Some Thoughts About Youth Ministry
I am so pumped! Our youth team has asked me to be the speaker this year for our church youth trip to Panama City…and Lee McDee will be leading worship all week.
I LOVE TEENAGERS! I spent eight and a half years doing youth ministry and I have never forgotten those days; in fact, I still have a notebook full of Bible studies that I used to teach. (No, you can’t see them; in fact, after looking at them I am surprised ANYONE came to the youth groups that I led!)
(On a side note—it is an incredible privilege to have three people on staff that were once members of my youth group! Can you believe that—they knew me and still wanted to work here!)
I’ll have to be honest though about my feelings when it comes to youth ministry—and BE WARNED, I have strong opinions about this stuff (big surprise!)
It is my personal belief that youth ministry gets the short end of the deal in most churches. Let me give you an example.
In the first church I served in our youth budget for the year was $500. Please read that again—$500! Let’s be honest…most churches spend more money on someone to clean the restrooms than reaching teenagers.
When a youth group wants to go on a mission trip what does the church tell them to do? Sell doughnuts or wash cars! In my opinion that is pathetic…and as a pastor I have promised our church that our kids will not do fundraisers.
Why?
Well…if I can be real honest (and I can—it’s my blog) I think it is incredibly hypocritical for a church to make the youth raise money for a trip—but when the senior adults want to do something that will impact the kingdom in an incredible way—like travel to the mountains and pick apples—the church covers their cost. I say if the youth have to raise money—so should the senior adults!
Folks—I am tired of the church merely giving lip service to youth ministry!
I am tired of the churches that have more money in their cemetery fund than they do in their youth budget.
I am tired of the church that gives the youth crappy facilities and then tells them to deal with it and be thankful.
I am tired of the church that will spend more money on stained glass windows and hymnals than youth events!
And finally—I AM TIRED of hearing church leaders who say, “We need those youth in here—they are the church of tomorrow!”
WRONG ANSWER! If you have ever said that then please apologize to God for not thinking before you speak. They are NOT the church of tomorrow…they are the church of TODAY! They matter TODAY! They need Jesus TODAY! They need to be involved TODAY! The church that says they are the church of tomorrow will wait until “tomorrow” to reach them…and by then it will be too late!
Why am I so passionate about this? Just the other day I read an estimate that around 4% of today’s teenagers will have a relationship with Christ before reaching the age of 18. PEOPLE—FOUR PERCENT! WE NEED TO WAKE UP—these are the people who will be leading our country in 20-30 years…and if you think things are bad NOW—just wait until we have a generation that does not know Jesus in leadership!
Youth ministry can’t be an after thought in a church—it must be a primary focus. I remember a senior adult one time in a church asking me why I was so passionate about reaching kids, “After all,” she said, “they don’t give.” I wanted to go off—I wanted to say, “If who and who does not give is the standard for reaching people then a lot of people are going to hell!”
Pastors—in order for a youth ministry to be successful—YOU have to drive it. YOU have to be passionate about it. YOU have to fight for the ministry to have the resources…if you make the youth minister go and ask for everything that he or she needs then you are a pathetic excuse for a leader. One of the things I had at my last church was a pastor who would make sure I had what I needed to be successful (thanks Bill!) Pastors—YOU have to make it happen.
AND…if people get offended—then so be it. If they leave—then so be it.
Oh yeah, when I say you have to drive it…I mean hire the right people…give them the resources they need…pray for them like crazy—BUT DO NOT micro manage it…ask questions but do not try to keep you hands on everything that has to do with the ministry.
I love teenagers! LOVE THEM! One of the coolest things about NewSpring is that we have teenagers all over the place—they are involved—they greet on Sunday’s…the work with our children’s ministry—they feel like this is their church (it is!)
And our parents—they love it!!!
Whew—I am tired now! That’s about it! I can’t wait for our trip in June—if you are a teenager then make sure you get signed up ASAP. You can get a form from Alden or Sandy at youth group…or you can pick one up here at the church this Sunday!