Ask yourself and honestly answer: “Do age-segregated environments cause youth to stumble? Do they cause them to be sober-minded as Scripture commands? Do they cause them to mature? Do they protect them from immorality? Do they prepare them for marriage? Do they promote taking captive every thought to Christ?” After more than three decades of participating in and observing modern youth ministry, I can easily answer yes to the first and no to the rest of these questions. In fact, the Scripture clearly warns that “foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child” (Pro. 22:15), and that “the companion of fools suffers harm” (Pro. 13:20). In this sense, Scripture has already informed us that gathering foolish youth together will corrupt them. This is not an argument against godly friendships among youth. It is, however, a stinging condemnation of the unprincipled youthful relationships which develop in an age- segregated youth ministry environment.

In another area, by providing youth discipleship independent of fathers, the church is now actively involved in facilitating the turning away of fathers’ hearts from their children and children’s hearts from their fathers. We believe that this practice also causes children to stumble in the area of honor and obedience to their parents.

Jesus said, “It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come!” (Luke 17:1).…

On the basis of Scripture’s testimony, the bad fruit that is easily observed and documented and the anti-Christian philosophical foundation upon which systematic, age-segregated youth ministry rests, let us ask, “Why would anyone want to embrace the philosophy and practice of systematic, age-segregated youth ministry any longer?” Instead of embracing it, should we not root this weed out of the church?

However, the good news is that when we trade the ways of this world for heavenly ways, we always get an upgrade. Those who lay hold of wisdom will be blessed. – from A Weed in the Church 3rd printing, pg 130 and 280.