Parents
A few weeks ago I attended the annual youth ministry conference "Conclave". It's pretty amazing, really. It features some of the most compelling Evangelical communicators in the country, as well as mini-conferences on various issues related to teenagers and youth ministries and an exhibition hall full of vendors who provide services targeted specifically for youth ministries and teenagers.
The first night, I was able to hear one of the most impactful sermons I've ever heard (if you would like to listen, follow this link: http://www.wbcthebranch.org/sites/default/files/podcasts/02%20G2%20-%20Monday%20Evening.mp3). It came from J.R. Vassar. Vassar is a Texas native who now pastors Apostles Church in Manhattan, New York.
He began his sermon by making the assertion that contemporary culture is experiencing a shift from a world of Christendom to a world that is largely post-Christian. Let me explain a bit further. As you probably know, the writers of the New Testament wrote to Christians who lived in various locations within the Roman Empire, a world that tolerated many different belief systems, even though Roman mythology and emperor worship were the official beliefs sanctioned by Rome. In Christianity's infancy, its followers were seen as a group of strange people who adhered to beliefs that were completely outside of the established norm. However, under the control of the Emperor Nero, Christians were seen not just as a weird group of people but also as a threat. Thus broke out a state-sanctioned, brutal persecution of Christians led and championed by Nero himself. This was largely the case even after Nero's death and lasted up until 313AD, when the emperor Constantine issued the Edict of Milan, which removed the legal penalties for confessing Christianity and declared Christianity to be a legitimate religion among all of the others. This was the beginning of Christendom or Constantianism. From this point on in history, Christianity would enjoy a place of privilege in the world. Although its influence on secular culture has waxed and waned over the past millennium and a half or so, it has always been a respected voice in the discussion about how people should live their lives - especially in America.
Now, that is starting to not be the case any longer. Rather, the culture is changing in a way that will probably look more pre-Christian (the era before Constantine) than Christian. Indeed, it seems that our world is becoming more and more hostile to the biblical principles that Christians hold to be true and good. In fact, you can already see this transition at work in many ways. Vassar, in his sermon, mentions that there is a case wherein New York City has banned churches from using schools as meeting places. The case has been lost twice by the church that initiated it, and sits before the Supreme Court on appeal. We are in a time now where, if a Christian believes same-sex relations to be outside of God's design for humanity, he is branded a "bigot". Lest you believe that this cultural change hasn't reached good ol' Texas, the mission church that Westbury is sponsoring has been removed from two different community centers because of concerns over separation of church and state.
The simple truth is this: the culture in which we live is changing from a world that used to value the Christian voice to a world that ignores or expresses hostility toward what we have to say. Personally, I am okay with this because Christianity historically seems to be much more authentic and numerically explosive when it exists in a context of suffering rather than influence. However, it does change the way that we minister to our teenagers when we understand that we are no longer rearing them in a world wherein their beliefs are accepted and embraced, but rather one wherein their beliefs are rejected and abhorred.
Parents, here are my questions for you:
1.) In what practical ways can we prepare our teens for life in a world that will reject them and what they believe?
2.) What does this mean in terms of how youth ministries should approach ministering to teenagers?
3.) What does the Bible have to say about living life in a context of persecution and suffering rather than prosperity and privilege?
I look forward to your replies and discussion.
sray
Thank you so much for sharing information that is so true. I think sometimes we 'sugar coat' what the Christian life is to non-Christians. Certainly, the bible teaches us to expect hardship and tribulation in our Christian walk, yet we can, if we walk close to Christ, always seeking Him and His way, live with peace and joy and contentment, despite the hardships. I look forward to seeing people's comments to this blog, and may comment further, as it is a tough challenge for Parents and Youth Ministers with their kids.
ReplyDeleteI believe one way to equip our kids, and ourselves, is to really be grounded in The Word. If we can learn to check every thought and belief we have against what the Word of God says then I believe we will stand stronger. So, when our youth says "I believe in this..." we can say, "show me that in the Word." Of course, they have to believe that the Bible is true. What amazing faith will grow in our kids if they go to the Bible and read it to answer the questions of what they should believe. Questions about our actions, thoughts, gossip, pre-marital sex, speech, homosexuality...and so much more. Sadly, if I am not doing the same then I begin to look just like the world, too. So, in a post-Christian world, I believe that a knowledge of the Scriptures and a belief in it's authority is something that our kids can't make it without.
ReplyDeleteOne BIG thing we can do for our children is pray. Pray about their futures. Pray about their friendships. Let them see you pray. Let them hear you pray. Pray with them. Talk with them about their concerns. I think the validity of faith becomes tangible and reliable. It also reveals expectations you have for them. Unfortunately, if we haven't started this while they are young, it is very difficult to get them to want to pray with you.
ReplyDeleteWe really must be realistic about the struggles they will face in this current youth culture too. The faulty values must be confronted with maturity in the faith. Many of our students in the Branch don't walk in with a biblical perspective. As adult leaders in the ministry we are challenged to confront false teaching straight on without apology because we love.
I have appreciated all of your comments. And I think that you've each highlighted important aspects of how we, as Christians, should respond to this "change of the guard", so to speak.
ReplyDeleteVassar actually provides some simple, yet profound insight into how we should respond to this contemporary reality, and I think that he's right on point.
1) We need to teach/model for our kids what it means to accept this marginal or rejected status. I realize how unpopular this is for the average teenager, considering that their happiness seems to rest almost exclusively on what other teens think about them. They have an extremely overdeveloped need to feel like they are part of something special...mixed with a stubborn, overbearing commitment to individuality. Though quite the contradiction, this isn't necessarily a bad thing, especially if they begin to embrace their identities as children of God. We need to pray that, as they get older, they see friendship with the world for what it really is and come to value the type of deep, life-giving relationships for which they've been created - relationships that are met by God and their spiritual family.
2.) They need to understand the importance of encountering God on a consistent basis. What I can't get over in scripture is the fact that a relationship with God was not just about a nominal religious designation. It was something characterized by continual, deep community with God...almost as though that is what we were created for :). If this reality isn't present in our lives or the lives of our teenagers, then NOTHING that we do can be expected to last - for God will not have been a part of it.
sray