Most youth groups (including mine) have a way of eventually all looking and sounding pretty much the same…
They love to use words that sound big and exciting and dangerous:
REVOLUTION
RADICAL
UPRISING
TRANSFORM
EXTREME
MOVEMENT
NOISE
THRIVE
FIRE!
These words are presented in wild, distressed fonts, and sometimes purposefully spelled incorrectly (’cause that’s even cooler).
Our youth groups all promise some radical, life-changing, world-shaking movement of young people, but they usually all end up by the end of each semester, as big rooms filled with teenagers; some engaged and interested, with too many others texting, creating drama, trying to hook-up, or generally waiting to be entertained or amused for an hour, so they can go back to Facebook, tanning and whatever else seems like life.
But the more I read the Scriptures, and the more I get a clearer picture of what Jesus was really doing, and really asking, the more I hear him telling our youth ministries to stop:
STOP trying to make me look attractive and fun… I have called people to sacrifice and service.
STOP worrying about being big and incredible… I am much bigger than you can even comprehend.
STOP making worship equal a rock show… Worship is the daily process of self-denial and humility that requires no stage or lighting.
STOP selling me like I’m a product… I don’t want consumers of me, I want those who are consumed by me, who won’t trade-up or move-on.
STOP trying to make a noise or a rukus… I started small and slow, and built something of substance.
STOP moving so fast and doing so much… My students and I walked and rested and ate… a lot. 🙂
STOP spending so much money on buildings and stuff… I sat people in a field and shared the love of God with them, and that worked pretty well.
What if youth groups had names that actually felt like Jesus and his ministry:
Rest
Sabbath
Shalom
Humility
Pray
Serve
(Not as sexy, are they?)
Does Jesus want youth groups gone? No. But I think he wants a slower, smaller more humble people to rise up out of our ministries. I think he wants less entertainment, less marketing and less promoting. I think he wants deep relationships, real sacrifiice and true compassion.
I think Jesus wants to do the movement-making. I think he wants to do the revolutionizing. I think he wants to do the transforming.
It won’t come from great light shows.
It won’t come through t-shirts.
It won’t come through Facebook or Twitter or logos or slogans.
It won’t come even through great retreats or worship services, camps or events.
It will come, when people; actual flawed, messed-up, ordinary people, are individually changed enough by their faith to do the hard, unglamorous, often boring work of being in relationship with others; reading Scripture, praying together and serving people together.
I think the moment our youth ministries stop trying to be cool and fun and groundbreaking, is the moment Jesus will have us right where he wants us.
