ReImagine Youth Ministry:.
Part 2
Excerpts on the unfolding nature of youth ministry within the emerging church, from the ReImagine course with Biblical Seminary and Etrek.
We need to re-imagine it [youth ministry] as ministry. We're here because we enjoy kids, we can deal with things others can't- so we're good at things that distract us from ministry, and we get affirmed for that."
-Kenda Dean
Youth ministry is ministry. It's somethings so many youth pastors intuitively understand. If they didn't believe it to be so, they would be less likely to pour their lives in to local youth ministry. Youth pastors believe youth ministry makes a difference and church leaders want to believe that youth ministry makes a difference. But the longer a pastor invests in youth the deep the discontent with the actual difference their ministry is making. In other words, youth ministry veterans are finding that, what Jim Hancock refers to as "raising adults" is not happing on the scale we are hoping for.
Here's the catch.
We are not evaluated with the right measures.
If we have 500 kids in a church of 1000 people we consider it a success, but if only 80 of those kids are actually following Jesus when they are 28 are we really being faithful?
I'm not against counting kids. I'd just prefer to count the right kids. In a world that values immediate results we really only value how many kids we had last Sunday morning. Functionally we don't really value the kids who were present 10 years ago Sunday morning. This begs the question. Do we actually value the teens who will be here next Sunday?
The most premier youth ministries in the country retain 25-30% of their kids within the church. Some studies show 50%, but that seems a bit optimistic.
What do we really value in our churches when it comes to youth ministry. Often it is a power issue. Who holds the power? Who is it most important to please? Parents.
The average youth ministry is built upon the expectations of adults rather than the needs of students. If you can get your head around this simple fact you'll go far.
Whether it be the idealistic emerging pastor who say's "we'll never have a youth pastor" (when there are only 5 high school students in their current church) or the parent who demands an active, appropriate, educational program that will be designed so my kids needs are met. Both are missing the point. Their ideals are being pressed upon the teens, and that's not missional, just more of the same.
The youth of today are being colonized into adulthood and they don't like it.
The emerging church leaders and parents in every other church may do well to listen carefully to the teens within their community to discover what ministry might look like. Certainly not every church needs a youth pastor, but ever church does need advocates for those who are often the least of these within their churches. Teens and children.
So youth pastors, tie yourself to the mast as you sail past the siren's songs of praise for your big numbers and active programs. Don't reject numbers, but begin to measure the right things. Then remember that 80% of what really matters can't be measured. Be a pastor who listens to God and listens to kids. Youth Ministry in America is rapidly become a social justice issue and the youth ministries of the local church are the frontlines for the kingdom of God breaking through.
Part 2
Excerpts on the unfolding nature of youth ministry within the emerging church, from the ReImagine course with Biblical Seminary and Etrek.
We need to re-imagine it [youth ministry] as ministry. We're here because we enjoy kids, we can deal with things others can't- so we're good at things that distract us from ministry, and we get affirmed for that."
-Kenda Dean
Youth ministry is ministry. It's somethings so many youth pastors intuitively understand. If they didn't believe it to be so, they would be less likely to pour their lives in to local youth ministry. Youth pastors believe youth ministry makes a difference and church leaders want to believe that youth ministry makes a difference. But the longer a pastor invests in youth the deep the discontent with the actual difference their ministry is making. In other words, youth ministry veterans are finding that, what Jim Hancock refers to as "raising adults" is not happing on the scale we are hoping for.
Here's the catch.
We are not evaluated with the right measures.
If we have 500 kids in a church of 1000 people we consider it a success, but if only 80 of those kids are actually following Jesus when they are 28 are we really being faithful?
I'm not against counting kids. I'd just prefer to count the right kids. In a world that values immediate results we really only value how many kids we had last Sunday morning. Functionally we don't really value the kids who were present 10 years ago Sunday morning. This begs the question. Do we actually value the teens who will be here next Sunday?
The most premier youth ministries in the country retain 25-30% of their kids within the church. Some studies show 50%, but that seems a bit optimistic.
What do we really value in our churches when it comes to youth ministry. Often it is a power issue. Who holds the power? Who is it most important to please? Parents.
The average youth ministry is built upon the expectations of adults rather than the needs of students. If you can get your head around this simple fact you'll go far.
Whether it be the idealistic emerging pastor who say's "we'll never have a youth pastor" (when there are only 5 high school students in their current church) or the parent who demands an active, appropriate, educational program that will be designed so my kids needs are met. Both are missing the point. Their ideals are being pressed upon the teens, and that's not missional, just more of the same.
The youth of today are being colonized into adulthood and they don't like it.
The emerging church leaders and parents in every other church may do well to listen carefully to the teens within their community to discover what ministry might look like. Certainly not every church needs a youth pastor, but ever church does need advocates for those who are often the least of these within their churches. Teens and children.
So youth pastors, tie yourself to the mast as you sail past the siren's songs of praise for your big numbers and active programs. Don't reject numbers, but begin to measure the right things. Then remember that 80% of what really matters can't be measured. Be a pastor who listens to God and listens to kids. Youth Ministry in America is rapidly become a social justice issue and the youth ministries of the local church are the frontlines for the kingdom of God breaking through.
posted by mark at
7:30 AM
4 Comments:
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Hi Mark
I read your blog via bloglines but this is my first time commenting (I think.) (And that was me who deleted the previous comment - not quite thought through...)
I totally agree with you about measuring the right things, not just scale and pure numbers. I've often thought that maybe we ought to be measuring kids that are still serving in some kind of ministry capacity after X years after graduation. And by serving in ministry, I don't neccessarily mean inside the church.
Here is a post of mine were I reflected on some of the same kinds of things. I was just thinking that I might do something like this at the end of every summer, sort of a yearly checkpoing if you will.
http://tonytsheng.blogspot.com/2005/08/state-of-03.html
Anyway, thanks for your posts and thoughts about youth ministry. Very intruiging stuff.
I really like your thoughts here and wished more people could see them and actually do something about them.
Keep with it. At least some of us are listening.
Mark,
Great blog, bro. I realize this post is a few weeks old, but I've just run onto it....so here's my thought.
I serve at the absolute healthiest church I know. Our ministry is fortunate enough to have supporters who are 'counting the right things'...for the most part.
However, I'm currently looking for a year-round, part-time associate youth pastor. We've got one or two FANTASTIC college students who have come through the ministry and are completely in love with Christ. I'd love to pursue them as staffers, but I seem to remember jesus mentioning something about a prophet having no honor in his hometown...
Any thoughts/wisdom on the pros and cons of having them? My main issue is having them as a banner which says to the MS and HS students, "Yes! Be faithful! God is important AFTER high school!"
but I'm conflicted...
keep up the great work!
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