New Degree Program in Youth Ministry Brings Hope to Indianapolis
School officials and local church leaders in Indianapolis are looking forward to the great developments that the University of Indianapolis (UI)'s new vocational program will bring to the city's youth ministry.
School officials and local church leaders in Indianapolis are looking forward to the great developments that the University of Indianapolis (UI)'s new vocational program will bring to the city's youth ministry.
The Youth Ministry Training Program (YMTP) at the University of Indianapolis, a United Methodist Church (UMC)-related school, is a new degree program designed to equip students with the skills necessary to successfully minister the youth.
According to Agape Press (AP), the school officials and local church leaders expressed hopes that the eight-student program will develop into a “pipeline of people willing to make youth ministry a professional destination rather than an afterthought.”
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At the same time, they found a troubling challenge: the common assumption that a youth minister is a young adult “entertaining the teens while marking time until a senior pastor's role comes along.”
Marlene Stammerman, director of youth ministry at St. Jude Catholic Church in Indianapolis and a teacher in the UI youth ministry program, explained the inaccuracy of such characterizations.
According to Stammerman, teenagers are complex individuals dealing with big issues, so youth ministry is not about “play time for kids” but rather about “welcoming them to the larger life of the church.”
"Kids are a gift to the church .... If we don't worship with them and learn with them and share with them, we miss something spectacular," she added.
The YMTP requires the students to participate in church settings while simultaneously learning in classroom settings. Furthermore, it provides the students with necessary training with curriculum that combines three areas of study: Theological Foundations courses, Christian Vocations courses, and Youth Ministry courses. Most of these classes are offered on the campus of Christian Theological Seminary.
