by Josh Liu

“I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.” (2 Timothy 4:1-2)

In my experience and observations, many church ministries, most often youth ministries, seem to be solicited with “new” and “improved” ministry models, entertainment activities, youth development insights, and/or suggestions of how to deepen connection or community with youth. These are not intrinsically evil or wrong, but they often become the driving force of ministry, by which everything else is subjected to. Granted, we ought to continually examine our ministries. Yet the standard by which we examine our ministries is Scripture–the inspired, inerrant, totally sufficient Word of God (cf. 2 Tim. 3:15-17; 2 Peter 1:3, 16-21). God has not left it to man to decide how the goals of the church be carried out (cf. 1 Thess. 2:3-4; Titus 2:1).

According to Scripture, a priority of the Church is to glorify God by making disciples of Christ by going, baptizing, and teaching the whole counsel of God’s Word (Matt. 28:18-20; cf. Acts 14:21-23). In the spirit of that mission, Lumos youth ministry exists to glorify God in the lives of youth adults in the San Diego community by partnering with parents in the discipleship of their children, which is carried out through preaching and teaching God’s Word, and fellowship with and mentoring by older godly men and women. We do not attempt to mask Bible studies with entertaining activities, sentimental or emotion-inducing singing or setup, or prolific opportunities to get youth to “just do something” in the church. The focal point of Lumos is the preaching, teaching, and counseling through God’s Word.

Thus, this year’s Friday night youth Bible studies will be going through the Book of Romans expositionally (verse by verse). We also have been using the Navigator’s Topical Memory System list of verses with a desire to make Scripture memorization a vital spiritual discipline. Some of those verses are examples of prooftexting (interpreting and applying a verse without regard to its context and author’s intended meaning). As we memorize a verse each week, we study them in their respective context. During Sunday school hour on Sundays, we will be going through hermeneutics training and topical series (e.g. Old Testament/New Testament survey, Jesus’ parables). As you can see, we seek to preach the Word; to reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. Lumos is not defined by its activities, perceived comfort of “community,” praise band, appeasement of parents, and so on. We truly believe Scripture, that God works through His Word and the proclamation of His gospel (cf. Is. 55:11; Mark 4:14-20, 26-29; Rom. 1:16-17; 10:14-16; 2 Tim. 3:15), and that He receives most glory through the ministry His Word (cf. 1 Pet. 4:11).

Church, we encourage you to actively participate in the ministry of prayer and God’s Word toward one another, including the youth in our churches.