I found an interesting article on Youth Ministry. I dont agree with everything it says, but thought I might see what other people thought. The main gist (I think) is that there is no place for youth ministry and that if parents stood up to the mark we wouldnt need youth ministry. Here is a little "taste" of the article for you. Other wise click on the link for the full thing. (its massive)

When young people exclusively interact with one another and make their own rules, a "herd
mentality" develops: they follow in the footsteps of one another rather than those of adults. The
problem is not peer interaction per se, but irresponsible parental oversight. Young people should
never be allowed to form a herd. Though peer interaction is often profitable, it is only so when it
promotes maturity. From their birth, children should see themselves as adults to be, growing into an
adult world. They must never be trained to think that perpetual youth is life's aim.

Therefore the church ought to be wary of what some call an ideal youth ministry. Such a ministry pulls
teens away from their elders, brings them together, and encourages them to revel in their youth. Even
worse, children are drawn away from home in order to keep church commitments. I have seen youth
ministries where the "deeply committed" kids are at the church four nights a week!

Some are frustrated that the church is too slow in keeping up with societal trends. But they are
encouraged to see the church closing in: Amy Grant and Michael W. Smith have made the top 40,
and This Present Darkness is being made into a movie. And, most important of all, youth ministries
are learning to follow the latest fads in order to sell Christianity to today's teen.

Perhaps we should step back and ask ourselves if our standards are too low, patterned after the
standards of our declining culture. Youth ministries have not solved the problem, they have become
part of it. Our goal has been to provide a place where kids will have fun in a wholesome atmosphere.
We don't want our kids to be immature in a worldly way, but rather in a "Christian" way. So we
reject a pagan immaturity, and embrace a "Christian" immaturity. In the name of good clean
wholesome fun, immaturity is perpetuated.

Building on our foundation, our children ought to move far beyond the goals we achieve. Our
grandchildren should be raised better than our children. They should have a deeper understanding of
God's word, their Christian worldview should be more refined, and their fear of God should be more
profound than ours.

The biblical standard is "godly offspring" (Mal. 2:15): descendants of whom we will not be ashamed,
sharp arrows who rise up and contend with our enemies at the gate (Ps. 127:5). If this standard is not
met, parents bear the full responsibility. The Scriptures couldn't be more clear: the responsibility for
the upbringing of children in every area is given primarily to parents (Deut. 6:7, Eph. 6:4, passim).
Responsible youth ministry in the church involves teaching and exhorting parents.