HATER!

I have been accused of having a poor attitude toward youth ministry in the past. I would even go so far as to say that most would still use that description on me today. If they weren't so Christian-like in their attitudes, they might go so far as to call me a hater. Will it do any good to proclaim my innocence? Probably not, but I'm going to give it a try.

My problem with many (ok...all of the youth programs I have seen personally) is that they try to be relevant to the youth of today. Sure they try to sprinkle some theology into the mix, but by-and-large they are ineffective at the very thing they are so desperately wanting; young people living and following Christ. What makes me come to this conclusion? If we look at the success rate of the youth programs by following the number of youth who continue in being a part of church after they leave the home, the numbers are abysmal. By many counts the numbers are between 15-30%. I even had the misfortune of hearing one youth pastor who had been doing youth ministry for 25 years have a retention rate of ZERO! Imagine how he felt! Was his program that different from what we see elsewhere? If his track record was so obviously bad, why was he allowed to remain a youth pastor for as long as he did? I'm guessing it was because his youth were having a blast, gathering together in the name of Christ, yet there were no true conversions because they didn't understand the need for repentance. They viewed youth group as a place to go and hang-out for a while with their friends without their parents asking too many questions. After all, how much trouble can little Johnny get into at the local church youth group?

My concern isn't with being viewed as a hater, I couldn't really care less. My concern is and always has been the discipleship of our youth, and ALL those that enter the church doors. Too many churches focus on the wrong things. Some try so hard to be relevant to the youth that they make church all about the youth. Some churches start by the cast-off seniors that have been left behind, and not to let them off the hook either, but many seniors segregate themselves so the church then has to cater to the seniors. We have churches that focus on everything and everybody but who we are to focus on, namely God!

The church does not belong to the youth, the elderly, the young professionals, or any other people group. It belongs to Christ! We should, at all times, seek His approval. One of the 5 sola's is Soli Deo Gloria, meaning Glory to God Alone. If we cater to the sheep (or goats), we are no longer seeking the approval of the One that matters.

Discipleship at every age matters a great deal. We need to ask ourselves if what we are doing is biblical and relevant to the goal we have set before us. If it is not, we need to change it, not out of shame but out of necessity.

I'm still a hater, aren't I...?