Discipling Urban Youth

Discipleship of Urban Youth

 –urban area is an area with an increased density of humans and structures in comparison to the areas surrounding it. Differences in an urban community from a suburban community:  Spiritual: Spiritual needs of the Teen in an urban area are the same but the style they receive it is different. Emotional: Dealing with an extremely broken culture in an urban area that isn’t necessarily resourced to help. Everyone has baggage but in an urban community it’s amplified because of the generational repetition. Physical: Population, Crowded schools and neighborhoods Cultural: which we’ll talk more about in a minute. The one thing that doesn’t change is Jesus Christ and the need for a savior. Hebrews  13:8

1. Discipleship of Urban Youth involves knowing the students culture. There will be diversity, (obviously true in every church) in race, economic or ethnicity. A multiethnic movement is happening in every environment in the Country. Urban America is where it was born. 

2. Discipleship of Urban Youth involves knowing the students skills or gifts. Tap into the things they do: Use the giftedness in them.Its Helps them be part of the church and gives them ownership. In some ways Peer leadership works better then adult leadership.

3. Discipleship of Urban Youth involves knowing Urban teen trends. Find out what there listening to, watching, smoking, sexing. Anywhere you minister you need to know what Satan is using to fight the Word of Truth.Understanding trends will help you communicate the gospel to them. 

Challenges in discipling urban youth…

(a)   No understanding of the bible or the practice of Christian faith.

(b)   No understanding of outside world or any other culture but their own.

(c)   Substance Abuse –

(d)   Broken homes.

(i)     Families with multiple parents,

(ii)   Addiction of parents.

(iii) Values in the family rarely exist.