DAWN European Network

  DOWNLOADS & LINKS
    resources
    partner ministries

YOUTH CHURCH VS. YOUTH GROUP

1. A youth group is run by a Youth Leader, but a church is lead by a Youth Pastor. Youth Leaders tend to function as social workers and baby-sitters rather than shepherding the youth. Youth pastors are Youth Shepherds.

2. A youth group meets when the church meets, and ends when the church ends. When you are a Youth Church you meet when you meet and when you end because you are the church. The goal is to help the young people recognize the role they play in the overall purposes that God has for the church Worldwide!

3. A youth group exists for the church, but a youth church exists for the world (your family, your friends, your city, your state, your nations)!

4. A youth group expects funds from the church, but a youth church supports itself through sacrificial giving.

5. Youth Groups DIVIDE PEOPLE, but youth churches UNITE PEOPLE. For years the youth ministry philosophy was to split Jr. High kids from High Schoolers and College Agers. In the process, the beauty of the old ministering to the younger was lost. We see in Scripture that God has always used the 30 and younger generation in powerful ways. We believe in having special Jr. High, High School and College nights, but we come together every week as a youth church.

6. A Youth group is the church of the FUTURE, a youth church is the church of TODAY.

7. The focus of a youth group is the TEMPORAL...games, activities, food, trips, but the focus of the youth church is the ETERNAL...God's word, praise and worship, discipleship, evangelism, ministering etc.

My opinion about this article