Why Youth Ministry can benefit from teaching Church History

I don’t share too much of my work in youth ministry on this blog, but it’s actually my main job. I’m one of those odd people who actually like working in youth ministry full time, and if the Lord wills it, I don’t see that changing anytime soon. It’s a shame that so many treat youth work as a stepping stone to get to the “real” ministry they want. It also doesn’t help that many churches treat their youth program as secondary.

My particular ministry is more focused on evangelism than discipleship. Don’t get me wrong, discipleship is certainly there, but the majority of our students aren’t professing Christians and don’t go to church. When we share the Gospel or any Scripture, we tend to do so with the assumption that we’re introducing the Christian faith to them.

Teaching the Bible to any student, whether they are new to the Bible or somewhat familiar, can be intimidating. So why would we further complicate it by adding Church history to the teaching?

When I say Church history, I’m not talking about giving lectures or going over ancient homilies. I mean giving just little nuggets of stories from the Christians who have come before us. In addition to teaching Scripture and sharing our testimonies, also sprinkle in inspiring quotes from the Church Fathers or the radical testimonies of men and women over the last 2000 years.

There’s a reason the Bible tells a story instead of listing points of doctrine. There’s a reason Jesus explained the Kingdom through parables. Stories are what influence and shape us. They tend to be what will compel a student to consider following Jesus more than giving some formulaic Gospel presentation.

When discussing the cost of discipleship with students, mention the testimonies of Ambrose, Basil, or Francis of Assisi. When discussing mental health, anxiety, or doubt, share Martin Luther’s rampant battle with OCD, the cynical doubts of the Wesley brothers, or the radical experiences of the Mystics. When discussing persecution and loving our enemies, share the testimonies of Polycarp, Bonhoeffer, or John Perkins.

Telling these stories can help students relate more to our message. They realize their experiences aren’t new, and that the Holy Spirit has worked through people with similar issues before. Yesterday, today, and forever He is the same.