We need to develop an ongoing conversation about youth ministry. Marko’s book provides for us a virtual history of youth ministry in the last 50+ years and does so clearly and simply. We need this book. (By the way, “Marko” on the cover is a mock cover I found online.)

As you read this post, think about whether or not you agree with his 3-fold scheme. Maybe you don’t agree with it all, but in general. What do you think of his 3.0 proposals?

 Here are the characteristics of Youth Ministry 1.0 according to Marko’s new book, Youth Ministry 3.0: A Manifesto of Where We’ve Been, Where We Are & Where We Need to Go
:

The 50s gave rise to a youth culture and this led to ministries like Youth for Christ and Young Life. The major emphases were on two things:

Evangelism

Correction

Youth ministry 1.0 was proclamation-driven. It was fixated on identity formation and a theme verse would have been Matthew 7:13-14: “Enter through the narrow gate …”.

Youth Ministry 2.0 focused on autonomy (youth culture had confidence now) and discipleship programs and creating a positive peer group. 2.0 was not so much proclamation as program-driven. A theme verse was Matthew 28:19-20a: make disciples and teach them.

Youth Ministry 3.0, call it a “third way,” realizes it cannot meet this generation’s needs with a 2.0 set of assumptions and methods. Youth culture has become the dominant culture in our world. And it is powerfully fragmented. It gives rise to the need for affinity groups. He says we need cultural anthropologists with relational passion. The themes are

Communion

Mission

Big idea for Marko: if 1.0 was proclamation-driven and 2.0 was program-driven, 3.0 needs to be not-driven.  It wants to be Present. Marko thinks some prototypical Bible verses will be Acts 2:42-46.