Solomon Lecture Series, Lecture 18: Exchanged Life youth ministry

The following post contains some highlights from the eighteenth lecture in the Solomon Lecture Series, presented by Dr. John Woodward. The entire lecture series is available, here, at Grace Fellowship International.

-       The more desperate the individual is, the more open they will be to the Exchanged Life message.

-       Children want to have a sense of belonging. They need to find a place to fit in.

-       It’s unrealistic to think that relying solely on the local church’s youth ministry is sufficient to offset the influence of the world on children. Proper daily teaching in the home is needed.

-       Often Christian youth are not discipled.

-       A full model of discipleship should include solid biblical teaching, the development of loving relationships, a mechanism for accountability, involvement in ministry to apply the teachings, and Christ must be the center.

-       We should help the child develop a personal relationship with God.

-       There needs to be one-to-one discipleship, e.g. parent to child.

-       Small groups, the local church and interdenominational gatherings can be useful for discipleship.

-       The counselor must determine the how committed the child is to change. Dr. Woodward lists a series of questions that must be answered in this regard. These questions can be used to help the counselor determine his minimally acceptable level of commitment that he requires of the child.

-       Dr. Woodward presents various principles and recommended policies for youth counseling.

-       Dr. Woodward presents a variety of resources for youth counseling.