youthwork -next 20yrs
The Next 20 Years of Youth Ministry
The world is changing, and so are your kids. Eleven of your peers examine some of trends that will impact kids and culture over the next 20 years, along with some anticipated changes in the way we do youth ministry.
EMERGING CULTURAL PATTERNS
By Brad Sargent, cultural interpreter, futurist, and systems strategist for post-postmodern ministry.
I believe these are the dominant patterns that will affet youth ministers in the future.
Virtual Tribes
As subcultures flourish, generic generational ministry will disappear. We can no longer accurately predict people's subcultures based on gender, age, race, economic class, or style; we have to listen and watch for each person's specific cluster of values, questions, beliefs, and behaviors. The misfits in our generic ministries could become the leaders in their own home—tribe ministries. How will we equip and endorse them?
Sticking Around
The average American relocates regularly. Who remains in a neighborhood to give young people a sense of continuity? Today's preschoolers are tomorrow's disciplers. We need to consider 100-year plans for plowing, sowing, watering, and reaping in a society that has increasingly less residual biblical knowledge. Parents might consider encouraging their children to consider living in the same community. Since these children already know the culture of the area, they'll be able to contribute something unique if they show up later as "boomerang adults." Think what could happen in our youth ministries and in our churches if we encourage our students to think about planting themselves locally for the long run and bring more multigenerational continuity to the community.
Drive-Through Training
Seminary degrees are no longer required to prove one's expertise, but people still look for relevant training. Instead of going to one place that can supposedly provide all you need, youth workers set up their own curricula and experience a series of real-world contexts to learn about their passions—anything from theologizing to VJing, Goths to nonprofits, apologetics to aesthetics. What can we offer for local hands-on intensives and culture-rich internships?
Intercultural Challenge
More and more families have multiracial heritage. More neighborhoods have racial and cultural diversity. The philosophy of multiculturalism appreciates the differences among individuals and honors this cultural distinctiveness. While this can be extraordinarily positive, it alone is not sufficient to lead to full social transformation. An emerging approach focuses on inter-culturalism—interactions that composite the unique contributions of different people groups, subcultures, and virtual tribes—and yet challenges each culture to identify its toxicities and move beyond them. How do we dance around such delicate issues and come across as friendly transformers instead of bigoted nay-sayers?
Holistic Integration
In ministry, as in medicine, to dissect something is to kill it. Holistic approaches to ministry keep every dimension of our lives and lifestyles in dynamic tension: our minds, imaginations, emotions, souls, wills, spirits, and bodies. This involves healing past wounds, giving encouragement in the here-and-now, and nurturing the hope-filled development of our many possibilities. all the while seeking individual transformation toward Christ-like character and community transformation toward Kingdom culture (i.e. everything God designed societies to be and do). How do we hold the many layers of our being together so the whole is more than the sum of its parts?
DEFINING GENERATION C
by Jess Elmquist, president of www.truewell.com, empowering ministries to build community online
Generation C—this may be the first time you've heard this descriptor, but it won't be the last. It stands for "Generation Content," and it has no demographic, age, or economic indicator. The premise is that in the future everyone will be an artist, music producer, publisher, or movie director—their own personal media magnates. Check out www.trendwatching. com and see what "Generation C" is all about.
One of the main forces behind this trend, besides humans' innate need to create, is the glut of cool tools now available to simplify the process of creation. Today everyone can create and distribute. This trend is impacting over 50 million Americans today; although young people are leading the charge, hundreds of millions will follow.
Youth ministry community has never been more available for support and connection. Because of the Internet, youth pastors need no longer feel constrained to their local area network. Mike King runs a site out of Kansas City (www.youthfrontconversations.com) but has four thousand conversations a month with youth pastors from around the world. Content, thought, cultural news, and conversations are going on every day.
Students are Generation C. Allowing room for them to add value is important. The expectation here is not for larger wow but more depth. Delegate or die, and your students will appreciate the culture that builds. It's not about the technology; it's about the community. Your students know they have choice in community. They'll choose someone else if you don't make the grade.
Parents are online and plugged in. Nine of every ten online purchases happen at work. Give parents an opportunity to sign up and pay for ministry events online like they do with so many other purchases. Save parents time and frustration by posting online forms for download. Alan Mercer at www.cccstudents.com lets his junior high parents log on and download the lessons for the week. Now parents can track and pray for their students with real time context. Involved parents do more and give more.
Events and activities are huge administrative burdens that lead to burnout. Using technology to simplify processes saves the youth minister time and money. Every piece of paper your parent prints at home represents savings for your ministry.
Generation C students want to be involved, not be spectators. They want to help create their communities. Open the door to the future, and watch the creation of a new ministry unfold.
SCIENCE AND ETHICS
by Tiffany Marshall, speaker, writer, and 14-year youth ministry veteran in Fort Worth, Tex.
In some ways, the future of youth ministry lies in a world much like a sciencefiction movie set, but the sci-fi of today is becoming tomorrow's reality. And youth workers should be ready to respond.
As the technology of video games progresses, virtual reality will become more and more accessible. NASA's cuttingedge research will soon be the next must-have purchase. Teens in the future will be able to do virtually anything virtually. They'll be virtual sports stars, virtual movie stars, virtual war heroes, and virtual astronauts. Then, of course, there's the issue of virtual sex. Will it be considered fornication, adultery, masturbation, or lust? Will we come up with ways to address the impact of this technology? Or will we tweak it ourselves and have students conversing with a virtual burning bush or virtually walking on water? And what happens if a computer chip is able to elicit spiritual experiences? How will we distinguish the brain's reaction to a simulation from the work of the Spirit?
And what about cloning? In February of 2004, South Koreans told the world that they had successfully cloned a human embryo. Currently, scientists tend to agree that human reproductive cloning would be unethical, but they're fighting to be allowed to clone embryos and use the stem cells for the sake of research. Then another ethical debate begins. How ethical is it to clone a human embryo and then destroy it after research? Beyond ethics are the spiritual implications. Can you clone a spirit? Identical twins have unique spirits and personalities. Would clones? How would it change the way Psalm 139 is read if humans can create other humans without procreation? What about genetic profiling? What issues arise when parents can put their children together like a Mr. Potato Head—picking and choosing appearance, intelligence, and abilities?
Whether or not you're interested in science, we will face these issues in the future. New discoveries and inventions are often opportunities for us to wrestle with exciting and terrifying new questions. Our tendency has been to ignore the findings of various fields of study, because we don't want to consider the logical ramifications. Instead, I suggest we think preemptively so we don't react out of ignorance, discomfort, and fear.
CHANGING NORMS
by Wendy Coy, speaker, author, worship leader, and director of InnerACTS ministry.
It was that TV show that dealt with, of all things, divorce; imagine making a show about such a horrible subject. Or so said my parents the first time we encountered The Brady Bunch. Of course, Mom and Dad were TV-phobic (so phobic, in fact, that they never considered the possibility that the elder Bradys were widow and widower), but living in their house, I'd internalized their norm and assumed that it would stick.
Imagine my surprise in the '90s when I discovered that the rerun retro show had once again become popular. Only now I found it to be a homey, corny, but lovable reminder of a comforting time when families were safe and stable.
What do we do when norms change without us noticing? When what was once taboo becomes accepted behavior? "The trouble with normal is it always gets worse," wrote songwriter Bruce Cockburn.
Our reference points are changing. In an era where there is little respect for buildings, traditions, material possessions, or one's body, what meaning does "the temple of the Holy Spirit" retain?
What is outrageous now will be normal tomorrow. If television programming takes three years from idea to screen, the fringe cultural excesses of today will be acceptable in a short time. Can radical holiness create an equal and opposite appeal?
Virtual reality has more value than actual reality. Through TiVo, iPod, video on demand, and gaming, we can create our ideal environments. Face-toface relationships are just so messy when compared to virtual interactions. But how can God use the virtual to call us further into the joy of creation or deeper into the pain of the real hurting world?
In our extreme-loving society, even Christian discipleship has to go deeper and further if it's to stand up against the radical calls of the culture. Power ministry beckons. But does God do extreme?
If new is better and youth is the ideal, is there a place for wisdom of the experienced? How can elders transfer Godly wisdom if their experiences and moral standards are seen as no longer relevant?
If truth is constructed through personal experience and feelings, is there no objective viewpoint? Do we need one? If truth is culturally determined and in a state of flux, how can 2000-year-old (and older) Scriptures retain meaning?
In light of "you're fired" and reality show popularity contests, how does Jesus challenge us to accept the unlovable by loving them? How can we mentor the gifted, broken outcast? How can we sympathize with and aid the victim, without victimization becoming a rationalization for any behavior?
Youth ministry, by its nature, is always moving into new eras. The challenge is to move into the new unstable world that evolves around us while upholding the essence of Jesus' teachings—relational ministry with healing and transformation at its core.
MENTAL ILLNESS IN KIDS
by Larry Jones and Doug Bohannon, coworkers at a residential care/treatment facility in Winston-Salem, N.C.
Quick quiz. That kid in your youth group who laughed when your senior pastor announced that she has breast cancer—just an immature middle schooler embarrassed by the word "breast," or a sufferer of early-onset schizophrenia, with symptoms of inappropriate expression of emotion and poor social skills? Or how about that young man in Sunday School who argues angrily with you over every point you're trying to make in the lesson—a future theologian, or a young person with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and an accompanying Oppositional Defiant Disorder? Or how about the young woman on the mission trip whom you catch smoking pot—is she just experimenting with the wild life on her first trip away from home, or is she attempting to self-medicate her clinical depression?
Increasingly, the answers to all the above questions may lie in the world of mental illness. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) states, "In the US today, one in ten children suffer from a mental disorder severe enough to cause some level of impairment" (www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/childqa.cfm). A recent report from the Surgeon General's office estimates that almost 21 percent of US children ages 9-17 "had a diagnosable mental or addictive disorder associated with at least minimum impairment" (www.surgeongeneral.gov/ library/youthviolence/messages.htm).
Furthermore, these disorders are not limited to the ones that youth workers most commonly encounter—ADHD, depression, and eating disorders. The NIMH lists many other disorders that affect children and adolescents today, including: Anxiety Disorders, Bipolar Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder, Childhood-Onset Schizophrenia, and Autism Spectrum Disorders (which include the disorder known as Asperger syndrome). Evidence clearly suggests that mental health conditions commonly associated with adulthood are also part of the struggles many of our adolescents are experiencing today, complicating the already hard task of growing up.
The Autism Spectrum Disorders affect an estimated one of every five hundred children. Approximately two million children in the United States wrestle with the symptoms of ADHD; and 30 to 50 percent of the children with ADHD also exhibit the symptoms of Oppositional Defiant Disorder, characterized by stubborn, non-compliant, and even belligerent patterns of behavior. About four percent of all adolescents get seriously depressed each year, with adolescent females twice as likely as adolescent males to develop depression. Bipolar Disorder may be as prevalent among youth as among adults, with some evidence indicating that one percent of adolescents ages 14 to 18 meet the criteria for this disorder or cyclothymia, a milder form of the illness. Although schizophrenia is fortunately much rarer in children than adults, Childhood-Onset Schizophrenia still affects about one in every 40,000 young people.
A sobering facet of this identification of mental illnesses among our young people is the estimation that fewer than one in five of these affected children and youth receive treatment at all. And those in care are much more likely to be receiving treatment in their local communities on an outpatient or even in-home basis rather than in a mental health hospital, children's home, or other such institution. Richard Nelson, the CEO of The Children's Home in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and a veteran of work with at-risk youth states: "Custodial care as originally conceived is no longer a viable option. The trend across this country is one of community-based/wraparound services. Children are now being served in their community with services in their home. Only those youth with the most severe emotional trauma are being referred to residential settings. In fact, I too support this trend as it is in the best interest of children and families."
As a general rule of thumb, these behaviors need to occur fairly consistently over a significant period of time, and they need to cause noteworthy impairment of functioning for them to be considered as mental health disorders. So we shouldn't assume that every sullen, sad, defiant, inattentive young person is suffering from some form of mental illness. We should, however, be alert to the fact that mental illness among teens is on the rise, and it's sometimes quite severe. And our kids will want to know how God can help them cope and live with their illnesses; we need to be ready.
SEXUALITY
by Jason Minnix, youth pastor at First Baptist Church of Beaverton, Oreg.
One of my favorite seniors, whom I'll call Zed, sat me down last month to inform me, "I think I'm bisexual." The next week he decided to "come out" in Sunday school class. At our panel discussion on purity, three of the choice questions included: What is bestiality? Is anal sex wrong? and What's a sex club? The kids in our Sunday school class are detached from boundaries offered in Scripture and a clear sense of what it means to be male and female.
Churches have largely missed the boat regarding sexuality. The divorce rate is higher in churches than society at large; the prevalence of sexual dysfunction in Christian marriages is alarming; and homophobia is alive and flourishing in the church and Christian society. In my 7 years as a Southern Baptist youth minister, Zed is the first teen I've known who's admitted struggling with homosexuality. Our mantra, "Love the sinner, hate the sin" is about as effective at addressing these heart issues as the "Just Say No" campaign is at fighting drug use. Both slogans have been championed in the name of concern while leaving much room for contempt. Perhaps our attitude needs to be "Love the sinner—period."
During a trip to Portland, Oreg., on April 5, 2004, James Dobson cited homosexual marriage as the critical moment that will determine whether America slides into complete moral degradation. Consequently, churches in Oregon organized the Defense of Marriage Coalition. Their aim is to put a measure on the ballot that defines marriage specifically as a union between one man and one woman. After hearing Mr. Dobson out, I wanted Zed's thoughts on the matter. Zed, like many young people, doesn't understand why older Christians feel a responsibility to oppose gay rights. If the emerging generation is increasingly pro gay rights, and much of the church is reacting with fear and hate, is it that we're simply majoring on minor issues?
It's now socially acceptable for teens to behave as single adults did in the '60s and '70s, having casual sex with many insignificant others. "Friends with benefits" is the new label for those who are willing to have "buddy sex."
Why is it that we have coalitions to address homosexuality, but we have no political action committees addressing "friends with benefits?" Is the issue really something spiritual (like sexual purity, heterosexual or homosexual), or is it more culturally biased?
During a mentoring time I asked Zed, "If you lived in another country, do think your sexual orientation would be such a big deal?"
Without hesitation he said, "No. That's just what everyone cares about here. I have a friend from Germany who I told. She just said, ‘O.K.'"
Zed, with tears in his eyes, continued, "Most of my friends I tell are surprised that I still go to church and believe in God," as he went on to wonder whether there will be gender in heaven.
Regardless of your own personal perspectives on sexuality issues, I guarantee that we can expect increased confusion among students regarding what it means to be male and female, more uncertainty around sexual orientation and the power of labels (bisexual, homosexual, transgender, etc.), sexual experimentation at younger ages (if you haven't yet seen the movie Thirteen, I recommend it), and a deep hunger for Jesus-type guides with biblical boundaries. In this confused emotional landscape of sexuality, who will be there to guide, but not condemn, the young people of today?
NEXT GEN ETHOS
by Mike Perschon, teacher, writer, speaker, and part-time associate pastor of Holyrood Mennonite Church in Edmonton, Alberta
This past year I went from being the "associate pastor in charge of youth" to being the "associate pastor in charge of nearly everything" overnight. Our senior pastor resigned, and suddenly I was preaching weekly, fielding phone calls from the "big people," and having less time to devote specifically to the young people of the church. No increase in pay, no increase in hours. When I was asked how I was doing, I replied with a smile, "Great!"
The reason for my excitement stemmed from an idea I've been kicking around since my first job as a youth intern in a multi-staff church nearly ten years ago. I observed that students suffered a form of withdrawal as they advanced through the levels of the youth program, especially when they graduated high school and had to adjust to becoming part of "big" church. I realized that unlike big church, my students were "timed congregations"—they were only under my leadership for a specific season
under my leadership for a specific season. Over the past ten years I've come to a conclusion similar to that of other youth workers: age-specific ministry is toxic to body-life in our churches. The future doesn't lie in kid's clubs, youth groups, or young married small groups. The future doesn't lie in the hands of youth pastors or senior pastors. It lies in the hands of God, building an ethos of nextgenerational compassion where each generation becomes the shepherding caretakers of the next. It lies in egalitarian leadership teams with unique personalities and gifts with the same agenda: to see the whole congregation grow, not just one demographic.
This is no easy task; it requires a subtlety that borders on espionage. My own approach has been to start changing the ethos within my sphere of influence—among the students and their parents. To wish for an overnight change is unrealistic. To strike a spark, fan the flame, and let the Spirit blow takes time and patience—as well as the willingness to be subversive change agents with a heart for the entire congregation, not just the ones under 30.
If this ethos is to take root, we must be willing to minister to the generations behind and the generations before. Too often youth ministry's position is that the old must make way for the new; and while this may often be true, we must also teach the value of foundations and tradition. We must help our young people minister to their elders in truly relevant fashions. Otherwise, we'll simply foster one more selfish generation who believes that things must be done their way.
My inner skeptic doubts that, short of the direct intervention of God's Spirit, anything can be done within this present generation: be they Millennials, Xers, Boomers, or Builders. We've fostered the "my way" syndrome for too long. If church isn't done the way I like, I go elsewhere. When I get older, I'll be respected enough to get "my way" around here. This new ethos must begin somewhere, and I recommend it begin with me, with you, with us. Teach your students to serve the generations around them, and perhaps we'll see a day when the power brokers in the church are the ones enduring that noise the kids are making in 2024.
CHANGES IN THE CONGREGATIONAL YOUTH MINISTER
by Jason Smith, Young Life area director in Beaver County, Penn.
As the landscape of Christian youth work changes, the needs of kids (and the variety of opportunities to meet those needs) increase. It's also becoming more difficult to describe the "typical" church youth worker. And thank God, because it's impossible to describe the "typical" kid.
Fortunately, church boards seem willing to try new approaches to best adapt. As a result, those called as volunteer or paid youth workers have more and more possibilities to consider. If decision makers continue to innovate, the variety of shapes for church youth workers will increase exponentially. We'll continue to see an increase in the value of volunteers who can tailor relationships with a few kids; paid positions designed primarily to pastor and train these volunteers; churches thinking sensibly about sacredcow programs and youth workers' roles in those programs; senior pastors hiring someone else to help work with adults so they can focus on teenagers; churches and parachurch groups doing whatever it takes to reach forgotten groups like teenage moms and disabled kids; and the number of youth workers who can specialize in teaching the Bible rather than simply making it interesting. The horizon is full of new shapes and functions for those called to love kids into relationship with God.
With growing diversity in the roles of congregational youth workers, the way we think about our post in God's Kingdom becomes as important as the post itself. There is a "pattern of this world" way of thinking about the matter, and then there's a biblical way.
The old—nevertheless still prevalent—way of thinking about a youth worker's calling (rooted in the old concept that youth work is a stepping stone to "the ministry") suggests that true giftedness in youth mission and ministry carries with it a basic set of attributes: strong, extroverted, up-front personalities who can captivate large crowds.
One major problem with this pattern is illustrated by a common scenario in which veteran youth workers who are truly gifted with kids (for example, teaching them to do humble service with the poor) feel a need—often financial—to prove their value as gifted youth workers by moving into high profile roles (worship leading, for example) for which they may have little passion or gifting. At the same time, a young youth worker who truly has these abilities might be channeled into entry-level roles such as service or one-on-one discipleship (a horribly unbiblical designation). Worse yet is the case of young youth workers who believe that pursuing a calling in youth work involves proving from day one that their gifts lie "up front." In any case, the problem is clear: giving greater value to more high-profile roles makes our teams, churches, and organizations less-equipped for our corporate calling of giving kids a clear picture of life in Christ.
The New Testament provides God's perspective on the matter of finding our roles in ministry. Not only does Scripture provide the best illustration (the body) of what we call "organizations, models, and schemes," Scripture also offers practical perspective on how these parts relate to one another.
First, the body, by definition, is made of many parts (I Cor 12). As in ministry, some parts of the body (the eyes, for example) have been assigned more flashy roles. However, Paul reminds the Corinthians that neither should these "more respectable" parts be given special treatment nor should the "less respectable" parts be denigrated. God desires this perspective so that there's no "dissension within the body" (v. 25). Imagining the horror of an actual divided body should be a vivid reminder of how we are (and are not) to regard the varied roles we take in our work with kids.
An honest look at our colleagues reveals that some have been gifted as team leaders; others have gifts best used while following those leaders. Actual experience concurs with biblical teaching that these gifts and those who possess them should be given an equal value as they function together for God's purposes in the lives of kids.
While the Bible doesn't provide a simplistic picture of the shape our youth work should take, God has given us and those with whom we work a practical perspective as we seek to fulfill our work in the Kingdom. This perspective will continue to be useful as we encounter uncomfortable questions about finances, self-esteem, job descriptions, and reputation. Nevertheless, God's perspective will help each youth worker find the right place in the changing landscape of youth work in years to come.
Finally, as youth workers discover their calling, Paul's admonition that we should offer our bodies as living sacrifices provides even more focus. Whether you call it a job, a shape, a function, or a role, God is lovingly calling us to find our niche, and when we do, God is forcefully shouting: "Do Your Thing!"
"REAL" YOUTH MINISTRY BEYOND THE LOCAL CHURCH
by Joe Neill, teacher, author, and volunteer junior high pastor.
In January of 2000, Dr. Karen E. Jones (professor at Huntington College's LINK Institute for Faithful and Effective Youth Ministry) predicted "the teenage flood" in the YouthWorker Journal article "Seven Trends to Watch in the Next Decade." Jones predicted that the youth population will peak in 2010 at 30.8 million teenagers. In his 2001 release Real Teens, George Barna further validated this predicted growth pattern by anticipating that the number of the Mosaic Generation will "easily exceed the record-setting Boomers by several million people."
There's no question that this youth population explosion is changing the face of youth culture and youth ministry. The difficulty lies in figuring out how this growth will impact youth ministry in the years ahead. In order to reach this generation- on-the-rise, we need to broaden our definition of what it means to be a youth minister.
Recently I've struggled with this very issue. About a year ago I transitioned from my role as full-time youth pastor in order to teach Bible at a Christian high school. With that transition I experienced pastoral paranoia—the fear of no longer being considered a "real" youth pastor (though now a select group of students affectionately refer to me as "Father Neill"). This paranoia was fueled by the notion that youth ministry outside the four walls of the church isn't real youth ministry.
The paranoia increased as I began conversations with YouthWorker Journal about a summer internship. I worried that I'd lose credibility with the YWJ audience since I wasn't actually on staff at a church (even though I am a volunteer leader in my new church, which helps me keep my finger on the pulse of congregational youth ministry).
Truth be told, the bulk of my nearly nine years in youth ministry have been spent volunteering with parachurch organizations, working at summer camps, and counseling troubled teens. But what if that's not enough for me to don the coveted "real youth worker" moniker? Where does this paranoid perspective come from?
Historically, there have been two major venues for conducting ministry to teenagers. Youth ministry proper (or "real" youth ministry) has been defined as ministry to teens carried out by the local church. Parallel to that track, yet distinctly separate, are the parachurch ministries such as Youth for Christ and Young Life, who've consistently demonstrated effectiveness in the niche market of campus ministry. However, this boom in the teen population is making it necessary to explore venues in which to convey the Gospel that are outside of the church, and even traditional parachurch, contexts. It's time to expand our definition of youth ministry to include contexts not typically thought of as "ministry"—even some now considered purely "secular."
What if we considered teachers as campus ministers—minus the VISITOR name tag? What if we saw social work as the front lines of ministry to families in crisis? What if we defined working in group homes as the ultimate discipleship experience, since they're with those kids 24-7? What if we saw the guy behind the counter at the local burger joint as a "real" minister to students because he works with teens every day after school? This kind of thinking has natural ramifications.
If we're going to expand the definition of youth ministry to include even the secular workplace, then those considering youth ministry as a career must sift out their calling more thoroughly in order to arrive at something more distinctly personal. This process, though difficult, will produce more passionate, more focused, and more productive youth ministers (and, most likely, more youth workers in general).
Essentially, this approach entails expanding the scope of "full-time Christian service" to include almost any line of work. So, while we've seen an increase in colleges and universities offering youth ministry majors, we may now see an increased number of individuals called to youth ministry who choose to fulfill that calling in vocations more unique to their personalities and spiritual gifts…even in vocations we used to think of as secular.
The youth minister's vocational landscape is changing. If we're truly serious about reaching this generation, we must push aside our pastoral paranoia, capitalize on both sacred and secular vocations as valid venues of ministry, and create a new youth ministry lexicon with which we can redefine what it means to be a youth worker.
FORMAL EDUCATION IN YOUTH MINISTRY
by Chap Clark, associate professor of youth, family, and culture and the director of the institute of youth ministry at Fuller Theological Seminary.
I remember Mike Yaconelli once speaking at the Denver Seminary annual Convocation ceremony. I'd been a professor for only four years after fifteen spent in youth ministry leadership; and for the first few years I felt like I, and my area of study, didn't really belong in the halls of the Christian academy.
But inviting Mike to Denver Seminary was the school's way of affirming that yes, youth ministry training belongs in the seminary. He even looked the part of the rebellious youth ministry guy, with his tennis shoes poking out from his bachelor's academic garb (what he called his "G.E.D. robe"). But he was vintage Yaconelli, for as the 20th century youth ministry prophet boldly proclaimed that youth ministry is part of the core mission of the Body of Christ—not a sidelight of the church—the academicians took notice. I was never more proud of Mike, and I was grateful to see how the church leadership allowed him to lead them.
That was 10 years ago, and since then youth ministry has clearly staked its claim on the academic landscape of ministry preparation. From the early pioneering schools like Huntington and Eastern Colleges to Denver and Fuller Seminaries, youth ministry programs are now standard fare in most Christian colleges and seminaries—not only in the U.S., but in many parts of the world. And contrary to what I still occasionally hear from a few ill-informed academic colleagues across the country, this movement isn't simply a marketing necessity dictated by search committees. The church has come to realize that children and youth are legitimate members of the church, and that the nurture and assimilation of them into the larger congregation are among the most important future priorities for all of us. And this takes academic training.
For the next 20 years, however, it's essential that we continue to be diligent and move with integrity and focus. If we stay on track, we will see more doctoratelevel programs (D.Min. and Ph.D.) devoted to youth and their families. We also will see more schools working with denominations and organizations to bring together the best of our theology and research with the evolving practice of ministry. But there are still far too many church and academic leaders who don't believe we're serious about youth ministry as a field.
Some have identified a few educational trends that we need to watch. Two more common examples are college and seminary youth ministry students having a cavalier, almost insulting view of other programs; and youth ministry veterans taking academic shortcuts to get quick or non-accredited degrees so they can teach or otherwise advertise their expertise. As we move forward in youth ministry, we need to value our educational opportunities, raise the standards for our profession, and continue our commitment to growth as a discipline of church ministry.
SET APART VS. SENT OUT
by Mark Gladman, a youth ministry consultant for the Anglican Diocese of Brisbane, Australia
I recently responded to an e-mail from my hometown asking people to protest the local Christian radio station, which has started playing some secular music in its programming. I encouraged people to instead thank the station for becoming more accessible to non-Christians, creating an opportunity to plant seeds. This was met with a mixed response: some agreed with me, but some felt that such action would result in a less pure, watered-down witness to their city.
The church has always walked a fine line—trying to find a balance that honors Christ as well as expressing a relevance to the world we so want to reach. It's a tenuous place to be. In one ear, we hear Jesus praying for us not to be of the world. We want to grow as disciples, protecting each other from turning away from God. But this place can easily become a Christian ghetto where the church becomes a "holy huddle" looking solely after its own needs.
On the other hand, we hear in the same prayer that Jesus sent us into the world. We want to build relationships with people in order to share the love of Christ with them in relevant ways. But the danger is that the church might lose its significance, causing Christianity to be swallowed up in the culture of the day.
Could it be, though, that this is a part of God's purpose—that both exist as seeming polar opposites but do in fact work together? The relationship between deacons and priests in the Anglican Church may hold some clues. Priests are called as ministers of the church—administering the sacraments, leading and teaching the people of God, and building up the body of Christ; they're called to stay, if you will. Deacons, however, are called to be "ambassadors of Christ, serving God as you serve others in Jesus' name." The deacon is called to the edge—to minister to and build a bridge that helps the church engage with the world, and the world engage with the church. In other words, they're called to go. But one can't be successful without the other.
Pete Ward has said that a church will operate either from the inside out or the outside in, but rarely will successfully do both. So while two extremes passionately promote and justify their causes, the truth is that the church needs both. Disagreements and tension will abound, but following Christ isn't always easy. It seems that in emerging generations, where there's already a call to relevance mixed with a call to a return to holiness and purity in worship, this tension could be the stress that destroys or the tension that sparks creativity and renewal.
The world is changing, and so are your kids. Eleven of your peers examine some of trends that will impact kids and culture over the next 20 years, along with some anticipated changes in the way we do youth ministry.
EMERGING CULTURAL PATTERNS
By Brad Sargent, cultural interpreter, futurist, and systems strategist for post-postmodern ministry.
I believe these are the dominant patterns that will affet youth ministers in the future.
Virtual Tribes
As subcultures flourish, generic generational ministry will disappear. We can no longer accurately predict people's subcultures based on gender, age, race, economic class, or style; we have to listen and watch for each person's specific cluster of values, questions, beliefs, and behaviors. The misfits in our generic ministries could become the leaders in their own home—tribe ministries. How will we equip and endorse them?
Sticking Around
The average American relocates regularly. Who remains in a neighborhood to give young people a sense of continuity? Today's preschoolers are tomorrow's disciplers. We need to consider 100-year plans for plowing, sowing, watering, and reaping in a society that has increasingly less residual biblical knowledge. Parents might consider encouraging their children to consider living in the same community. Since these children already know the culture of the area, they'll be able to contribute something unique if they show up later as "boomerang adults." Think what could happen in our youth ministries and in our churches if we encourage our students to think about planting themselves locally for the long run and bring more multigenerational continuity to the community.
Drive-Through Training
Seminary degrees are no longer required to prove one's expertise, but people still look for relevant training. Instead of going to one place that can supposedly provide all you need, youth workers set up their own curricula and experience a series of real-world contexts to learn about their passions—anything from theologizing to VJing, Goths to nonprofits, apologetics to aesthetics. What can we offer for local hands-on intensives and culture-rich internships?
Intercultural Challenge
More and more families have multiracial heritage. More neighborhoods have racial and cultural diversity. The philosophy of multiculturalism appreciates the differences among individuals and honors this cultural distinctiveness. While this can be extraordinarily positive, it alone is not sufficient to lead to full social transformation. An emerging approach focuses on inter-culturalism—interactions that composite the unique contributions of different people groups, subcultures, and virtual tribes—and yet challenges each culture to identify its toxicities and move beyond them. How do we dance around such delicate issues and come across as friendly transformers instead of bigoted nay-sayers?
Holistic Integration
In ministry, as in medicine, to dissect something is to kill it. Holistic approaches to ministry keep every dimension of our lives and lifestyles in dynamic tension: our minds, imaginations, emotions, souls, wills, spirits, and bodies. This involves healing past wounds, giving encouragement in the here-and-now, and nurturing the hope-filled development of our many possibilities. all the while seeking individual transformation toward Christ-like character and community transformation toward Kingdom culture (i.e. everything God designed societies to be and do). How do we hold the many layers of our being together so the whole is more than the sum of its parts?
DEFINING GENERATION C
by Jess Elmquist, president of www.truewell.com, empowering ministries to build community online
Generation C—this may be the first time you've heard this descriptor, but it won't be the last. It stands for "Generation Content," and it has no demographic, age, or economic indicator. The premise is that in the future everyone will be an artist, music producer, publisher, or movie director—their own personal media magnates. Check out www.trendwatching. com and see what "Generation C" is all about.
One of the main forces behind this trend, besides humans' innate need to create, is the glut of cool tools now available to simplify the process of creation. Today everyone can create and distribute. This trend is impacting over 50 million Americans today; although young people are leading the charge, hundreds of millions will follow.
Youth ministry community has never been more available for support and connection. Because of the Internet, youth pastors need no longer feel constrained to their local area network. Mike King runs a site out of Kansas City (www.youthfrontconversations.com) but has four thousand conversations a month with youth pastors from around the world. Content, thought, cultural news, and conversations are going on every day.
Students are Generation C. Allowing room for them to add value is important. The expectation here is not for larger wow but more depth. Delegate or die, and your students will appreciate the culture that builds. It's not about the technology; it's about the community. Your students know they have choice in community. They'll choose someone else if you don't make the grade.
Parents are online and plugged in. Nine of every ten online purchases happen at work. Give parents an opportunity to sign up and pay for ministry events online like they do with so many other purchases. Save parents time and frustration by posting online forms for download. Alan Mercer at www.cccstudents.com lets his junior high parents log on and download the lessons for the week. Now parents can track and pray for their students with real time context. Involved parents do more and give more.
Events and activities are huge administrative burdens that lead to burnout. Using technology to simplify processes saves the youth minister time and money. Every piece of paper your parent prints at home represents savings for your ministry.
Generation C students want to be involved, not be spectators. They want to help create their communities. Open the door to the future, and watch the creation of a new ministry unfold.
SCIENCE AND ETHICS
by Tiffany Marshall, speaker, writer, and 14-year youth ministry veteran in Fort Worth, Tex.
In some ways, the future of youth ministry lies in a world much like a sciencefiction movie set, but the sci-fi of today is becoming tomorrow's reality. And youth workers should be ready to respond.
As the technology of video games progresses, virtual reality will become more and more accessible. NASA's cuttingedge research will soon be the next must-have purchase. Teens in the future will be able to do virtually anything virtually. They'll be virtual sports stars, virtual movie stars, virtual war heroes, and virtual astronauts. Then, of course, there's the issue of virtual sex. Will it be considered fornication, adultery, masturbation, or lust? Will we come up with ways to address the impact of this technology? Or will we tweak it ourselves and have students conversing with a virtual burning bush or virtually walking on water? And what happens if a computer chip is able to elicit spiritual experiences? How will we distinguish the brain's reaction to a simulation from the work of the Spirit?
And what about cloning? In February of 2004, South Koreans told the world that they had successfully cloned a human embryo. Currently, scientists tend to agree that human reproductive cloning would be unethical, but they're fighting to be allowed to clone embryos and use the stem cells for the sake of research. Then another ethical debate begins. How ethical is it to clone a human embryo and then destroy it after research? Beyond ethics are the spiritual implications. Can you clone a spirit? Identical twins have unique spirits and personalities. Would clones? How would it change the way Psalm 139 is read if humans can create other humans without procreation? What about genetic profiling? What issues arise when parents can put their children together like a Mr. Potato Head—picking and choosing appearance, intelligence, and abilities?
Whether or not you're interested in science, we will face these issues in the future. New discoveries and inventions are often opportunities for us to wrestle with exciting and terrifying new questions. Our tendency has been to ignore the findings of various fields of study, because we don't want to consider the logical ramifications. Instead, I suggest we think preemptively so we don't react out of ignorance, discomfort, and fear.
CHANGING NORMS
by Wendy Coy, speaker, author, worship leader, and director of InnerACTS ministry.
It was that TV show that dealt with, of all things, divorce; imagine making a show about such a horrible subject. Or so said my parents the first time we encountered The Brady Bunch. Of course, Mom and Dad were TV-phobic (so phobic, in fact, that they never considered the possibility that the elder Bradys were widow and widower), but living in their house, I'd internalized their norm and assumed that it would stick.
Imagine my surprise in the '90s when I discovered that the rerun retro show had once again become popular. Only now I found it to be a homey, corny, but lovable reminder of a comforting time when families were safe and stable.
What do we do when norms change without us noticing? When what was once taboo becomes accepted behavior? "The trouble with normal is it always gets worse," wrote songwriter Bruce Cockburn.
Our reference points are changing. In an era where there is little respect for buildings, traditions, material possessions, or one's body, what meaning does "the temple of the Holy Spirit" retain?
What is outrageous now will be normal tomorrow. If television programming takes three years from idea to screen, the fringe cultural excesses of today will be acceptable in a short time. Can radical holiness create an equal and opposite appeal?
Virtual reality has more value than actual reality. Through TiVo, iPod, video on demand, and gaming, we can create our ideal environments. Face-toface relationships are just so messy when compared to virtual interactions. But how can God use the virtual to call us further into the joy of creation or deeper into the pain of the real hurting world?
In our extreme-loving society, even Christian discipleship has to go deeper and further if it's to stand up against the radical calls of the culture. Power ministry beckons. But does God do extreme?
If new is better and youth is the ideal, is there a place for wisdom of the experienced? How can elders transfer Godly wisdom if their experiences and moral standards are seen as no longer relevant?
If truth is constructed through personal experience and feelings, is there no objective viewpoint? Do we need one? If truth is culturally determined and in a state of flux, how can 2000-year-old (and older) Scriptures retain meaning?
In light of "you're fired" and reality show popularity contests, how does Jesus challenge us to accept the unlovable by loving them? How can we mentor the gifted, broken outcast? How can we sympathize with and aid the victim, without victimization becoming a rationalization for any behavior?
Youth ministry, by its nature, is always moving into new eras. The challenge is to move into the new unstable world that evolves around us while upholding the essence of Jesus' teachings—relational ministry with healing and transformation at its core.
MENTAL ILLNESS IN KIDS
by Larry Jones and Doug Bohannon, coworkers at a residential care/treatment facility in Winston-Salem, N.C.
Quick quiz. That kid in your youth group who laughed when your senior pastor announced that she has breast cancer—just an immature middle schooler embarrassed by the word "breast," or a sufferer of early-onset schizophrenia, with symptoms of inappropriate expression of emotion and poor social skills? Or how about that young man in Sunday School who argues angrily with you over every point you're trying to make in the lesson—a future theologian, or a young person with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and an accompanying Oppositional Defiant Disorder? Or how about the young woman on the mission trip whom you catch smoking pot—is she just experimenting with the wild life on her first trip away from home, or is she attempting to self-medicate her clinical depression?
Increasingly, the answers to all the above questions may lie in the world of mental illness. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) states, "In the US today, one in ten children suffer from a mental disorder severe enough to cause some level of impairment" (www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/childqa.cfm). A recent report from the Surgeon General's office estimates that almost 21 percent of US children ages 9-17 "had a diagnosable mental or addictive disorder associated with at least minimum impairment" (www.surgeongeneral.gov/ library/youthviolence/messages.htm).
Furthermore, these disorders are not limited to the ones that youth workers most commonly encounter—ADHD, depression, and eating disorders. The NIMH lists many other disorders that affect children and adolescents today, including: Anxiety Disorders, Bipolar Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder, Childhood-Onset Schizophrenia, and Autism Spectrum Disorders (which include the disorder known as Asperger syndrome). Evidence clearly suggests that mental health conditions commonly associated with adulthood are also part of the struggles many of our adolescents are experiencing today, complicating the already hard task of growing up.
The Autism Spectrum Disorders affect an estimated one of every five hundred children. Approximately two million children in the United States wrestle with the symptoms of ADHD; and 30 to 50 percent of the children with ADHD also exhibit the symptoms of Oppositional Defiant Disorder, characterized by stubborn, non-compliant, and even belligerent patterns of behavior. About four percent of all adolescents get seriously depressed each year, with adolescent females twice as likely as adolescent males to develop depression. Bipolar Disorder may be as prevalent among youth as among adults, with some evidence indicating that one percent of adolescents ages 14 to 18 meet the criteria for this disorder or cyclothymia, a milder form of the illness. Although schizophrenia is fortunately much rarer in children than adults, Childhood-Onset Schizophrenia still affects about one in every 40,000 young people.
A sobering facet of this identification of mental illnesses among our young people is the estimation that fewer than one in five of these affected children and youth receive treatment at all. And those in care are much more likely to be receiving treatment in their local communities on an outpatient or even in-home basis rather than in a mental health hospital, children's home, or other such institution. Richard Nelson, the CEO of The Children's Home in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and a veteran of work with at-risk youth states: "Custodial care as originally conceived is no longer a viable option. The trend across this country is one of community-based/wraparound services. Children are now being served in their community with services in their home. Only those youth with the most severe emotional trauma are being referred to residential settings. In fact, I too support this trend as it is in the best interest of children and families."
As a general rule of thumb, these behaviors need to occur fairly consistently over a significant period of time, and they need to cause noteworthy impairment of functioning for them to be considered as mental health disorders. So we shouldn't assume that every sullen, sad, defiant, inattentive young person is suffering from some form of mental illness. We should, however, be alert to the fact that mental illness among teens is on the rise, and it's sometimes quite severe. And our kids will want to know how God can help them cope and live with their illnesses; we need to be ready.
SEXUALITY
by Jason Minnix, youth pastor at First Baptist Church of Beaverton, Oreg.
One of my favorite seniors, whom I'll call Zed, sat me down last month to inform me, "I think I'm bisexual." The next week he decided to "come out" in Sunday school class. At our panel discussion on purity, three of the choice questions included: What is bestiality? Is anal sex wrong? and What's a sex club? The kids in our Sunday school class are detached from boundaries offered in Scripture and a clear sense of what it means to be male and female.
Churches have largely missed the boat regarding sexuality. The divorce rate is higher in churches than society at large; the prevalence of sexual dysfunction in Christian marriages is alarming; and homophobia is alive and flourishing in the church and Christian society. In my 7 years as a Southern Baptist youth minister, Zed is the first teen I've known who's admitted struggling with homosexuality. Our mantra, "Love the sinner, hate the sin" is about as effective at addressing these heart issues as the "Just Say No" campaign is at fighting drug use. Both slogans have been championed in the name of concern while leaving much room for contempt. Perhaps our attitude needs to be "Love the sinner—period."
During a trip to Portland, Oreg., on April 5, 2004, James Dobson cited homosexual marriage as the critical moment that will determine whether America slides into complete moral degradation. Consequently, churches in Oregon organized the Defense of Marriage Coalition. Their aim is to put a measure on the ballot that defines marriage specifically as a union between one man and one woman. After hearing Mr. Dobson out, I wanted Zed's thoughts on the matter. Zed, like many young people, doesn't understand why older Christians feel a responsibility to oppose gay rights. If the emerging generation is increasingly pro gay rights, and much of the church is reacting with fear and hate, is it that we're simply majoring on minor issues?
It's now socially acceptable for teens to behave as single adults did in the '60s and '70s, having casual sex with many insignificant others. "Friends with benefits" is the new label for those who are willing to have "buddy sex."
Why is it that we have coalitions to address homosexuality, but we have no political action committees addressing "friends with benefits?" Is the issue really something spiritual (like sexual purity, heterosexual or homosexual), or is it more culturally biased?
During a mentoring time I asked Zed, "If you lived in another country, do think your sexual orientation would be such a big deal?"
Without hesitation he said, "No. That's just what everyone cares about here. I have a friend from Germany who I told. She just said, ‘O.K.'"
Zed, with tears in his eyes, continued, "Most of my friends I tell are surprised that I still go to church and believe in God," as he went on to wonder whether there will be gender in heaven.
Regardless of your own personal perspectives on sexuality issues, I guarantee that we can expect increased confusion among students regarding what it means to be male and female, more uncertainty around sexual orientation and the power of labels (bisexual, homosexual, transgender, etc.), sexual experimentation at younger ages (if you haven't yet seen the movie Thirteen, I recommend it), and a deep hunger for Jesus-type guides with biblical boundaries. In this confused emotional landscape of sexuality, who will be there to guide, but not condemn, the young people of today?
NEXT GEN ETHOS
by Mike Perschon, teacher, writer, speaker, and part-time associate pastor of Holyrood Mennonite Church in Edmonton, Alberta
This past year I went from being the "associate pastor in charge of youth" to being the "associate pastor in charge of nearly everything" overnight. Our senior pastor resigned, and suddenly I was preaching weekly, fielding phone calls from the "big people," and having less time to devote specifically to the young people of the church. No increase in pay, no increase in hours. When I was asked how I was doing, I replied with a smile, "Great!"
The reason for my excitement stemmed from an idea I've been kicking around since my first job as a youth intern in a multi-staff church nearly ten years ago. I observed that students suffered a form of withdrawal as they advanced through the levels of the youth program, especially when they graduated high school and had to adjust to becoming part of "big" church. I realized that unlike big church, my students were "timed congregations"—they were only under my leadership for a specific season
under my leadership for a specific season. Over the past ten years I've come to a conclusion similar to that of other youth workers: age-specific ministry is toxic to body-life in our churches. The future doesn't lie in kid's clubs, youth groups, or young married small groups. The future doesn't lie in the hands of youth pastors or senior pastors. It lies in the hands of God, building an ethos of nextgenerational compassion where each generation becomes the shepherding caretakers of the next. It lies in egalitarian leadership teams with unique personalities and gifts with the same agenda: to see the whole congregation grow, not just one demographic.
This is no easy task; it requires a subtlety that borders on espionage. My own approach has been to start changing the ethos within my sphere of influence—among the students and their parents. To wish for an overnight change is unrealistic. To strike a spark, fan the flame, and let the Spirit blow takes time and patience—as well as the willingness to be subversive change agents with a heart for the entire congregation, not just the ones under 30.
If this ethos is to take root, we must be willing to minister to the generations behind and the generations before. Too often youth ministry's position is that the old must make way for the new; and while this may often be true, we must also teach the value of foundations and tradition. We must help our young people minister to their elders in truly relevant fashions. Otherwise, we'll simply foster one more selfish generation who believes that things must be done their way.
My inner skeptic doubts that, short of the direct intervention of God's Spirit, anything can be done within this present generation: be they Millennials, Xers, Boomers, or Builders. We've fostered the "my way" syndrome for too long. If church isn't done the way I like, I go elsewhere. When I get older, I'll be respected enough to get "my way" around here. This new ethos must begin somewhere, and I recommend it begin with me, with you, with us. Teach your students to serve the generations around them, and perhaps we'll see a day when the power brokers in the church are the ones enduring that noise the kids are making in 2024.
CHANGES IN THE CONGREGATIONAL YOUTH MINISTER
by Jason Smith, Young Life area director in Beaver County, Penn.
As the landscape of Christian youth work changes, the needs of kids (and the variety of opportunities to meet those needs) increase. It's also becoming more difficult to describe the "typical" church youth worker. And thank God, because it's impossible to describe the "typical" kid.
Fortunately, church boards seem willing to try new approaches to best adapt. As a result, those called as volunteer or paid youth workers have more and more possibilities to consider. If decision makers continue to innovate, the variety of shapes for church youth workers will increase exponentially. We'll continue to see an increase in the value of volunteers who can tailor relationships with a few kids; paid positions designed primarily to pastor and train these volunteers; churches thinking sensibly about sacredcow programs and youth workers' roles in those programs; senior pastors hiring someone else to help work with adults so they can focus on teenagers; churches and parachurch groups doing whatever it takes to reach forgotten groups like teenage moms and disabled kids; and the number of youth workers who can specialize in teaching the Bible rather than simply making it interesting. The horizon is full of new shapes and functions for those called to love kids into relationship with God.
With growing diversity in the roles of congregational youth workers, the way we think about our post in God's Kingdom becomes as important as the post itself. There is a "pattern of this world" way of thinking about the matter, and then there's a biblical way.
The old—nevertheless still prevalent—way of thinking about a youth worker's calling (rooted in the old concept that youth work is a stepping stone to "the ministry") suggests that true giftedness in youth mission and ministry carries with it a basic set of attributes: strong, extroverted, up-front personalities who can captivate large crowds.
One major problem with this pattern is illustrated by a common scenario in which veteran youth workers who are truly gifted with kids (for example, teaching them to do humble service with the poor) feel a need—often financial—to prove their value as gifted youth workers by moving into high profile roles (worship leading, for example) for which they may have little passion or gifting. At the same time, a young youth worker who truly has these abilities might be channeled into entry-level roles such as service or one-on-one discipleship (a horribly unbiblical designation). Worse yet is the case of young youth workers who believe that pursuing a calling in youth work involves proving from day one that their gifts lie "up front." In any case, the problem is clear: giving greater value to more high-profile roles makes our teams, churches, and organizations less-equipped for our corporate calling of giving kids a clear picture of life in Christ.
The New Testament provides God's perspective on the matter of finding our roles in ministry. Not only does Scripture provide the best illustration (the body) of what we call "organizations, models, and schemes," Scripture also offers practical perspective on how these parts relate to one another.
First, the body, by definition, is made of many parts (I Cor 12). As in ministry, some parts of the body (the eyes, for example) have been assigned more flashy roles. However, Paul reminds the Corinthians that neither should these "more respectable" parts be given special treatment nor should the "less respectable" parts be denigrated. God desires this perspective so that there's no "dissension within the body" (v. 25). Imagining the horror of an actual divided body should be a vivid reminder of how we are (and are not) to regard the varied roles we take in our work with kids.
An honest look at our colleagues reveals that some have been gifted as team leaders; others have gifts best used while following those leaders. Actual experience concurs with biblical teaching that these gifts and those who possess them should be given an equal value as they function together for God's purposes in the lives of kids.
While the Bible doesn't provide a simplistic picture of the shape our youth work should take, God has given us and those with whom we work a practical perspective as we seek to fulfill our work in the Kingdom. This perspective will continue to be useful as we encounter uncomfortable questions about finances, self-esteem, job descriptions, and reputation. Nevertheless, God's perspective will help each youth worker find the right place in the changing landscape of youth work in years to come.
Finally, as youth workers discover their calling, Paul's admonition that we should offer our bodies as living sacrifices provides even more focus. Whether you call it a job, a shape, a function, or a role, God is lovingly calling us to find our niche, and when we do, God is forcefully shouting: "Do Your Thing!"
"REAL" YOUTH MINISTRY BEYOND THE LOCAL CHURCH
by Joe Neill, teacher, author, and volunteer junior high pastor.
In January of 2000, Dr. Karen E. Jones (professor at Huntington College's LINK Institute for Faithful and Effective Youth Ministry) predicted "the teenage flood" in the YouthWorker Journal article "Seven Trends to Watch in the Next Decade." Jones predicted that the youth population will peak in 2010 at 30.8 million teenagers. In his 2001 release Real Teens, George Barna further validated this predicted growth pattern by anticipating that the number of the Mosaic Generation will "easily exceed the record-setting Boomers by several million people."
There's no question that this youth population explosion is changing the face of youth culture and youth ministry. The difficulty lies in figuring out how this growth will impact youth ministry in the years ahead. In order to reach this generation- on-the-rise, we need to broaden our definition of what it means to be a youth minister.
Recently I've struggled with this very issue. About a year ago I transitioned from my role as full-time youth pastor in order to teach Bible at a Christian high school. With that transition I experienced pastoral paranoia—the fear of no longer being considered a "real" youth pastor (though now a select group of students affectionately refer to me as "Father Neill"). This paranoia was fueled by the notion that youth ministry outside the four walls of the church isn't real youth ministry.
The paranoia increased as I began conversations with YouthWorker Journal about a summer internship. I worried that I'd lose credibility with the YWJ audience since I wasn't actually on staff at a church (even though I am a volunteer leader in my new church, which helps me keep my finger on the pulse of congregational youth ministry).
Truth be told, the bulk of my nearly nine years in youth ministry have been spent volunteering with parachurch organizations, working at summer camps, and counseling troubled teens. But what if that's not enough for me to don the coveted "real youth worker" moniker? Where does this paranoid perspective come from?
Historically, there have been two major venues for conducting ministry to teenagers. Youth ministry proper (or "real" youth ministry) has been defined as ministry to teens carried out by the local church. Parallel to that track, yet distinctly separate, are the parachurch ministries such as Youth for Christ and Young Life, who've consistently demonstrated effectiveness in the niche market of campus ministry. However, this boom in the teen population is making it necessary to explore venues in which to convey the Gospel that are outside of the church, and even traditional parachurch, contexts. It's time to expand our definition of youth ministry to include contexts not typically thought of as "ministry"—even some now considered purely "secular."
What if we considered teachers as campus ministers—minus the VISITOR name tag? What if we saw social work as the front lines of ministry to families in crisis? What if we defined working in group homes as the ultimate discipleship experience, since they're with those kids 24-7? What if we saw the guy behind the counter at the local burger joint as a "real" minister to students because he works with teens every day after school? This kind of thinking has natural ramifications.
If we're going to expand the definition of youth ministry to include even the secular workplace, then those considering youth ministry as a career must sift out their calling more thoroughly in order to arrive at something more distinctly personal. This process, though difficult, will produce more passionate, more focused, and more productive youth ministers (and, most likely, more youth workers in general).
Essentially, this approach entails expanding the scope of "full-time Christian service" to include almost any line of work. So, while we've seen an increase in colleges and universities offering youth ministry majors, we may now see an increased number of individuals called to youth ministry who choose to fulfill that calling in vocations more unique to their personalities and spiritual gifts…even in vocations we used to think of as secular.
The youth minister's vocational landscape is changing. If we're truly serious about reaching this generation, we must push aside our pastoral paranoia, capitalize on both sacred and secular vocations as valid venues of ministry, and create a new youth ministry lexicon with which we can redefine what it means to be a youth worker.
FORMAL EDUCATION IN YOUTH MINISTRY
by Chap Clark, associate professor of youth, family, and culture and the director of the institute of youth ministry at Fuller Theological Seminary.
I remember Mike Yaconelli once speaking at the Denver Seminary annual Convocation ceremony. I'd been a professor for only four years after fifteen spent in youth ministry leadership; and for the first few years I felt like I, and my area of study, didn't really belong in the halls of the Christian academy.
But inviting Mike to Denver Seminary was the school's way of affirming that yes, youth ministry training belongs in the seminary. He even looked the part of the rebellious youth ministry guy, with his tennis shoes poking out from his bachelor's academic garb (what he called his "G.E.D. robe"). But he was vintage Yaconelli, for as the 20th century youth ministry prophet boldly proclaimed that youth ministry is part of the core mission of the Body of Christ—not a sidelight of the church—the academicians took notice. I was never more proud of Mike, and I was grateful to see how the church leadership allowed him to lead them.
That was 10 years ago, and since then youth ministry has clearly staked its claim on the academic landscape of ministry preparation. From the early pioneering schools like Huntington and Eastern Colleges to Denver and Fuller Seminaries, youth ministry programs are now standard fare in most Christian colleges and seminaries—not only in the U.S., but in many parts of the world. And contrary to what I still occasionally hear from a few ill-informed academic colleagues across the country, this movement isn't simply a marketing necessity dictated by search committees. The church has come to realize that children and youth are legitimate members of the church, and that the nurture and assimilation of them into the larger congregation are among the most important future priorities for all of us. And this takes academic training.
For the next 20 years, however, it's essential that we continue to be diligent and move with integrity and focus. If we stay on track, we will see more doctoratelevel programs (D.Min. and Ph.D.) devoted to youth and their families. We also will see more schools working with denominations and organizations to bring together the best of our theology and research with the evolving practice of ministry. But there are still far too many church and academic leaders who don't believe we're serious about youth ministry as a field.
Some have identified a few educational trends that we need to watch. Two more common examples are college and seminary youth ministry students having a cavalier, almost insulting view of other programs; and youth ministry veterans taking academic shortcuts to get quick or non-accredited degrees so they can teach or otherwise advertise their expertise. As we move forward in youth ministry, we need to value our educational opportunities, raise the standards for our profession, and continue our commitment to growth as a discipline of church ministry.
SET APART VS. SENT OUT
by Mark Gladman, a youth ministry consultant for the Anglican Diocese of Brisbane, Australia
I recently responded to an e-mail from my hometown asking people to protest the local Christian radio station, which has started playing some secular music in its programming. I encouraged people to instead thank the station for becoming more accessible to non-Christians, creating an opportunity to plant seeds. This was met with a mixed response: some agreed with me, but some felt that such action would result in a less pure, watered-down witness to their city.
The church has always walked a fine line—trying to find a balance that honors Christ as well as expressing a relevance to the world we so want to reach. It's a tenuous place to be. In one ear, we hear Jesus praying for us not to be of the world. We want to grow as disciples, protecting each other from turning away from God. But this place can easily become a Christian ghetto where the church becomes a "holy huddle" looking solely after its own needs.
On the other hand, we hear in the same prayer that Jesus sent us into the world. We want to build relationships with people in order to share the love of Christ with them in relevant ways. But the danger is that the church might lose its significance, causing Christianity to be swallowed up in the culture of the day.
Could it be, though, that this is a part of God's purpose—that both exist as seeming polar opposites but do in fact work together? The relationship between deacons and priests in the Anglican Church may hold some clues. Priests are called as ministers of the church—administering the sacraments, leading and teaching the people of God, and building up the body of Christ; they're called to stay, if you will. Deacons, however, are called to be "ambassadors of Christ, serving God as you serve others in Jesus' name." The deacon is called to the edge—to minister to and build a bridge that helps the church engage with the world, and the world engage with the church. In other words, they're called to go. But one can't be successful without the other.
Pete Ward has said that a church will operate either from the inside out or the outside in, but rarely will successfully do both. So while two extremes passionately promote and justify their causes, the truth is that the church needs both. Disagreements and tension will abound, but following Christ isn't always easy. It seems that in emerging generations, where there's already a call to relevance mixed with a call to a return to holiness and purity in worship, this tension could be the stress that destroys or the tension that sparks creativity and renewal.
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