The True Goal of Theology in Student Ministry

For many people, the idea of theology brings to mind visions of stuffy intellectualism. Similarly, the thought of “doing” theology might seem like an emotionless venture that should only take place within the halls of academia. Saying things like, “I’m no theologian, but…” has become too common an expression, even from those who have walked with Jesus for a long time. For many believers, the concept of theologian describes a class of scholars to which they could never belong.

Although I understand that line of thinking, it hinges on a misunderstanding. Theology certainly is a field of study, and the title “theologian” can formally refer to a person who is an expert in that field. But if this is the only way we perceive the task of theology, I believe we will miss its goal altogether.

What is a Theologian?

The truth is, we are all theologians. All of us. Believer and non-believer. Every single person holds some belief about God, whether they have studied formal theology or not. I think the more important question concerning theology should not be about who that term describes, but the accuracy of that person’s beliefs about God.

Instead of asking, “Am I a theologian?” maybe the better question is, “Are we good or bad theologians?”

A. W. Tozer famously wrote, “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.”[1]

If my thoughts about God are inaccurate, that will certainly affect the soundness of what I believe about literally everything else. Conversely, it is only when I begin to understand who God is that I will start to understand everything else.

We are all theologians, both in philosophy and in practice. How we think about God will determine how we live for Him. What we truly believe is not always revealed in what we say, but in what we do.

Tozer’s assertion, I believe, can be quite helpful in thinking about what our students need most. It also can dramatically impact our own lives as student leaders. Allow me to explore how Tozer’s paradigm can shape how we view the task, goal, and beauty of theology in both our lives and ministries.

Theology for Students

The goal of theology in student ministry is not so much about presenting concepts for them to grasp as it is about spotlighting the treasure for them to behold: the Truine God. While the task of theology certainly requires the intellect, the ultimate aim of theology is the transformation of the heart.

We must be careful, though, to not separate the two, pitting the mind and the heart against one another. Craig Troxel summarizes Scripture’s use of heart in the following way:

“The heart is the governing center of a person. When used simply, it reflects the unity of our being, and when used comprehensively, it describes the complexity of our inner being—as composed of mind (what we know), desires (what we love), and will (what we choose).”[2]

I have heard people say that theology stifles true worship. Jen Wilkin reveals the immense danger of this notion by contending that, “The heart cannot love what the mind does not know,”[3] and similarly, “If we want to feel deeply about God, we must learn to think deeply about God.”

The goal for theology in student ministry, I believe, has to do with bringing together the expressions of worship with the truthfulness of who God has revealed Himself to be. Isn’t that what we hope to see in students’ lives? True worship is always rooted in right belief.

If our student ministry produces disciples who can ace doctrine exams and quote our favorite theologians from history, but who are not compelled to pursue God for the sake of knowing him and to love their neighbor as themselves, then we have not “done” theology very well. The goal of theologically driven student ministry is not for them to just know about God, but to set out on a lifetime of knowing God.

Theology for Student Ministry Leaders

In order to shape good theologians, we must first strive to be good theologians ourselves. It is only by thinking rightly about God that we can begin to help our students think biblically about everything else.

Model what it looks like to think deeply about God, as well as what it looks like to walk with and treasure him in our lives. J. I. Packer summarizes the attitude we should adopt as youth leaders when he writes,

“Our aim in studying the Godhead must be to know God Himself better. Our concern must be to enlarge our acquaintance, not simply with the doctrine of God’s attributes, but with the living God whose attributes they are. As He is the subject of our study, and our helper in it, so He must Himself be the end of it. We must seek, in studying God, to be led by God. It was for this purpose that revelation was given, and it is to this use that we must put it.”[4]

That last phrase should catch us as student ministry leaders. We need to be reminded that theological study is, among other things, a sacred stewardship.

Being “theologically driven” must have in focus the appropriate objective, not only for ourselves but also for our students. I believe Kevin Vanhoozer offers an apt description of that objective when he writes, “Theology is about learning how to live out Christ’s life in us (Gal 2:20), a life that includes cruciform wisdom (1 Cor 2:2) and resurrection power (Phil 3:10).”[5] In his next sentence, he continues, “[Theology] is about helping the church to understand the biblical story of which it is a part.”

Theology is integral for the church to grow into its redemptive identity, and this includes helping students understand their corporate identity as members of the church.

Is theological study challenging? Absolutely. In Packer’s estimation, “It is a subject so vast, that all our thoughts are lost in its immensity; so deep, that our pride is drowned in its infinity.”[6]

If we are to be leaders who engage our students theologically, we must be the first to embrace that challenge ourselves; not just because we enjoy the intellectual stimulation, but because knowing God and enjoying right relationship with him is a treasure of inestimable worth, and we want students to rightly know and treasure him too.

[1] A. W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy (New York: HarperCollins, 1978), 1.

[2] Craig Troxel, With All Your Heart (Wheaton: Crossway, 2020), 21.

[3] Jen Wilkin, Women of the Word (Wheaton: Crossway, 2014), 31.

[4] J. I. Packer, Knowing God (Downers Grove: IVP Press, 1973), 22-23.

[5] Kevin Vanhoozer, Hearers and Doers (Bellingham: Lexham Press, 2019), xxiii.

[6] Packer, 17.

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