Monday, February 12, 2007

Augustana College





Got to share the microphone with Jonathan Rundman this weekend in Sioux Falls as High School kids and leaders gathered for their "FaithFest" annual youth gathering.

I often say there is a huge difference between “youth group” and “youth ministry.” Youth group focuses inward. It has a club mentality. Youth ministry focuses outward... Caring about one’s neighbor, feeding sheep, doing onto the least, doing justice, loving kindness, and walking humbly with our God. Youth ministry kids are kids who are honest about the world not always coating it in “happy slappy” Jesus songs, bowling nights, or strangely painted youth rooms hidden away from the rest of the congregation. Okay, I like a little “happy slappy” myself.

Maybe it is time for a new scorecard. Instead of evaluating youth group success by how many kids showed up maybe we should count…
➢ The number of kids trained to care for other kids
➢ Parents equipped with specific ways (“four keys”) of faith practices in their homes.
➢ God parents, grandparents, anuts and uncles who are intentionally given ways to nurture faith
➢ Intergenerational experiences where young kids to old, old adults hear each others stories
➢ Numbers of adult mentors who surround each child
➢ The times that kids are intentionally exposed to community situations where people live their faith outside the “god boxes” we create.
➢ Times kids get to learn from other’s stories who are “different” because of race, economics, cultural differences, and
➢ Kids who have found ways to be a part of a congregation community by leading with their own skills and interest. (Kids are either leading or they are leaving.)

I am not against kids gathering, it is just that teaching kids that a youth group is a way to get away from, even hide from everything else that is going on around them, may not be the best method. No more “holy huddles.” At least not without going into the world that surrounds us.

I am of course a bit bias, but Peer Ministry is the way for kids to deal with the realities of life that in their young ages they already have to deal with. It is the way to have support from adults equipped to walk with. One of the beautiful things about the Good Samaritan story is that the Samaritan takes the wounded person to the Inn Keeper. Kids need to know who the Inn Keepers are and how to guide their friends to them as they walk along side.

(Kathi, you got me going this morning!)

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