Posted on 05/09/2012 6:02:44 AM PDT by marshmallow
Should we abandon Youth Ministry? Patrick Archbold at the excellent Creative Minority Report has posted a provocative article headed Youth Ministry Has Failed. I agree with him that
We have 2,000 years of doctrine, liturgy, art, and music upon which to draw in order to bolster the faith and Catholic identity of our youth and we give them watered down doctrine, bad music, bad liturgy, and felt banners. Our youth deserve more.
He refers to an article on U.S.: Modern Youth Ministry a '50-Year Failed Experiment,' Say Pastors and quotes a section in which the view is advanced that "dividing children from adults at church is an unbiblical concept borrowed from humanistic philosophies."
This is worthy of discussion. Since I was a teenager myself, I have been involved in events which are specifically for young people - either teenagers or young adults. Coming into contact with home-schoolers and those organising Family Days of various sorts, I have come to see the advantage of having events for a mixed age group.
A standard criticism of home-schooling is that the children are deprived of socialising. Home-schoolers will naturally respond wryly that the kind of socialising that goes on in a narrow peer group at school is one of the reasons for home-schooling in the first place. At Youth Ministry events organised for a peer group, the question of discipline or "appropriate behaviour", call it what you will, often presents a major task for the organisers. There are usually statements on the invitation literature about standards of behaviour and sanctions. Somebody generally has to oversee these things and they can become a headache. I have also heard parents complain at times about the bad influences that their children are exposed to.
At Family Days and home-schooling events, this problem is markedly reduced.
(Excerpt) Read more at the-hermeneutic-of-continuity.blogspot.com ...
Unfortunately, too many churches would answer "your" instead of "you are".
My church still plays the same old geezer hymms from the turn of the last century. I just can't relate.
My church has drums, guitars, bongos, everything except an organ I haven't heard in nearly three years. Let's trade churches.
Some have done stuff to attract younger people. It’s just a matter of finding the right one. Again, it’s important that the church did not water down the message though.
I'm searching around and I can not find those numbers at all.
My pastor has asked the congregation multiple times "how many people have been saved through Sunday School"? It's easily 75%. Sunday School and youth ministry is an important part reaching kids on their level.
You mentioned that it should be the parents. That's a different topic all together. Parents can still be involved in their kids faith development even with Sunday School. That's not a Sunday School issue. that's a parenting issue. Which also might lead to the Sunday School numbers you posted so high. If the parents don't show interest in their kids Sunday School learning, why should the kids care?
I think this is an issue which cuts across all denominations.
Got that right.
The most recent White Horse Inn audio would probably be of interest to you: WHI-1100 Reforming Youth Ministry, Part 1.
"Holding tanks with pizza."
very well said!
I don’t doubt those numbers, but many, many people come back to the church in their early thirties after they are married and perhaps have children.
And they stay. It may be just a season of life issue.
What would the numbers be if there was no Sunday School? I would say, even higher. Like stated previously, some parents come back to church when their kids get involved with a program. That would kind of point to Sunday School being important. It plants a seed in the parents head that makes them want that for their kid (even if the parent has fell away from the church. If the parents didn’t fall away, then it’s a moot point b/c they obviously know the importance of Sunday School).
**What has failed, is the watering down of Christianity to try to attract people. This is done in both adult and youth ministries.**
So true.
We had one youth minister who was a fun person — everything was fun — hardly any learning.
Now we have a hard-working youth minister with larger classes and with the last half hour spent in front of the Holy Eucharist in the monstrance for prayer.
Our numbers have increased, but I think there is still room for growth.
With the fun person — everything was done their way. Now with the liturgy and doctrine person — a youth choir has started. Youth help with greeting people as they enter church (used to be called ushers), etc.
Godly leadership is unmeasurable.
Another thing I was wondering was whether the teens whined too much and parents caved in and didn’t send them to youth nights like they did First Communion classes??
I always took my kids, regardless of their whining, but have recently found out that one of them skipped and went down town and then returned when I came to pick him up.
Somewhere along the line a false philosophy was thrust into the Christian community that the youth would save the world. Christian adults were reduced to paying for extravagant trips for youth ministry experiences that should have been done in their community with adults serving as mentors. It is the responsibility of all adult Christians to train up youth in the way they should go.
Adults have pushed their responsibilities onto young people. According to this false philosphy young people are supposed to change the education system, stop drugs, sex, and every kind of sin while Christian adults just sit there and watch television shows that should not enter their homes.
What happened to the older women will teach the younger women, the men will train up their sons?
It is time to get back to the basics: all generations united together to reach the lost in every generation.
Somewhere along the line a false philosophy was thrust into the Christian community that the youth would save the world. Christian adults were reduced to paying for extravagant trips for youth ministry experiences that should have been done in their community with adults serving as mentors. It is the responsibility of all adult Christians to train up youth in the way they should go.
Adults have pushed their responsibilities onto young people. According to this false philosphy young people are supposed to change the education system, stop drugs, sex, and every kind of sin while Christian adults just sit there and watch television shows that should not enter their homes.
What happened to the older women will teach the younger women, the men will train up their sons?
It is time to get back to the basics: all generations united together to reach the lost in every generation.
That’s frustrating. On one hand, they need to develop their own faith or it won’t last. On the other hand, it’s your job to guide them towards that personal relationship.
What we have lost is family ministry. No longer are mothers home to teach their little ones right from wrong, to comfort them, or to just be there when needed.
We have become a ruled by lack of time and lack of enough money. Home seems for many to only be a please to sleep before the next rush rush day. A never ending process.
Our youth have been lost to the streets and street morals. They only trust in themselves and those around them.
We need real families, mom’s and dad’s who love each other and there kids enough to fight and pray their way through any and all difficulties.
Billy Graham feels very strongly that “Cradle to Grave Christianity” is the way of the future and I have to agree.
If you want your church to grow, start a strong children’s ministry. The parents will follow the children.
I agree.
The spirit and message of Christ is very idealistic and appealing to young people when it is delivered through the Holy Spirit.
Trying to make Jesus into a pop culture sensation, given the culture is the opposite of Jesus, has failed. Big surprise there.
Yes it is. It’s a matter of preaching the true message. Not watering it down. Using different methods to achieve that goal is not a bad thing. Using a piano, organ, acoustic guitar, electric guitar doesn’t make the church bad or not. It’s what is said with those instruments. Speaking behind a pulpit with a robe or standing with no pulpit with slacks and polo doesn’t matter as long as what’s being said is the word.
“What happened to the older women will teach the younger women, the men will train up their sons?”
They are called volunteers.
It works, too. The kids are being trained in a way that pleases God.
Don’t have a lifestyle. Have a philosophy.
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