I remember a day when schools had value for churches' weekly programs and never planned activities on Wednesday night. What happened? Is youth group outdated? Does it meet your needs anymore? Between sports, jobs, movies, dance, drama, and shopping is there really any place for the community formerly known as a youth group? Back "in my day," youth group was my community. Sure I had friends at my school. I participated in extra-curricular activities. But when it came down to it, I wanted to be at every weekly activity. I wanted to go to every camp and every trip. Youth group was my spiritual, emotional, and social food. Does it work that way anymore? As a youth pastor, what should I expect from the teens in my group? Should I be happy with them coming to youth group only if there is nothing else important going on? I'm just not ok with that. Junior high and high school are some of the most important days of ones life. I care too much about the teens in my group to let them pick church last.
Soapbox: What's with teens getting jobs at 15? They have the rest of their lives to work. Let them be a teenager. Working at 15 is not going to give them better work ethic, it is going to teach them at a young age what it is to desire more and more money to get more and more things. Working for a living is important as an adult, but there are many more other important things a teenager should do with his/her time than flip burgers.
Off Soapbox.
I want to be relevant. I want to be real. I want my youth group to be the type of place that kids want to be a part of. What is relevant to you? Why do you like going everywhere else besides youth group? What can we do together to make it better?
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5 comments:
Great first post. These are good questions and I hope your teens will read and respond. Both here in the comments but also in their actions and priorities. I agree with you that kids don't need jobs. As a nation full of workaholics we need kids to understand the value of enjoying life and hanging out with friends more than work more so I can buy more stuff.
hey sherri.
I understand the questions you are asking in here.
But referring to the getting the jobs at 15, well my dad has always said you should start now so you will have experience when you are older and its good and fun to have a job when you are younger. And i personally love working. Its haha actually a hobby of mine. I love to work. But i understand how when you have a job it can take away
Maybe the traditional way we've done things for years is the problem. Lifestyles have changed and we have to meet people where they are. I've notice that the LDS church has been pretty successful meeting before school, during student lunch times, and briefly after school. Maybe we could try out other options for meeting times.
I do agree that we must start being creative with youth ministry, but one thing I do not want to become like is the LDS church. Christianity is about having a relationship with Christ, and in that relationship priorities are set. My hope is that students will have a desire to come to their youth group community because their relationship with Christ is growing closer. My desire is that they go into their schools are start to make a difference not because they are told to but because they have a relationship with Christ. I would never want to force students to attend youth group whether it was in the evening or before school.
Well written article.
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