Tag Archives: student ministry

How Hard Should We Work for the Gospel?

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Ministry can be hard. It is taxing emotionally, spiritually, and even physically (you know lock-ins will send you to an early grave). When you work with teenagers you never know when one will show up unannounced. You never know when they will text a deeply personal struggle…and you have to respond. (usually text won’t do to straighten it out) But how hard should we push to allow opportunity for the Gospel to penetrate the lives of our students?

Spurgeon has something to say that young student pastors need to hear.

“People said to me years ago, ‘You will break your body down with preaching ten times a week,’ and the like. Well, if I have done so, I am glad of it. I would do the same again. If I had fifty bodies I would rejoice to break them down in service of the Lord Jesus Christ.

You young men that are strong, overcome the wicked one and fight for the Lord while you can. You will never regret doing all that lies in for you for our blessed Lord and Master.”

– Charles Haddon Spurgeon, “For the Sick and Afflicted,” 1876

Passing the Torch: We Need Each Other

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I want to take the time to comment on and article written by Mark Howard for The Rooted Blog. I see a theme of mutual need between student ministry and the corporate church body that has been inadvertently skewed beyond recognition.
Across the board, the current state of student ministry in the church is a wide range. Some churches get it and are really reaching the next generation. They are speaking the Gospel in a way teenagers understand and see as legitimate. Other churches (and maybe the majority) are woefully lacking in connecting with the next generation. And I mean woefully! When student worship and teaching can become synonymous with “crazy time”, something has gone awry. In a stage of life when are teens are starved for guidance and direction, do they think church is a place to come just for laughs?
Given the circumstances, it’s no surprise that many youth are restless, insecure, jaded, and desperately searching for meaning to explain all the hurt and suffering they see around them, meaning for their very existence. Sadly, many within the church offer nothing more substantive than the vaporous teachings of the world. In some churches, “youth group” has become synonymous with over-the-top games, entertainment, and shallow teaching. They are told, yes, life here on earth is a mess, but don’t worry, one day you’ll die and go to heaven. There things will be right. In the meantime, want to see how many marshmallows I can stick in my mouth?
(that last quote cracked me up…chubby bunny, chubby bunny…)
Do we really believe the faith of our youth is so pointless that the best God has for them now is a temporary escape from the world on Wednesday night and Sunday morning? This sort of ministry just reinforces a belief in the meaninglessness of this life.
The church should be a lighthouse of hope, contrary to that lie! Life is not meaningless! Amidst the rising teen suicide rate, we should be shouting that there is real hope. That hope is not some mystical belief, but a person; Jesus Christ.
What student ministry needs to focus on is the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which Paul says is the power of God for the salvation of all who believe!
I am firmly convinced that what today’s youth need most is the gospel of Christ Jesus the Lord. He is the one in whom the fullness of God is found, and he’s the one in whom we are filled (Col 2:9-10). Moreover, he is the one who gives meaning to this life.
Are we showing teenagers Jesus? Anything else that we turn their attention to is a lesser thing. Jesus is the pinnacle from which our gaze must not move. So how do we see Jesus?
Where is Jesus found? In the worship of his people, the church. As others have said, the way we come to know Jesus is through the means he gave us: Scripture, true Christian fellowship, the sacraments, and prayer. These are the practices that by faith renew their minds in such a way that enables youth to view and live in the world with purpose and meaning as followers of Jesus. These are the practices that by faith force youth from their technologically imposed isolation, discourage their entitlement, and lead them to a spirit of humility and repentance. These are the practices that by faith expose their dependence on Jesus and remind them of their need for grace.
Student ministries must not separate themselves so much from the cooperate body of believers that teenagers do not regularly see the Body of Chirst in action. They need to see adults worship. They need to partake in the Lord supper (and be taught the meaning behind each part). They need to see prayer at work in the corporate setting.
When we segregate the teens so “they can do their own thing”, we send a contradictory message to them about what it means to be part of the body. “Church is just for adults” can be subconsciously learned after years of practice. And we wonder why college and young singles 18-25 are M.I.A. (missing in action) from church? If what is happening is truly important, why would we not want to raise up the next generation to understand and carry on that importance?
This article is a great reminder that the teenagers need the church, and the church needs teenagers. We cannot except the inadvertent teaching that church is just for adults. No, we need to put our focus squarely on Jesus and show that true meaning and purpose is derived from Him, and it is applicable for all ages. Teens need to see and believe that, just as adults need to see and believe that.
Your fellow worker in the field,  Adam
Lets finish off with an appropriate song from Sanctus Real: We need each other

Why Every Student Ministry Should Honor Graduates

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This weekend has been graduation weekend around our city. Caps and gowns, ceremonies and parties. For a student pastor, this can be a busy time of year.

With all the pomp and circumstance, don’t miss the chance to greatly impact your seniors one last time before they face the challenges before them.

I believe all student ministries should honor their graduating seniors because it:

1.  allows us to celebrate with those who celebrate.

The church is a place to do life together. 1 Cor. 12:26 says, “So if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.” As seniors complete their high school careers, I make it a point honor them and show them the church’s support in a way that they will not soon forget! When statistics are miserable on church attendance among college freshmen, how terrible would it for a teenager to not feel loved or recognized by his or her own church just months away from that critical decision?

2.  it encourages the church and student ministry.

When the church DOES get the opportunity to celebrate with graduating seniors, the cooperate body is reminded that growth is happening! Children are growing into young men and women and along the way the gospel is transforming lives. Put the gospel’s work on display! Send a message to the upcoming students that perseverance has its rewards. Each year the student ministry gets a chance to see their peers move on with the church’s blessing. When affirmed in a public setting this encourages young and old alike.

3.  it reminds them where they have been.

Each year we have a Bible presentation in the worship service followed by a luncheon for the seniors and their families. We have a slideshow with each graduate from baby pictures up through their senior picture. (have the tissues ready, and don’t forget to burn a copy for all the grads) The reminders don’t stop with physical growth. Many of those picture are of retreats, church small groups, events we did together! We have build a foundation that can last. Colossians 2:6-7 focuses us on this. “Therefore, as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, overflowing with gratitude.” Take this opportunity to remind them of the truths they are rooted in. Remind them what they have been taught and to remain in HIM!

4.  it reminds them the trajectory they are on.

Colossians 2:6-7 makes it clear that we are to “walk in Him”. Because we are rooted, because we have taught the truth, stay on that coarse. College is hard on believers. It is even harder on weak believers who are trying to walk in their own strength, not “in Him”. As you challenge your seniors, be honest and real. They will face struggles. They will have opportunity to sin. But if they decide now how they will respond, they do not have to be another sad statistic. Trajectory is important. It doesn’t start in one senior recognition service, it begins in middle school. It works into everything you do, years before they are seniors. It is my prayer that the seniors I send out will be prepared for a life of Glorifying God and living out the Gospel.

Here are some of the things I do to make Senior Recognition Sunday a memorable experience:

  • I buy a good bible, one they will actually use and enjoy for many years.
  • I read the Gideon Bible Preface during the recognition service to remind the seniors (and everyone) that we don’t just give a bible because we are a church, but because it truly is a treasure and a guide for life.
  • I host a nice lunch and decorate it along the lines of a wedding reception.
  • I create a memorable slideshow of all the seniors. Be sure to return the photos when you are done with them. (I use a MacBook and it has some amazing looking themes you can use. You look professional.)
  • I get together a team of guys to grill steaks and chicken breasts. I don’t charge anything for the senior and parents, but charge $10 for all other family and guests. (sorry, you don’t break even…but that’s not the point).
  • I provide lots of intentional photo opportunities! Be mindful that this day is for the parents as much as for the graduate!
  • I pray over the graduates. I pray a strong and intentional prayer over their choices and futures.
  • I don’t make it last to long.  Make it nice, don’t drag it out.
  • I send thank you cards to all the people that help pull it off.  (decorations, cooks, servers, clean up crew…)
I pray you will honor your high school seniors this year and for years to come!
Your fellow worker in the field,   Adam

True Success in Student Ministry

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I’ve seen it to many times to count. Going to a camp or conference where youth workers are in full force.  We all get to sit and talk, compare notes with what is working, what is not, to encourage each other, to pray for one another, ect.  But something always slips into the conversation.  Maybe it’s out front, maybe it’s more subtle, but it’s the burning question lurking in the corner of our minds.

 “How many kids are you running in your ministry?”

The numerical data of student ministry appears to be in the driver seat.

  • You want to impress your student worker comrades?
  • You need approval from the budget committee for an increase this year?
  • You need more volunteers on Wednesday nights?
  • You want the respect of your senior pastor and staff?

…Have big numbers…

Among student pastors when the numbers start flying, some feel like MVPs with their impressive headcounts, others feel like total losers who can’t compare.  The lines are drawn and the assumptions take root.

Why is this?  What makes large numbers the definition of success in most student ministries?  I believe it is a strategy of that ole trickster himself.  The devil wants us to compare ourselves to each other and not to the truths of Scripture.  He wants us to measure our effectiveness based on something other than the Gospel’s power.  He wants us to stay distracted, thus losing the opportunity to shape a generation deeply by the power of the cross.

If we define success according to the ministry of Jesus Christ we will find numerical quantity is not the issue, but spiritual quality.

I believe every youth minister, student pastor, small group volunteer, anyone connected to our ministries, should define success in terms of discipleship.  Are you downloading your faith into the life of someone else?  Face to face, knee to knee.  Are you getting into the nitty gritty of life with another individual and showing them the ropes of the Christian life.

Jesus had cycles of ministry. From rock star status, to outcast status.  From huge open air crowds, to intimate upper rooms.  One thing remained consistent through His public ministry.  Jesus continually, intentionally, relationally invested into the lives of His disciples. 

  • Continually – it takes time. Real discipleship is done with time spent together doing real life. Fifteen minutes of GREAT conversation a week won’t make a disciple, but daily hanging out will.  I’ve taken teens with me to dinner at my house, let one watch how I put my kids to bed, had help changing the oil in my car, even (gulp) going Wal-Mart.  In everyday situations we show how to live for the glory of God.  It rubs off with continual exposure.
  • Intentionally – Jesus didn’t do anything on accident.  We need to take advantage of the situations we find ourselves in and use them to train disciples.  What if we knew some things would be hard, but challenged our students to do them anyway?  What if we intentionally tried to develop habits contrary to culture, but conforming to scripture.  We should all have some teenagers under us who know they are explicitly being mentored so they can go and mentor someone next.
  • Relationally – Jesus taught in ways that His disciples could understand.  He helped them along in their faith.  He walked with them even though their immaturity.  In relationships we have our most powerful influence.  Are we taking time to truly shepherd our teens?  Sheep get to know their shepherd.  Jesus is the Good Shepherd and His sheep know His voice.  We get the privilege to be under-shepherds and care for His flock.  Care for them, know them, walk through life with them.  Disciple-making doesn’t come from a pulpit, but from a relationship.

What if youth workers didn’t brag about how packed the room was for extreme goldfish swallowing, but instead bragged about the depths of scripture memorization from their kids.  What if numbers didn’t drive the ministry, but spiritual maturity was the goal?  How different would our student ministries look if we stopped trying to look cool and hip, and really invested in teenagers allowing the Gospel to penetrate to the deepest levels of the heart changing us from the inside out?

True success is measured in spiritual maturity not in impressive headcounts.  Paul understood this when he penned these words in Colossians 1:28. “We proclaim Him, warning and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone mature in Christ.”

May your ministries be successful in the truest sense of the word.

Your fellow worker in the field, Adam

 

Student Ministry is NEEDED!

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Student ministry in its current form is a cultural phenomenon.  We need to understand that.  It has not been around forever and we should not think that it is a biblically mandated method.  Yet, raising up young people to know and love God has been going on for centuries.

I just came across a fantastic article titled “Why we need Youth Ministry” written by Paul Martin of “Being Ministry” Blog.  Hit the link and check out the full article.

Martin traces the historical jewish method of raising up children and walks it through to present day.  Great job.  He lists 3 points why our churches need youth ministry departments today.

  1. Youth ministry exists because it is needed.
  2. What worked in the past can work today.
  3. Resistance is futile.

In the article he fleshes these points out nicely.  Asking the question, “where does this leave the church?” he ends with a great perspective.

Youth ministry is a cultural phenomenon, but that does not negate its usefulness. Youth ministry will continue to evolve, but it will be needed as long as young people and their families struggle with bringing them fully into adulthood and spiritual maturity.

So check it out and see if you agree with his affirmation that student ministries are needed in our churches. The question remains, are we doing a good job?

Your fellow worker in the field,  Adam

Going Against the Flow

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While this video is pretty hilarious, sometimes it can feel that way in student ministry as well.

When a large segment of student ministries around our nation may appears to be driven by entertainment and surface-level theology, teaching the Gospel and Truth of scripture seems hard at times.  Don’t give up friends!  If you watched the whole thing, this girl makes it to the top!  In ministry it may feel like we are going the wrong way on the escalator, but Jesus reminds us in Matthew 7 about entering the Kingdom.  “13Enter through the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the road is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who go through it. 14 How narrow is the gate and difficult the road that leads to life, and few find it.”

This journey is worth it!  Hang in there!  Go against the flow!  Teach the Truth!

Student Ministry needs to use REAL bullets!

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In a ministry culture revolving around fun and entertainment, sometimes student ministry forgets to talk seriously about serious matters.

Sin.

Youth workers, we need to be teaching the reality that sin will kill us. Romans 6:23 makes it plain enough.  “The wages of sin is DEATH”.  Does this generation really understand this? Or do they see us wink at sin and sweep it under the rug?

Teaching the truth of the Gospel means using real bullets in this fight!  Bring the heat.  We need to accurately convey the gravity of sin in our lives!  Don’t let teenagers make it through your ministry never deeply thinking about sin in their own lives!  And what should we be doing with this sin?  Paul answers it very succinctly in Romans 8.

Don’t just skip down to verse 31 and following, subtitled “the Believers Triumph” without teaching what we are to be triumphing over.  Verses 1-28 paint a graphic picture of killing sin before it kills you!

Never be scared to bring the heavy weights into a sermon with teenagers.  They can grasp it.  If they are doing calculus and microbiology at school we can get deeper in church too.  Bring in John Owen.  Talk about his book, “Mortification of Sin in Believers”.  (Here is a good summary.)  Teenagers will only glean from the depth of your own study.  So study well.

Read and listen to this series by John Piper, How to Kill Sin.  See how he exposits Romans 8 and gives a great understanding of John Owen.  Use this stuff to teach the next generation the reality of sin and the holiness of God.

Teenagers, young adults, and everyone for that matter, need to be constantly reminded of the depths of our sin and conversely the power of the Gospel.  Preach it to yourself daily; let that overflow in your ministry.

Your fellow worker in the field,   Adam

Big Words for a Big Problem

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MTD – Moralistic Therapeutic Deism.  I believe this article, the second of four about the current state of youth ministry today, is right on target.  (click here for the full article at Gospel Coalition) Brian Cosby recognizes that the Bible is not to be taught as a guide for being more moral in our society, but the redemptive hope for our souls found in the Gospel!

“That a youth ministry “teaches the Bible” does not necessarily mean it teaches the gospel. Many mistake the gospel with moralism—being a good person, reading your Bible, or opening the door for the elderly in order to earn God’s favor. But the gospel is altogether different.”

Most teenagers are skipping (sometimes fumbling) through life without deeply thinking about their worldview framework through which they make assumptions about reality.  With an ambiguous and often contradiction laden framework, many teens can still coast through Student Ministry without challenging these beliefs!

“According to sociologists Christian Smith and Melinda Lundquist Denton, most American teenagers believe in something dubbed “Moralistic Therapeutic Deism” (MTD).  Within this MTD “religion,” God is a cosmic therapist and divine butler, ready to help out when needed. He exists but really isn’t a part of our lives. We are supposed to be “good people,” but each person must find what’s right for him or her. Good people will go to heaven, and we shouldn’t be stifled by organized religion where somebody tells us what we should do or what we should believe.”

And this problem is not just in the realm of our student ministries, but it filters into the church at large!

“Moralistic Therapeutic Deism has little to do with God or a sense of divine mission in the world. It offers comfort, bolsters self-esteem, helps solve problems, and lubricates interpersonal relationships by encouraging people to do good, feel good, and keep God at arm’s length.  When this self-help theology is combined with a sola-boot-strapia sermon from TBN, we start having teens singing, “God Is Watching Us from a Distance” while—at the same time—wondering why Jesus isn’t fixing their parents’ marriage or their problems with cutting.  MTD isn’t just the problem of youth ministry; it’s the problem of the church. And American Christianity has become a “generous host” to this low-commitment, entertainment-driven model of youth ministry.”

I love this quote. It hammers home that our theology should drive our methodology!  Not the other way around!  Always keep this in mind student pastors.

“While our theology of the gospel should inform our method, the American church—to a large extent—has practiced just the reverse. The question on many youth leaders’ minds is, “How do we get bored teenagers into the church?” The question should be, “How are we to faithfully plant and water the gospel of Jesus Christ for his glory and our joy in him?”

This article ends with hope for the church.  That hope rests in Jesus Himself.  Jesus will build his church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it!  So we trust Him. We seek Him. We focus our ministries on Him!

I applaud Brian Cosby in this informative and challenging reminder of the dangers this generation and our churches are facing.  May we stand in the gap with a tenacious focus on the Gospel!

Your fellow worker in the field,  Adam

10 Commandments of Student Ministry

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Check out this great resource for student pastors and all those who volunteer with these ministries!  It gets you thinking and reminds you of your priorities!

10 Commandments of Student Ministry – This is produced and distributed by Tim Schmoyer.

Tim Schmoyer is the founder of Life In Student Ministry and is dedicated to facilitating discussions among Christian youth workers about youth ministry. He is the author of the Youth Specialties/Zondervan book, “Life In Student Ministry: Practical Conversations on Thriving in Youth Ministry,” a national youth leader trainer, consultant, and speaker.

Thanks Tim for putting great stuff out!

A [Brief] History of Youth Ministry

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Through a collaborative effort between the Rooted Blog and the Gospel Coalition some great articles are being published about the state of youth ministry today.

The first century philosopher, Cicero, said, “Who knows only his own Generation remains always a child.”

It is my prayer that our generation will continue to build on the shoulders of those who came before us and constantly refocus ourselves on the Gospel of Jesus Christ, faithfully passing this truth to those rising under our teaching.

All youth pastors and volunteers need to read this article to understand where we have been and where we are going.  Take these things to heart!

Your fellow worker in the field,  -Adam

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A Brief History of Youth Ministry

Editors’ Note: Everyone has an opinion about youth ministry. Parents, pastors, and the youth themselves have expectations and demands that don’t always overlap. But the rash of dire statistics about the ineffectiveness of youth ministry has prompted rethinking in these ranks. So we devote one day per week this month to exploring several issues in youth ministry, including its history, problems, and biblical mandate. The Gospel Coalition thanks Cameron Cole and the leadership team of Rooted: A Theology Conference for Student Ministry for their help in compiling this series. Cathedral Church of the Advent in Birmingham, Alabama, will host their 2012 conference from August 9 to 11. Speakers Ray Ortlund, Timothy George, and Mary Willson will expound on the conference theme, “Adopted: The Beauty of Grace.”

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To read books on youth ministry these days, it is hard not to get the sense that this experiment we call youth ministry in the local church has failed. This perspective is not shocking or new. Mike Yaconelli, founder of Youth Specialties, stated this rather boldly in Youthworker Journalin 2003. According to Lifeway Research, 70 percent of young people will drop out of church after high school, and only 35 percent will return to regular attendance. Christian Smith’s National Study of Youth and Religion found that most American teenagers have a positive view of religion but otherwise do not give it much thought. Kenda Creasy Dean, in her book Almost Christian asserts, “American young people are, theoretically, fine with religious faith—but it does not concern them very much, and it is not durable enough to survive long after they graduate from high school.” This result is far from the intention of most youth ministries. Smith describes the religious outlook of teenagers as “Moralistic Therapeutic Deism,” a far cry from the gospel of Jesus.

To get an idea of where we have come from, let’s turn back the clock more than a half century. Space here only allows the broadest overview, so bear with the generalizations. Back in the 1940s Jim Rayburn began a ministry to reach teens at the local high school, which became Young Life (YL). Their mission—to introduce adolescents to Jesus Christ and to help them grow in their faith—remains to this day. The strategy was and is for caring adults to build genuine friendships with teens and earn the right to be heard with their young friends. At the same time, Youth for Christ (YFC), was holding large rallies in Canada, England, and the United States. YFC also quickly organized a national movement that turned to Bible clubs in the late 50s and 60s, shifting the focus from rallies that emphasized proclamation evangelism to relevant, relational evangelism to unchurched youth.

By the early 70s, churches began to realize the need for specialized ministries to teenagers and began hiring youth pastors. Some of these were former staff members from YL and YFC. With this the church imported the relational strategy of the parachurch movement. During the 70s, youth pastors seeking to reach large numbers of youth for the gospel began to employ a more attractional model. Gatherings with food and live music could draw enormous crowds. Churches found that large, vibrant youth groups drew more families to the church, and, therefore, encouraged more attraction-oriented programs. Later in the decade, this writer watched leaders swallowing live goldfish in both the church youth group and local Young Life club when we brought enough friends to reach an attendance target.

By the 80s the emergence of MTV and a media-driven generation meant church youth ministry became more entertainment-driven than ever. Youth pastors felt the need to feature live bands, video production, and elaborate sound and lighting in order to reach this audience. No longer could a pile of burgers or pizzas draw a crowd. By the end of the decade the youth group meeting was being creatively inspired by MTV and game shows on Nickelodeon. The message had been simplified and shortened to fit the entertainment-saturated youth culture. By the start of the 21st century, we discovered many youth were no longer interested in the show that we put on or the oversimplified message. Christianity was no different from the world around them. Some youth ministries intensified their effort combining massive hype with strong messages that inspired youth but did not translate to everyday life. We realized we were faced with a generation whose faith was unsustainable.

The Result

What happened in all that? First, we moved from parachurch to church-based ministry (though the parachurch continues). In doing so, we segregated youth from the rest of the congregation. Students in many churches no longer engaged with “adult” church and had no place to go once they graduated from high school. They did not benefit from intergenerational relationships but instead were relegated to the youth room.

Second, we incorporated an attractional model that morphed into entertainment-driven ministry. In doing that we bought into the fallacy of “edu-tainment” as a legitimate means of communicating the gospel. Obscuring the gospel has communicated that we have to dress up Jesus to make him cool.

Third, we lost sight of the Great Commission, deciding instead to make converts of many and disciples of few. We concluded that strong biblical teaching and helping students embrace a robust theology was boring (or only relevant to the exceptionally keen) and proverbially shot ourselves in the foot.

Fourth, we created a consumer mentality amongst a generation that did not expect to be challenged at church in ways similar to what they face at school or on sports teams. The frightening truth is that youth ministry books and training events were teaching us to do the exact methods that have failed us. The major shapers of youth ministry nationally were teaching us the latest games and selling us big events with the assumption that we would work some content in there somewhere. In the midst of all this, church leaders and parents came to expect that successful youth ministry is primarily about having fun and attracting large crowds. Those youth pastors in recent decades who were determined to put the Bible at the center of their work faced an uphill battle not only against the prevailing youth culture but against the leadership of the church as well.

The task before us is enormous. We need to change the way we pass the faith to the next generation. Believing in the sufficiency of Scripture, we must turn to the Bible to teach us how to do ministry (rather than just what to teach). Students need gospel-centered ministries grounded in the Word of God.