A Theology of First Third of Life Ministry Statement

The following statement was adopted as a guiding principle by the councils of Grace and Red River Lutheran Church at their respective April council meetings.

A Theology of First Third of Life Ministry

Why do we need a statement specific to the first third of life?

From birth into our mid-thirties we undergo a series of changes. During these stages of life we discover more about the world around us and our perspective changes, as we discover other people our relationships change, as we grow our bodies, minds and spirits change. Children born into the church move with rapid succession from Baptism, to Sunday School, to Confirmation, Junior High and Senior High youth group, often off to college or the working world, and into new families with kids of their own all within the first third of their life. This, and every church body, has a significant challenge in ministering to all those along that spectrum, treating everybody as members in equal standing of the body of Christ, and honoring the unique perspective that young people bring.

Why we value our children’s ministry...

We value Holy Baptism and teaching the faith—both in Sunday School and in the home. We remember that Jesus said that children will be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 18:1-5) and Jeremiah was only a child when he was called by God (Jeremiah 1). We believe that the Holy Spirit comes to us in Baptism, regardless of our age or wisdom, and is fully capable of working through all in mysterious ways. We know that children often do not hear the Gospel in their daily lives. Instead, they are given a message of self-importance rather than self-sacrifice and taught to hoard rather than to share. So, we understand the critical nature of this ministry. We recognize that children are not just the future but the present of our church and so we desire to renew our focus on children’s ministry.

Why we value youth ministry…

We value teaching the faith through Confirmation, service through mission, and opportunities for the participation of youth in worship and service within the life of church. We look to provide a unique space of safety and comfort to young people in the midst of a world that often feels anything but. Remembering that the church has been led faithfully by those who are young (1 Timothy 4:12) we expect and encourage youth participation and leadership in myriad aspects of church life. Since young people are affected more by their peers than at any other time in their lives, we recognize that youth ministry is more than events run by adults for young people. It is relationship-building. It is a culture that offers something unique to the youth of our congregation and our community; it is a culture that allows for questioning, for safety, and for the inclusion of all. We recognize that youth are not just the future but the present of our church and so we desire to renew our focus on youth ministry.

Why we value young adult and young family ministries…

We value growing in faith through the life changes of young adulthood. Though it feels like young adults are largely absent in our community, we recognize that this is not universally true and it is no excuse to fail in offering ministry opportunities to those who are here. We believe that our young families are the heart of our congregation and without them there is no potential for future stability or growth. Moreover, we recognize that young adults and families are not just the future but the present of our church and so we desire to renew our focus on young adult and family ministries.

A Resolution on Leadership in First Third of Life Ministry

Given the above, we—the Youth and Christian Education Committees at Grace-Red River Lutheran Parish, the current youth leadership, and Pastor Frank Johnson—believe that leadership in first third of life ministries needs to be taken seriously. Therefore, we bring to the councils of Grace and Red River Lutheran Churches the following resolution:

Be it resolved that we, the councils of Grace-Red River Parish, as representatives of our congregations and the entire Christian church, wish to support our young people in words as well as action. We pledge to pray for them, to offer them a space to grow in their faith as members in equal standing in the body of Christ, and to provide and equip the leadership necessary to make that happen. Be it further resolved that we accept this document, “A Theology of First Third of Life Ministry” as a guiding principle to draw upon, to pray over, and to aid in our decision-making for the good of the young people in our midst and the wholeness of our church to the glory of God through Jesus Christ.