Various people (especially Marko and Lev) have drawn attention to the article by Christianity Today on the future of youth ministry in 50 years. It is a really tough question – I struggle to think what things will be like in 2 or 3 years time let alone 50 – I will be 73 by that stage! I think it will be interesting to see how key thoughts and agencies adapt over time – thinking both of the emergent group but also of groups such as Scripture Union, Youth for Christ, and Crusaders. What will their role be, how will they have adapted?
We had a strategy day for the local schools work group last weekend and someone there made a really interesting comment. What happens if the government takes all religious content out of the schools how then do we reach young people? If that were to happen – as seems increasingly likely, sad as it is, in this age of political correctness, it puts a big pressure on the church to ensure that it improves the way that it reaches out to young people. That is certainly a huge challenge to mull over.
