*Part four of seven in a series of posts called The Youth Church I See.
The other day I had a really cool thing happen as I was getting my $.31 scoops after a youth service. As I waited in line I saw the mother whose student attended our youth ministry six months ago, but then, abruptly stopped coming. This led me to take a trip down memory lane...
Six Months Ago:
According to his mom, the student stopped attending because our youth ministry didn't play enough games. She continued and said that our focus on worship and the Word were good, but he needed fun and friends.
I listened and thanked her for the input. After our conversation, I remember thinking to myself, "that's the first time I've ever been told we weren't fun enough for a student." I usually pride myself and Live on being a fun place where students can meet with God and each other. I shook it off and moved forward.
Fast-forward to last week when I saw the mom of this student at the ice cream shop. The old me, would have been frustrated and immediately started thinking, "how can we get this kid back." "What can I say to the mom, that will convince her we have made progress and that her son should give us a second shot?"
The answer: Nothing.
I realized as I was standing in line waiting for my two scoops of "Baseball Nut" (you should try it) that I didn't need to do that. We've made tremendous strides over the last year and a half in defining exactly who we are at Live. There was no need for me to try to bend or twist our identity to suit the needs of one more student. The simple fact was, our ministry style didn't fit where this student was currently. He and his mom were looking for something that we weren't offering.
This revelation came as a pleasant surprise for me. I wasn't angry or feeling inadequate that we lost a potential new student. I was happy for her and her son. Chances are they ended up in another church and youth ministry that fit them better. I'm genuinely happy for them and happy for us. We stayed true to who we are and they were able to decide to go elsewhere where they found a better fit.
Don't get me wrong, we want to reach as many students as possible. We want them to receive and grow in Grace. We also want them to have a passion to reach others. We are targeting young people who want to make a difference with their lives. Games have there place, they just aren't our number one focus. Fun for me and the students of our church is partnering with God to change our schools, city, and world.
Observation #4:
Youth Churches in which students and leaders are content with the youth ministries current state. Youth Churches that have the attitude we have done enough to reach outsiders.
My Response:
...the Youth Church I see is full of "includers," young people who have experienced Grace and can't wait to share it with others by introducing friends and family to the person of Grace, Jesus Christ.
It appears that Jesus has something say about this topic as well.
Matthew 28:19
Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
The Youth Church I See #3
*Part three of seven in series of posts called the Youth Church I See.
Many youth churches are operating separately from the church as a whole.
Unfortunately this is a very common trait of many youth ministries. When a youth church operates this way, they are really nothing more than a para-church organization. Essentially they are communicating to the church they're supposedly a part of, "You exist to serve our needs."
Youth Ministry was never meant to be this way. We must have the proper perspective that the youth ministry or youth church we lead is part of a bigger picture, the church. It is healthy for our students to understand there is more to their spiritual growth and experience than the mid-week service. Our task is to raise up young people who will be connected to God, the youth ministry, and the church.
Some youth ministries operate independently of their church because the church has not clearly identified it's mission, vision, or clarified it's unique style. In these cases it's important for the youth pastor to communicate with the senior pastor in an effort to understand and/or help their leader define these for the church and then follow suit. Even if you can't get the senior leader to write it down, try to understand their heart for the church and make sure the youth ministry reflects it.
Still other youth ministries operate independently of the church because the youth pastor is not sure of the direction he/she is actually leading. They may align ministry for a season, but as soon as a the winds of change bring a new idea along the ministry is blown in that direction. Quite frankly, I've struggled in this area myself from time to time. I think it may be a simple matter of not knowing exactly what it was God had in mind for our youth ministry. Exercises like this one, where I carefully consider what God is speaking to me are helpful. Then I can take it and align it with my church's vision. God loves Unity.
At Fairwood Church I enjoy how all of our ministries are in alignment. On a given Sunday, you could walk through the toddlers, preschool, elementary, and youth meetings and find that they are in line with the teaching of "big church." Each leader of these different areas has a unique style to them, but they're all teaching the same core values. As a church we have decided we are stronger when we are united and worker in alignment.
My Response:
...the Youth Church I see leads and serves Fairwood Church by example. Students are marked by their devotion and service to the church as a whole. I see a youth church that acts as the pace setters for the rest of the body.
Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity. (1 Timothy 4:12)
Still other youth ministries operate independently of the church because the youth pastor is not sure of the direction he/she is actually leading. They may align ministry for a season, but as soon as a the winds of change bring a new idea along the ministry is blown in that direction. Quite frankly, I've struggled in this area myself from time to time. I think it may be a simple matter of not knowing exactly what it was God had in mind for our youth ministry. Exercises like this one, where I carefully consider what God is speaking to me are helpful. Then I can take it and align it with my church's vision. God loves Unity.
At Fairwood Church I enjoy how all of our ministries are in alignment. On a given Sunday, you could walk through the toddlers, preschool, elementary, and youth meetings and find that they are in line with the teaching of "big church." Each leader of these different areas has a unique style to them, but they're all teaching the same core values. As a church we have decided we are stronger when we are united and worker in alignment.
My Response:
...the Youth Church I see leads and serves Fairwood Church by example. Students are marked by their devotion and service to the church as a whole. I see a youth church that acts as the pace setters for the rest of the body.
Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity. (1 Timothy 4:12)
Saturday, May 2, 2009
The Youth Church I See #2
*This is part two of seven in series of posts on the Youth Church I See.
Observation #2
Many youth churches are cozy, comfortable, and content.
This observation requires a little explanation. I spoke with a youth pastor in our area a few years ago who told me he was thrilled with his youth ministry and how it was running. I was happy to hear such a good report so I asked him what was going so well. He proceeded to tell me things that made my jaw drop.
He explained that his group was right about 12-14 students and he was hoping it wouldn't grow anymore because they all fit in the 15 passenger van the church had. He continued and told me the group was easy to control at their current size and if other students came it would ruin that.
I don't remember my exact response or what my face was doing when he explained himself, but I couldn't believe what I was hearing. This is the wrong mindset for any leader in the church. Remember the parable of the talents? Jesus tells the story of a man about to leave on a trip. He calls his servants together and entrusts his money to them while he's gone.
He gave five bags of silver to one, two bags of silver to another, and one bag of silver to the last—dividing it in proportion to their abilities. He then left on his trip. (Matthew 25:15)
The story continues and the first two servants invest the money and double it. The master is thrilled with their efforts and rewards them with larger responsibilities.
Then the servant with the one bag of silver came and said, ‘Master, I knew you were a harsh man, harvesting crops you didn’t plant and gathering crops you didn’t cultivate. I was afraid I would lose your money, so I hid it in the earth. Look, here is your money back.’ (Matthew 25:24-25)
I can almost relate to this servant. I mean he was afraid of his master, he didn't want to screw up, so he did what a lot of us do. He played it safe. He did nothing. At least he didn't lose the money right?
But the master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy servant! If you knew I harvested crops I didn’t plant and gathered crops I didn’t cultivate, why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank? At least I could have gotten some interest on it.’
Then he ordered, ‘Take the money from this servant, and give it to the one with the ten bags of silver. To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away. (Matthew 25:26-29)
Apparently doing nothing with the money he was given was the wrong decision. Playing it safe didn't pay off at all, instead it cost him everything.
Leaders with this type of mindset won't make it either. If we're content to play it safe with our cozy little group of students because it's comfortable than we've missed the point of why Jesus came in the first place.
Jesus said, "For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners... Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do.” (Matthew 9:12-13)
Jesus is constantly calling on us to reach outside our comfort zone and love the unlovable. He didn't put stipulations on who was eligable to receive grace, healing, or forgiveness. He loves unconditionally. So the querstion that begs to asked is, "Why are some youth ministries content with where they are presently?"
Have we decided we've reached all that we can? Or wosre, we've reached all that we're comfortable reaching? Our doors must be open and accessable to all people.
My Response:
…the Youth Church I see is one where extra security is needed because raw, un-churched young people, with tough backgrounds are meeting Jesus weekly. In the youth church I see mission trips and serving the less fortunate are not just ideas that we talk about, they happen regularly.
Observation #2
Many youth churches are cozy, comfortable, and content.
This observation requires a little explanation. I spoke with a youth pastor in our area a few years ago who told me he was thrilled with his youth ministry and how it was running. I was happy to hear such a good report so I asked him what was going so well. He proceeded to tell me things that made my jaw drop.
He explained that his group was right about 12-14 students and he was hoping it wouldn't grow anymore because they all fit in the 15 passenger van the church had. He continued and told me the group was easy to control at their current size and if other students came it would ruin that.
I don't remember my exact response or what my face was doing when he explained himself, but I couldn't believe what I was hearing. This is the wrong mindset for any leader in the church. Remember the parable of the talents? Jesus tells the story of a man about to leave on a trip. He calls his servants together and entrusts his money to them while he's gone.
He gave five bags of silver to one, two bags of silver to another, and one bag of silver to the last—dividing it in proportion to their abilities. He then left on his trip. (Matthew 25:15)
The story continues and the first two servants invest the money and double it. The master is thrilled with their efforts and rewards them with larger responsibilities.
Then the servant with the one bag of silver came and said, ‘Master, I knew you were a harsh man, harvesting crops you didn’t plant and gathering crops you didn’t cultivate. I was afraid I would lose your money, so I hid it in the earth. Look, here is your money back.’ (Matthew 25:24-25)
I can almost relate to this servant. I mean he was afraid of his master, he didn't want to screw up, so he did what a lot of us do. He played it safe. He did nothing. At least he didn't lose the money right?
But the master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy servant! If you knew I harvested crops I didn’t plant and gathered crops I didn’t cultivate, why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank? At least I could have gotten some interest on it.’
Then he ordered, ‘Take the money from this servant, and give it to the one with the ten bags of silver. To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away. (Matthew 25:26-29)
Apparently doing nothing with the money he was given was the wrong decision. Playing it safe didn't pay off at all, instead it cost him everything.
Leaders with this type of mindset won't make it either. If we're content to play it safe with our cozy little group of students because it's comfortable than we've missed the point of why Jesus came in the first place.
Jesus said, "For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners... Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do.” (Matthew 9:12-13)
Jesus is constantly calling on us to reach outside our comfort zone and love the unlovable. He didn't put stipulations on who was eligable to receive grace, healing, or forgiveness. He loves unconditionally. So the querstion that begs to asked is, "Why are some youth ministries content with where they are presently?"
Have we decided we've reached all that we can? Or wosre, we've reached all that we're comfortable reaching? Our doors must be open and accessable to all people.
My Response:
…the Youth Church I see is one where extra security is needed because raw, un-churched young people, with tough backgrounds are meeting Jesus weekly. In the youth church I see mission trips and serving the less fortunate are not just ideas that we talk about, they happen regularly.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
