A Word from our Pastor...

Having been a committed "career youth guy" in a major denomination for 9 years, never desiring or thinking that I would "move on" from that, I had definite ideas of what youth ministry should look like. The problem was I took my lead for the vision of youth ministry from the church culture and society and not from God's Word. Not that we can't learn from our church culture or society things that are helpful in dealing with youth, but as a Christian, that is not where I am supposed to get my wisdom nor direction...especially when it deals with God's people.

In Joshua chapters 7 and 8 an important lesson of leadership is communicated as Joshua was guiding the people of God into the Promised Land of Canaan. They had just completed the famous defeat of Jericho and were continuing the conquest of the land. After sending spies to check out the small city of Ai, Joshua decided to send 3,000 men to attack. They were duly routed by the Aiites and came back with their tails between their legs. One of the fatal mistakes Joshua made was he did not consult God in the process of doing what seemed logical and militarily within reason. I had fallen into the same logic of seeing what had already been done and following that model... I missed God! God has other ways!

Now, some 11 years later, the desire to reach youth and their families and have their lives altered by the Gospel is still in my heart, but the track by which that vision is to travel has been altered. If I can quote a friend, Dan Walsh (from the Daytona Beech Sovereign Grace Church):

Over the last forty years, a new tradition has formed in America, a tradition of turning over the care and training of our children to others. Children are often put in the care of outsiders from six weeks of age. It may start off with the daycare center or a nanny, then it's on to nursery schools and elementary schools, middle schools and high schools. After school, they're watched by someone else until mom and dad get home; or else they're latchkey kids, being entertained by the TV, videos, or Nintendo.

"In the last 3 decades Americans have been conducting a social experiment along these lines: Let's see how many children we can have, but not parent them. Well, the results of that experiment are now in."
- Bill Bennett, Former US Education Secretary

Mike Yaconalli, one of the founding fathers of the modern youth ministry movement (founder and President of Youth Specialties and the National Youth Workers Conventions), evaluated youth ministries in the western church just six-months prior to his death in 2004. His findings are a sobering wake-up call to all evangelical churches. He saw that there was virtually no difference between the youth of the church and of our society. His assessment was that, "What we have been doing is not working and I don't know if anyone has the courage to change it."

What is wrong with youth work done as usual? I believe the fact that the work is primarily done apart from the leadership and oversight of the parents is a main cause. Scripture does not say "honor your youth workers and coaches", or "obey your teachers and principles" (although these are good things). The primary responsibility in Scripture is for the children to honor, respect and obey their parents (Ex. 20:12, Dt. 5:16, Mal. 1:6, Matt. 15:4-6, Matt. 19:19, Mk. 7:10, 10:19, Lk. 18:20, Eph. 6:2). It is our conviction as a church to seek to develop and enhance the parent/youth relationship wherever possible. We are to build these young men and women "into" their parents. This does not mean that we make them into who their parents are, but that we are encouraging and developing them into a deeper Christ-centered relationship with their parents. God has given parents the commandment and grace to raise their children "in the instruction and admonition of the Lord" (Eph. 6:4). The church is to come alongside and aid in that goal. For some, the church may become the family they don't have, but for most the church is the means by which God strengthens and builds the relationships in the family.

Thus, we do not have a "classic youth ministry", but a ministry to families with teenage children. We would see this "new way" of doing things being more in line with what God desires. We have observed the effects of this type of ministry in building stronger Gospel-centered families as parents lead their children within the context of the local church. We have also seen young men and women more readily own their faith and begin to grow in boldly living it out.

There are a few reasons I see that classic youth programs had resulted in seperation from the parents: First, because of the "professional mentality" of our society and church. We have come to think that a college and seminary degrees and specialized training is required to truly raise children. As a result, so many parents have been relegated to back-ups (either willingly or not) to those with the pedigrees: counselors, psychiatrists, professional clergy and the like. That is not God's primary means of working. An education can be useful, and biblical understanding is certainly something we all should pursue, but nothing can take the place of godly, humble parents striving to follow God and lead their children to the Savior. There is a grace and call given to parents from the beginning of time, to raise their children.

Second, parents can also feel inadequate in discipling their children, not knowing where to start or how to continue. Being a father of five I deeply feel the challenge and can be overwhelmed by all that I think needs to take place. I can get lost in the quagmire of information and the seemingly endless "to do list" of a father. But being overwhelmed and seeing our inadequacy does not negate the responsibility given to us by God, nor does it relegate the power of the Gospel inept. It simply would remind us, as parents and youth, of our utter dependence and need for a Savior each day. We need His mercy and wisdom to meet us where we are. God designed the local church to help equip us as parents, providing a setting where we can participate in giving our children spiritual oversight. God does not just leave us alone to parent in the dark, but provides His Word, the Gospel, His Spirit, and the local church as agencies of His grace to raise the next generation.

Third, we carry the clear biblical conviction that God did not make His church to be a one-generation wonder. The local church is not just built for today, but for the future generations as well. It is to be a vibrant reality of the Living God with His people in this world. To do this we must be mindful and purposeful to faithfully hand-off this Gospel-centered church to the next generation. We desire them to run farther in the faith, to have a greater impact in this world, and to bring greater glory to God than we ever have. To do these things we must be dependent upon God for His wisdom, leading and power.
So, we would be seeking this "new way" (which actually is the oldest of ways) to raise our children in the "discipline and instruction of the Lord". That the next generation might be truly mighty in our God and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Paul Cooke