I'm working today on the Youth Calendar for 2008. My goal is to have a hard copy of a calendar that has all the information a parent could need or want for 2008 as they make plans to encourage their teen to get involved in the youth ministry of NHC.
The more I think about our youth ministry and where it is at in 2007, the more I realize it is time for an adjustment, changes. Not changing simply for the sake of change but changing to make an impact in the lives of students. Why? If 80% of Christian teens are walking away from their faith and church upon graduating from high school something has gone severely wrong.
For years the church has said, "Bring us your children and let us teach them the Bible". The result of this mindset, I believe, is the statistic mentioned above that is alarming us today. Students should be discipled and taught the Bible by their parents. That's what God instructs us to do in Deut. 11:19,20.
I think it is time for youth ministry to shift and become youth ministry through the parents. How is that going to happen? I guess that might take some time to figure out.
When was the last time you read the Bible with your teen? Just wondering.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
New Site is up and Running
My new web site which now hosts my blog posts is up and fully functional. You can check it out at andylawrenson.com . There is also a ...
2 comments:
It is really good to hear another youth pastor say that! For a little over a year (at my current church) I've been saying the ministry needs to make a shift towards ministering to the parents. . .helping them to become better disciplers to their children.
Of course I've been told I'm wrong a whole lot and that "a youth pastor's job is to minister to the youth, not the adults".
The more and more I see a lack of dedication and the lack of seeing the relevancy of God in our youth the more I've seen this as the way the youth has been raised.
I think this will be the next shift in youth ministry on a national level, but I also think it will take a few years to make the complete shift.
Post a Comment