Utilizing a pioneering way of assessing the spiritual experience, the Valuegenesis research identified the goal that all Christian youth ministry has for its youth. Valuegenesis called this goal “faith maturity,” and referred to it as “a process, not a product,” in which our faith becomes increasingly evident in our “priorities, dispositions and behaviors.”
Faith maturity is a vibrant, life-transforming faith marked by both a deep, personal relationship with a loving God and a consistent commitment to serving others.
The Four Core Dimensions of Faith Maturity
- Grace. Discovering the depths of God’s love and experiencing the peace that comes from accepting His salvation.
- Worship. Responding to the grace of God with all our lives, and exploring the riches of praise.
- Community. Experiencing the joy of active involvement in a family of faith, which models God’s grace.
- Service. Revealing the grace of God through a consistent commitment to ministering to the needs of others.
The gifts God gives us are to prepare His people “for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.” Ephesians 4:11-15.
From: ABZ’s of Adventist Youth Ministry
Permission to copy for use in the local congregation or group.
