From theory to practice, how to communicate with teenagers
Youth Ministry, We Have the Answer!

The most important person in revitalizing the youth department of the Korean church is the youth minister.
It is no exaggeration to say that the success or failure of a church's youth ministry depends on the type of minister.
Adolescents are in a transitional period from childhood to adulthood, so their emotions are sensitive and it is very difficult to understand their feelings.
There are so many youth workers and teachers who complain that they don't know how to deal with it.


This book is a manual and encouragement for youth ministers by Professor Kim Seong-jung, who has been working in youth ministry for over 20 years.
This book provides know-how to help you preach at a level that suits young people.
It also introduces wording that is acceptable to teenagers and various educational methods that are suited to their level.
And it provides know-how to love and understand young people while fostering genuine communication.
In addition, it comprehensively covers youth retreat know-how and weekday family and school ministry methods.


If you are a minister who is at a loss when dealing with youth, or if you want to revive your youth ministry, this book will be of great help.
I may have started youth ministry by chance, but I hope to move on to youth ministry unconditionally.

Through this book, I sincerely hope to encourage, support, and comfort those who are interested in youth ministry and those who are already working in youth ministry.
And I would like to establish the identity of what kind of person youth ministers are, and suggest specific practices following the work of Jesus (evangelist, teacher of the Word, disciplinarian, intercessor, comforter, enabler, model, feeder, friend, and senior) as a true model for youth ministers.
I also want to integrate my ministry experience and academic research to share the theory and practice of youth ministry with you, so that you can advance as a professional youth worker.
--- p.27

When disciplining a teenager, first of all, you must set aside your emotions and calmly explain what you want to convey.
The reason teenagers dislike discipline is because they feel bad about being disciplined.
Good discipline is about explaining and informing the learner of the message without giving them any emotion.
For example, if you have a student who curses, find a Bible verse that emphasizes the importance of words, calmly explain it to them, and encourage them to use good words.
Second, become closer to young people.
Young people listen to those they know.
That is why we must strive to develop a deep intimacy with young people.
Third, use shock therapy as an event.
In counseling, there is a term called 'facing', which refers to looking at and recognizing one's own problems accurately.
Shock therapy can be used as an event to get teenagers to confront their issues.
--- p.45-46

Space planning is very important in youth worship.
Teenagers' concentration levels vary significantly depending on the space.
While adults strive to focus and worship in any space, teenagers are greatly influenced by the space they are in.
So, youth worship spaces should not be the same as adult worship spaces.
An important thing in a youth worship space is lighting.
The light may be fluorescent, incandescent, or LED.
What matters is the color.
It is recommended to use orange tones.
The orange color series is close to the color of fire and feels warm.
So-called emotional touch is possible.
Worship reflects the holistic aspect of the person, but it also has a strong emotional aspect.
For reference, fluorescent colors are mainly used in spaces where rational work is done.
This is why fluorescent colors are used in schools and workplaces.
--- p.70

First, during the sermon, I offer words of encouragement and support to the students.
Young people respond to words of encouragement and support.
"Wow! Why are you listening so intently to the sermon today? As expected, you're the students of our church." "I'm so happy that you're listening so intently to the sermon."
“As expected, you guys are the best.”
Second, often use phrases that grab attention.
Phrases like 'Hallelujah', 'Blessed are you', 'I love you', and 'Bless you' can help you focus your attention.
Even if teenagers listen to the sermon carefully, they can suddenly lose focus and fall asleep, chatter, or do something else.
Moreover, if just one or two students disrupt the atmosphere, it affects all students.
Therefore, it is necessary to create an atmosphere where concentration is low by using phrases that can focus attention throughout the sermon.
--- p.110-111

But times have changed, and these days, the method of education is more important than the content of the education.
Young people today believe that no matter how good the educational content is, if the teaching method fails to generate interest and focus, it is meaningless.
For example, the container that holds the soybean paste is more important than the soybean paste itself.
However, there is research that shows that the taste of soybean paste actually changes depending on the container it is stored in.
The taste of soybean paste changes slightly depending on whether it is stored in a plastic, brass, or glass container.
In short, the dish affects the taste, and to put it more broadly, it determines the taste.
So now we must realize how important the vessel that holds the content is.
In other words, we must realize how important the teaching method, which is the vessel that contains the educational content, is, and strive to use teaching methods that are appropriate for the level of the youth.
--- p.144

Ministers must offer words of encouragement to each and every youth.
“It seems like you were busy last week and couldn’t memorize the Bible, but you worked hard this week.
“Good job!”, “These days, I seem to be listening to sermons more intently than before.
The pastor can tell when he sees you.
“Thank you for listening to my sermon!”, “I think I’m getting better at singing praises.
It wasn't like that before, but these days I can hear you praising me.
“Our God will be truly pleased.” If you do better than last time, I hope you will actively support and encourage us.
--- p.189

It is regrettable that while individualized and customized education has become the norm in worldly education, church education still does not follow suit.
To use an analogy, it would be like having students who learn addition and subtraction and students who learn differentiation and integration in the same math class.
Now, even for retreats, we need to ensure that students choose programs that fit their spiritual needs, interests, and life themes.
To achieve this, the retreat must be conducted in small groups.
Small group retreats can be held in both large and small churches, as the themes can be scaled up or down to suit the size of the church.

--- p.219