Teenagers: Distract or Develop?
March 23rd, 2007
(By Eric Bancroft)
* Eric serves as High School Pastor at Grace Community Church.
Youth are the future. From the marketing strategies of businesses to government-funded programs around the world, this truism is understood and widely embraced. Consider the fact that last year alone more than 31 million teenagers in America spent $153 billion. Is it any wonder that marketing agencies target this age group the most? They realize that the future of their products’ use and consumption is in the hands of teenagers, who happen to have the largest discretionary income of any age group.
These sought-after consumers are developing in every facet of their lives. From sociological and physical growth to emotional and spiritual development, our children are growing up more quickly than ever. Everything from advances in technology, educational expectations, discretionary spending, and earlier physiological growth explains why. Kids used to be content playing with toys and riding their bikes, but now they are looking for the keys to their parents’ cars with cell phones in hand while they make their own plans for the weekend.
The question is rightly asked, “What are we doing about it?” Are they stuck in some sort of developmental purgatory or does God intend more for them and for us? As parents, we must renew our commitment to Ephesians 6:4 and our desire to raise them up in the training and admonition of the Lord. As pastors, we must put away the silliness and bring the seriousness of the Scriptures to bear on their lives with all that God expects from them . . . now. As churchmen, we must be careful not to adapt the culture’s mindset of dismissing or disrespecting them but instead invest into their lives with the intention of developing godliness.
What is sad for many of the youth of today is that they come to church without a godly family to learn from or a legacy to build on. Perhaps a friend from school or a neighbor down the street, as a demonstration of Christian kindness, has invited them to join them on the Lord’s Day at a local church. Our churches must make sure that we are receiving these spiritual orphans and caring for them in whatever way we can.
Many of these students find our churches their homes; their small-group leader becomes a surrogate parent, and their friends in the ministry become their siblings. They lack the protection of a Christian upbringing; they come to church for asylum. As we seek to also reach their parents with the Gospel we must not neglect the teenagers as they come, or patronize them with some “half-time show.”
Whether our churches are based in the center of Los Angeles or on the outskirts of Wichita, the components of any God-honoring Student Ministry should include the following:
(1) Targeted expository teaching that opens their eyes to the wonders of the God of the Bible and the Gospel that He provides
(2) Personal discipleship that seeks to be more than friendly but godly and wise in all of its influence
(3) Leadership development that seeks to prepare these young men and women for what the Lord has for them in the future including their roles in the local church
(4) Outlets for godly peer relationships to be introduced and developed as they begin to move from mere friendship to fellowship
(5) A philosophy that intends to complement not compete with the parents who bear the full-time responsibility of raising these teenagers
When our churches provide this kind of Student Ministry the benefit reaches far beyond the students. It helps build godly families, provides for a strong church, and prepares now for the placement of our local church’s—and communities—future leaders. These young people will be serving the Lord as fathers and mothers, as businessmen and politicians, as missionaries and church leaders. The youth are the future.
My prayer is that we would be faithful to provide an environment where teenagers can learn and grow in Christlikeness, to our joy and God’s glory.
[...] Eric Bancroft (http://www.sfpulpit.com) asks the question, what to do with teenagers, distract or develop? [...]
This is the right message by someone who practices what he preaches!
Thanks for the reminder,
Caleb
This was exactly what I needed to read today. As a youth worker in my chucrh, this is an excellent piece to combat some of the frustrations I have had.
Thank you very much for this!
Eric,
Good thoughts. Thank you for taking time to share them here.
As you flesh this out at Grace, how does it look when it comes to “special” events? Do you include a teaching time or a “devotional” when you go out bowling or when you take a trip to an amusement park? (If you don’t do these things, please forgive my assumption.)
[...] Teenagers: Distract or Develop? by Eric Bancroft, high school pastor at Grace Community Church Whether our churches are based in the center of Los Angeles or on the outskirts of Wichita, the components of any God-honoring Student Ministry should include the following: [...]
Eric, some great focusing thoughts on ministry to the next generation. Having just recently started teaching a high school Sunday school class, but not having been involved in my church’s youth ministry up to now, I am wondering how well our overall approach to building up our young people in the faith match these principles. I also see many of the ’spiritual orphans’ you refer to in our church.
Eric,
In my opinion, one of the youth ministry mantras that has been done more harm than good is “the youth are the future of the truth.” While I understand this is partly true in regards to their being in the early stages of their walk with the Lord (if they are saved of course), biblically they are not just the future of the church.
More rightly, they are the church now or a part of the church today. If a teenager is genuinely saved, he has spiritual gifts within him (fully developed or not) to be used for the building up of the body of Christ. He has been saved to edify and encourage now…not later. He is the church.
The sooner we can encourage and admonish our young people to use their giftedness now and be committed to the local church, perhaps the less amount of teenagers we will have who never return after high school.
Responding to Scott G’s questions:
The purpose of the event determines whether or not a teaching time is appropriate. At Grace, we see all our activities/events as a means to an end, not just a filler. There are times where the event’s purpose might be evangelistic or equipping and we would include a time for teaching. When we do so we would want to make sure that we don’t program it in such a way that it appears to be the bait-and-switch technique and trying to “slip” in teaching in the least obtrusive manner. There are other times where teaching is not required for the purpose of our gathering.
Responding to Charles Heck’s comments:
I completely agree with your comments. There is no ecclesiological purgatory for youth who are Christians. All the commands and and blessings are for them to obey and enjoy in Scripture. My comment about youth being the future is stated in the context of how they will serve the Lord through their vocations and local church responsibilities as they are equipped and experienced to do so. You do not see a fifteen year old serving as an elder in his local church but one day he just might.
“As pastors, we must put away the silliness and bring the seriousness of the Scriptures to bear on their lives with all that God expects from them . . . now. As churchmen, we must be careful not to adapt the culture’s mindset of dismissing or disrespecting them but instead invest into their lives with the intention of developing godliness.”
well spoken Eric!!
silliness and culture is indeed invading the church! Just look at the Emergent junk. Of course those words aren’t what gets used. They call it adaptability, fun, competition for what they really want or just plain “the hook to get em’ here”. What ends up happening often is the Barnum and Bailey 3 ring circus event that has no substance. Then they can’t figure out why the numbers have dropped because after all “weren’t those “acts” good?” They forget that the circus only gets attended by those who haven’t seen the guy swallow the swords yet and the others leave for the flying trapeze act at Bozo Bible Fellowship Church of the Latest and Greatest. As you pointed out in those great 5 points, the wonder of God revealed through His word is what lasts and it is inexhaustible!!!
“Investing” is indeed the means to godliness and I praise God you guys do take that seriously.
Blessings my brother!
p.s. really sorry I missed the Shepherd’s Conference, I heard you guys were holding a spot for me. thanks and maybe next year
Thanks for this post. As a former elementary school teacher in the public system (Valencia) I am familair to the world & life view of our youth and the family.
I would ask Eric how he deals with the ‘broken home’ in youth ministry. Over 35% of the students in my classes over the years come from a single parent home, almost always the mother. A new generation of boys have a poor or no masculine role model. The breakdown in the family system itself seems to have strongly manifested itself in disorders–ADD to name one–and the subsequent medications students are on. Whatever one’s beliefs about ADD and other “issues”, the fact is these kids are on medications and they are in the church!
Many students have very complex family backgrounds, and sadly, enough have experienced sinful acts upon them by either family members as adults or other adults. Grace is a very large church, how do you have a sensitivity to these deeper needs with those in your church?
Responding to Joe’s Question:
We see often the home life that you have observed. First, I prioritize my desires. With a teenager with so many issues that could be addressed, I must not move away from the gospel imperative, namely seeing sinners saved from their in based on faith in the substitutionary work of Jesus Christ. This does not mean I ignore other concerns entirely or neglect obvious needs (relationship, physical needs, etc.) but these are demonstrations of my gospel desire for them. Secondly, if they are professing to be a Christian, I then want to encourage them with the provision of the Church as God’s family with all the relationships and gifts that one can be blessed by. At the same time, I am communicating to other families and men in the church that there is a great need with this particular young man and his mother.
Honestly, I don’t find the youth from a “broken home” as hard to minister to at times as I do the generational Christian youth. For a number of reasons there are unique challenges here that also require wisdom, humilty, and a lot of prayer.
Thanks Eric!