Category: life

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Youth Ministry: Crazy Answers # 1

On the way to scripture today I reflected on an answer that I’ve heard many times from young teens (or late primary students). In answer to a question like: “Why did Jesus have to die?”, they answer “If he didn’t we wouldn’t be here today.”

What’s that mean?? It may have some truth in it based on how history and culture has worked itself out over the past 2000 years, but is there any theological basis? I don’t think so. The world would look different… but I think they’ve misunderstood something of what Jesus’ death achieves.

Funnily enough there was one boy today who wrote the above answer almost verbatim!!!

Have you ever heard this response?
How do you respond to it?

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Youth Ministry: Tim’s Take on Terrigal Teenagers

I caught up with Tim Baldwin yesterday afternoon for a coffee and too many Krispy Kremes! Tim is a great encouragement and I enjoy talking with him about Jesus, ministry and culture. We were talking about the dominant culture on the Central Coast. His reflection is that there is an idolatry of the lifestyle. Coasties LOVE the lifestyle. Coasties boast in the lifestyle. Coasties scorn Sydney-siders who must deal with traffic, pollution and people. One idea that Tim had was to tap into that culture by acknowledging how good a place the Central Coast truly is. But to help move people on from that and see that what matters is not where you live, but Jesus.

We then talked about the teenagers on the Central Coast. He came up with 2 things:

  • Teenagers want to fit in
  • Teenagers want to be where the action is

1) TEENAGERS WANT TO FIT IN
This is one of the most fundamental desires of a typical teenager. The desire to fit in with the crowd. Teenagers want to be cool. Teenagers want to be accepted. One of the ways to tap into this desire to be accepted is to acknowledge that the teenagers you are ministering to are thinking like that… “I know that you’re desire in life is to be accepted and to fit in at school…” (in the context of a talk) One way to challenge this would be to encourage teenagers to actually stand out for Jesus. Stand out and be different from their classmates… because of Jesus. This doesn’t mean they have to tuck their shirt into their undies or wear socks with sandals etc… but to live radically different from their peers when it comes to what they value, what they believe and how they live.

2) TEENAGERS WANT TO BE WHERE THE ACTION IS
This 2nd point goes hand in hand with the first one. Teenagers want to fit in… and be at the right place doing the right things. The right parties. The right beach. The right shopping centre. We need to show teenagers that JESUS is where the action is at! Meeting with Jesus’ people around Jesus’ word for Jesus’ glory on a Friday night is far more profound than hanging out at Erina Fair! Ephesians 3 helps to show us just how BIG the gathering of church is in the cosmos. We need to show teenagers that if they want to truly be where the action is at – they need to be with Jesus.

I really like these two points.

What do you think?
Is that true in your context?
How do we tap into this culture?

Would love to hear your comments…