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October 14, 2004
So why should Churches engage with young people?
Having done some thinking and reading these are the reasons I shall be proclaiming from my Soap Box:- It's Fun
- It's Biblical (e.g Psalm 78)
- There a lot we can learn from young people
- Youth Ministry shapes next generation of leaders/ministers
- Working with young people gives us warning of changes that will impact the whole culture
- There's a huge need
- Churches that have services that are genuinely led/planned by young people are having some success with Gen Xers.
Posted by ian at October 14, 2004 04:34 PM
Comments
why is it always me answering this kind of question??
http://www.holmburyantiques.com/files/623.jpg
I don't know how links on blogs work so i'll add the URL too:
http://www.holmburyantiques.com/product.php?code_no=623&group=Storage
old fashioned soap boxes...
Posted by: KT at October 14, 2004 09:54 PM
Have to confess, been scouring blogs to find one I could let off steam in r.e. all things uth.
Last night I went to see my bloke get accredited as a local preacher. Loads of people were there, pleased to see the calling of preaching being answered but as I sat in my pew I bit my lip trying not cry. The church was a sea of white hair, an abyss of flowery skirts and bald heads. Please don't get me wrong on this, I really don't have some deep hatred of old people, they are so wise and we have so much to learn from them but I feel angry. Angry because that service was so far away from anything relevant to those younger than 30. Angry because as they refuse to let the church evolve-preserving it, we stand around and watch it rot. Angry because it was their generation's responsibility to make sure the church moved and was fluid; leading culture not trailing behind it.
This is a serious problem. Youth church where we take all the young people out isn't the answer, church needs to be family, it needs to have all its people together to be whole.
When will they realise that in so many ways this is a life and death situation, that we aren’t trying to steal the church from them, we want to embellish it and for that we need their help.
Making sure church is relevant for young people isn't something optional, something that can be done if everything with the adults has been seen to. It's something that without the church cannot possibly survive. My heart breaks for those who will be called by Christ but will be unable to equate Him with the restricting churches they will find.
My fear grows because I don't see things changing. I've just started uni and was so disappointed to find the same Christian union my parents went to 30 years ago. I want to be creative, I want to explore God in ways that I didn't know possible, I want to see him in everything but when he is restricted to the same rotation of songs and the same 3 point sermons that’s just not possible. God is the creator, we should reflect this, we need to push the boundaries of what’s been done before, exploring new avenues of God.
I don’t want my kids growing up in a world where being a Christian is a complete oddity.
Posted by: Zo at October 15, 2004 11:04 PM