Parents Who Fight, Kids Who Hurt

by Kara Powell and Brad Griffin

How many of us say—or communicate without actually speaking—something like that to students about our youth ministries? Sometimes as youth workers we carry a false sense that we can create a youth ministry environment in which all of the stuff that happens “out there” doesn’t matter; instead, it’s “all about Jesus” in the youth room.

The Myth of the Sterile Youth Room
The reality, of course, is that all of that “stuff” matters immensely to the kids who cram into your ministry’s gathering space week after week. It’s their primary reality, which begs the question: Will the Jesus we teach and encourage them to follow have anything to say to their 24/7 reality, or just our 90-minute temporary one? And what does that Jesus look like for kids who hate—and maybe fear—going home after youth group?
While youth workers can’t fix all of the problems in kids’ lives, we have a responsibility to become more aware of ways that issues such as parents’ high-conflict marriages impact the daily lives of our students. For kids like Caroline and Justin, it may be the most important issue we can understand.

Download PDF