Real Transformation

I was asked recently about the balance between teaching to the heart and teaching to the head in regards to youth ministry. This line can be tough to distinguish at times but is one that we need to think about when ministering with teens. Tipping the balance too far to one side could result in good feelings when involved with the youth group and good emotional status but then upon leaving the youth ministry be pulled away by every wind of doctrine. However; a scale tipped too far the other way would result in the student being so engrossed with being correct in facts about Scripture and upholding their personal image that they would know a lot but fail in bringing that knowledge inward to allow their life to be formed into the image of Christ. These two polar opposites of teaching styles need reconciled (compromising one for the other) but also need not to be forgotten (focusing on one rather than the other). Ministering to people requires the minister to be proficient in both areas, upholding correct doctrine while teaching the students (whether child or adult) to be using that doctrine to impact their life. The head knowledge will probably tend to come out more in arenas of lecture (Sunday school, Worship Services, etc.) while the heart teaching will probably come to fruition more often throughout the week in meetings or conversations that one-on-one or discussion oriented (having coffee with someone, small group, texting conversations, etc.) These are the times when we can teach someone, more effectively, how to transition doctrine from paper to life.