3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. 4 For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, 5 so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 6 Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; 7 if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; 8 the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness. -- Romans 12:3-8
For the past few years, I have felt the Lord leading me in a certain direction, and it seems to be a direction that is looked down upon by other Christians. I feel like I am being led into youth ministry, specifically...church kids, like myself.
I can already hear some groans. Why on earth would I be called to minister to church kids? I mean, aren’t there millions of poor, starving people out there who have never heard about Christ? I must just be lazy, or even scared. I must just be trying to stay in my comfort zone.
Why spend time ministering to kids who have been raised in church by believing parents? Who are in good schools receiving a good education? Who have all their needs and many of their wants met? Why not pour all resources available into reaching the poor, needy, and lost?
Why? Because church kids need Jesus too.
Before I go any further, let me define what I mean by “church kids.” When I say this, I am referring to those who have one or more believing parents and have grown up in a church. Church kids participate in many church activities, most commonly their church’s youth group. They often have a lot of head knowledge about Christ and the Scriptures, but it does not necessarily mean they have a relationship with Christ. So by church kids, I do not mean Christian kids, although a large portion of church kids certainly are Christians. I myself am a church kid.
In just my few brief experiences working with youth groups, I have talked with many of these church kids. They seem to have it all together, at least outwardly. Man, I know that feeling. But like myself, just under the surface, there oftentimes lies a complete mess.
The Church today generally places most of its focus into reaching the unreached and at-risk kids in our communities. I specify “focus,” because the Church often pours plenty of resources into its own youth programs, sometimes too many. These programs often turn into glorified baby-sitting services.
Cool, cutting-edge, and entertaining, these youth worship experiences often center on the individual and his or her own personal experience. They go a long way toward helping our youth appear godly, making the Church feel much better about itself. But what kind of serious, authentic heart change is taking place? Are these youth being prepared to go out in the world after high school, become leaders in their churches, and advance the Kingdom themselves?
But while the Church’s youth manage to go through 6 years of youth group, graduate, and then leave the Church in droves, the Church remains blind. “They’re in church. They must be okay,” is still the mindset. “Let’s focus on those not in church.”
Not that it’s a bad thing to bring in the unchurched. That’s awesome! But when you bring them in to the already faulty system without addressing the root problem, you’re just feeding that problem.
If the Church wants to have a true impact on the next generation, on the young people who will be the leaders of tomorrow, it has to begin with its own.
The Kingdom of God is not designed to advance by blitzkrieg. Too often there is a “save-and-move-on” strategy. So many are reached with the gospel and caught up in some powerful moment, but as soon as the actual presence of the “invading force” has moved on to the next spiritual conquest, they quickly slip back to the old regime. It’s not enough to just have kids in a church. That much has been proven in America today as the Church’s next generation can’t seem to run away fast enough.
These youth need ministry, real ministry. They need people who don’t just expect them to come to church and behave, but they need people who care about them, love them, and are willing to invest in their lives, even self-sacrificially. They don’t need to be sequestered in some brightly-colored room with couches to just do their own “youth thing.” They need to be integrated into the church and have opportunities to minister themselves. Not just coordinated group mission trips or service days, but opportunities where their own individual, unique gifts and talents can be applied in the Church to the glory of God and for the advancement of His Kingdom.
Youth do not need to be coddled or to be entertained. They don’t just need people who will laugh with them; they need people who will cry with them and listen to them. People who will take time to get to know them and minister to their needs, not just a one-size-fits-all ministry strategy. Most of all, they need to be challenged. Youth today are bogged down by low expectations. (For more on this, check out http://www.therebelution.com/) They don’t just need ministry; they need to be able to minister!
The Church is not ignoring the problems facing its youth, but it’s trying to fix the problem with a brightly-colored band-aid when reconstructive surgery is needed.
This is why I feel called to youth ministry. I believe God has gifted me and given me life experiences that allow me to relate to this huge population of church kids. After all, I am one of them myself. As the World Magazine editor Marvin Olasky said,
“With much attention paid to converts, teens who grow up in the church sometimesThis is a problem. Converts are so important, but until the Church starts focusing on the youth within its own four walls, we will continue to see its next generation flooding out.
feel like second-class citizens in their own home towns.”
Obviously, we are all called, as Christians, to outreach of some form or fashion. And it is very true that we often grow so much more when we step out of our comfort zones and go new, sometimes dangerous, places. All Christians need to look for opportunities of service and outreach, not just in their own circles, but also out in the world.
All that I am saying is that within what many would call my “comfort zone,” I see a great need for ministry. Besides, I doubt you’ll find anyone who has done much work with youth in the church who will tell you it is all fun and games. Even in just my limited experience, I have been angry, frustrated, confused, etc., but I still love it. Many times, it’s not very rewarding, but it needs to be done.
I write this blog post partially to talk about the needs of church kids, but also to say that within the Body of Christ we are all called to different types of ministry. You don’t need to go live in deepest darkest Africa to be a true servant of Christ, unless that’s where He has called you. In fact, if He’s called us to serve Him right where we are, we would be disobedient to insist on serving Him overseas!
As Christians, we need to be supportive of each other. We need to thank God everyday for our brothers and sisters who are called to the areas of ministry where we are just not gifted or where we are not called ourselves. We should also not feel confined to our one niche either. Mission trips and volunteer service in the community are very important for the Church, no matter who you are.
I encourage you to look at how God has specifically gifted you. Take into account the life experiences and skills He has given you. Even take into account your own desires for ministry! Many times He uses our own desires to point us where He wants us to go! Of course, He sometimes calls us to go against those desires. We must be open to His calling, no matter what whether it’s to deepest darkest Africa or to the youth classroom in our local church.
-- btw...a good book to read on this topic is Growing Up Christian by Karl Graustein. Check out the website at http://www.growingupchristian.com/
