Nurturing the Next Generation at St James’: Our Youth Ministry Vision

We will not hide them from their descendants;

    we will tell the next generation

the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord,

    his power, and the wonders he has done.  - Psalm 78:4

According to Growing Young Disciples, the outsourcing of parenting, education, recreation, and spiritual formation – combined with the digitalization of the world – has led to a battle over the memory, identity, and formation of Gen Z (people aged 13-25), and even Gen Alpha (young teens and below). Research shows that young people in these generations long for authenticity, robust conversations, meaning, conviction, transcendence, and purpose. Former modes of discipleship by attraction, entertainment, or gimmicks are now insufficient and largely unwanted.

At St James, our hope is to develop a youth ministry that takes these generations seriously, allowing for genuine engagement with our young people. Not just for an hour on a Friday evening, but throughout the life of the church. We want to foster intergenerational relationships: enabling young people to see Christ embodied in others, to ask questions of older mentors, to serve alongside the church family, and to grow in love for the Church - not only the Youth Fellowship. We also want them to explore the deep things of God (theology) and learn to apply biblical teaching to their own lives. At the same time, we want to allow them to be young: to grow at their own pace and to enjoy friendship and laughter. How do we facilitate all this?

A culture of discipleship like this does not develop overnight. But what might it look like in five years’ time? It could take many forms: a mentorship programme; discussions over donuts before or after church; ministry rotas that include young people; intergenerational friendships; Bible studies and reading groups; youth-led initiatives. What is clear is that developing our youth ministry is not simply the job of a “youth worker.” A joined-up, church-wide philosophy of

youth ministry is essential.

That said, a dedicated youth ministry leader would bring the energy and focus needed to help drive these changes forward. With the help of seed funding from the National Church, we will be pursuing the appointment of someone to lead and guide this ministry. We budgeted for a large deficit in 2025, and we have not yet made it up, so taking on another long-term position carries risk. But investing in ministry and in people is, under God, how the Church grows. Please pray for God’s guidance and provision as we take these steps in 2026.