 a protestant/evangelical youth ministry is a christian ministry intended to instruct and disciple youths in what it means to be a christian, how to mature as a christian, and how to encourage others to claim jesus as their savior. this is accomplished through teaching, relationship building and/or mentoring. youth ministries may vary widely depending on their denomination, size, liberal or conservative outlook and geographic location. the ministries themselves are almost always built on relationships between the youth minister and the student and their shared perception of their relationship to god. because of the evolving nature of youth ministries it is difficult to pinpoint a specific starting point, however a modest estimate would date the profession to approximately 150 years old. youth have become an integral part of nearly every churchâs ministry programming, and youth ministries continue to have a profound impact on the societies in which they exist. ==history of youth ministry== while youth organizations, exist worldwide, the history section of this article will put a special focus on the development of youth ministry in america. the beginnings of youth ministry took place in the mid-19th century, in the wake of the industrial revolution. churches took note of all the young men who moved into central urban areas to work in factories. laypersons who noticed that these young adults working six days a week and gallivanting about town on sundays aspired to educate them. and so, early youth ministry began when churches brought older children and teenagers into classrooms to teach them how to read the bible. early ministry was designed for unchurched children with no formal education; while the primary goal of early youth ministry was education, a desirable secondary effect was that students would realize through biblical passages that they are sinners in need of forgiveness.  eventually, churches opened up sunday school to church members and unchurched children and teens alike. teachers encouraged the students to bring their friends along, and the movement gained momentum. laypersons would often work independently, neither subjecting themselves to congregational scrutiny nor receiving church funding. this fostered the development of interdenominational teaching programs and, eventually, faith-based organizations devoted to youth such as the ymca and ywca, whose american branches were founded in the 1850s. the most recognizable first effort to o
Christian_education Christian_youth_organizations Evangelical_parachurch_organisations