 1972.

• 1978 the department name changed to “Adventist Youth” commonly known as AY

department

• 2005 General Conference Session voted the name, “Youth Ministries Department” which
encompassed all the three age levels of youth ministry (e. g. Adventure Club, Pathfinder
Club, and Senior (Young Adult) Youth Society.

• 2015 General Conference session further adopted a name change to “Adventist Youth
Ministries” (AYM).
PHILOSOPHY AND MISSION OF ADVENTIST YOUTH MINISTRIES
(AYM)
• The basic philosophy of AYM is securely grounded in the Biblical revelation of who Jesus
Christ.

• Not only did Jesus show the Father’s immense love for humanity through “servant
leadership” (Jn. 13:1-17), but He also showed them how to receive power to overcome sin
in this world through the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus showed His disciples how to live a
life in the Spirit and become disciples of the Kingdom of God in a sinful world.

• It is Jesus who is our model of “incarnational ministry” (e. g. allowing the character of Jesus
and the power of Holy Spirit to be revealed in the life of our young people, thus becoming
true disciples of His in this generation
The youth are the objects of Satan’s special attacks; but kindness,
courtesy, and the sympathy which flows from a heart filled with love
to Jesus, will gain their confidence, and save them from many a snare
of the enemy . . . there must be more study given to the problem of
how to deal with the youth, more earnest prayer for the wisdom that
is needed in dealing with minds . . . we should seek to enter into the
feelings of the youth, sympathizing with them in their joys and
sorrows, their conflicts and victories . . . we must meet them where
they are if we would keep them . . . let us remember the claim of god
upon us to make the path to heaven bright and attractive.

White, E.G. (1948). Gospel workers. Washington, D. C.: Review &

herald, p.207-212, emphasis added.)
MISSION VISION
To lead young people into a saving
relationship with Jesus Christ and help
them embrace His call to discipleship
Aim
“The Advent message to all the world in my
generation.”

Mission
“To lead young people in a saving relationship with
Jesus and help them embrace his call to
discipleship.”

Motto
“The love of Christ compels me.”
“YOUTH MINISTRY BUILT ON THIS MODEL (LIFE AND MINISTRY OF
JESUS) SEEKS TO MEET YOUNG PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE, AND TO
OFFER THEM PASTORAL CARE NOT ONLY AS SPIRITUAL GUIDES, BUT
ALSO AS COUNSELORS AND FRIENDS, FELLOW PILGRIMS ON A
SIMILAR SPIRITUAL JOURNEY. WITH JESUS AS OUR MODEL WE ARE
CALLED TO MINISTRY, A PERSONAL AND RELATIONAL MINISTRY, THAT
WILL INVOLVE A GOOD DEAL OF ONE TO ONE TIME.”
Gane, A.B. (1997). Building Youth Ministries - A Foundational Guide, p.54-55
.
 “Adventist Youth Ministry is that
work of the church that is conducted for, with, and
by young people.” (Pastors and Elders Handbook for
Youth Ministries, 2002, p. 2)
OBJECTIVES OF AYM

Ellen G. White spelled out the key objectives for the department in a letter
published in the Signs of the Times, May 29, 1893:

1.To train the youth to work for other youth,

2.To recruit the youth to help their church and “those who profess to be
Sabbath-keepers”
3.To work “for those who are not of our faith”
In seeking to reach these objectives, the youth are called upon:

• to pray together and study the Word together

• to fellowship together in Christian social interaction
• to act together in small groups to carry out well-laid plans for witnessing
• to develop tact and skill and talent in service to Jesus
• to encourage one another in spiritual growth
In 1907, at the General Conference Council at Gland, Switzerland, M. E. Kern, the first
elected youth director for the department, set out the following objectives

To raise the level of the devotional life of the young person

To lift up the standard of attainment of the youth

To educate and train youth for service

To provide opportunities for outreach and service

To teach the principles of stewardship

To lead youth to discover their individual worth and develop and discover their spiritual
gifts

(GC Pastor’s and Elder’s Handbook for Youth Ministry, 2002:13)

HAS
ANYTHING
CHANGED?
RESOURCES
1.The AY Story, 2019, GC Youth Ministries, AdventSource

2.Getting It Right, 2005, GC Youth Ministries, AdventSource

3.www.adventist.org - Church

4.www.youth.adventist.org - GC Youth Ministries

5.https://adventistyouthministries.org – NAD Youth Ministries

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