Christian Educational Ministries Department

Within the Christian Educational Ministries program, you have the opportunity to minor in Youth Ministry. You will be able to work specifically with teens, impacting their spiritual formation and equipping them to become better at being a disciple and making disciples.

You will be able to engage with the difficult and specific issues facing youth today, and become a powerful influence as you build relationships and develop curriculum to reach lost teens and equip young believers to reach their peers.

What can YOU do with a Youth Ministry Minor?

The Youth Ministry minor prepares students for doing ministry with adolescents in a wide variety of ministries. Here are a few examples:

• Church: Youth Pastor, Associate Pastor, and Christian Education Director.
• Para Church leadership and involvement: Youth for Christ, Young Life, InterVarsity, Campus Crusade, Navigators, etc.
• Missions: Trainer, linguist, church planter, teacher, student mobilizer
• Inner City: Youth Center director, recreation director, house parent
• Christian Camping: Director, assistant director, retreat center director
• Christian College: Resident hall director, student development leader, student ministry director, and with more studies, a professor of Christian Education
• Writing: Sunday School curriculum, books, magazine editor, book editor
• Christian High School: Bible teacher, director of missions, coach.
• Media Specialist: Youth film, music, video, communications

Youth Ministry Alums

Don’t just take our word for it. Here are a few testimonies from our YM graduates. Have questions? Contact Dr. Mike Severe today!

Dan Aikins ’10
“Upon graduating, I moved to Colorado Springs to serve as a 15-month apprentice in the high school ministry at Vanguard Church. In January of 2011, the high school pastor at Vanguard moved to another position within the church, and I was invited to serve as the a co-interim high school pastor along with the other high school apprentice. During that time, I was also interviewing for a position at the church in which I worked for my practicum in 2009. I was offered that job, and I moved to Houston to serve as the middle school discipleship director at Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church. I am also studying for a Masters of Divinity at Fuller Seminary in Texas. I am amazed by God's sovereignty, and how He has worked out my story so far since graduating. God is good!”

Katie Barnes ’10
“After graduating from Taylor I came on staff with SouthPointe Youth For Christ as a Campus Life Director in Valparaiso, IN.  I absolutely love my job!  I lead a group of volunteers and together we invest time and energy into the lives of students as we teach them about Christ, help them navigate adolescence and get them plugged into a local church.”

 

Mike Farnsley ’08
“During my time at Taylor University, I lived on Foundation in Sammy Morris Hall, majored in Christian Educational Ministries and minored in Biblical Literature and Youth Ministry. Since graduating in May 2008, I have been serving full-time in youth ministry. I currently serve as Director of Student Ministries at Kodak United Methodist Church in Kodak, Tennessee where I oversee ministry to middle school, high school and college students. I am excited to begin pursuing a Master of Divinity (MDiv) degree at Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky in September 2012.  During my junior year at Taylor, I met Sarah (Wilson) Farnsley (TU '09). We married in August 2009 and welcomed our first child, a boy named Miles Andrew, into the world in September 2011. My younger brother Brian Farnsley graduated from Taylor in 2011 with a degree in psychology. I am thankful God has given me the privilege of being a husband, a father, a pastor and most importantly, his son.”