youthpastors.com

Majority of Tweens: Church Has Not Made A Positive Difference In My Life

It looks like we may have our work cut out for us.

Among the findings of a new survey released today by the Barna Group of tweens ages 8-12:

"Overall, less than four out of every ten young people (38%) said that churches have made a positive difference in their life.  An even smaller number (34%) said that prayer is very important to them.  And a minority of pre-teens (43%) rejected the notion that they would rather be popular than do what is morally right.

There are noteworthy lifestyle challenges facing kids, too.  A bare majority (56%) believe that they will have a great life. A similarly slim majority (57%) contend that they look forward to spending free time with their family.  Just one out of every three pre-teens (35%) said they find it easy to talk to their parents about everything that is happening in their life these days."

Although some churches are beginning serious efforts at pre-teen ministry, it is an area of ministry that is still largely in its infancy.

I would like to give props to the Group Workcamps Foundation, which is launching a new version of its Week of Hope  mission experience for tweens this summer.  This is an idea whose time has come, to be sure.

Leading the Way

Young Christians are the driving force behind the spread of Christianity in the world, young Christian leaders were told at a meeting in Malaysia yesterday.

Nearly 500 young leaders from over 110 countries have gathered in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, for a six-day leadership development conference. The Younger Leaders Gathering is a ministry of the Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization where emerging leaders in churches, ministries and the marketplace ages 25-35 convene to learn new leadership skills, strengthen their spiritual life, and form networks with other young Christian leaders around the world.

At yesterday's "State of the Gospel" plenary session, Jason Mandryck – co-author of the mission prayer guide Operation World – presented on the status of the Christian faith around the world .

Evangelicalism is growing twice the pace of Islam and three times as fast as the overall world population, Mandryck was quoted by the Christian Post as saying.

He indicated that a significant growth of evangelicalism is seen in the global South such as Brazil, China, Bangladesh and Nigeria which have “exploding” Christian populations.

“I believe the older generation has slipped away from the idea of mission, but now I believe God is using a younger generation to renew the church’s commitment to mission,” he said.

Anything to confess?

Let it never be said that Lifechurch.tv is afraid to think outside the box.

The Oklahoma-based church has been a pioneer in the "one church, many locations" mult-site movement and in its innovative use of the web and technology to communicate the Gospel.  Now it's launched a new site called mysecret.tv.  The site basically gives visitors a chance to confidentially confess secret sins.

The instructions say:  "Choose the appropriate category, then just talk about it.  Let it out.  Take back the control it has over you. "

Confession -- even on the web -- certainly isn't anything new.  But Lifechurch has launched the site in conjunction with a new sermon series it hopes will bring in those who are looking for a fresh start.

I'd be curious to know how Lifechurch's youth ministry is fitting into this campaign because anyone who has ever had an IM conversation with a teenager knows they are much more comfortable communicating electronically re: sensitive subjects. 

Lifechurch, by the way,  is in the process of building an impressive "hub and spoke" youth ministry system with a key emphasis on equipping volunteer leaders in the field.  Youth ministry is probably one of the most difficult challenges a multi-site church faces.  So far, it looks like Lifechurch is developing a model others will surely want to follow.

Tough Questions

The subject line said it all:  "this is pretty deep and long so make sure u have time before u open it."

The email was from a tenth grader.  His question, two questions actually, were from the world of bioethics. 

"How much are we supposed to improve and/or How much does God want us to improve?" he wrote.

Did I mention I'm on vacation this week?

The email went on for 12 paragraphs -- an impressive feat for a 15-year-old.  It all started with a study of the Human Genome Project at school.

"At first it was just another set of bold words in my textbook," he wrote.  "Until Monday at 9 when I saw the TV show Heroes and it was based on the Human Genome Project (HGP, that's what it's called from now on)."

I need another cup of coffee.

He continues, "I'm not really lookin for quotes out of the Bible here, I know how bad that sounds.  Then again, I do want to know if it's in the Bible and if so where."

And, for good measure, he concludes the email:  "I really think you can help somewhere I just have one of those gut feelings."

What ever happened to the days when kids asked questions like, "Do you think I should breakup with my girlfriend?"

I will do some research, pray about it, and respond as best I can.  Because that's what we as youth pastors do.

It's just a reminder for me today how important those See You At The Pole prayers for students, teachers and administrators really are.

Don't Miss .Mobi

Today is a busy day for youth pastors.

First off, it's Tuesday and many are laboring to get ready for Wednesday night youth meetings, Bible studies, rehearsals, worship services and the like.  On top of that, tomorrow is See You At The Pole in the U.S. and Canada -- which will make Wednesday a long day for sure.  (All the more reason to get ahead of the game today as much as possible.)

But in the midst of all that activity, don't miss out today on an event that may usher in a new era in our efforts to reach busy teenagers.

Today, the official "landrush" registration period begins for the new .mobi internet domains.  These new domains will be for web sites specially optimized for cell phones and other mobile devices.

Why should this be on your already crowded radar?  Two reasons:

First, it's probably not news to you if you live on Earth that cell phones are among the most prized possessions of teenagers today.  Cell phones are second only to the driver's license in terms of their ability to offer a sense of "freedom" to teens.  It's like the (new) old saying, "If you want to annoy a teenager, ground them.  If you want to punish them, take away their cell phone."  In short, anything that has to do with cell phones should be on the radar of every youth pastor.

Second, there are some pretty big technology players behind this thing.  Member companies include Hutchison 3, GSM Association, Ericsson, Microsoft, Nokia, Samsung, Telefonica Moviles, T-Mobile and Vodafone.  That's a lot of vested interest in seeing that every teenager on the planet has .mobi on the brain by Christmas.

Too Sexy For Church

It seems some youth worker from years past may have missed the boat with Jessica Simpson. 

Like a lot of artists, Simpson got her musical start singing in a church choir.  But Simpson says that her looks and dress kept her from being able to sing solos in church when she was a teen, and kept her from becoming a gospel music singer.

Says Simpson:  "I was always criticized for my looks in the Christian world.  They said I was too sexy to sing Christian music.  Judgemental is the absolute worst thing about Christianity, I believe."

Let's face it, there are probably a lot of Jessicas out there.   Teenage girls today -- yes, even Christian ones -- are growing up in a world where music and provocative dress and looks are inextricably tied.  If your church has a youth praise band and you or one of your volunteers has not had to have the "dress talk" with one of the girls, then I'm surprised.

I have no idea how accurate Simpson's claim that she really wanted to sing Christian music is.  But it does seem like she carries some scars from the way she, and her music, were treated by her Texas church in her teenage years.

And that's too bad.

The Axis of Change

Axis, the Gen X "church within a church" at Willow Creek Community Church, is no more.

Considered groundbreaking at its inception, Axis had suffered a steep decline in attendance, falling from nearly 2,000 worshipers in 2001 to about 350 more recently. The ministry's longtime teaching pastor, Jarrett Stevens, also left in June.

Integration will better fulfill Willow's multigenerational vision, interim pastor Steve Gillen told Christianity Today.   He said Axis didn't connect young adults with the rest of the congregation.  Once they outgrew the service, Axis members found it hard to transition into the rest of the Chicago-area megachurch.

Youth pastors take note:  separate teen worship services may be next.

Following the lead of successful young adult services like Axis, hundreds of churches across America have also created distinct worship experiences for middle and high school students that serve as an alternative to the "main" worship service.

In theory, these students would transition from youth services into young adult services and -- one day -- into the primary worship service.  This decision by Willow Creek may be an early indicator, though, that separate age-level services (always a little controversial) are about to go the way of the buggy whip.

Time will tell.

FCA Not In Kansas Anymore

A law suit was filed last week on behalf of students in Kansas City who were barred from forming a Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) club on their campus.

The school district's actions violate the Equal Access Act, attorneys for the students say.

Although the club had been recognized as a student club by the previous superintendent, the current superintendent and the school board stripped FCA of its official status and have refused to recognize it as a school club.

Officials told FCA that it could meet on campus but would not be officially recognized by the school and would not have access to the same privileges afforded to the officially recognized clubs on campus.  Those privileges include the use of school facilities for special events at no charge, the use of school vehicles for trips, the ability to fundraise on campus, and inclusion in the school yearbook.  In October 2005, when FCA requested permission to hold an after-school rally, school officials said that, unlike the officially recognized clubs on campus, FCA would be charged a fee to hold the activity.

Suicide Rate High Among Hispanic Teen Girls

In the midst of the national policy debate over immigration -- legal and illegal -- teens really aren't discussed much.

The teen years are difficult for anyone.  But studies show unique social and cultutal pressures are taking a terrible toll on Hispanic teenage girls.

According to statistics gathered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention between the years 1991-2003, Hispanic teenage girls in grades 9-12 seriously considered or attempted suicide more often than any other group.  In fact, the study showed one in six high school age Latinas has attempted suicide, making them twice as likely as non-Hispanic teenage girls to try to kill themselves.

Take a minute and let that sink in.  How should our ministries operate differently armed with the knowledge that one in six HIspanic teenage girls has attempted suicide? 

Consider the story of 17-year-old Linda Chavez, a high school senior from Bluffton, South Carolina.  She was born in the U.S. and English is her first language.  But America has never felt like home to her.

"I can say I'm an American, because I was born here," she told reporter Maureen Simpson of the Island Packet newspaper.  "But I have nothing American.  My whole blood is Mexican."

Reported Simpson:  "As the first generation in her family to be born in the United States, she faces the unique challenge of establishing an identity that somehow melds her Hispanic heritage with her desire to fit in socially as an American teenager.  She said it's a middle ground that often leaves her feeling misunderstood by both her parents and peers, battling to be heard above the clash of opposing cultures, only to get lost in the translation."

Experts also point to the fact many Latinas are forced to take on very adult responsibilities early, from caring for younger siblings to working to help support the family. 

A five-year study is underway at Washington University in St. Louis that seeks to help understand the reasons behind the high instances of attempted or contemplated suicide by teenage Hispanic girls.

In many of our churches which operate Hispanic ministries, the youth ministry could not be more uninvolved.  That's got to change.  If your church has an Hispanic ministry, I urge you to schedule a meeting to discuss ways to minister to the Hispanic teens within the sphere on your church's influence.  If your church does not have an Hispanic ministry, but there are Hispanic teens in your city, find a church that does and offer to lend a hand.

We don't have all the answers.  But we can't continue to sit on the sidelines.  The stakes are too high.

Drug Testing Comes Home

Have you ever had a student in your youth group who was using illegal drugs?

I think we've all been there.

More and more, parents are fighting back by administering drug tests to their children -- at home.  ABC News reports that the availability of the tests over the Internet is resulting in a boom industry, driven by sales to parents.

For $15 per kit, parents can conduct a urinalysis that provides instant results to detect the presence of 10 types of drugs in their child's system: marijuana; cocaine; amphetamine; methamphetamine; barbiturates; opiates; oxycodone; MDMA, or Ecstasy; benzodiazepines; and proxyphene.

The effectiveness of these tests, though, is subject to debate.  Drug prevention researchers warn about the prospect of false-positive tests and note the lack of evidence suggesting such measures lead to a decrease in drug use.   Other critics, as noted in ABC's report, cite the invasive nature of the tests and the damage done to the parent-child bond.

We've all probably sat across the desk from a parent struggling with the reality that his/her teen is using drugs.  In my world, most parents ultimately send their kid to counseling in one form or another.  I've seen a lot of crafty teens who know how to "beat the system", however, especially when it comes to drug testing at the doctor's office. 

But we also know that the addition of mom and dad as drug tester probably will put some strain on the relationship that is most likely already strained.  When parents, teens -- or both -- try to drag us into these situations, we need to be prepared to minister to the whole family.