youth work

I’ll be gone this week till Saturday night – so if you comment and I don’t comment back, I’m not ignoring you – I’m just not here!

I’ll be backpacking over Nason Ridge in the Cascade Mountains with 6 middle school kids. It should be an amazing time!

I’ll have stories and pics when I get back.

Keep us in your prayers!

Alright, I’m picking a fight here.

I think it’s flat stupid that that seminaries and colleges offer degrees and majors in Youth Ministry. I know you’ll probally tell me I’m crazy, but I think it’s dumb. What are your classes: Gross Games 101? How to have really edgy youth pastor hair 310? How to get stains off the sanctuary floor so the elders don’t get mad 420?

The part that I think is stupid is the fact that people try to sectionalize out youth. Youth are people too. Ministry is ministry. People are people. In any people group (age or culture) you must adapt to reach the group you’re working with. There’s no Senior Adult ministry degree. Most youth that I know who act stupid, will eventually become adults that act stupid. If you can’t work with people, then you can’t work with youth. You shouldn’t be taught ministry on an age graded scale. You’re not teaching school or learning how to entertain kids. You’re shepherding a flock. That part gets lost.

You want to be educated on the state of youth? I’ll save you thousands. Just buy a book by Chap Clark.

Think I’m wrong? Tell me why?

We left for Leavenworth, WA on Friday afternoon with 19 students. Most of the kids on this trip were pre-Christians (I favor that term to “non-believer”) and they came on the trip to simply have fun. Well they had fun, but they also experienced something much more. Something much deeper.

 We’d have devotionals in the morning and messages followed with small groups in the evenings. The Lord really showed up in these times. Our leaders entered into deep conversations with the students. And at the end of the weekend, 5 students made new decisions to follow Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior with many more recommitting their lives to Him.

It isn’t easy for students to go back home after these trips. They’ve made commitments for Christ, but now is the time integrate these commitments into their everyday lives. Change is never easy. Pray for them to continue to hold fast to the decisions they made.

I’ve started a guys group called Xn Fight Club, that meets in my home Thursdays. It’s comprised of mainly non-believers and no-longer-believers with some not-sure-what-I-believers. I want to share part of a conversation we delved into this week.

Well let me also let it be known, that this is not a bible study or anything of that nature. I’m looking to wake up this group of 7 young men (ages 16-19). And my goal isn’t to make them good, because I was reminded this week that “Jesus did not come to make bad people good, but came to make the dead alive (Ravi Zacharias).” Life is what I’m seeking and it’s what these boys need.

Back to the conversation.

This was something I take no credit in, I was just blessed to be apart of this. We began to talk about what their thought about God were. Brian (not his real name), one of the young men said that, “I don’t want to be a Christian because I’ve never seen a good one. And besides every time I go to church I either fall asleep or get an endless list of rules I have to do. I’ve tired it and there’s nothing there for me.” I love openings like that one.

I discussed with the rest of the group about their opinions on the subject. Most agreed inpart to what he was saying.

Then it came to me (meaning, not my own thoughts) and I asked them: ”What if we’ve missed the point of Christianity. What if all you see is wrong! What if you’re right. But would it piss you off if these people were standing between you and finding true life in Christ?”

Brian rebutted, ”You mean, like, someone’s got my million dollars in this room and they won’t let me get to it? Well I’d do anything to push past them and get what is mine! Da*n them, they need to get out of my way!”

Then I asked them if they’d be willing to forget what they’ve seen, heard, or been through and embark upon a journey into finding out who Christ really was. And remarkably they said, “yes.” These young men don’t want to hear what they’re doing wrong. They aren’t looking to follow any rules or conform. But what they do want is a journey, an adventure and someone to walk it out with. They want a Savior King, but just haven’t seen Him yet. Pray that their eyes are opened to the Lord as we continue on. It’s going to get interesting.

[to be continued...]

Do we ever truly escape High School? For some reason, it’s such an awkward, yet influential time in our lives. It’s one that really scars and embeds itself upon us. So why do those 4 years hold such weight upon us?

 When I think back and look at who I was, I’m amazed at who I have become. I used to look at that teenage boy with such horrible disdain. But over the years I’ve begun to realized I was just a kid trying to get by the best way I could.

I see that in the kids I work with. They’re just trying to get by, to survive. 

So when you see teenagers on the street, with their piercings and baggy pants. Don’t scoff at them, just realize that they’re trying to survive the best way they know. And also remember that behind the exterior was the same scared soul that you were years back.

This isn’t really a recap or review… but more of a stream bits from the past week. The conference is really hard to package and summarize, so I’ll just let the bits out as they leak out of my ears.

The first bit of business…. THE BEST BAND FROM YS:

Starfield!

Ha ha. I’m kidding. Oh my gosh I’m kidding. For some reason those guys rub me wrong. I just don’t like ‘em. Maybe it’s because we got them instead of Crower for a worship band or because they seem like American Eagle/Abercrombie Rockers. Either way, they were not the best band of YS.

That honor goes to:

Leeland

Those guys rocked us out. An amazing blend of music and lyrics. I’m officially a fan now.

You should check them out too.

Leeland on MYSPACE

Official band site

Honorable mention to: Big Daddy Weave. They’re a great live band and really humble guys.

This week’s a bit different. You’re not guessing a bible story, but guessing the famous person in the pic (and no it’s not me!).

First person to guess wins!

For other weeks winners and games go here.