The ideal youth ministry is one that is fun and focused on discipleship. But there are always extremes.

Some youth ministries fall into the trap of being all about fun and forget discipleship.
There is no word of God, prayer or messages about the love of Jesus. There are games, crafts, fun but no substance. Ask kids about any bible verses memorized or lessons learned and you get a blank stare... The good thing is that there is allot of righteous fun and who is against that? Also, it is a great atmosphere to destroy peoples pre conceived ideas about Church. It isn't a stoic place of boredom but of joy and excitement which are actually encouraged.

Than there is the youth ministry which is focused on discipleship in the form of prayer and the Word. There are great messages, lessons learned and prayers made. The only failure is that there is a lack of entertainment, fun and excitement. It can seem boring. However, if you ask the kids to pray or recite a bible verse or share a lesson learned, they are all over it and on top of it. You won't find a blank stare or a look of stupor from these youth like they don't know what you are talking about. And what is reassuring is that faith is in place on the secure word. How secure?
"Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away." (Mark 13:31)

The ideal youth ministry will include both. It will be fun and not too shy or timid to talk about he greatest thing on earth, namely the love of Jesus. It will require the effort of more than just one person but a team who are interested in bringing their best to the table. This team are not quick to point out the speck in the brothers eye when there is a plank in their own eye. This team sees the potential of greatness in everyone and is aiming to bring out the best in each other and the most to the ministry of Christ.

Mr Wilson Matthews