Ministry Across America- Manhattan

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   1.     Please describe the context in which you minister (socio-economics, geography, race, etc.

New York City is, of course, a diverse community both socially and economically with hundreds of cultural pockets throughout the five boroughs. Primarily, our ministry context in Manhattan is one where students come from households where both parents are in the home, are college graduates, with many of those having some post-graduate degree. Last I checked, Redeemer was 45% Asian-American, the most prominent being Korean-American. Caucasian, Black and Hispanic make up for 55% of the church with Caucasian being the majority. We have 20 something schools represented in our youth community ranging from private to public to home-school.

2.  What are your students' biggest stumbling blocks when it comes to receiving the Gospel?

That’s a good question… Generally, I’ve found that though there are experiences acute to teen life (puberty, SAT’s, etc.) the real stumbling blocks in our context are ones that both adults and students struggle to overcome. I’m thinking specifically about the “intellectual questions” i.e., exclusivity, faith vs. science, reliability of the Bible, etc.  Of course, the biggest obstacle for someone receiving the Gospel is not intellectual but spiritual. Questions need to be answered, but hearts need to be changed, before we can receive the Gospel. That, of course, is only something God can do. For that reason, maybe I’d be careful to not distinguish too sharply stumbling blocks of teens vs. stumbling blocks of everyone else. 

3.  How do teenagers in your region feel about the Church and Christianity as a whole?

From what I understand about 3% of New York City residents consider themselves professing, evangelical Christians so there is a lot of misunderstanding about the Church and Christianity, as a whole. I’d say that the non-believing NYC teens assume the spiritual position of their parents but with an extra bent towards universalism. Having opportunities to present the Gospel in public high schools, I’ve found students are naturally pretty skeptical about the Church as an institution and Christians as people.  However, they are open to spiritual discussions and are intrigued when they meet someone who has thought through faith and culture bit and appears to be living in light of their beliefs. The common response I’ve encountered is one of genuine surprise over discovering something so beautiful. Once you unpack Christian doctrine and demonstrate how the grace of God extends to their own story, students find the Gospel desirable.

3.) What perceptions and reactions do teenagers in your area have to Christian morality? Though a typical NYC teen might respect the Ten Commandments as a religious or cultural institution (especially our Jewish friends and neighbors), they wouldn’t necessarily see its relevance to their daily lives. Though a student might not phrase it this way, they would (like their parents) believe the traditional, Biblical sex ethic was culturally conditioned and therefore, out of date.

4.) What approaches have you found helpful in dealing with the aforementioned stumbling blocks such that you effectively can share the Gospel with students in your area and bring them in to the life of the Church?

If we are doing a good job, we couldn’t point to any one thing, it really has been a combination of bible teaching, worship, and consistent time with one another.  However, one discipline does set up the others. For us, everything is built upon our preaching and clearly articulating what transpires between God and mankind in Christ- and then applying the meaning of that for students whose lives are often filled with loneliness, boredom, rejection, narcissism, etc. By teaching sound doctrine in an engaging and relevant way, we are able to begin cultivating a grace-based community not just of students but of parents, pastors, lay-leaders and students.

5.) What encouragement would you give to other youth pastors in your area trying to reach teenagers? Practically speaking, let the Lord regularly encourage you with his private company through his Word. Then meet regularly with other youth workers who also spend time with Christ. Pray and vision cast together. Learn from each other, do case studies with one another, share ideas and resources, and be inspired by what God is doing in the field of labor we’re all in.  Secondly, I'd remind them of what the apostle Peter reminds us in chapter one of his first epistle, where he basically says, the only permanent thing in an otherwise temporary world is the resurrection of Christ. There are few jobs in ministry as notoriously temporary as the youth pastor role. From what I gather, many are looking beyond to a future ministry post, or biding their time while in seminary, and some are bi-vocational and simply filling the gap because the church has asked. Whatever the case may be, be encouraged that the Lord has placed you there and is at work- even within a fleeting moment. Trust God, be bold and teach them something eternal. Lastly, come to the RootedConference next fall in Atlanta!

 

Rev. David Plant serves as the Director of Youth Ministry at Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York, NY.

What Are Youth Ministries For? - Pt.1

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Hitting a moving target requires an ever-changing aim.  This is as true in youth ministry as anywhere else.  The aim of youth ministries historically has shifted as the needs in society have changed.  It’s hard for us in the 21^st century to imagine a world without adolescence, a world that would not understand the concept of a full time youth pastor.  We only need to turn the clock back a few centuries to find our role in the church completely irrelevant.  Why is that?  In the early days of youth ministry, specifically the 19th century, much of the efforts toward youth were devoted to children.  Most teenagers were in the work force at that point.  Later in the century the public high school emerged and by the early 1900’s the concept of adolescence was first described by psychologist G. Stanley Hall.  So, it’s not surprising that the aim of youth ministries historically has changed.

In a blog post for The Gospel Coalition, I looked at the history of youth ministry from the middle of the 20^th century forward to see significant developments.  In this post we will look at just a few purposes or aims of youth ministries in the past.  For a more comprehensive look at the history of youth ministry, I would suggest Mark Senter’s book “When God Shows Up: A History of Protestant Youth Ministry in America.”  Meanwhile, let’s look at just five purposes that youth ministries have served or are serving at some point in history.  I am sure you can think of more.

1.     To keep kids off the streets.  Several ministries to young people emerged in history for the specific purpose of keeping kids off the streets.  The YMCA is an example of an organization that formed because rural young people were moving into the cities to find work and needed support in their new life in the city.  A gospel opportunity was seen and the YMCA became a place to gather young men and provide Bible studies, fellowship, and prayer meetings.  Many American youth ministers today would not describe this as their primary purpose for youth ministry. The typical suburban teen has more activities in their life than they have time for. Yet as I spoke with an Egyptian pastor recently I heard of a real need for the church to provide a safe haven from life on the streets.  He described to me how seven days a week loads of teens show up at his church and they feed them, help with homework, provide Bible studies, prayer, activities, etc.  What might not be viewed as a currently relevant purpose in one context may be vital in another.

2.     To keep a vibrant faith in the lives of young people. In the late 1800’s, Christian Endeavor emerged as an international movement that sought to help young people grow in their walk with Christ. Several mainline denominations soon formed their own organizations for similar purpose.  The denominational versions could take on a more catechetical approach as they brought to the table their own particular theological and ecclesiological emphasis.

3.     To provide Christian fellowship for teens.  Following the formation of denominational organizations that promoted Christian faith, local churches began fellowship groups for young people. These in some cases shifted the focus from discipleship to training in churchmanship. In many denominations over time these fellowship groups became a holding place for youth to be involved until they would be old enough to participate in the full life of the church.

4.     To reach unchurched young people with the gospel.  The para-church movements of Youth For Christ and Young Life took a decidedly more evangelistic approach.  The emergence of a distinct youth culture created a context to reach teens that were not being ministered to in the church.  Youth For Christ began with evangelistic rallies (Billy Graham being one of the main evangelists) and Young Life took a local club approach where groups met in students’ homes.

5.     To make disciples of young people.  In some ways reacting to the para-church movements, a number of organizations emerged that either sought to disciple teens or created resources for the church to make young disciples.  In some contexts this has meant resourcing or partnering with parents.  Most American youth pastors would likely describe their purpose in youth ministry as primarily making disciples.

Looking at the aims of youth ministry over history helps us see how context shapes the needs and opportunities for ministry to students.  My friends who do urban youth ministry speak of the need to get students off the streets while those doing suburban ministry complain that their students are far too busy for youth group meetings. Most of us however would deplore the idea of simply providing fellowship for youth because we have seen the need for making disciples and evangelizing the unchurched. Some would argue that there was a time in recent history when it appeared as if youth ministries existed merely to attract large crowds and make the church leadership feel good about the future of the church.  Fortunately things are changing in the youth ministry landscape both here and further afield.

Dave Wright is the Coordinator for Youth Ministries in the Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina and blogs at http://fusionmusing.blogspot.com

Confessions of a Small Town Student Pastor

Every now and then we take our regular worship service and change things up. I give our band a night off to thank them for their hard work and to create an environment that doesn’t become dependent on something else besides the Word taught. Typically we do a time of prayer that involve several stations to engage them in repentance, thanksgiving, service, and supplication. I usually ask them to write out their prayers. I think writing prayer helps to process what you’re praying for rather than a series of ‘dear Lord’-s. This past time I had them write out their sin they wanted to confess on black paper with a dark pencil and tape it to the cross, after they had read 1 Peter 2:21-25.

Now confession time: I read the pieces of paper. This is as old a youth minister trick as the caramel covered onion or the camp roommate assignment list. It provides an immediate and anonymous look into the lives of students, to give a window into what prayer needs are there in our student ministry. It’s beautiful, but it’s heartbreaking.

We serve in a typical American small town. Most of the businesses are locally-owned, it’s impossible to find a good cup of coffee (I miss Starbucks), the school systems are the predominant social group, and when an accident happens on the main road it can tie up the entire town. Our town hosts a regionally known Division I university, and is the primary education seat of our region. We were also voted last year as the “Friendliest Small Town in America” by Randy-McNally. The summer focused on a special election about making our town wet, which prompted the opposing side to declare our town a good old-fashioned American town, the one that loves family values and is a good, morally sound community.

But that image of Mayberry is not what I read on those slips of paper. Most of them were your standard teenage angst: rude to parents, talking about other people, dating one guy and being interested in another, struggling with siblings, and not focusing on school as much. But there were some that hurt to read. A girl who cuts and covers it by bullying. Several guys who admitted to pornography. One who admitted to repeated inappropriate text messages to different girls. Still others who admitted to pot, alcohol, and other substance issues. Broken relationships. Sexual promiscuity. Dysfunctional family situations. Same-sex attraction. You name it, it’s sitting on my dining room table, the tears and shame visibly evident.

The veneer of our community, and even our church and student ministry, is one where everything is ok. But behind that good face is an indescribable hurt. One that is being masked by a fig leaf of religiosity - or worse yet, the false promise of an insecure salvation. None of the self-help, guidance counseling, crisis intervention, or anything like that can solve this pain. Only Jesus can.

So what to do? What follows is at attempt to process all this and offer some prescription for us in smaller communities.

Pray - Intercede for these students, pray for wisdom for parents, pray for repentance, pray for God to increase grace.

Don’t be naive - We cannot pretend that these kinds of problems belong ‘over there,’ and miss out on reality. These problems aren’t city problems or poor problems or ethnic problems. They’re problems that come from a Deceiver who wants teenagers to believe something else besides Jesus will satisfy them.

Address the heart of the issue - The issue isn’t drugs or alcohol or peer pressure. The issue is the heart, one that is bent against God. Make sure to not lose sight of this and try to fix addiction, self-harm, etc. The first need is Jesus. Then work on everything else in light of that.

Be honest - I plan on sharing that I read the cards, and begin by offering myself and my wife as resources. Knowledge isn’t power, only knowledge that is used has any value. I could choose to overlook these findings, or choose to respond to them. These issues are very real and painful - to ignore them is a shameful act.

Involve parents - Small town ministries may find themselves fighting against a cultural Christianity, rather than an emphasis on the work of Christ. Many times my thought is that parents assume their kids are safe/fine/good. But meet with your parents and begin to bring them on board. Take time to pray for students. Maybe they’re even hiding knowledge of their teen’s problems because of shame. Remove that, and every other barrier that prevents the Spirit from working.

Refocus - Take a minute and assess if you’re teaching accurately about the power of the Gospel. Make every message, teaching time, devotion, etc. about the Gospel. Teach the all-inclusive and all-encompassing power of the Gospel to not only save the soul but provide the answer to the deepest conditions of the human heart.

Pray - Worth repeating.

Seek wisdom - Student ministers, remember: we’re not Superman. Bring in other godly leaders who have likely dealt with similar issues. Get yourself in a network, get in contact with older student ministers. Involve your pastor in the conversation. Whatever you do, do not do it alone!

Scott Douglas serves as the Minister to Youth at Westside Baptist Church in Murray, KY. Scott has a Masters in Divinity and is presently pursuing a Doctorate degree from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY.

Ministry Across America: American South

1.) Please describe the context in which you minister (geographically, ethnically, socio-economically, etc.)
I serve in the American South in a suburban context in Birmingham, AL. My students are almost entirely white and upper-middle class to affluent. Attending church is a major social expectation. Whether it is accurate or not, nearly all of the kids in my context identify themselves as a Christian.

2.) What are your students biggest stumbling blocks when it comes to receiving the Gospel?
Students in the South equate church attendance with being a Christian and having salvation. Compulsive cultural Christianity rules the day. They embrace the religious elements of the faith without understanding the central elements of Christianity being about living in relationship with God and of Christ coming into the world to save sinners.

3.) How do teenagers in your region feel about the Church and Christianity as a whole?
Teenagers generally have a positive view of the Church and Christianity. At the same time, while they do not express this, their views and behavior suggest that they view church as a cultural compulsion, that you "just do." ("We go because we go. Right?") Many of the anti-institutional rejections of Christianity seen in other parts of America have not surfaced in a major way down here.


4.) What perceptions and reactions do teenagers in your area have to Christian morality?
Christian morality very often boils down to drinking or not drinking alcohol underaged in high school with kids in the Deep South. A-Team Christian teens do not drink, while second-stringers do, in their eyes. Not drinking makes you good, while drinking means you are not serious about God. Many kids in the South oppose gay marriage and homosexuality but their views on this originate more in "red state" political ideology than a developed biblical theology. Given the traditionally conservative socio-poltical mentality in the Deep South, most teens generally do not have a problem with biblical morality. I will say, though, that over the eight years of my ministry, kids are becoming increasingly geared toward morally relative thinking than when I first started. 

5.) What approaches have you found helpful in dealing with the aforementioned stumbling blocks such that you effectively can share the Gospel with students in your area and bring them in to the life of the Church?
When sharing the Gospel with kids both individually and corporately, I tend to speak in terms of being perfect vs. imperfect before God, rather than sinful or good. So many kids think the formula for salvation is church attendance plus being a good person. They do not understand that the standard for salvation is perfect righteousness, which only can come externally through faith in Jesus. Few kids in the South will accept that they are not good, but nearly everyone will accept that they are not perfect. Therefore, I try to communicate that the only way to be in relationship with God and to have salvation is to be made perfect, something only God can do for you and of which a person is wholly incapable. ("Hell is filled with 'good people,' but heaven contains only absolutely perfect people."


6.) What encouragement would you give to other youth pastors in your area trying to reach teenagers?
I would encourage youth pastors and parents in two ways. First, you need to understand that in the American South seventy-five percent of your work involves deconstructing false belief related to Christianity. You have to constantly remind kids that the faith is about a relationship, not religion. You have to constantly debunk the idea that Christian is a moral code for practical living rather than an invitation to live in dependent relationship with the Lord of the universe. You have to distinguish between biblical theology and Republican socio-political ideology. (Yes, many kids think that anything associated with Republican political ideology, such as gun control, has its roots in Christian theology.)

Secondly, I would encourage youth pastors that we do have a great blessing in the way that kids have a mostly positive view of the church in the South, as compared to other regions of the country. My friends in other regions face enormous struggles in just getting kids to consider attending anything associated with a church. Southern youth workers face less resistance and do not have to work as hard to build trust and overcome deep prejudices against the church.

Cameron Cole is the chairman of Rooted: A Theology Conference for Student Ministry and the Director of Student Ministries at the Cathedral Church of the Advent in Birmingham, AL. He is a candidate for a Masters in Religion from Reformed Theological Seminary.

Ministry Around America: West Coast

1.) Please describe the context in which you minister (geographically, ethnically, socio-economically, etc.)
I currently serve in the Mira Mesa community of San Diego. There are 80,000 people within a few miles of our church and many thousands more within a short drive.  Mira Mesa has about the same number of whites as Asians (Filipinos make up about a fifth of the entire population of Mira Mesa), though our church is about 70% white.  I attribute this to there being so many ethnic churches in San Diego.  Our kids come from primarily middle-income families, with about ½ having both parents work.
 
2.) What are your students biggest stumbling blocks when it comes to receiving the Gospel?
This isn’t found only in Southern California but the biggest stumbling block I’ve encountered is the perceived “goodness” of self.  This is a problem everywhere.  We’ve been told by our parents how good we are at things in an effort to build our self-esteem and when someone presents the gospel showing how broken and dirty we really are, it’s taken as an attack because no one has ever talked to them with such truth before.  Even those from Christian backgrounds who attend church regularly are taken aback by a clear, honest presentation of the gospel.

3.) How do teenagers in your region feel about the Church and Christianity as a whole?
Southern California is such a different place and I see that when discussing our faith with those around me.  I grew up in the south where, even if you had never been to church, you had a pretty good idea of what goes on there because so many around you did.  In the west, there are people who have no understanding of the reason for Christmas or Easter, some not even realizing that there is any religious element to either holiday.  It’s a mission field here more than any place I’ve ever been.

4.) What perceptions and reactions do teenagers in your area have to Christian morality?
Much of what I’ve seen comes from what kids see in the media.  However Hollywood or the media portrays Christians is how kids view us.  Popular opinion amongst lost teenagers is that Christians are anti-gay, anti-abortion, and hypocritical.  We’re seen by many in the same light as you or I would see the Westboro Baptists.

5.) What approaches have you found helpful in dealing with the aforementioned stumbling blocks such that you effectively can share the Gospel with students in your area and bring them in to the life of the Church?
Be genuine and honest in who you are what you say.  I’ve seen way too many 40 year olds try to be cool when they talk to teenagers.  It doesn’t work and it makes you look silly.  When you speak to teenagers, show them that you truly care for them and their soul.  This is especially true when a man is sharing the gospel with a teenager as there are so many kids around us who don’t have a male figure in their life that cares about them and will give them the attention that teenagers crave, even though they’ll never admit that. 
 

6.) What encouragement would you give to other youth pastors in your area trying to reach teenagers?
Preach the word.  Be ready in season and out.  Reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching!  Stay true to the gospel and continue to preach the Bible.  Don’t confuse silliness and games with effectiveness.  We are called and commanded to preach the word and disciple each other so that God is glorified through our obedience.  Let God deal with convicting and converting the lost. 

Ryan Roach is a youth pastor at Community Bible Church in San Diego, CA.