Lately I have heard a lot of talk about Christian teens falling away from their faith as they venture into college. Many in the church have begun to ask the question, “ is youth ministry really working?” “Have we built an effective spiritual foundation?” As a youth pastor who pours his heart into students lives naturally I can become a little defensive to this type of thinking. It hurts us youth pastors deeply to see young lives that we loved on choose to go their own way as they venture into the world. However, it would be naive of us not ask the question as well, “is our youth ministry working?” “Why do student opt to live a life of self gratification vs. a life surrendered to the Lord. I recently read this quote from Michael Spencer’s Christian Science Monitor article “The Coming Evangelical Collapse”—it’s creating a lot of buzz in evangelical circles. Here’s a tidbit:
“We Evangelicals have failed to pass on to our young people an orthodox form of faith that can take root and survive the secular onslaught. Ironically, the billions of dollars we’ve spent on youth ministers, Christian music, publishing, and media has produced a culture of young Christians who know next to nothing about their own faith except how they feel about it. [They] have deep beliefs about the culture war, but do not know why they should obey scripture, the essentials of theology, or the experience of spiritual discipline and community. Coming generations of Christians are going to be monumentally ignorant and unprepared for culture-wide pressures.”
Many would say, “That is it exactly!!!” But I believe there is much more under the surface of what many are feeling with youth ministry. Maybe youth ministry really is not broke it needs to be redefined to understand the new generations it is trying to reach with the message of Jesus Christ. Here are a few things worth thinking about.
1. We must redefine Youth Ministry: Many believe that Youth Ministry exists to develop students spiritually, to make them good kids, to build a spiritual foundation. This is all partially true, but these expectations when solely placed on the Pastor will only lead to failure. Placing all spiritual development on the Pastor negates the responsibility of Parents role in their teen’s spiritual development. A youth pastor who spends at most 6 hours a week with students has very little influence, compared to a parent who sees them and influences their decisions exponentially more. Over my many years of youth ministry I can say hands down students who have parents that actively model a deep faith in Jesus, and are actively involved in their spiritual development continue to walk with the Lord for life. Key theme here is actively, walking with students in their faith journey through the teen years is an active process. If parents are not putting in the work to walk with their students spiritually, why would we expect them to pursue Jesus actively on their own? Why would a student take his spiritual walk with Jesus seriously if his parents don’t take their walk seriously? The purpose of youth ministry must change to not only being an advocate and influencing factor in student lives spiritually, but also to equip parents to be the primary influencers and leaders in their children’s spiritual formation. Healthy Youth Ministries of the future will be a community experience where youth pastor and parents partner together in walking with teens through the faith formation teen years, giving students a holistic view of their faith and seeing it lived out before their eyes. Youth Ministry will begin to be the community where families have opportunity to experience faith building moments together.
2. We must redefine the win: Youth Ministry does not exist to create good successful teens. Youth Ministry exists to create students that deeply love Jesus and surrender their life to live for God’s kingdom. This means that a win for the kingdom often looks like a failure in the worlds eyes. Our culture has placed our younger generations in a place of narcissism, where they are strongly encouraged to succeed by bettering themselves; this process of success has little to do with God’s view of success. Individuals that are living their life for the kingdom care more for others than themselves; they will often flee from what many may consider success. Teens as they enter into college more now than ever are looking to give their lives to something that is relevant and significant. If students have not discovered that Christ and His kingdom are relevant and significant to their lives, they will go in search of something that is. Often this search leads to a life of narcissism and self gratification that has been modeled to them their whole life. If the world has always revolved around our youth, why do we think they should suddenly live their lives as if it didn’t once they reach college? What this means is that Youth Pastors and Parents must accept that in a world that is becoming ever more competitive to achieve success the win has to be redefined. We have to abandon the idea that the win is good successful teens, but the win is a generation of student that love Jesus and by living their life for god’s kingdom will transform this planet for God’s glory. We cannot expect our teens to love Jesus and continue in their faith during the college years if we preach to them their whole lives that the win is to be successful by this world’s standards.
4 responses so far ↓
carleennimrod // July 7, 2009 at 4:56 am |
Hey!
I just read this post and had to respond.
“Teens as they enter into college more now than ever are looking to give their lives to something that is relevant and significant.”
I couldn’t agree more. I think that is what our world is crying out for to begin with–to believe in something that is relevant and significant and the kingdom of God is definitely relevant and significant. I remember when I first started university an older friend had encouraged me at the onset to get involved with a Christian club on campus. If I hadn’t done that, I’m not sure where I would be right now in regard to my faith in Christ. It was there that I learned through other believers that my faith and vocation were not exclusive, but completely intertwined. That Jesus was relevant in the middle of my music studies. A friend of mine and I eventually started a bible study group in our music faculty that grew into weekly prayer meetings and outreach to our peers. The believers that I met at uni are now some of my best friends to date.
All that to say that loving and truly knowing Christ is the definition of “success” in the kingdom. The word tells us that if we’re to boast in anything, it’s to boast in knowing God (Jer 9:23-24). In the transition period between high school and college is key that students get that God is relevant in their lives and that knowing Him is everything, or else they’ll fall off. And I think “youth ministry” (youth pastors, leaders, parents, etc.) continues into college–at least for the first year because students still need that support. They’re still trying to figure out life in a new and oftentimes strange context.
Redefining the win in Youth Ministry « leo.from.brazil // July 7, 2009 at 5:00 pm |
[...] Read the whole post here. [...]
Kim // August 9, 2009 at 12:37 am |
First of all I will start by saying I did not grow up with a youth group. Also, I’ve worked with kids across the board, but mostly in secular settings. That being said, I’ll just throw out some observations and questions.
I came across this post after I came back from being a camp counselor for a week at a Christian summer camp. I am so discouraged and was wondering if anybody else feels that way too, so I googled “is youth ministry working?” Now, why am I posting this to some faceless entity instead of talking to people involved or parents? Much like the author who says, “naturally I can become a little defensive to this type of thinking” I have found from previous experience that when I question the results of something in the youth ministry it is taken personally, defenses rise and you just end up making people mad.
So, after a week of blank stares, disrespect, and self-entitlement from a group of about 30 (most of whom have been raised in the church) here are the questions running through my mind that I would be interested to hear others’ thoughts on.
Why were the non-churched kids easier for me to hang out with?
Why did I spend the week feeling like when people said “love the kids” it really meant “make sure they’re having fun, make excuses for their behaviour, make sure they’re having fun, don’t ever sound upset or disappointed, make sure they’re having fun, don’t ever question their motives, and, above all else, make sure they’re having fun”?
Why when we get in a group do they instantly get that blank stare and completely tune out?
Why did I get so much more respect working in a secular environment with juvenile delinquents than at a Christian camp among a group of kids raised in the church?
I believe that the Holy Spirit convicts them, but where is our place in all of this and how can we show a love that truly expresses Jesus to these kids rather than make us look successful?
jsnhrdy // August 9, 2009 at 4:09 pm |
Hey Kim, I love your questioning! I feel for to long we have been satisfied with the status quo in youth ministry (creating students that fit into the expectations of lukewarm complacent adults in the church. It is scary to think outside the box because often we in ministry come to the reality that we have a big problem that needs change that will hurt. The current apathy of students really stems from an ineffective church culture that is distant from the needs of its community. We have failed to teach our students a picture of discipleship that is holistic. If they do not see a faith a picture of loving Jesus in every aspect of their life it is meaningless and irrelevant. Keep asking the tough questions, do not give up this nest generation needs people who will relentlessly love them show them what it truly looks like to pick up their cross daily and follow him.