In Building a Youth Ministry that Builds Disciples Duffy Robbins clearly guides any youth leader towards a practical approach to youth discipleship. Making disciples is what Jesus called his followers to do - yet it becomes strangely left out of many youth ministries. The emphasis on programs over relationships, large over small, and fun over study is sadly the expectation of most youth leaders. Ou faulty blueprints generally lead us in the wrong direction with unpredictable expectations.
In the book, Duffy provides key elements that need not be neglected and while giving answers to help leaders get students to go from the 'Pool of Humanity' as he states it, through the come and grow states and then towards the disciple, develop and multiplier stages.
I took pages of notes on this book. I know feel excited to start the process of preparing and equipping my adult leaders and developing my students to become disciple makers. I also feel empowered to lead those who want to get something more our of life and faith.
Building a Youth Ministry that Builds Disciples is a good book that any youth leader should read.
this past weekend, i led a retreat with the youth group and decided to become intentional about taking a simplified approach. i designed a series of mini sessions with the flexibility of adding to or deleting from any given session at any given time. the retreat was dubbed the Q Retreat. the Q stood for Quest - whereas looking at life's big questions involves a 'quest' of sorts, a journey leading deep into one's very soul.
perhaps the deepest question was this "What does your soul look like?"
discussions ranged from 'How to deal with the unbalance of life' to 'Things we search for' and to 'Things that make life complicated'. At one point the students made a list of 'Life's Biggest Questions.' This, no doubt, was most meaningful and impacting.
After a lengthy discussion on the tough questions of life (why do bad things happen to good people?, how do i know God's calling on my life?, what is my purpose? etc.) i showed this video: (a video made In Association with: the Melbourne Skydive Centre)
after it completed i said "The next time you get consumed with life's big questions, remember... someone in Australia is skydiving."
in other words: it's all about perspective. for the person experiencing human flight the view is simple yet magnificent... the challenge overwhelming yet exhilarating. basically, God is in control. He enables mankind to do great and mighty things. and some things can make our problems look small... from His perspective, there is a plan and that path leads to full life.
Later, after a discussion on life's big dreams and a challenge for students to 'dream big' i showed this video:
after viewing it, i said "the next time you think and feel your dreams are too big to accomplish remember... someone is base jumping in Switzerland."
lastly, at the end of the retreat after a final discussion about how life can become overwhelming and tempt us to go back rather than go forward (see John 21) i showed this video:
I concluded by saying "the next time you let life overwhelm you remember... someone is surfing off the coast of California."
it's all about perspective. form God's POV he's got the everything under control. he's got a plan for one and all and his creation speaks of his power and might and order.
life is complicated - but when we utilize our senses to see, hear, taste, touch and smell all that God has for us our perspective suddenly simplifies our life. even if for a moment... it's a moment given to us by God himself.
it's all about perspective. sometimes a change of scenery is all we need...
[rundown from a youth worship service i designed - october second]
What is your calling in life? MOVE. EAT. LEARN. below are three great videos from Rick Mereki - an Australian film maker. these short 1 minute films were used for an Australian travel agency. but they are brilliant and creative. i used them as part of a youth worship service on 'Understanding Your Calling' (becoming the person God called you to be).
http://vimeo.com/27244727 willingness to learn new things will help you connect with God's purpose for your life.
i also tied in the Bethany Hamilton story from I Am Second. you don't have to be perfect in order for God to use you - in order to fulfill your calling, etc.
last year i read a review of the book Spiritual Intelligence on Jonny Baker's blog that piqued my curiosity. once the book was available in the United States i ordered it and read it last fall. Brian Draper wrote the book that looks at spirituality from a Christian perspective - but written for a wider audience.
Draper uses 4 icons to help guide the reader though a process of deepening one's spiritual focus in life.
the alarm clock icon is Awaken. the eye is See Afresh. the paint brush and palette is Live the Change. while the arrow is Pass It On.
The book follows a pattern of these four icons while Draper also lists on his website a clearer understanding of what each of these four icons represents.
i liked the ideas found within the book (see my brief review on GoodReads) and felt compelled to design an interactive worship service based around the 4 themes Awaken, See Afresh, Live the Change & Pass it On. This time of worship meshed well with the natural tendencies of setting new years resolutions and what not - but i think this kind of service could work at any time.
this experience was also designed for a youth worship service - but i think it applies to all ages.
here is what we did:
introduction: God is doing a new thing.
18 “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. 19 See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. ~Isaiah 43:18-19
brief overview of 4 themes: AWAKEN / SEE AFRESH / LIVE THE CHANGE / PASS IT ON
awaken: what was the top song of 2010? Katy Perry ~ California Gurls (i played a 10 second snipit of that song on repeat) What if this song were played on repeat indefinitely? it wouldn't take long to grow tired of it (some may already be tired of hearing it.) Why? because it would get old, etc.
it's a new year - and it's time for a new song. What will your song be for 2011? are you awake enough to see what new things God has in store for you this year? sometimes we need to slow down, look and listen for the the simple things in life - trying to get our attention.
see afresh: showed some photos from Steve McCurry (including his famous 'Afghan Girl" photo). talked about how art and photography, if studied and investigated - can help us 'see afresh.' Each picture has a story behind it. What is that story? where is God in the image?
I also showed a series of 'found' images (lost photographs that have been found in random places).
i finished up this segment with a brief reference to the Apostle Paul's transformation (Acts 9) where he was blinded on the Damascus road - but when the scales fell of his eyes - he saw a fresh vision from God. It was Saul/Paul's journey that was transformational - and enabled him to see something he had been missing (i.e. the truth found in Christ alone).
Peter Rollins once shared a story about Two Chimney sweeps that proved the point "it's the journey that is most important - not the destination."
live the change: the Parable of the Sower was then shared (Matthew 13) in a modern way (a surfing story created by a co-leader, Bryan).
Christ's challenge to be 'salt + light' was added to this. (from Matthew 5). Draper talks about this in his book: "salt doesn't tell you what to do. it simply is." light is the same way. live the change means grabbing ahold of the story of Christ and His redemption and 'living it' with action and word.
pass it on: how can we/should we 'pass it on'? check out 1 Peter 3:15. check out Matthew 28 (the great commission). one easy simple and easy beginning step is what Draper calls the 'Smile Project.' it's easy - when you walk into a room of people, smile. watch for the reactions of others. watch how a simple smile can bring change (both in you and in others). watch how it can be contagious.
after this - we finished the worship with a time of interactive worship - a time for students to connect with God. here is a brief description of each station.
awaken station (a new leaf): various leafs were cut out and placed on a table. students were invited to list the high and low points of 2010 on one side. then they were to 'turn over a new leaf' and write hopes and dreams and goals for 2011 on the flip side. then they tacked the 'new leaf' side to a bulletin board.
see afresh (every picture tells a story): this station featured 48 images from the Youth Specialties publication Every Picture Tells a Story. the instructions were as follows: look and examine the image. what stories do they tell? what are the stories of their past... their future? then 'if one were to take a snapshot of your life, what would people see when they looked at it?
live the change (salt and light): on one side of the table were some flashlights. students were to shine the flashlight around the room and take note of how the light illuminates the things it shines on. they were then asked to write on Post-it notes 'how can you shine the light of Christ this week?'
on the other side of the table were some salted and unsalted Saltine Crackers. Students were to try one of each and to note the difference in taste. Then they were to write on Post-it notes ' how can you add flavor to your life and to the lives of others?'
pass it on: 5 or six different pieces of card stock were laying on a table with words like Generosity, Kindness, Stillness, Genuineness at the top. Students were invited to write, in their own words - how living this out would be a benefit to their life and to others.
one final station had a printout of The Lords Prayer (in NIV and Message translation). along with the text i had images from the deluxe version of Derek Webb's Feedback album (an instumental album based on The Lords Prayer). the images were painted by Scott Erickson and photographed by Jeremy Cowart. (feedback video promo on vimeo)
we had a good response to the interactive stations. thanks to Brian Draper for the inspiration. it is my prayer that all who participated and interacted will be compelled - God willing - to Awaken, See Afresh, Live the Change and Pass it On. may you be compelled, also.
collection of interactive stations images [1] [2] [3] [4]
this is a nice book that equipped me to help explain the story arc of the Scriptures... the story of God is something i feel most students do not connect with. it appears to be difficult for many to connect their story with God's story.
Folmsbee tackles this issue with this book. i have been drawn to 'story' and have tried to help my students connect with theirs and God's... but often i've wondered if they really are getting it.
i don't know that what i read was anything new - but Chris Folmsbee does do a good job connecting the dots, so to speak... connecting the God story and the Gospel story with Our story. he also gives guidance for any youth leader who may be courageous enough to use 'story' as a backdrop of teaching students about God and themselves.
this book takes the reader from Revelation to Foundation to Implication to Integration and finally to Application.
the most practical part of the book was his overview of the Story of God - from creation thru restoration. that was refreshing and simple.
After reading, i have some things to think about and digest.
This book fits with where i think God has been calling me in leadership and discipleship of students.
as part of my summer Sabbatical i am reading a number of books dealing with youth ministry and the like. one of the books i am currently reading is Practicing Passion written by Kendra Creasy Dean. While reading, i was compelled to ask some youth i know the following question:
What are youth passionate about?
Here is there reply. you'll see some common themes.
~love? we all seem to be chasing after it
~Hanging out with friendsss... Forr suree.
~trying to fit in. thats definitely a big one i think.
~For me it's making a difference in the world.
~Having fun! without fun, you're not a true teenager.
~Figuring out what we want to do with our lives
~love
~i get passionate about things i hold close to me getting hurt i show real passion in the protection of these things
~I am passion about my family.I have a huge family that cares about me and loves me for who I am.
~Defining who we are and what we're about.
~Figuring out who we are and what we stand for!
~We are passionate about finding ourselves, loving ourselves and loving others.
~I think it's a lot about fixing ourselves. As strange as that sounds, people just want to feel whole. And as teenagers, we're constantly trying to fill our lives with... pretty much anything and everything... to figure out how to be complete.
~I think teens in general just want to stand out in their own way yet fit in with others and just have fun in a good way. I think that everyone is just passionate about finding themselves and who they really are and what they want their lives to look like and how to make it happen if, that makes sense?
~love. Being loved, loving others, loving God.
~teens want to stand out and fit in. They want to love and know that someone loves them back. They [well i] want to make a difference in the world or just where they [i] live.
---
what themes are presented? love/being loved. finding one's identity . to stand out (originality) and fit in (conformity). completeness. acceptance. making a difference. having fun.
when you look at the list - in some respects it's not much different than 'adult' passions.
but what is at the heart of their comments:
to be made whole. to be complete. as one of them wrote: we're constantly trying to fill our lives with... pretty much anything and everything... to figure out how to be complete.
all of the passions listed are things they 'want'. want to be loved. want to fit in. want to stand out. want to love others. want to make a difference. want to have fun.
these students, it appears, feel that if these wants are achieved - then they will be… satisfied.
where does that root of satisfaction come from? i suggest it comes only from a deep connection with our Maker… with God. this can and will happen through Christ alone.
it is because of Christ's passion for all humanity (including teenagers) that we can find fulfillment through our passionate connection with Him.
but all to many teens (and adults alike) perhaps 'settle' and fill their emptiness… their holes with faux-passions that lead to deeper emptiness.
But mankind - at the heart of it all - is a lover and a dreamer. we (generally) believe (and hope?) that the next thing just might bring us satisfaction. we are hopeful people. that is why we are willing to give love and longing and searching multiple chances.
we want satisfaction. we are hard-wired to need it.
will man seek the One who can provide us with Hope Eternal? will teens discover the passion of Jesus is worth living and dying for? will youth take the necessary steps to find passionate satisfaction?
Kendra Creasy Dean has her finger on the pulse of the spiritual side of youth ministry. i chose to read The Godbearing Life as part of my Sabbatical study. Although i found parts of this book a little outdated (published in 1998 - a lot has changed in the lives of youth with technology, etc. since then) I still found this book useful for understanding the deeper side of youth ministry.
i particularly liked chapter 3 titled Heeding While Herding. As youth leaders/pastors/volunteers we are more than just a shepherd - there to protect and 'look out for' our flock of teenagers. our job (or should i say 'calling') goes beyond that.
"protection is for naught unless the flock follows the shepherd home."
Jesus Christ is the 'home' we aim to lead our adolescent youth to. but with that calling come barriers.
Barrier 1: Me Tarzan, You Jane (i.e. The Messiah Complex) youth leaders cling to the idea that 'we must fetch youth and save them.' the problem with that is that it can lead to a ministry that begins and ends with the youth leader - not Jesus. The Godbearing alternative: Entrainment. stopping and listening to the breath of the Spirit within us (that is the breath of God) and aligning our rhythm with Him.
Barrier 2: McFaith (i.e. the Manager complex) when we feel like our need is to be efficient - we run the risk of making faith 'easy' for teens. Sort of a drive-thru mentality can invade our way of managing our ministry. We end up managing chaos - trying to keep every aspect of the youth ministry afloat. We know that our teens are used to everything instantly... now. and thus we attempt to give them a faith that is fast and easy. The Godbearing alternative is teaching students (and maybe ourselves?) to wait... patience is needed and essential to one's Spiritual life. We need times of rest and times of sabbath. we need time to process our faith. we need to wait on God. with expectant hearts...
Barrier 3: Called but Clueless (i.e. the "Duh" Complex) We affirm youth (rightfully so). We encourage them and boost there self image - as self esteem is such a difficult thing for most teens - but do we affirm them with the absence of expectation does not enhance one's self image. i loved the example laid out in the book of Mary, the mother of Jesus. the neat thing is that while Mary expected God to move (as promised by Gabriel) God expected Mary to fulfill her calling. As much as Mary believed in Him, He believed in her. The Godbearing alternative is discernment. We need to pay attention and call attention to God. If we encourage youth - we must empower them as well. show them we believe in them. Show them that God believes in them.
Profound stuff for anyone who works with teens.
This book is a worthwhile book and should be a must read for any new youth worker. It very well may enable them to connect with teens on a deeper, spiritual level.
i've been drawn to the theme Story for some time now. I've struggled to figure out how to implement 'story' more into my youth ministry. Experiential Storytelling didn't tell me anything i didn't already know or hadn't already thought of. but it did confirm in me the desire to implement a more interactive process to storytelling - particularly the stories of the Bible.
Mark Miller's book was an easy, quick read - with larger print and plenty of quotes.
if you are intrigued with the idea of storytelling or 'storying' as another author has put it - this book is good for you.
i am already planning on implementing more story into our weekly youth gatherings staring in the fall.
video highlights from a week of camp... CYF Camp is a Senior High Youth Camp held @ Malone Univ. I serve as the 'worship coordinator' and behind-the-scenes tech guy.
it was another great week... a highlight of the summer, no doubt!
My rating: 4 of 5 stars Les Christie has done his research. this book if filled with lessons and examples of the trials and successes of creative people.
he uses these stories to show the in's and out's of how creativity can fuel a youth ministry.
this book is very practical, as well. you will find numerous examples of ways to increase your creative energy and boost your imagination.
i would recommend this book to any youth leader - but i think it also applies to anyone, in ministry or not. it's inspiring.
if you are a creative type - you will no doubt enjoy this book immensely. if you are not - READ THIS BOOK and awaken your creativity!
after video - brief description/explanation of Logic vs. Emotion (the song has a lot to do with these two things).
took the line from the song I'M GOING BACK TO THE START and briefly talked about 'when God gives us second chances.' Examples sited: the story of the Gerasene Demoniac (found in Mark 5) and Saul's conversion to Paul. (found in Acts 9)
PRAYER
song: A Message played live by Bryan. (A Message is from the album X & Y)
Question for Prayer/Reflection: Who do you know is in need of a message of love? how might you bring them that message?
students were asked to reflect on these questions during the song.
SPEAK 2 ME
Katie chose the song Fix You to play. Lyrics were posted via Power Point.
after the song, Katie shared about what she felt the song was about and how God speaks to her through the lyrics.
THINK ABOUT IT: imagination
for this segment, we talked briefly about 'imagination'.
Questions posed:
can you draw?
how 'bout sing?
can you dance?
can you act in plays?
if i were to go and visit a kindergarten class and ask them those four questions, i would bet that every hand would go up for each question. you, on the other hand, probably would claim ability in one, maybe two of those areas.* (*idea taken from the books All I Really Need To Know I Learned in Kindergarten by R. Fulghum and Awaken Your Creativity by Les Christie) somehow, as we get older, we lose our sense of wonder... we lose our imagination and we seem to feel like we are lacking in creativity. perhaps we could blame this on the system... a system that has not given us the freedom to learn in a variety of ways... but regardless, the older we get, the more inhibited we become. we lose that inventive nature that is, i believe, a part of our DNA.
Quotes:
(The purpose of) education should be to create men and women who are capable of doing new things, rather than simply repeat what other generations have done. ~Jean Piaget
Knowledge is a child with a mind and a crayon. ~MC Serch of 3rd Bass
HOW TO JUMP START YOUR IMAGINATION: inhale helium climb a tree hang by knees on monkey bars swing as high as you can roll down a hill spin like crazy take a different route... do random things
(students were encouraged to add to this list...)
We then looked briefly at Genesis 1 - how we are all made in the image of God...
on the Power Point, various images that symbolize God's imagination and creativity were shown. (waterfalls, field of flowers, butterflies, sunsets, etc.)
Students were challenged to recapture our God-given creative, imaginative abilities - much like children, while the video for Coldplay'sStrawberry Swing played. Strawberry Swing is a very creative, imaginative video, to say the least.
Scared of losin' all the time He wrote it in a letter? He was a friend of mine He heard you could see your future Inside a glass of water With ripples and the rhymes He asked 'Will I see heaven in mine?'
The song largely has to do with (as the lyrics go) how we can often Spend our whole life living in your past Going nowhere fast.
We humans tend to stress about the past and worry about the future.
INTERACTIVE:
Students were given a piece of paper with the words "I WANT..." written at the top. Students were given a pencil and were asked to finish the sentence: "i want..." and to write about it on the page.
Jesus provided a way of life that is not filled with stress or worry (Proverbs 3:5-6). Jesus gives us life to the full. (John 10:10)
Participants were then given a glass of water (refer to lyrics of Glass of Water) and encouraged to 'drink up the present' and to not stress about the past and worry about the future.
REFLECTION: time
While the song Clocks played in the background we talked about time and urgency and busyness. urgency can often bring a sense of chaos or fear to one's life. Sometimes time (or lack there of) can lead to hectic lifestyles that prevent us from connecting with God or hearing from Him.
this transitioned into the song A Whisper (from A Rush of Blood to the Head)
sample lyrics:
I hear the sound of the ticking of clocks Who remembers your face Who remembers you when you are gone I hear the sound of the ticking of clocks Come back and look for me Look for me when I am lost And just a whisper, whisper, whisper, whisper
i briefly talked about 'The Story of Isaiah' found in 1 Kings 17-19 were Isaiah has a confrontation with the prophets of Baal and calls down fire from heaven... in the end, the false-prophets of Baal are annihilated, yet Isaiah gets a fearful sense of urgency and flees. He hides out in a cave and wonders if God has forgotten about him. (note lyric from A Whisper: come back and look for me when i am lost...) But God finally speaks to him, not in the wind or earthquake... but in a gentle whisper. (1 Kings 19:11-12)
INTERACTIVE
paralleled that despite his fears, Isaiah had specific God-given gifts and abilities and was asked to use them to help connect people to God.
Scrabble boards were set up and students were invited to spell out one gift that they felt God had given them. these gifts inter-connect with other people's gifts. when we work together, we can accomplish much for the sake of Kingdom advancement and helping those in need.
CLOSING:
Referenced the song Lost! (from Viva la Vida) and shared a few examples of people who were 'down but not out.' Gideon. James J. Braddock. Rocky. Kurt Warner. (many examples could be referenced here)
2 Corinthians 4"8We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed."
If we remain focused on Christ - we will remain in His light and we will be assured that nothing can or will remove us from the Love of God.
I reminded students that the name of the latest Coldplay album is Viva la Vida... which means "live life!"
We have to remain focused - or we lose our imaginative ability... we forget that God is a God of grace and grants us a second chance at life... we aught not to mess it up.
i found this website: http://www.eyechartmaker.com/ where you can customize your own eye charts. i printed off a variety of charts with hidden messages in the charts (Y R U FOCUSING ON THE WRONG THINGS?; etc.) there were a variety of Eye focus charts under each chair.
No I don't wanna battle from beginning to end; I don't want a cycle of recycled revenge; I don't wanna follow death and all his friends.
Living life means you can't follow death and his friends... the things that lead to destruction. God's plan is life. Live it! live life. Drink up the present. GEt busy livin' or get busy dyin'.
Years ago, my future-wife-to-be and I would be walking through the food court of the mall, where we would often find ourselves drawn to the smell of the freshly baked cinnamon rolls at Cinnabon®. Soon, we would mysteriously find ourselves waiting in line to purchase a $6 dollar cinnamon roll that was bigger than 'a bean bag chair'*. We'd soon be found kindling our new romance, sharing the delights of the Cinnabon® Classic.
mmmmm... instant gratification. Cinnabon®. How sweet is that? (literally)
after consuming said sticky bun, we'd no doubt feel instant shame - in need of a moist towelette to clean off the stickiness on our hands and face.
the funny thing is, most people waiting in line for a Cinnabon probably pray that there is no line. they don't want to be seen purchasing 12 thousand calories of sticky mess. Jim Gaffigan* talks about this. [view clip here] Perhaps they could have some sort of dark curtain to hide those who seek such an indulgence.
the point is, Cinnabon's are sticky... and it's certainly hard to get rid of it's aura. hands and mouth are all syrupy. the smell gets onto your skin and clothes. and then there's your newly expanded waste line. It covers you.
Kind of like sin. Some often refer to desserts and comfort foods as 'sinfully delicious'. i could go down the cheesy route and rechristen Cinnabon as 'Sin-abon' but i fear that might show up on some church sign. i can see it now: 'Nothing is more sticky than a Sin-abon' [see my church sign creation here].
You get my point, though.
Sin is sticky... messy... hard to clean off... at least by our own measures it is. We can't hide our sin. We try... really hard - but sooner or later our sins find us [Numbers 32:23], bind us and blind us. Mankind has been hiding in shame of their sins since the beginning. Adam and Eve hid after they disobeyed. Remember?
We seemed to have learned this at an early age. How many of us had secret hiding spots - under a bed; in the basement; in a closet or whatever - that we would hide in when we knew we were in trouble with mom or dad? We hide. That's what we do. We try our best to hide the stickyness... the shame... but no matter, the residue of sin is still upon us.
Remember Fun Dip? As a kid we'd all devour those packets of colored, flavored sugar. The dipping stick would be long gone before the good stuff ran out... so it'd wind up all over us - on our fingers, faces... all over. The residue of Fun Dip covered us.
But that was not what we were designed to be. Covered with sticky shame? Not God's plan.
Ephesians 1 states 'the plan'... that we might be one with the Father through Jesus Christ. 4For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.
Chosen and designed to be blameless. So we have been chosen - but it is ultimately our choice to accept this chosen-ness - and to then reciprocate the message of the Cross. What is the message of the Cross? Read on.
6to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 7In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace.
Through Christ - we receive grace... we don't get what we deserve. We deserve death. Sin = death. Work hard at sinning and your payment is death. [Romans 6:23] We get freedom from sin. (but we have to repent... a verb... to feel or express sincere regret or remorse about one's wrongdoing or sin).
What are things we redeem? Coupons. Gift cards. etc.
I got an iTunes gift card for christmas. $25 worth. I logged on to the website - entered the code on the back of the card and REDEEMED my reward. Bought and paid for by someone else - i reaped the benefit. it was a wonderful gift (that's why they call it a gift card, duh!)
Christ loves us - no matter what we do. As the late Rich Mullins once wrote "There is nothing you can do to make God love you more and there is nothing you can do to make Him love you less." Love is freely given to us.
Because of that unconditional love, when we repent, our sins are traded in; cashed in - to the detriment of Jesus - for our benefit. With His sacrificial gift we redeem the gift of life... new life. Full life. [John 10:10] That is the plan! No more stickiness. No more mess. No more sin-residue. Freedom. Cleanliness. Washed whiter than snow. [Psalm 51:7]
and now, instead of sticky, smelly, sin and death - your aura is soft and smooth love and life. and there's certainly no shame in that.
Redemption. How sweet is that?
parts of this post were preached at Breakfast Club - Feb 7, 2010 titled "Sticky". Breakfast Club is a youth worship service. www.alienuth.com
(re:post: written for church newsletter - jan 2010)
Ten Years: WHAT A DECADE.
It’s been ten years since I took on the role as Director of Youth Ministries.I’ve seen a lot happen in those ten years.10 mission trips.10 CYF camps.10 Junior High camps.24 Winter Jam weekends.11 Atwood Retreats.300+ Youth Focus meetings.550+ Bible studies.50+ Breakfast Clubs.Plus an assortment of other camping trips, game nights, worship events, swim parties, and discipleship and leadership training events.Over the years our youth ministry has gone through many changes.In the midst of our busyness we’ve tried our best to give students opportunities to connect with a living God, to help them discover their gifts and to help them see God’s divine purpose and plan for their lives.As it is with ministry, some got it… some didn’t.Regardless, the ministry constantly adapted to meet the needs of youth.
In ten years, we’ve witnessed tragedies in our community, in our nation and in the world.We’ve watched the world change with the evolution of our culture, our technology, our media communication and the like.We’ve welcomed 24 hour news.Reality TV.Hybrid cars.YouTube.Facebook.Twitter.Cell phones.Texting.Google.iPods.Digital this and that.$3 mochas.Super Wal Mart’s. Environmental awareness.Do-nothing politicians.Cultural clashes.Terrorist scares.Economic collapse.Etc. whatever.
In the midst of such global change and new inventions, ministries and churches were shown new ways to spread the Gospel of Christ.Some got it.Some didn’t.Unfortunately, not all churches or Christians have embraced the reality of the changes upon us.
Some may have said ‘let’s go back to the way it used to be – when things were better.’I say ‘let’s embrace the newness and see how God is working through it all’.Paul reminds us in 1 Cor. 9:24-27 to ‘keep our eyes on the prize.’Folks, the prize is in front of us, not behind us.The Gospel is the same, yesterday, today and forever – but our approach to ministry and reaching those who need the love of Jesus most is not.It needs to change as society changes… or else, before too long, Christianity will be an after thought… more than it already is now.We don’t need to go back – we need to go forward, and blaze a trail of righteousness, loving the unlovable, serving the unservable, and reaching the unreachable.This can happen if we embrace change and understand that God is guiding us.We need to trust the Spirit.It’s difficult to follow when we’re comfortably seated on our couches or in our pews.
It’s going to be hard work.It takes discipline.Or else we run the risk of being ‘disqualified’ as Paul writes (vs. 27).For those of you lacking energy? We will carry you.For those of you discouraged?We will walk beside you.
I once saw a picture of a beggar on a street corner.He held a sign that said ‘forget your coins, I want change!’You see, the world no longer needs a handout.The world needs change, meaningful, life-altering change.And if we, the church, are not willing to ‘be the change we want to see in the world’ then what’s the point in trying?Together, we can do it.We can be it.We can show it.I know this because the Holy Spirit promises to be our comforter, advisor, encourager and strength.(Psalm 143:10, Acts 9:31, etc)
Where will this church be in 10 years?Will the world care about our message?I hope and pray that we have the courage to ‘run this race with our eyes on the prize’ which is Christ Jesus.
Building a Youth Ministry that Builds Disciples: A Small Book by Duffy Robbins
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