When parents go back to church for their kids (for christian morals & values) this is what happens:
1. They want solid programs, activities, events and a youth professional who will keep their children spiritually entertained.
2. So they hire a youth pastor who can keep their kids in church through fun, culture-friendly, and christian-lite events. (Trips, pizza parties, game nights, amusement parks, bowling, etc)
3. The pressure is on the youth pastor to be ‘not boring’ so they respond to young people’s most carnal appetites to slip in a 5 minute bible study.
4. If somehow one youth makes the radical decision to follow Christ and be a missionary in Afghanistan the parents get angry at the youth pastor for ‘crossing the line’.
5. For the parents did not want their children to be a christian that followed Christ but wanted them to be nice moral and nominal christians that were easy to manage & went to church like they did.
6. The youth that were raised like this usually leave church when they graduate & return to church when they have kids only to begin the cycle again.
1. They want solid programs, activities, events and a youth professional who will keep their children spiritually entertained.
2. So they hire a youth pastor who can keep their kids in church through fun, culture-friendly, and christian-lite events. (Trips, pizza parties, game nights, amusement parks, bowling, etc)
3. The pressure is on the youth pastor to be ‘not boring’ so they respond to young people’s most carnal appetites to slip in a 5 minute bible study.
4. If somehow one youth makes the radical decision to follow Christ and be a missionary in Afghanistan the parents get angry at the youth pastor for ‘crossing the line’.
5. For the parents did not want their children to be a christian that followed Christ but wanted them to be nice moral and nominal christians that were easy to manage & went to church like they did.
6. The youth that were raised like this usually leave church when they graduate & return to church when they have kids only to begin the cycle again.
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When youth realize that youth ministry is about alleviating the fears of their parents rather than about Jesus … 2 things happen.
1. If youth ministry gettings uninteresting (aka provide few social gatherings and opportunities) they eventually leave.
2. But if the ministry provides with fun outings, entertainment, and opportunities to socialize - the youth is happy to play along and ease the fears of their parents and the congregation.
They assent to being paraded in front of congregations and be photographed for the church newsletter to confirm & show to the leadership that their church isn’t dying and their financial sacrifice is ‘bearing fruit.
As long as there are trip to Disney World, church socials and the annual summer mission trips - they’re happy to pretend and play along.
But don’t expect them to stick around after high school - or when the program budget dries up. That’s when they get on with life.
http://justinyang.tumblr.com/post/52247865000/parents-and-youth-ministry
