Last weekend I went along with my daughters to another youth-oriented event. The difference between this event and the last one I wrote about was like night and day. Twins Alex and Brett Harris (age 20) encouraged almost 2,000 teen-aged young people, average age 15, to do hard things. The Do Hard Things message is has become the “Rebelution” against low expectations, featuring a blog, best-selling book, and a series of conferences encouraging young people.
I could not be more amazed at the contrast between the two experiences. In the previous event youth told pastors and church leaders they wanted to be respected and treated to basketball and wifi connections at church, and then went out for pizza and games. For them it was all about what they could gain. But this past weekend young people challenged young people to not settle for low expectations, but to aspire to do great things even in the teen years. Emphasis was more on what they could give.
The basic premise of the Rebelution centers on the realization that the concept of adolescence and the term teenager did not come about until some time in the 20th century. Before then there were only two chronological categories for life development, childhood and adulthood. These are the two recognized in the Bible. Paul said, “When I was a child I acted as a child, . . . but when I became a man I put away childish things.” The Rebelution also notes that the culture for the most part has very low expectations for young people and challenges them to aspire to take on difficult and ambitious projects.
So the question comes up again. How do we best disciple youth? I think the answer comes in the realm of challenge and responsibility. DeVries wrote of it in his book Family-Based Youth Ministry. Train them to do the work of the church and let them work alongside adults in the church. Challenge them and equip them to do hard things.
To jump-start our thinking, I refer to the Harris twins’ book (pp. 57-60) for what they call hard things, to see if we can incorporate them into ministry to and by youth.
Outside the comfort zone. Instead of pizza and rock music, what about expectations and tasks that require stepping out of the comfort zone and into the arena of risk and challenge? What kinds of experiences could we facilitate? What kinds of opportunities for service, previously unlearned, could be trained for and left in their charge?
Beyond expected or required. We don’t really expect or require much of young people these days, so this should be easy to do. What kinds of things are beyond our expectations? How could we encourage them to go “the second mile”?
To big to accomplish alone. Here’s where teamwork comes in. How can we engage small groups of youth and adults, perhaps a mature older child or two, to take on a ministry project they cannot do alone?
No immediate payoff. While immediate results are always nice, the Bible lets us know that there are things we do in kingdom building that will not bear fruit until much later, perhaps after our time. What can we do to instill generational thinking? How can we do ministry that thinks ahead and calculates long-term result? What can we do that lays firm groundwork for others to build on?
Challenge the cultural norm. As Paul writes, we are not to be conformed to the world around us but to be transformed. How can we challenge our young people to build biblically based lives that do not mirror the pop culture in fashion, fad, and worldview? How can we encourage them to live beyond what everyone else does? How can we teach them to discover who they are in Christ, and show them how to live into their baptismal covenant?
This should get the wheels of thought turning. What could we do, in a committed learning relationship, that incorporates youth into the life of the church as equals (not sub-class human beings) that takes them out of the comfort zone, gives them high expectations, requires working with others to get it done, may take a long time to accomplish, and challenges prevailing thought and custom?
Answer these questions within your own context and I believe you’ll be on the way to a productive, fruitful, and effective youth ministry.
I could not be more amazed at the contrast between the two experiences. In the previous event youth told pastors and church leaders they wanted to be respected and treated to basketball and wifi connections at church, and then went out for pizza and games. For them it was all about what they could gain. But this past weekend young people challenged young people to not settle for low expectations, but to aspire to do great things even in the teen years. Emphasis was more on what they could give.
The basic premise of the Rebelution centers on the realization that the concept of adolescence and the term teenager did not come about until some time in the 20th century. Before then there were only two chronological categories for life development, childhood and adulthood. These are the two recognized in the Bible. Paul said, “When I was a child I acted as a child, . . . but when I became a man I put away childish things.” The Rebelution also notes that the culture for the most part has very low expectations for young people and challenges them to aspire to take on difficult and ambitious projects.
So the question comes up again. How do we best disciple youth? I think the answer comes in the realm of challenge and responsibility. DeVries wrote of it in his book Family-Based Youth Ministry. Train them to do the work of the church and let them work alongside adults in the church. Challenge them and equip them to do hard things.
To jump-start our thinking, I refer to the Harris twins’ book (pp. 57-60) for what they call hard things, to see if we can incorporate them into ministry to and by youth.
Outside the comfort zone. Instead of pizza and rock music, what about expectations and tasks that require stepping out of the comfort zone and into the arena of risk and challenge? What kinds of experiences could we facilitate? What kinds of opportunities for service, previously unlearned, could be trained for and left in their charge?
Beyond expected or required. We don’t really expect or require much of young people these days, so this should be easy to do. What kinds of things are beyond our expectations? How could we encourage them to go “the second mile”?
To big to accomplish alone. Here’s where teamwork comes in. How can we engage small groups of youth and adults, perhaps a mature older child or two, to take on a ministry project they cannot do alone?
No immediate payoff. While immediate results are always nice, the Bible lets us know that there are things we do in kingdom building that will not bear fruit until much later, perhaps after our time. What can we do to instill generational thinking? How can we do ministry that thinks ahead and calculates long-term result? What can we do that lays firm groundwork for others to build on?
Challenge the cultural norm. As Paul writes, we are not to be conformed to the world around us but to be transformed. How can we challenge our young people to build biblically based lives that do not mirror the pop culture in fashion, fad, and worldview? How can we encourage them to live beyond what everyone else does? How can we teach them to discover who they are in Christ, and show them how to live into their baptismal covenant?
This should get the wheels of thought turning. What could we do, in a committed learning relationship, that incorporates youth into the life of the church as equals (not sub-class human beings) that takes them out of the comfort zone, gives them high expectations, requires working with others to get it done, may take a long time to accomplish, and challenges prevailing thought and custom?
Answer these questions within your own context and I believe you’ll be on the way to a productive, fruitful, and effective youth ministry.
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