Young people are the best ministers to young people

In my last post I wrote a little about a training day that I went to.  I was critical of the view that churches should focus on children.  I actually liked most of what the key speaker said.  There was one other thing he said, though, that frustrates me no end.

The argument goes something like this:
Since young adults are best able to relate to teenagers, young people should be the main ones who minister to teenagers.  Young adults are better equipped to minister to teenagers because they speak their language, read their books and listen to their music.  So since the teenagers can relate to them then they will listen to them more.  Conversely, since older people can't relate to teenagers and don't understand their culture, they are ill equipped to be effective ministers to them.
This is ill considered to say the least.

It's wonderful for teenagers to have young adults who are willing to speak into their lives and teach them about Jesus.  They can be immensely helpful and great teachers.  But I don't think that they're the best.

Teenagers need adults of all ages to be interested in them and to look after them.  They don't need people who can relate to them on a worldly, cultural level.  They need people who will love them, genuinely without reserve.

I love now, and have always had tremendous respect and affection for my grandparents.  They have no idea of the world I live in.  They can't relate to me in terms of the books I read, the movies I watch or the music I listen to.  The internet is still a great mystery to them so they'll never read my blog.  But they love me and they greatly desire for me to follow Jesus.  They have spoken greatly into my life and they have had much influence over me. 
For those of us who went to KYC, KYLC and the like, who could forget Dudley and Elizabeth Ford.  They helped many a teenager through difficult times.  Not because they could relate to them in their culture, but because they were willing to love them, to listen to them and to speak into their lives to encourage them to follow Jesus.

I know many great teachers.  I think that the very best teachers are experienced.  When I think back on my own schooling, the best teachers I had were older teachers.  Of course not all older teachers are great, but the best are experienced and older.  My most fun teachers were usually younger teachers, but they weren't necessarily the ones who were best for me.

It seems to me that what teenagers need isn't someone who can talk to them about their favourite band or tv show and relate it, in some way, to faith.  What they need is mature Christians who are willing to love them for who they are, see who they can become and work to mold them into faithful followers of Christ.  This completed work is beyond a young adult who is still not really mature themselves. 

Young adults are great youth group leaders and helpful in ministering to teenagers.  But if we want young adults of faith, maturity, character and substance then I truly believe we need to move beyond the model of the blind leading the blind and move to one where the seasoned veterans do the work of teaching, leading and encouraging our young people in their faith to follow Jesus in this world. 

I increasingly think that teenagers and young twenty-somethings should not be being paid as youth workers in churches.