Often the question is raised, what do we do with the post-youth group age group. My question is, why have they not been integrated into the ministry of the church so there is a seamless transition from post youth group?

Let also be honest, not everyone is called into the ministry be it senior pastor or youth pastor, or any other host of specializations we have created. Perhaps our churches and our colleges should be doing more to help is the discernment process, rather than churning out graduates in their 20s looking for a job in youth ministry?

I see that there’s a sense that “emerging adults” as the quote calls them (not emerging church… different emerging altogether) should be ministered to, developed in their leadership, and so on, before being entrusted with the reigns solo.

I hear that, and I don’t disagree with that necessarily – for any formal pastoral role (not just YP). In fact, I think a similar argument could be made for a great many jobs, not just in the church. I also think that believers are not to discriminate by age alone (1 Tim 4:12), leaving room for taking this on a case by case basis.

That said, I’m still wondering what we do with/for 18-25 year olds, in a real, practical, equip them for ministry sense. The “old way” of youth ministry has produced a system of more education for vocational youth ministry – I think that’s a good thing. However, we’re now turning out college educated 22-year-olds with youth ministry on their minds and hearts – and student loans and, perhaps, even dependents. And, there’s no real way to “employ” them in that in-between stage, that I’ve seen.

So what COULD we do?

That being said, I also feel that a lot of that growth came from the five years of student ministry I had put in by my 25th birthday. Some of that knowledge came from DOING ministry all that time. still, I wonder if some of those lessons would have been better learned as a small group or volunteer leader under a more experienced youth pastor.

I think far too often in our line of work youth wins over experience. I think the tide is turning as more and more of us are in student ministry for the long haul. As we take student ministry to be more than just a stepping stone into other areas of service in church life, I think more churches will embrace experience and age over energy and youthfulness.

In my 30′s, when I was doing youth ministry in a local church (a little more prepared then), I discovered that my best volunteers and my most committed youth leaders were older, wiser folk I had a 60 year old that was incredible). I still kept some college aged folks around the team…but I learned that the youth actually preferred my older team members, and the older team members were the most effective leaders.

Go figure.

@michelle – I actually thought of “that nineteen-year-old kid” you mentioned, in addition to a few others dear to me, when I read some of the parts of this book. You make good points, and I agree with you on each of them.