Youth in the Main Worship Service

actually also why is it so important and good that the youth worship with the body in main service as well as some verses(not that i have to specify that but)

Keith Fong:
This is part of a larger ministry philosophy framework. It’s actually not as simple as “well the Bible says this, therefore…” there are no verses in the Scriptures about youth ministry. (Or, married people ministry, or retiree ministry, etc.) Separated ministries for specific demographics is a relatively new thing in the church
But that doesn’t mean it’s unbiblical. For example, Paul singles out children, fathers, slaves, masters in Eph 6:1-9, indicating that different kinds of people should be exhorted with specific teaching. I would argue that demographic-specific ministry like children’s ministry, youth ministry, college ministry, etc. tries to carry out this Scriptural principle
I would argue that youth kids (at the very least—I’m open to the same argument applying to children of all ages) ought to be in the primary worship service because of the following reasons:
1. Parents are the primary role models and disciples of their children. Deut 6:4-9 indicates that parents are to teach them how to love the Lord in every aspect of life, during every moment of life. The worship service is the high point of a Christian’s week, and by bringing kids there, they can witness their parents praying, singing, confessing, rejoicing, listening, submitting. Kids learn by imitation, and if they never see their parents worship, how will they know how to revere God?
2. Kids grow up to be adults by gradations, not by graduations. In other words, you don’t flip a switch and become an adult once you graduate high school. You grow up into adulthood, step by step and bit by bit. The only way to be an adult is to actually be with other adults.

Placing youth in the main service, where there is (hopefully) less infantilism, helps youth to grow up into adulthood and Christian maturity. It teaches them that Christianity is not about dodgeball and getting candy for memorizing verses, but about a holy God. Of course, some churches treat even their adults like children, but that’s another conversation. In many ways, having youth (and kids) in the main service with everyone else is a countercultural protest.

Our culture has the tendency to juvenilize all of life; we’re perpetually immature. In kind, for decades the church assumed that to get youth “in the doors” you have to bait them with free pizza, fun games, and engaging events, so that, you know, you can give them Jesus. (But this is underhanded and shameful. 2 Cor 4:2 gives us an example to follow; we are to walk not in craftiness or adulterating the word of God, but plainly displaying the truth.) The church ought to be a nursery where people grow up into the love and maturity of Jesus Christ (Eph 4:11-16, esp. 14-15).
3. Having youth in main service reminds the church that the responsibility for discipling these youth rests not only on the few shoulders of the servants in youth ministry, but the whole church. Every member should be praying of the youth’s salvation. Every member should be asking about their lives. Even some members should have more intentional relationships with them to help them grow in faith (in appropriate contexts).
Okay that’s a lot. As much as I care about this, and like how Lighthouse does it, I actually probably wouldn’t bring this up if a church differed
There are a lot more important, higher tiered things that I would care about: (1) the priority of the Word in the church, (2) the requirement of regeneration for church membership, (3) the doctrinal fidelity of the leaders and members, etc.
The oft repeated “pick your battles” is helpful. I would probably use a different phrase, but it gets the point across. I would say, for what Scripture is crystal clear on, place a premium on. For things that are still important and yet are a little more downstream from the Scriptural principles, hold more loosely