isinginmycar
07-02-2004, 09:22 PM
[IMG]We are at the most exciting moment of youth ministry. Kids are more hungry, more interested and more open to spiritual things than ever before.
We are now seen as one of the most violent nations in the world. For the sake of communicating the Gospel, we need to make sure that we understand our culture.
Acts 17:16-34 contains a great model for examining culture. "We are living in a culture that is peppered with idols and we as Christians should be distressed." We are seeing a shift in the posture of the way that kids see spiritual things. There used to be a "disengaged apathy" toward spiritual things. Not only did they not care, but there was no deep sense of need. The posture today is "engaged skepticism". They are on the edge of their seat, but not necessarily agreeing with what is being said.
Three Basic Principles of Youth Ministry (from Acts 17:16-34)
1. Know the unchanging Word
In our church culture today, we are often calling people to change their lives, not leading them to do so. We need to remember that we have access to the written and revealed Word of God.
2. Know changing kids and their changing world
We need to remember where kids are in the normal developmental process, giving them some room to grow. We also need to get to know kids on an individual basis.
3. Take the unchanging Word to changing kids growing up in a changing world.
Unfortunately, many ministers are starting with the first step and skipping to the third. Without understanding the kids we are working with, when we attempt to share the message of the Gospel with them, they are not listening to us. The validity of our communication comes in knowing kids.
Paul immersed himself in the culture, getting to the heart of what was in their culture by examining the idols and their inscriptions. He studied what they were into. He did this without sacrificing his personal holiness. The "poets of culture" today are the musicians that kids are listening to. We need to make sure that we see and listen to at least some of what our kids are watching and listening to, in order to speak about them intelligently. Paul does not go to worship the idols, yet he understand that we must live "in the world and not of the world."
Understanding the Changing Culture
There are some films that can give us great insight into some issues that our kids are dealing with, including abuse and the postmodern era. When you have a kid that identifies with a movie or song, the important thing to ask is "why?" To ignore the messages that kids are receiving is to allow those messages to stay and take root. There are kids today that are so wrapped up in the material culture that they have become numb. Verse 32 gives us the response. There were some that sneered, but others were hungry for more.
It is important to survey your kids every so often - what is your favorite song and why? What are the last three CDs you bought? It not only shows your interest in them, but it will help you gain insight into them. Kids need to learn skills for developing healthy Christian media literacy by filtering. Kids today are so media savvy, but as a result they are able to process several streams of media at one time. We teach them to think by thinking with them.
Today, in the church, we have a "skewed understanding of holiness". Some of the lack of depth in the adult congregation today is that many raised their hands and went forward without completely understanding the cost and sacrifice. We talk a lot about being salt and light to the world, but we forget that means we have to go into the world in order to do so. When God talks about being "sheep in the midst of wolves", does God not promise to protect us from the "thief who comes to kill and destroy"? There is no way that you can totally be removed from the culture. Where there are people, there is culture. The key is to understand the culture in the light of God's word for the purpose of being an instrument of transformation.
We are now seen as one of the most violent nations in the world. For the sake of communicating the Gospel, we need to make sure that we understand our culture.
Acts 17:16-34 contains a great model for examining culture. "We are living in a culture that is peppered with idols and we as Christians should be distressed." We are seeing a shift in the posture of the way that kids see spiritual things. There used to be a "disengaged apathy" toward spiritual things. Not only did they not care, but there was no deep sense of need. The posture today is "engaged skepticism". They are on the edge of their seat, but not necessarily agreeing with what is being said.
Three Basic Principles of Youth Ministry (from Acts 17:16-34)
1. Know the unchanging Word
In our church culture today, we are often calling people to change their lives, not leading them to do so. We need to remember that we have access to the written and revealed Word of God.
2. Know changing kids and their changing world
We need to remember where kids are in the normal developmental process, giving them some room to grow. We also need to get to know kids on an individual basis.
3. Take the unchanging Word to changing kids growing up in a changing world.
Unfortunately, many ministers are starting with the first step and skipping to the third. Without understanding the kids we are working with, when we attempt to share the message of the Gospel with them, they are not listening to us. The validity of our communication comes in knowing kids.
Paul immersed himself in the culture, getting to the heart of what was in their culture by examining the idols and their inscriptions. He studied what they were into. He did this without sacrificing his personal holiness. The "poets of culture" today are the musicians that kids are listening to. We need to make sure that we see and listen to at least some of what our kids are watching and listening to, in order to speak about them intelligently. Paul does not go to worship the idols, yet he understand that we must live "in the world and not of the world."
Understanding the Changing Culture
There are some films that can give us great insight into some issues that our kids are dealing with, including abuse and the postmodern era. When you have a kid that identifies with a movie or song, the important thing to ask is "why?" To ignore the messages that kids are receiving is to allow those messages to stay and take root. There are kids today that are so wrapped up in the material culture that they have become numb. Verse 32 gives us the response. There were some that sneered, but others were hungry for more.
It is important to survey your kids every so often - what is your favorite song and why? What are the last three CDs you bought? It not only shows your interest in them, but it will help you gain insight into them. Kids need to learn skills for developing healthy Christian media literacy by filtering. Kids today are so media savvy, but as a result they are able to process several streams of media at one time. We teach them to think by thinking with them.
Today, in the church, we have a "skewed understanding of holiness". Some of the lack of depth in the adult congregation today is that many raised their hands and went forward without completely understanding the cost and sacrifice. We talk a lot about being salt and light to the world, but we forget that means we have to go into the world in order to do so. When God talks about being "sheep in the midst of wolves", does God not promise to protect us from the "thief who comes to kill and destroy"? There is no way that you can totally be removed from the culture. Where there are people, there is culture. The key is to understand the culture in the light of God's word for the purpose of being an instrument of transformation.