Is Youth Ministry Killing the Church? (Part 2)
Last time I talked a bit about the issues raised by this article (Youth Groups Driving Teens to Abandon their Faith) and looked at some of the truths presented. Now I want to tackle it's primary issues head on and address the problems.
1. Research Methodology
Anyone can pull a survey and call it research- especially when you're slating the results. Their "research" was a survey on their website that if you answered gave you a copy of their movie. Who do you think would be answering their survey? Strangely enough, people who agree with their basic premise creating and reinforcing their presuppositions but giving it the title "research." Last time I checked, research meant checking a random sample group to determine an honest result? Hmm... major red flags right here. Anyone claiming "research" or "study" and doing things only to reinforce their ideas is both intellectually dishonest and attempting to deceive people for the sake of their cause- neither of which make the Church look good. I could say a LOT more, but Ed Stetzer already did- so take a read here to see more on that: Are Youth Groups Bad? A Rant on Bad Research
2. Faulty Conclusions
Faulty methods lead to faulty conclusions, but sometimes the conclusions we reach aren't even linked to the faulty method. The idea that youth groups lead to higher incidences of teen sex, drug use, etc. isn't remotely close to factual. Are the incidences higher across culture- inside and outside the church? If you think the answer is false, re-examine the world we live in. There really isn't a difference between moral behavior inside and outside the church anymore. Part of this is due to the number of people who claim Christ but are merely "cultural" Christians, another part is due to lack of engagement in the reality of Christ and just the formalities of religion. To assume that one connects the other isn't logical- or right. This is often the case when our presuppositions get in the way of actually looking at what we take issue with. Like a politician surveying their constituents and determining the only solution is what they already thought (or their political party already thought!)- this article leads to only one place: their conclusion. There's no pro/con, no real examination, not even any real logic applied to the issue. It's an A+B=C theorem without regard for anything else. Sometimes that kind of focus can be good, but it has to be done after determining every possible variable and eliminating ones that don't have an effect. In this case, there was no examination of variables- just an answer based on thoughts. That's faulty logic, backed up by faulty research- and both leave me irritated.
3. Skipping the Biblical Mandate
In the push for deeper discipleship and reclaiming the lost heritage of family based Christianity, those advocating family based ministry paradigms are neglecting another biblical mandate: do whatever it takes to save some. In my opinion, Paul's words are huge and are a call to everyone to do whatever it takes, but let's let them speak for themselves-
4. Broad Generalizations Fail
Perhaps the biggest issue with anything like this is broad generalization and preclusion of any good done by youth ministries through the years. While I will be the first to say many youth ministries have not produced the "fruit of righteousness"(read John 15.1-8) and should be pruned, others have done so faithfully and well. Instead of reactionary stereotyping, look for the good and bad. A few quick examples (no where near all inclusive): Holy Huddles- where only those "good" enough need apply and no one else; Social Clubs- where it's all about being together, the gospel is secondary or tertiary, if at all; Service Teams- where it's all about promoting justice and serving others, without every really exploring the why; Party Central- fun and more fun is the motto, "winning" souls by having them "inside" the church is the idea; Conquest Armies- they are all about "saving souls" and focus on bringing people in, but never actually disciple the people they bring in. I could go on for a LONG time talking about where youth ministry has missed the mark (the adage that "you keep them by how you reach them" almost always rings true), but it has also changed lives. There are people whose lives are radically different because someone cared enough to work in one of the lowest paying fields of ministry and loved them to Jesus.
Youth ministry isn't causing teens to abandon their faith, some individual ministries and models might be. If we're honest, and wanted to evaluate the whole of Christendom by average results, the proper title ought to be, "Churches Leading People Straight to Hell," because that's more of the truth than I'd care to admit in far too many cases. We're broken people, saved by grace and grace alone, working in imperfect institutions and families to bring the life giving words and life of Jesus to those around us. None of us has a right to anything but death and punishment- but Jesus died so I could be made His righteousness and no longer bear the stigma, shame, and chains of my sin. That good news is what needs to be spoken in every culture, every language, every age group, every nation, every place so that by ALL POSSIBLE MEANS we might save some. If that's via family centered ministry- great. If that's via age graded ministry- still great. Why? Because Jesus doesn't quibble over our "how," He looks for the end result of bearing much fruit so that the Father is greatly glorified. Eternal truth, changing methodology- at the core it's about doing whatever it takes to reach every person possible with the good news of Jesus Christ. So what are you waiting for? Go. Do. Be. Bear fruit. Make Jesus famously known and save the some God made you for.
Sola scriptura. Sola gratia. Sola Fide. Solus Christus. Sola deo gloria!
1. Research Methodology
Anyone can pull a survey and call it research- especially when you're slating the results. Their "research" was a survey on their website that if you answered gave you a copy of their movie. Who do you think would be answering their survey? Strangely enough, people who agree with their basic premise creating and reinforcing their presuppositions but giving it the title "research." Last time I checked, research meant checking a random sample group to determine an honest result? Hmm... major red flags right here. Anyone claiming "research" or "study" and doing things only to reinforce their ideas is both intellectually dishonest and attempting to deceive people for the sake of their cause- neither of which make the Church look good. I could say a LOT more, but Ed Stetzer already did- so take a read here to see more on that: Are Youth Groups Bad? A Rant on Bad Research
2. Faulty Conclusions
Faulty methods lead to faulty conclusions, but sometimes the conclusions we reach aren't even linked to the faulty method. The idea that youth groups lead to higher incidences of teen sex, drug use, etc. isn't remotely close to factual. Are the incidences higher across culture- inside and outside the church? If you think the answer is false, re-examine the world we live in. There really isn't a difference between moral behavior inside and outside the church anymore. Part of this is due to the number of people who claim Christ but are merely "cultural" Christians, another part is due to lack of engagement in the reality of Christ and just the formalities of religion. To assume that one connects the other isn't logical- or right. This is often the case when our presuppositions get in the way of actually looking at what we take issue with. Like a politician surveying their constituents and determining the only solution is what they already thought (or their political party already thought!)- this article leads to only one place: their conclusion. There's no pro/con, no real examination, not even any real logic applied to the issue. It's an A+B=C theorem without regard for anything else. Sometimes that kind of focus can be good, but it has to be done after determining every possible variable and eliminating ones that don't have an effect. In this case, there was no examination of variables- just an answer based on thoughts. That's faulty logic, backed up by faulty research- and both leave me irritated.
3. Skipping the Biblical Mandate
In the push for deeper discipleship and reclaiming the lost heritage of family based Christianity, those advocating family based ministry paradigms are neglecting another biblical mandate: do whatever it takes to save some. In my opinion, Paul's words are huge and are a call to everyone to do whatever it takes, but let's let them speak for themselves-
Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel... (1 Corinthians 9.19-23, NIV)Hmm...what does Paul mean by the words, "become ALL things to ALL people so that by ALL possible means he might save SOME?" Well, not to get scary, but lets go to the source: Koine Greek. The words there are πάντα and παντὸς (both from the same root-πᾶς)- meaning all, every, the whole; and τινὰς (from the root τις) meaning any one, some one, a certain one or thing. If that doesn't make the need for ministry tailored to reach cultures, I don't know what would. Good youth ministries operate in the same fashion as a missionary: missionaries learn the language and culture, speaking the eternal truth of the gospel into that culture with their language and references. Trying to speak into a culture without knowing that culture often produces tragic results- simply follow the history of world missions and you can see it a multitude of times. Learning and applying linguistic and cultural knowledge to speak into that culture produces profound change because the gospel always has been, and always will be, good news to those in the most desperate need.
4. Broad Generalizations Fail
Perhaps the biggest issue with anything like this is broad generalization and preclusion of any good done by youth ministries through the years. While I will be the first to say many youth ministries have not produced the "fruit of righteousness"(read John 15.1-8) and should be pruned, others have done so faithfully and well. Instead of reactionary stereotyping, look for the good and bad. A few quick examples (no where near all inclusive): Holy Huddles- where only those "good" enough need apply and no one else; Social Clubs- where it's all about being together, the gospel is secondary or tertiary, if at all; Service Teams- where it's all about promoting justice and serving others, without every really exploring the why; Party Central- fun and more fun is the motto, "winning" souls by having them "inside" the church is the idea; Conquest Armies- they are all about "saving souls" and focus on bringing people in, but never actually disciple the people they bring in. I could go on for a LONG time talking about where youth ministry has missed the mark (the adage that "you keep them by how you reach them" almost always rings true), but it has also changed lives. There are people whose lives are radically different because someone cared enough to work in one of the lowest paying fields of ministry and loved them to Jesus.
Youth ministry isn't causing teens to abandon their faith, some individual ministries and models might be. If we're honest, and wanted to evaluate the whole of Christendom by average results, the proper title ought to be, "Churches Leading People Straight to Hell," because that's more of the truth than I'd care to admit in far too many cases. We're broken people, saved by grace and grace alone, working in imperfect institutions and families to bring the life giving words and life of Jesus to those around us. None of us has a right to anything but death and punishment- but Jesus died so I could be made His righteousness and no longer bear the stigma, shame, and chains of my sin. That good news is what needs to be spoken in every culture, every language, every age group, every nation, every place so that by ALL POSSIBLE MEANS we might save some. If that's via family centered ministry- great. If that's via age graded ministry- still great. Why? Because Jesus doesn't quibble over our "how," He looks for the end result of bearing much fruit so that the Father is greatly glorified. Eternal truth, changing methodology- at the core it's about doing whatever it takes to reach every person possible with the good news of Jesus Christ. So what are you waiting for? Go. Do. Be. Bear fruit. Make Jesus famously known and save the some God made you for.
Sola scriptura. Sola gratia. Sola Fide. Solus Christus. Sola deo gloria!
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