The following theological principles are to be integrated into all aspects of youth ministries programming:

1. In Relational Youth Ministry there is infinite respect for the individual.

The doctrine of Creation affirms the goodness, value and worth of humanity; and in the Incarnation God has chosen to be joined to humanity in the fullest and most profound way. This expression of God's love for us calls us beyond ourselves to acknowledge and respect the worth and dignity of others, as the foundation of all relationships.

2. In Relational Youth Ministry honesty with self and others is essential.

The life and ministry of Jesus presents a radical example of being in a honest relationship with self and others. This carries an insistence upon openly seeking the truth, by engaging with others in the full range of life's joys and sorrows, issues, questions, and conflicts.

3. In Relational Youth Ministry there is a common responsibility for  what  happens.

Christ called the disciples into an intimate relationship of friendship and ministry.  Paul's image of the body of Christ presents an understanding of community which affirms and seeks to nurture the gifts of each person for the benefit and well-being of the whole. This understanding calls us beyond arbitrary divisions between people and toward shared leadership, decision-making and ministry.

Adults who work with young people are frequently confronted with questions for other adults and church leaders concerning, "How do we get young people involved in the church?" However, the real emphasis should be placed on how the church can be more involved with young people. Youth ministries should not be about nurturing potential adult believers, but rather about enabling the continued growth of young believers. The shift towards lifelong learning communities is perhaps the key to changing the mentality which suggests that the main motivation behind youth ministries is to provide instruction which can be drawn on in later years. Youth ministries is not limited to the programs and activities sponsored within the church community. It is also directed outward to the needs, concerns and issues of youth in society.

In ministering with young people, we should be alert to their personal experience of God's active presence. It does not mean that we abandon the tradition of the faith community. Rather, we need to make an effort to connect the young people's experience with the community's understanding of God and the church as a supporting community. The most powerful human influence on the forming faith of young people is that exerted by families and peers who are living and expressing their own faith. To a large extent, they make their moral judgments in keeping with what is expected of them by family, peers and other significant others in their lives.

Young people are seeking personal commitment. Commitment includes reaching out towards people, ideas, beliefs, causes, and work choices. The church can assist young people as they begin this formation process of building commitment and purpose in their lives. Participation in religious activities provides an outlet for the curiosity, idealism, and desire for accomplishment that is characteristic of youth. Involvement in worship events and community service can be a source of affiliation when they are actively involved in decision-making.

To some extent contemporary opinion has erroneously dictated that it is a natural movement for young people to leave the congregation. The assumption is that it is important to anxiously await their return following this phase of rebellion. Our acceptance of these assumptions prevents us from looking seriously at the issues of belonging for young people in faith communities. There are no mysterious reasons why young people often fail to participate in congregational life. For the most part, they are not welcome. In many instances, there are not opportunities for meaningful participation. Perhaps not enough attention is being paid to providing young people a social group where they can belong. It could be that the instruction being given is not taking into account, among other concerns, young people's need to have some say in setting the agenda. Perhaps there is no room in the worship service for the contribution of young people, and the language is not relevant or the concepts made applicable to daily life.  The relative absence of young people from congregational life speaks as powerful evidence.  This pattern will only be seriously reversed when congregations take seriously on the issues of inclusiveness and participation in all aspects of its life.

Further, youth ministries should empower young people to transform the world as followers of Jesus Christ by living for justice and peace. Youth ministry empowers young people with the knowledge and skills to serve others and learn how to transform the unjust structures of society. Effective youth ministry encourages young people to examine their culture in the light of their faith and their faith in the light of culture. It is often in and through the cultural context that young people will give birth to their personal faith and sense of ministry. This cultural context is not a peripheral concern for relational youth ministry, it is a foundational principle.