Walking with Youth: Teaching, Love, and Mission!
Youth is a season marked by growth, decisions, and challenges. Scripture teaches us that this phase of life must be dedicated to the knowledge of God and Christian service. Therefore, the church has a fundamental role in discipling and accompanying its young people with intentionality and wisdom. Commitment to Christ must be cultivated from an early age, and this task must be rooted in biblical teaching (2 Timothy 3:15–17), in the shaping of a solid Christian worldview (Romans 12:2), in the call to holiness (1 Timothy 4:12), and in the encouragement to discipleship (Matthew 28:19–20), with the clear appeal for surrender and commitment from one’s youth (Ecclesiastes 12:1).
From a conceptual standpoint, adolescence — a historically recent term — has been understood as the transitional phase between childhood and adulthood, marked (and this is worth emphasizing) by deep and unique physical, emotional, social, and spiritual transformations. In Brazil, the Child and Adolescent Statute (ECA) defines this phase as ranging from 12 to 18 years of age. Pastorally speaking, the most relevant aspect is that this is a critical stage for the formation of identity and faith. Youth, in turn, follows adolescence and has been defined by the WHO as spanning from ages 15 to 24; in Brazil, this range is often extended to 29 years of age. It is within this window that many of life’s most crucial decisions are made — vocation, career, marriage, family formation, the solidification of faith, and the shaping of one’s worldview. Some scholars have referred to this stage as the phase of “emerging adulthood,” during which paths are formed that will accompany a person into full adulthood. The church, therefore, must grasp both the urgency and the depth of its ministry during this season.
Current studies show that the highest rate of church disengagement occurs precisely between the ages of 18 and 22 — corresponding to the university years. Research by LifeWay indicated that 66% of young people stop attending church for at least one year during this stage. Among the main reasons offered for this departure are: changes in routine and priorities; perception of hypocrisy within church environments; lack of meaningful connections; superficiality in experience and teaching; perceived conflict with scientific knowledge; and personal disappointments with individuals or church structures. Added to this is the cultural influence often exerted on youth, and the fact that many were merely religiously acculturated, without having experienced genuine transformation — many simply awaiting the autonomy of adulthood to leave behind the legacy they received. These data highlight the urgency of a pastoral approach that is genuine, welcoming, deep, relational, and theologically grounded — one capable of offering support during life transitions and strengthening the bond with Christ and His church.
Biblical and Historical Examples of Consecrated Youth
Throughout history, from the early church onward, young people have played a significant role in the expansion of the gospel. Scripture presents figures such as Samuel, David, Daniel, and Timothy as examples of consecrated youth. During the Protestant Reformation, the Reformers emphasized catechetical teaching and the academic and vocational training of the new generation, trusting Christian education as the foundation for doctrinal fidelity and cultural transformation.
In the 20th and 21st centuries, many youth-focused ministries have emerged throughout the Western world. In Brazil, examples include Royal Ambassadors and Girls in Action (since 1948), as well as Awana Clubs (OANSE), among others, with strong emphasis on discipleship, Christian service, and spiritual formation. Among university ministries, some have stood out, such as InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, Campus Crusade for Christ, and the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students (IFES), of which the Brazilian ABU is a part. Other missions — like Youth With A Mission (YWAM), Teen Challenge, and Operation Mobilization (OM) — have been directed toward evangelism and missions among youth. In the area of family and sexual formation, there are ministries that help prepare young people for mature relationships and a life of holiness. The doctrinal health of these ministries has varied over time, but they have aimed to serve in areas where young people face serious challenges.
The Youth Ministry and Its Mission in the Church
In our church, we understand that the Youth Ministry must be a space of teaching, discipleship, fellowship, and service, where teenagers and young adults are integrated into the life of the church, prepared for the challenges of the world, and encouraged to serve the Lord in every sphere of life. A ministry like this can yield lasting fruit: it strengthens the faith of the new generation (acting as a preventive against abandonment in adulthood), forms leaders and missionaries, builds healthy Christian families, and multiplies enduring relationships that uphold the Christian witness in the world.
Based on this understanding, we affirm our commitment to the following principle: the church must walk intentionally with its youth, recognizing that this is the most strategic time for life and faith decisions. Therefore, it must offer sound biblical teaching, personal discipleship, welcoming fellowship, and meaningful involvement in the life and mission of the church — so that young people develop a firm, relevant, and enduring faith, and are equipped to live and defend that faith in the world.
We also affirm the following complementary principles that guide our practice:
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The church must ground its ministry to youth in the sufficiency and authority of Scripture, avoiding purely pragmatic or secularized alternatives to retain them.
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Every young person needs ongoing discipleship to grow in Christian maturity.
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The young believer must be integrated into the fellowship, worship, and service of the local church.
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Youth ministry must prepare them for the ethical, relational, and vocational challenges of adulthood.
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The church must awaken youth to active participation in evangelism and global missions.
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The church must foster generational bonds, cultivating intentional connections between generations to ensure continuity and progressive responsibility from adolescence onward.
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The church must offer opportunities for practical training and supervised Christian service as part of the adolescent’s preparation for responsible adult life — including work and vocation.
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The church must encourage good reading habits among adolescents and youth, especially on topics that challenge them during this stage of life.
This set of principles guides our pastoral and communal action with young people, sustaining our vocation as a church that serves, equips, and sends the new generation of disciples for the glory of God. The apostle Paul encouraged the young Christian leader Timothy:
“Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.”
(1 Timothy 4:12, ESV).
Summary of Class Taught by Pastor Gilson Santos
Church: Igreja Batista da Graça – São José dos Campos, São Paulo, Brazil
Date: March 23, 2025
This class, led by Pastor Gilson Santos, was part of the ongoing biblical and theological formation of the congregation of Igreja Batista da Graça. It emphasized the church’s responsibility to walk intentionally with its youth through teaching, discipleship, fellowship, and mission.
