Friday, January 30, 2009
Youth Ministry: Did we fail...
I think youth ministers and youth ministry can be great blessings and additions to the Lord's church. They can be wonderful supplements to the spiritual formation young people receive at home. They can be incredible evangelistic opportunities. I grew up in a congregation that hired the second full time youth minister in our fellowship. I worked as a full time youth minister. I have spoken at more youth rallies and retreats than I can remember. and here is what I see in our churches today:
Youth groups that have so much activity the kids are busy all the time. Little evangelism. Great emphasis on taking care of our own. Youth ministers who know lots of youth ministry theory and little Scripture. Little parent involvement. Young people that lose their faith (if they ever really had it) shortly after leaving home.
Did we fail? Forty years of youth ministry in our fellowship and I am not sure we get it right. Have we as parents expected the church to be responsible for the spiritual formation of our teenagers? We seem frightened that our young people will not like it if we do not cater to their interests and preferences. Are we sure our teens know what is best for themselves spiritually?
What makes strong, faithful Christians out of teenagers? Not the youth program. They come from strong families that take responsibility. They come from small churches with family environment and inter generational faith communities. I think it is possible we have been doing it all wrong.
It seems we have made youth ministry the focus instead of it being a supplement. I think that because I see parents get upset if they think the church is not going to do youth ministry for them. Maybe the church should get of the way and let parents raise their children in the Lord.
And if the parents will not do it, it is not youth ministry we need...it is parent ministry we better start.
Feel free to react.
Youth groups that have so much activity the kids are busy all the time. Little evangelism. Great emphasis on taking care of our own. Youth ministers who know lots of youth ministry theory and little Scripture. Little parent involvement. Young people that lose their faith (if they ever really had it) shortly after leaving home.
Did we fail? Forty years of youth ministry in our fellowship and I am not sure we get it right. Have we as parents expected the church to be responsible for the spiritual formation of our teenagers? We seem frightened that our young people will not like it if we do not cater to their interests and preferences. Are we sure our teens know what is best for themselves spiritually?
What makes strong, faithful Christians out of teenagers? Not the youth program. They come from strong families that take responsibility. They come from small churches with family environment and inter generational faith communities. I think it is possible we have been doing it all wrong.
It seems we have made youth ministry the focus instead of it being a supplement. I think that because I see parents get upset if they think the church is not going to do youth ministry for them. Maybe the church should get of the way and let parents raise their children in the Lord.
And if the parents will not do it, it is not youth ministry we need...it is parent ministry we better start.
Feel free to react.
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I agree with you...but I am really excited about groups, and seeing a push for a FAMILY centered time of digging into the Word. We (parents and children alike) will find ourselves extremely blessed by a time of togetherness...I know our family has LOVED the integrated group we have been a part of for the last several months. I have seen my children's faith grow in new and different ways, and have also seen them step up to the plate and take on leadership roles in our sharing times together. Love it!
First, let me say that our new youth minister is the only one I've really been familiar with -- and I adore him already. He's about the ACTIVITY, but he wants the kids to be about the PURPOSE behind the activity. I have really appreciated his heart.
Secondly -- yes, somewhere along the way we went very, very wrong with parents believing it is the youth minister's job to 'fix' their kids and bring them to faith. Absolutely, we should invest in parent ministry before we have youth ministry.
Secondly -- yes, somewhere along the way we went very, very wrong with parents believing it is the youth minister's job to 'fix' their kids and bring them to faith. Absolutely, we should invest in parent ministry before we have youth ministry.
I've somewhat regretted having a background of "fundamentalism," because of it's lack of grace, it's lack of even acknowledging the Holy Spirit at all, .. several things of this nature.
BUT! Not everything was wrong with this background. If not for it's emphasis on knowing the Word of God, and knowing it well, there would have been no solid foundation for getting us to that point of our emphasis - of knowing God, of knowing Jesus, our only Savior from this world and it's sin, and of knowing His beautiful and muchly needed grace.
My husband and I want to accept our responsibility; we pray about that regularly. What we are observing, though, is a total lack of knowledge of even what sin is, of the horrors it creates - and where we are because of it. Without recognizing what sin is and does - how horrible it really is - we can never actually see or appreciate the true glory of His grace AND our need for the Gospel of Jesus.
But our problem goes way beyond failing our youth, we give into parents and grandparents, and try to keep them happy by keeping our preachers bound to 10 minutes or so in the pulpit. What is their duty, except to give the King's Message to the King's people?
I stop for now, but I just wonder though, how can we live responsibly to God, while trying so hard to keep people happy?
(I don't want to appear negative, but it is of great concern to me.)
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BUT! Not everything was wrong with this background. If not for it's emphasis on knowing the Word of God, and knowing it well, there would have been no solid foundation for getting us to that point of our emphasis - of knowing God, of knowing Jesus, our only Savior from this world and it's sin, and of knowing His beautiful and muchly needed grace.
My husband and I want to accept our responsibility; we pray about that regularly. What we are observing, though, is a total lack of knowledge of even what sin is, of the horrors it creates - and where we are because of it. Without recognizing what sin is and does - how horrible it really is - we can never actually see or appreciate the true glory of His grace AND our need for the Gospel of Jesus.
But our problem goes way beyond failing our youth, we give into parents and grandparents, and try to keep them happy by keeping our preachers bound to 10 minutes or so in the pulpit. What is their duty, except to give the King's Message to the King's people?
I stop for now, but I just wonder though, how can we live responsibly to God, while trying so hard to keep people happy?
(I don't want to appear negative, but it is of great concern to me.)
# posted by 
: 10:33 PM PST
: 10:33 PM PST << Home
