A council is a group of people brought together for a specific purpose: to discuss issues, give advice, evaluate, make decisions, plan, or administer a project or program.  

In youth ministry, there are two types of youth councils: a local youth council, made up of the local church youth leader and kids from a church’s youth group; and, a general youth council, usually an area wide (conference, union, division) group of youth leaders or youth ministry professionals or a combination of lay and professional youth ministry people.

Five Functions of a Local Youth Council

1. Evaluating a local church’s current philosophy of youth ministry, its strategies, personnel, programs and projects. 
2. Visioning; establishing the goals of a local youth ministry.
3. Planning, budgeting and scheduling the local youth ministry program.
4. Administering the local youth ministry, preparing for programs and events, fulfilling marketing strategies, accomplishing projects, etc.
5. Staffing, seeking volunteers and enlisting help for the local youth ministry.

Five Tasks of a General Youth Council

1. Evaluating the philosophy, strategies, personnel, programs and projects of a designated system segment (e.g., a conference, union or division).
2. Visioning; working with the leader of a designated system (such as a conference youth director) to establish youth ministry goals for the entire system.
   
3. Making plans for system-wide youth ministry activities or projects, establishing a system-wide master calendar, working on a budget for major endeavors.
   
4. Fulfilling assignments, empowering local youth ministry.
   
5. Working on job descriptions for the leader of the designated system segment, searching for qualified people to fill employment openings.
   

“From: ABZ’s of Adventist Youth Ministry”
© 2000 John Hancock Center for Youth and Family Ministry
Permission to copy for use in the local congregation or group.