By
Madilyn Dowell
Liberty University
School of Music
YOUT 201 – B02
Survey of Youth Ministries
Healthy Ministry Perspective
Submitted to Dr. Brown
In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the completion of
1
A healthy student ministry is one in which Jesus is at the head, and second, in which the
student pastor has received the call to shepherd and understands their role as an under shepherd.
A healthy student ministry provides a safe space for all students, helping them to navigate
through the highs and lows of adolescence. It seeks to affirm them in their true identity in Christ
rather than a superficial identity dictated by the opinions of peers. It seeks to equip students with
practical Biblical tools to be able to make good decisions and stand firm in those decisions no
matter what. A healthy student ministry should be spiritual helping students understand a genuine
need for God. Similarly, a healthy student ministry is based on the instruction of and obedience
to God’s Word. A student ministry must prioritize the family in order to be healthy. The family is
a tremendous influence on the student’s life, and so a healthy student ministry should seek to
strengthen and build up that dynamic in a positive way.
A healthy student ministry is relational, ensuring that students make connections not only
to one another, but to the church. On that same vein, a healthy student ministry prioritizes
intentionality, ensuring that everything is purposeful. There is a degree of professionalism
required in a healthy student ministry. In a time where students are experiencing accelerated
changes in almost every area of their lives, it is crucial that when they step into their student
environment, they are stepping into an environment of organization, structure, and stability. A
healthy student ministry understands the present condition of student culture in order to reach the
student culture. It is important that a student ministry is designed to be developmental so that it
can help move students along in their spiritual growth and grow with them. Finally, a healthy
student ministry aims to help students lay a foundation for following Jesus that they will build on
for the rest of their lives.
