There is a lot of talk going around in the youth ministry community about changing what youth ministry looks like in today's culture. There are countless youth workers including myself that are frustrasted with they way we are currently tyring to minister to the teens in our local area. The fact is that teens are leaving the church at an alarming rate. Hence the programs/events we are using to reach students are not creating firm followers of Christ but only giving them one more thing to do in their already busy schedule. Leaving them with no spirtual habits or disciplines that they can take upon leaving the youth program.
Let's face it this mindset is only creating an atomosphere of hiding Jesus behind fun, snacks, games, and so called "relationship building times" that just scream I am only interested in you so that I can tell you about Jesus. I am not saying all these things are bad and that we should throw them out but they should not be the main medium for reaching out to teens. We need to stop waiting around for some mega-church to write a book that tells us all how to make youth ministry happen or grow in numbers. Their context of ministry is more than likely different than mine or yours therefore every church should mold a ministry that fits it's own environment.
Educational Reconstruction
As a fairly new full-time Youth Director I must confess it is easy to get sucked into believing that cool events and programs of high energy and fun are the way to go. When I came to my church the youth program was and still is called AMP Student Ministries. The only thing that I could think about was how can I make this program more "Amped Up?" How can I create a fun place that my students will not be afraid to bring their friends to. This model has been the youth ministry "norm" it is what I've been taught that you do and I just graduated last May with a degree in Youth Ministry.
Out of the two or so months that I have been working in full-time ministry this way of thinking is my greatest failure. What we need to "AMP Up" is offering a ministry where teenagers can connect, experience, and encounter God. Of course all students do this differently so having another program/event night that offers a little bit of everything to make sure I cover the whole group is not the answer.
Instead I need to live in God's presence so that I can discern how he is moving in the students lives around me but also for my own personal growth. As youth workers lets immerse ourselves into youth culture by walking down the stairs to their underground world, so authentic relationships can begin to take place.
It's time that we start teaching a new song of youth ministry that allows youth leaders to do ministry in their context. That allows unforced community to take place without a sign-up sheet for a particular event. That allows real relationships to be made without any hidden agendas. That allows the whole group to come together under the common goal of sharing God's story with others.
The Future
A few weeks ago I had my students write down anything they wanted to learn about life, Bible, theology, or any issue they could possible think of. The responses varied from each student and were typical things that teenagers want to know and or struggle with. But one answer in particualar caugt my eye of a Junior in my group. The only thing that he wrote down was and I quote "I want to learn anything that helps me make sense of the world we live in."
I think that response speaks volumes in several ways, but in the context of reconstructing youth ministry I think that it is the voice of youth culture craving for something different.
Are the programs and events that we are running offering any sense of the world we live in? Teenagers pretty much have all the fun and technology they want at their finger tips, why should the church try to compete with that? Let's offer them something that created this world, that transcends this world, that loves everyone in this world. Let's offer a journey of relational missional community that experiences the absolute truths of God, because they are craving for it whether they know it or not. That is what makes sense in this world!
In many ways I don't want to step outside the comfortablity of youth ministry as I know it, due to the fear of uncertainty of how to exactly reconstruct youth ministry within my context. Or the thought that maybe students, parents, or my church won't like it. But I don't have a choice if I want to fulfill my calling ministering to teenagers in the present time.
As a youth worker I am stepping out in faith to change youth ministry. I know it won't always be pretty and that more than likely I will make some mistakes. But I believe those periods of brokeness are necessary to remind you that God is in control of what is going within your context.
12/08/2008
11/11/2008
Sacrifice Your Thankfulness
Through my devotions today I received a good lesson on why we tithe or give to the Lord, and I thought that it was very appropriate for this time of year. These are the verses that I came a crossed, along with my reflections of these verses.
"14 Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God, and keep the vows you made to the Most High. 15 Then call on me when you are in trouble, and I will rescue you, and you will give me glory."
"23 But giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me. If you keep to my path, I will reveal to you the salvation of God."
Before today I never thought thankfulness as a sacrifice that we can give to God, but it is a crucial part of the equation of giving. The Bible tells us that God created the world and everything in the world is his, therefore we can not give him anything that he needs. We give to remind us of our obedience, we give to show our faith, we give to help others, and lastly we give to show God our thankfulness for all that he has provided for us. So that if we require a need to be filled we can call on his name and he can rescue us.
Sacrificing our thankfulness has much significance and we must not forget to do it out of love. For his ultimate sacrifice was the greatest act of love that we will ever receive, and provides us much to be thankful for. The equation for sacrificing our thankfulness is simply this; Give out of thankfulness to show and receive love, so that the Lord's glory and salvation may be revealed back to us.
"14 Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God, and keep the vows you made to the Most High. 15 Then call on me when you are in trouble, and I will rescue you, and you will give me glory."
"23 But giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me. If you keep to my path, I will reveal to you the salvation of God."
Psalm 50:14-15,23
Before today I never thought thankfulness as a sacrifice that we can give to God, but it is a crucial part of the equation of giving. The Bible tells us that God created the world and everything in the world is his, therefore we can not give him anything that he needs. We give to remind us of our obedience, we give to show our faith, we give to help others, and lastly we give to show God our thankfulness for all that he has provided for us. So that if we require a need to be filled we can call on his name and he can rescue us.
Sacrificing our thankfulness has much significance and we must not forget to do it out of love. For his ultimate sacrifice was the greatest act of love that we will ever receive, and provides us much to be thankful for. The equation for sacrificing our thankfulness is simply this; Give out of thankfulness to show and receive love, so that the Lord's glory and salvation may be revealed back to us.
11/03/2008
SHH Listen...
I believe listening is a skill, some people have it, others refuse to do it, and some people do not even know where to start when it comes to using their ears. Often I find myself having the same conversation with people, retelling the same details that I did once, twice, or even three times before.
When I find myself in this situation I begin to wonder does this person really care of what I have to say am I just wasting my time. These people are so caught up in everything about their world, their life, their needs that they couldn't possibly remember anything that you recently told them. It's not that they intend to be rude to you or even selfish, but for some reason they just cannot listen, its just all about them.
I find that these people are also afraid of silence and or find it very hard to sit still, mainly because they must constantly being trying to fill some need in their own life. I just want to tell them Stop! Take a deep breath, don't move, don't speak, just listen. We all have times of only thinking about our self or maybe not listening the best we can, I am not trying to point any fingers here because I am guitly as well.
My point in all this is simply this, we all need to be aware of how God is moving and what he is speaking. Luckily when we speak God always listens and think we owe it to him to listen when its his turn. Through prayer we should sit in God's presence meaning you are with God and he is with you. Our prayer needs to be a conversation a process of both talking to him and then listening. It's very easy to talk but it takes a lot to humble yourself and listen. I believe that God can speak in miraculous signs or wonders but that he speaks even more to us through gentle whispers. It is a challenge to listen but it's one that we need to overcome.
Stop! Take a deep breath, don't move, don't speak, just listen.... What happens after the dot dot dot may change your life!
When I find myself in this situation I begin to wonder does this person really care of what I have to say am I just wasting my time. These people are so caught up in everything about their world, their life, their needs that they couldn't possibly remember anything that you recently told them. It's not that they intend to be rude to you or even selfish, but for some reason they just cannot listen, its just all about them.
I find that these people are also afraid of silence and or find it very hard to sit still, mainly because they must constantly being trying to fill some need in their own life. I just want to tell them Stop! Take a deep breath, don't move, don't speak, just listen. We all have times of only thinking about our self or maybe not listening the best we can, I am not trying to point any fingers here because I am guitly as well.
My point in all this is simply this, we all need to be aware of how God is moving and what he is speaking. Luckily when we speak God always listens and think we owe it to him to listen when its his turn. Through prayer we should sit in God's presence meaning you are with God and he is with you. Our prayer needs to be a conversation a process of both talking to him and then listening. It's very easy to talk but it takes a lot to humble yourself and listen. I believe that God can speak in miraculous signs or wonders but that he speaks even more to us through gentle whispers. It is a challenge to listen but it's one that we need to overcome.
Stop! Take a deep breath, don't move, don't speak, just listen.... What happens after the dot dot dot may change your life!
10/25/2008
It's Not About Me
Last week I got the opportunity to set up my new office as the Director of Youth Ministry at Valleyview Alliance Church. I am so excited about doing full time ministry and seeing if all my school debt was worth it. (I know it will be) When I graduated in May I truly expected to have a job all lined up and ready to go, but to my surprise that was not the case. But finally now I am in a place where I know God wants me to be.
After I finished placing the final piece of furniture in my office just how I wanted it, I took a second to soak in the moment of starting ministry. That night when I went to bed I could not fall asleep due to the excitement of everything new that now surrounds me. I had thoughts of how and could make the ministry better, I imagined all the cool youth retreats and events, and all the new people that I would get to meet.
When I came into my office the next morning I started off with prayer, and God very quickly gave me this message. “This is not your church or your youth group, for they are both mine. I have placed you here to serve in my ministry.” But when I heard that I kind of brushed it off and continued in my new found enthusiasm. Later that day I received an e-mail from my Dad and in it he placed one of his famous one liners that are used for advice. Usually it’s “don’t do anything stupid”, but today was different. In the last line of the message before he signed his name he wrote “Remember It’s Not About You.”
I thought about that for a second then remembered what God told me in my devotions earlier that morning, and then realized what they were both trying to tell me. It’s not about me or what I want or think that I have plans for. It’s about listening to God to hear what he wants and to follow his plans. It’s about putting down my selfish desires and simply doing ministry the way God needs it done. A lot of what we do is all about impacting our own world and forget about what really matters, impacting the Kingdom of God.
After I finished placing the final piece of furniture in my office just how I wanted it, I took a second to soak in the moment of starting ministry. That night when I went to bed I could not fall asleep due to the excitement of everything new that now surrounds me. I had thoughts of how and could make the ministry better, I imagined all the cool youth retreats and events, and all the new people that I would get to meet.
When I came into my office the next morning I started off with prayer, and God very quickly gave me this message. “This is not your church or your youth group, for they are both mine. I have placed you here to serve in my ministry.” But when I heard that I kind of brushed it off and continued in my new found enthusiasm. Later that day I received an e-mail from my Dad and in it he placed one of his famous one liners that are used for advice. Usually it’s “don’t do anything stupid”, but today was different. In the last line of the message before he signed his name he wrote “Remember It’s Not About You.”
I thought about that for a second then remembered what God told me in my devotions earlier that morning, and then realized what they were both trying to tell me. It’s not about me or what I want or think that I have plans for. It’s about listening to God to hear what he wants and to follow his plans. It’s about putting down my selfish desires and simply doing ministry the way God needs it done. A lot of what we do is all about impacting our own world and forget about what really matters, impacting the Kingdom of God.
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