Part of my job as a youth minister is to create an enviroment where teens can feel free to ask questions and a place that helps them answer their questions. While reading Youth Ministry Mutiny by Greg Stier, the protagonist provided 30 questions that his youth ministry centered all of their teaching around. The minister said that, “Every teen and adult should know, live, and own the answers to these questions as a result of our ministry in their lives.”

Here they are:

• Who is God and what is He like?
• What is the Trinity?
• Who is Jesus?
• Why did he die on the cross?
• How do I know he really rose from the dead?
• Who is the HS and what does He do?
• How do I get plugged into the power of the HS?
• Is the Bible really God’s Word and how does it apply to my life?
• What is truth and can I know it with certainty?
• What is sin and how does it impact my life and my relationships with others?
• Why does God allow evil in this world?
• What is a Christian and how does a person become one?
• If Jesus is the only way to Heaven, are all other religions wrong?
• What about people who have never heard about the Gospel?
• What is the Great Commission and how does it relate to me?
• Is the really a heaven and a hell and what are they like?
• Is there a judgement day and what difference should it make in my life?
• Can I really be forgiven for all my sins, even the really bad ones?
• Will God ever leave me or forsake me?
• Who are Satan and his demons?
• How do I engage in spiritual warfare?
• What is Church and why should I be involved?
• What are spiritual gifts and how do I discover mine?
• How should the return of Christ impact my life?
• What is prayer and how do I do it?
• Why should I study my Bible and how do I do it?
• How do I defend my faith?
• Who am I, where did I come from, and what is my purpose?
• Which is true creation or evolution, and why does it matter?
• How can I worship God in everything I do?

As I looked over these 30 questions I felt like they covered just about everything I’ve tried to pass along to my students. Of course this list isn’t/shouldn’t be exhaustive but they gave me a great jumping off point. What do you think? Anything you’d add? Anything you’d take away?