Well, it’s Friday. Not feeling serious. Not feeling well, but then who does all the time? I have no idea where this came from. But the next time you’re on a plane or in a restaurant and have to go so bad that your bladder feels like it’s about 50 lbs., just try this to get you through. Enjoy!
JS
(Parts 5 and 6 to this series have been inspired by and borrowed from a message preached February 2006 by Voddie Baucham entitled, “The Centrality of the Home”. You can listen to it here.)
Here’s possibly the strongest argument against YM in the way that it is commonly presented in several churches across the land. Please keep in mind this does not apply to all youth ministry programs, but most.
In its current form, youth ministry today commonly goes directly against God’s will by pointing youth away from the 5th commandment and the context in which it was given.
What? Did you get that? How in the world could a ministry go against God’s Word and what does it have to do with the 5th commandment?
In Deuteronomy 5:16 we get the 5th commandment. That is the first of the horizontal commandments. In other words, it was the first command given to the community of faith, as opposed to the first four commandments that are vertical, or between an individual and God. We’ll see it referenced in Ephesians 6:2-3.
Now, let’s look at this in the NT.
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER (which is the first commandment with a promise), SO THAT IT MAY BE WELL WITH YOU, AND THAT YOU MAY LIVE LONG ON THE EARTH. Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. (Ephesians 6:1-4)
At first glance, this looks like nothing more than an instruction for youth to obey their parents. However, if you take this in context, it begins to take a different tone. To take this in context, due to end of paragraphs and a borrowed verb, we have to go all the way back to Ephesians 5:15-21 to get Ephesians 6:1-4 in context.
In this we get three contrasts, three commands and then three applicable contexts.
Three Contrasts
Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, (Ephesians 5:15-18)
Paul tells us three contrasts:
1 – walk not as unwise but as wise
2 – don’t be foolish, but understand the will of the Lord
3 – don’t get drunk with wine, be filled with the Spirit
Attached to the third contrast are the following three commands.
Three Commands
speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father; and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ. (Ephesians 5:19-21)
Paul tells us three commands:
1 – addressing each other in psalms and hymns…singing
2 – giving thanks always and everything to the Lord
3 – submitting to one another out of reverence to Christ
Attached to the third command, you get three contexts.
Three Contexts
The three contexts are in the next several verses. He gives us this in the contexts of:
1 – Wives and Husbands
2 - Children and Parents
3 – Slaves and Masters
So we have three commands and three applications in which to apply them. So how does this apply to youth? What in the wide world of sports does this have to do with youth ministry?
Based on the breakdown above, I think you could make the case that:
#1 and #2 can are the easy ones. #3 is where we get into trouble today with youth ministry. Why? Simple. The focus is applied in the wrong areas.
Here’s a snippet from “The Centrality Of The Home” (listen to complete message here) referring to Ephesians 6:1 after understanding it in context from Ephesians 5:21 …
Here is what he’s [Paul] saying in verse 1. Show me a child who is not submissive to their parents’ authority, and I’ll show you a child that is not yielding to the Spirit of God. Which means if we want to lead children towards being Spirit-filled, we don’t lead them toward the youth pastor, we lead them toward mom and dad. Because the measure of their yielding to the Spirit of God is whether or not when their parents say something they do what they’re told, when they’re told and with a respectful attitude. That’s what obedience is. (Voddie Baucham, “The Centrality of The Home”. Feb. 2006)
So do we get rid of youth pastors and youth programs? Absolutely not. They are a key asset to ministry when their approach is lined up with the Word. However, the common approach of the last three decades has fallen victim to popularity contests, obsessions with full parking lots, heavy on entertainment and light on theology, and an outright refusal to give parents the tools to help them disciple their children.
Youth ministries that rob parents of their spiritual authority over their children and/or fail to “equip the saints” (Ephesians 4:12) are the most threatening recent trend to the vitality of future Christian generations.
How are they robbing parents of spiritual authority over their youth? Here’s the most common blunders:
Perhaps the biggest blunder is refusing to admit that there is a problem in our current approach and failing to repent and seek a new direction from God. One that is based more on Biblical truth than cultural trends.
JS
The news today told a story that could represent the epitome of the tragic state of youth and family discipleship today. Because of lack of effort of family discipling and not showing them the sovereign, powerful, loving savior, Jesus Christ. End result, they turn to what the world can offer, and flood themselves with it while their soul dies out.
The Intelligencer Wheeling News-Register reported of a teen who died after being struck by a train while walking along the tracks. My thoughts are prayers are with the family. I hope the young man knew Jesus.
Sheriff James Hoskins said Andrew Haslam, a 2008 graduate of Valley High School and resident of Porter's Falls, was wearing headphones while walking at about 6:55 p.m. and did not hear the audible warnings the engineer sounded to alert Haslam a train was approaching him from behind.
Failure At Home
If we as parents continue to fail to hear warnings of the declining number of youth by their freshman year of college at record rates, it will have fatal results.
We have started an organized form of family discipleship in our house. “Organized” in the sense of time set aside without TV, cell phones, etc. gathered around in the living room. It doesn’t have to be fancy or setup with an order of worship. It is simply time gathered where we pray, worship, and study the Word together as a family. We start out with a song on CD while in an attitude of prayer, take on a random topic (the JCQs are awesome conversation starters, get them here), discuss it with scripture that addresses it, talk about things in our lives we need to pray about with each other, close by a round-robin type prayer and another song.
I’m not saying this is the only way to do family discipleship, but it is a start. We are currently meeting 3 nights a week and eventually will try every night. That’s how important this is. That is how much I want my kids to have the Word intertwined so much that when their out of my sight at the mall, at their friends, at college, etc. they have a prism to filter their decisions through, the Word of God. They cannot develop that one or two days a week, with an hour here and an hour there. (Not that there’s anything wrong with fellowship with other believers, but it shouldn’t be the primary source.)
“Family Driven Faith” by Voddie Baucham is a great place to start with family discipleship. You can buy it here. It is a book that every parent desiring to raise godly children should read. Perhaps book review coming soon? Also check out “What He Must Be…If He Wants to Marry My Daughter”. This is an invaluable helper not only for fathers and daughters, but for fathers and sons as well.
Failure At Church
If we as youth leaders fail to deliver a real picture of Jesus, including sovereignty, power, love, forgiveness, righteousness, etc., the world will be happy to step up and fill that void.
When showing Christ to youth, the most obvious way is to live it out in front of them. One thing I’ve learned about youth over time is that they are incredible judges of character and often will see right through a false pretense. And once you’ve lost that credibility, it’s next to impossible to get any back.
One thing I learned from Rick Lawrence in “Jesus Centered Youth Ministry” is that you can’t give youth the candy-coated “Jesus is your friend” version of the Gospel and expect them to recognize it with the importance they should. We need to get beyond the “Jesus is only love” mantra and give a complete picture. Let me ask you this,
if you had to walk down a dark alley, the alley representing all the garbage in the world around, in the middle of the night, with thieves, killers, sex addicts, drug addicts, etc. at every turn, are you going to want a “lovey-dovey friend” to go with you or a mighty warrior versed in all types of urban warfare with zero chance of failure who cares enough to give His life for yours?
That’s what I thought. So we have to give youth the real Jesus. The Jesus who will resist the temptations of this world and rebuke the enemy (Matthew 4:1-11). The Jesus who cares enough to weep with us (John 11:35). The Jesus who overpowers death (Matthew 28:1-10). Once they get a hold of this, the Holy Spirit is more than capable of working in their lives without us having to put on a dog and pony show. Amen!
JS
(Parts 5 and 6 to this series have been inspired by and borrowed from a message preached February 2006 by Voddie Baucham entitled, “The Centrality of the Home”. You can listen to it here.)
Parents. Plain and simple. It' is not the job of the pastor, youth pastor, elders – or anyone else to disciple and evangelize youth. It is the parents job plain and simple. The argument could be made that the church’s failure to hold parents responsible to their discipling and evangelizing duties is the biggest Achilles’ heel.
In its current form, youth ministry today commonly goes directly against God’s will by pointing youth away from the 5th commandment and the context in which it was given.
What? Did you get that? How in the world could a ministry go against God’s word and what does it have to do with the 5th commandment? More on this in Part 6.
In Deuteronomy 5:16 we get the 5th commandment. That is the first of the horizontal commandments. In other words, it was the first command given to the community of faith, as opposed to the first four commandments that are vertical, or between an individual and God. I’ve often wondered if God placed it there for a reason. If He placed it there above all the other horizontal commandments, to show the importance of a key task to ensure His people would survive in a pagan culture.
Then we see in Deuteronomy 6:4-9 Moses commanding the people of Israel to disciple their children. Why? Because the Israelites were going into a pagan land. The only way that they were going to survive and not disappear among the pagan majority was to obviously “multiply greatly” (Deuteronomy 6:3) and to “teach them diligently” (Deuteronomy 6:7). My my, doesn’t that sound like the world we live in today? This could be applied to current times we live in and advice for the church body today in order not to disappear into the world.
But no, we give parents a pass. They’re allowed to drop off their kids at will for their weekly dose of Jesus.
How can the best orchestrated service with the best youth speaker with the best worship music in the coolest, inviting environment offset what parents allow to pour into their children all week long?
It can’t. It won’t. It never will. We are setting our kids up for failure in life later on by giving them an anemic “dose of the Ghost”.
By God’s design, parents are already equipped to disciple and evangelize their children. Most, including myself just need some help and guidance. But, because ministry had become so professionalized, parents often feel disempowered to sit down and pray, read the Bible, or worship with their children outside of the church.
Why are churches not offering more help to parents? Why are their no workshops, Bible studies, books, prayer services, etc. being implemented with importance specifically aimed and encouraging and equipping for family discipleship? Are we afraid of offending parents by holding them responsible? Here is the best analogy I have found to date regarding youth ministry and the lack of accountability in the church regarding parental discipleship and evangelism.
If there is a group of people not tithing in church, do you go and start a ministry to tithe for them? No. You teach them how to tithe and you hold them responsible for it. Isn’t it funny how we think that will work for tithing but not for youth ministry?
(Voddie Baucham in a message, “The Centrality of The Home”. Feb. 2006)
Moses listened to God and understood the importance of the home. He recognized the potential devastating ramifications of failing to disciple our kids and teach them the Word of God in our homes on a daily basis. He bravely stood up and sounded the alarm. Funny how doing the same in today’s church has become taboo.
JS
It’s been a while, but hopefully I’ll be able to finish this series within the next week.
Tell your senior pastor that you want to take the youth in a new direction, and his brow will raise. Step out a bit further and mention that you think one of the reasons you think things are struggling is because your searching for direction for a ministry that not specifically outlined in the Bible and he’ll raise both eyebrows and cross his arms. Throw in a remark that there’s technically no steadfast biblical mandate for it and he may lose his cool as you lose your job. Eventually the dust will settle and if nothing else, the inconvenient truth you’ve revealed will have to be dealt with.
One of the most vital parts of any ministry is the simplest. How does is line up with scripture? Most youth ministries today fall flat on their face when held up to scripture. Why?
It’s Not There
For example…The most common argument for a YM striving for validity is the “Titus 2” approach. When you consider factors such as age closeness among the young ladies and separation of groups, this argument is laughable at best. To go even further, do these types of youth ministries really take verses like Titus 2:3-5 in the sense that Paul tells us? For example, I have yet to see a youth ministry that, “teaches young women about motherhood, homemaking, child rearing and biblical submission..” (VBM, Youth Ministry: Part 2).
Consider these thoughts from Mike Yaconelli. This guy was a pioneer for youth ministry. Watch this video. I love it. Churches need to take heed to it. After you see this guy in action and how big of a heart and mind he has for youth ministry, then, consider the following quote from him…
"[T]he curtain must be pulled back. If we are to keep young people involved in the church and if we are to renew our congregations, we first must acknowledge that many of our current forms of youth ministry are destructive." (Mike Yaconelli,"Youth Ministry: A Contemplative Approach,)
While you’ll get berated with every scripture from Genesis to Revelation referencing a young person, you’ll not hear one that solidly outlines youth ministry. And, if you try and pursue something different than what we have come to know as the “norm”, and try to line it up with scripture, you’ll get lined up with other youth workers who have sounded the same alarm. Ouch.
JS
Wow. You hear about it all the time, yet it never quite hits home until you see it first hand. I’m talking about Pulpit Pimps defined as…
Pulpit Pimps (pul-pit pimps)
One who prostitutes the Gospel of Jesus Christ for financial benefit while members of the congregation are dying in their sin lacking being fed spiritually
My daughter and I were recently off for a weekend enjoying the mighty Detroit Red Wings (they won of course) and were in a city where a supposed phenomenal ministry lived. So, we rose early Sunday to check it out before the game.
Though you may figure it out, I’ll not name the church or the pastor, as that is not the point here. I just want to draw attention to such abominations in the church landscape and hope that they are called out and that they see the devastation they are causing in the Kingdom.
We were greeted at the doors like any other church. As we walked in the sanctuary, it was overwhelming seeing the extravagant layout on the supposed pulpit and thousands upon thousands of seats. So far, so good.
Worship began with music (I think it’s laughable when pastors say “after worship…” Shouldn’t worship continue through the whole service?). The music was very inviting as vocalists and musicians sang out praises backed by a ginormous choir. Although most of the music part of worship seemed authentic, there were several times it bordered on entertainment, especially when the pastor took over it later on in the service (dancing around singing R. Kelly’s “I Believe I Can Fly”…probably thinking about all the money about to come in).
On to the message (or whatever was about to take place). After music, a gentleman appeared and like an emcee winding up a crowd at some event, verbally played up the pastor about to appear. Awkward, but we were still going along.
Enter the pastor. He started out directing the church to 1 Timothy 3. However, we never really made it there. He was quickly distracted to a member’s testimony. At the end of a heart-wrenching moment of the climax of this man’s testimony, WHAM! he get’s knocked upside the head and laid out on the stage. One down several more to go.
You see, there was no message. There was only feel good stories of testimonies that always ended with a reference to money. Want to be free from debt, give money. Want to end your woes of meekness, give money. Want healed, give money. And on and on and on and on.
This church has a prep school and bible college. But at it’s heart is an amount of hollowness and deceit that is criminal. This is what happens when people are out of their mind and see godliness as a means of gain (1 Timothy 6:5).
I believe pastors should be well compensated. It’s one of the hardest jobs on earth. However, godliness is not in the car you drive or the suits you wear. Pastors should “Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness.” (1 Timothy 6:11)
Let me ask you something,
What benefit is it to the lost person that may have wondered in to this dog and pony show? How is going around wackin’ people on the head and talking about money going to do anything for that person?
There is no benefit. Only to the pocket of the pastor.
We have people dying everyday in their sin of homosexuality, addiction, fornication, abuse, etc. and abominations like these Pulpit Pimp$ thriving off it.
In taking all of this in, I go back to Matthew 21:12-17 where Jesus drives out the money changers in the temple. Yes, Pulpit Pimp$, your day is coming. Jesus will clean out the temple and return it to a ‘house of prayer’ and not the ‘den of robbers’ (Matthew 21:13) you have allowed it to become.
JS
DISCLAIMER: Ring in all the feminists, they’ll have a field day with this one. I predict that comments to this post will be inundated with snide remarks about me being a sexist. If that makes you feel better, good for you.
As most know, the WVU Mountaineers have put yet another chink in our armor of great Mountaineer tradition yet again. Yes, Morgantown we have a problem. The Mountaineers will be represented for the second time in history by a female mascot. This is a loaded gun for a conversation starter eh? Let’s fire it and see what happens.
This is just another step towards the feminization of America, plain and simple. I believe that men and women are equal. Before I discuss this, understand that I am approaching it by viewing this as yet another step for the egalitarianism movement. That is that there is a difference between equality and egality. The egalitarianism movement could be seen as yet anther extension of beliefs of those such as Margaret Sanger who wish to erase all lines between men and women. This in turn robs society of its capabilities of success.
In the scope of Mountaineer tradition, we lose the tough, burly image so dearly cherished that represents the ruggedness that is embodied in the statue in Morgantown. Lost are visions of a Mountaineer scoping out the mountain landscape in search for game for food and clothing. Gone is the pride in stepping into an opponents stadium with a masculine mascot to portray your team.
I understand that there are very successful female sports teams, and they are great. They represent the school with pride and greatness with their commitment. However, facts are facts, those sports pale in comparison to the impact of representation they have on our state in the national college sports spotlight.
WVMetroNews anchor Hoppy Kercheval approves it based on requirements on paper and that,
“The statue in Morgantown doesn’t have beard or coonskin hat for that matter”
Hey Hoppy, it doesn’t have breasts either! What’s next, a mascot costume with a rawhide skirt?
While I do not think this is a step in the right direction for the aforementioned reasons, it will bring out the worst in people for others. Several will make ignorant sexist remarks and verbally attack this young woman. This is yet another reason to rethink this. Is proving a point worth putting a young lady through the thersitical abuse that she will take?
JS
The Catholic church has done it again. Through their Canon Laws and Church Teachings, they have yet again moved in opposition of scripture. The mother of a young woman was excommunicated from the church for having an abortion.
Before we go any further, let me say that abortion is murder. And I’ll even go further to say that you cannot hold on to the claims of being a Christian and support abortion. The circumstances of this story are very, very rare and only account for an extreme minority of the reasons people have abortions. Furthermore, in this extenuating situation, I would say the decision would be between mother/daughter and God. My advice to them would be to seek God’s advice. (James 1:5)
As most of you know, my focus is youth and youth ministry. So why blog about this particular story? Try this on for size. The ‘young woman’ that had the abortion was only 9 years old. In addition, the pregnancy was the result of being raped by her step-father and she was bearing twins. A tragedy for all involved.
There are many facets of this story to write about. I will attempt to sum a few of them up. Feel free to comment about it. I’d be interested in hearing your take. Here goes…
First, even though this is an irreprehensible decision, you know kicking a brother or sister while their down, you cannot fault Archbishop Jose Cardoso Sobrinho. He was just doing his job according the Canon Law. Canon Law 1398 says,
Can. 1398
A person who procures a completed abortion incurs a latae sententiae excommunication.
If I were still a Catholic from my childhood days, I would struggle with decisions like this. I believe that if you’re going to be a Catholic, then be a Catholic. And if you are a Catholic, then you are bound by Canon Law and other traditions beyond scripture.
It’s things like Can. 1398 that contradict the Bible. Catholics would be hard pressed to defend stances based on the logic used in this miserable attempt of righteous judgment.
Preface each of these questions with “According to scripture…”
Granted, not all sin is the same (Matthew 5:21-28). God will judge each sin accordingly (Luke 10:12, 14). But, who are we to pass that judgment here on earth by removing brothers and sisters in Christ from the body?
In addition to this, we see the ultimate in Catholic irony. First, I wonder how our Archbishop would explain to the masses how the step-father who raped the little girl could be forgiven, but not the mother of the victim? Second, I wonder how they overlook the fact that they are committing abortion too?
They are throwing the mother and child (the victims) out like yesterday’s garbage while the step-father (the criminal) can sling a few verbal prayers for penance and continue on his merry way.
Sin could best be described like this. Suppose we have a great, big picture glass window. That window represents God’s law. If you throw a rock (a.k.a. sin) through the window, it doesn’t matter if it’s a pebble or a boulder. Regardless the size of the hole in the window, it’s still broke. Regardless the type of sin, it’s still sin. How bold (or stupid) it is for a man to impose a judgment that only the Lord is capable of.
This girl has allegedly been raped repeatedly throughout the last 3 years (if you’re counting, since she was 6)! Instead of reaching out to the hurting, like Christ, the Catholic church sits on it’s man-made throne of illogical doctrine, wielding their Canon like a sword of judgment doing the enemy’s work by continuing to destroy this girl and her mother. God help us all.
JS
First, let me just say that Sack Chairs are the most comfortable thing in the world, barely edging out my Crocs. The National Youth Ministry Conference used them gathered in ‘pods’ for small group sessions throughout the convention center. They were available for purchase for 40% off when the conference was over.
Now, until you’ve seen these in person, you cannot fully grasp how big they are. I got a 6 ft. Original and Turtle bought a 6 ft. Zen Sack. The owner, Jeremy, was very skeptical that we would be able to take them home. You see, Turtle has a Nissan Altima, not the most spacious vehicle for transporting a Sack Chair, let alone 2!
However, as Sunday’s events wound down, we freaked out a Hyatt worker and swiped one of the luggage carts and rode it – ah hem – I mean pushed it to the convention center level to load up our Sack Chairs.
The work began in earnest as we realized the elevators were not made for such large objects. The cart resembled Rosie O’donnell on at moped. And trying to get into the elevator was similar to trying an push her and her moped into a closet. Anyhow, we made it through the elevators and then into the parking garage.
For some reason, the trunk looked a lot bigger before we got there with the Sack Chairs. It now seemed like we were going to try and put an angry hippo with a hernia into a rabbit hole. We removed the outer shell to allow air to escape more easily and got about 1/4 of it in. Turtle climbed in the back seat and assumed a position similar to that of childbirth (he should teach Lemas classes) and pulled it through the back as I was hitting it with my shoulder in a football-like charge from the rear. Turtle’s Zen Sack was much easier as it consumed the entire back seat. A few pushes and it went right in to the car.
After we got them in, we successfully converted the Nissan Altima to a Nissan Cannoli. The “filling” got even more snug when we added our backpacks and suitcases. Below are some photos of us trying to unpack the sacks which was a bit tougher.
If you’ve followed this blog, you know that I’m in “transition” between youth ministries (YM), waiting to see where God will put me next. As my focus has shifted to the band and speaking engagements, I’ve continued to blog about Youth Ministry’s current state and we’re almost to the solution part.
About 6 months ago (when all seemed well on the ranch), I was blessed to have registered for the 2009 National Youth Ministry Conference in Columbus, OH. I was blessed even more when the church allowed me to attend even though our YM has taken a different direction.
I originally registered for Greg Stier’s “Deep and Wide Youth Ministry” track. However, Friday evening, I sat in on a panel discussion on “The State of Youth Ministry”. If you’re a regular reader, you know that I am not bashful about pointing out issues with YM no matter how painful they may be to talk about. This track was just a natural choice to quench my curiosity.
Upon listening, I discovered two things very quickly. First, that a vessel by the name of Rick Lawrence was graciously placed at this conference with an incredible anointing. Rick is a refreshing voice on the landscape of YM with his fingers accurately on the pulse of YM today. More in a minute.
Second, information that I have blogged about the past couple months was confirmed. That is that the majority of outstanding sticking points or issues that fellow youth workers are dealing with can be traced back to family discipleship.
That’s right, for all the stares, funny looks and verbal warnings I’ve taken, my instincts and discernment have been confirmed beyond any argument.
Rick Lawrence led perhaps one of the most vital tracks available that the NYMC entitled, “Jesus Centered Youth Ministry”. Wow. Something so simple, yet so far away from our youth today. A Jesus-centered approach to reaching our youth. Sounds like a no-brainer, but goes much deeper than that. I highly recommend you get his book.
It’s one thing to sit and learn from a great teacher or articulate speaker. But it’s another thing to be molded by an individual who is walking so close to Jesus, the the anointing is dripping off all over everyone in attendance.
Rick is one of the most authentic, anointed vessels that I have ever had the privilege of experiencing face to face. He stands firm in his convictions backed by scripture with a gentleness that is surprisingly effective.
Thanks Rick. You’ve changed my life. I’m making the beeline!
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