I saw this intriguing title on Yahoo today: Cold Cash For Good Grades. The program is actually called: Green for Grade$ – they are paying students that get good enough grades.
Yep – $50 for an A, $35 for a B, and $20 for a C
Here’s the video:
It made me think – Are there youth ministries that are paying students to do certain things like: attendance, bringing a friend, each time you share the gospel, etc..? And if so what kind of results would there be? Would the students get the actual reason they are doing those things or just to become lovers of money which the Bible warns against?
I’m not saying that we should encourage this type of thing in youth ministry, but for curiosity I wonder if there are youth ministries out there that use any of the methods?
Don’t be shy let the discussion begin by commenting.
Try The Survivorz Lock-In FREE
I agree gabriel. that is why the gospel is free for all who believe. Following Christ is about challenging the norms of the majority and of society, not becoming like a business or a well-oiled machine that pays people with money or incentives to participate in church related activities. Because what happens is that people start coming to church not for what God has done TO them, but what God can do FOR them. Then slowly we become people who are changed from the outside-in rather than the inside-out. Anyway, paying money or giving incentives youth group, bad idea.
i hear what u guys are saying…get them in, get them to accept Christ…it does sound like a win/win/win/win as Bro. Adam put it…but how far are we willing to go???? what are the long term implications? is evryone that comes in going to accept Christ? and just what if they found out that they were hustled in for money? ok….straight to the point, yeah the majority of us have used tactics to get them in…doors prizes, video games, skate park…etc. but happens when the only reason for them to come loses its shine due to lack of worldly influence? what i mean by that is…what happens when we stop paying them to know Jesus, and just Jesus alone becomes not enough….its the Christ “+” syndrome. “here let me give you some Jesus, and here is some money, games, candy, i dont know what ever you want”…Christ is sufficient…that is the message that we need to be sending. God Bless u all
steve.
seriously though.
the idea of having 3 or 4 students working 5 hours a week for like 20 bucks or something. it’d get them some cash. you’d get SUPER SOLID commitment from your best leaders. you’d get to develop their gifts. they’d begin to see their peers as their mission field. gosh…..
obviously the selection would be important and how it was communicated would also be important, but i think it could happen. it could be awesome.
Steve.
You may not know it, but i think you might be on to a KILLER idea….
Why not hire a bunch of students to work part time for the student ministry? I mean, you’d consider hiring adults (who would cost more).
you’d get to interact with students on a very very regular basis. it’d be cheap. you’d be training the next generation of ministers/youth pastors. it’s like a win/win/win/win situation.
i’m going to go talk to our business manager about getting some money for this…….
Well…When you think about it, how many youth groups “pay” kids who come to youth group events with inflatable games, rock music, video games, places to skate, junk food, etc? I’m just sayin’…
I have been a youth pastor for 14 years and I have to admit that I have used similar tactics throughout my ministry. We have offered money of of camp for doing Quiet Times, Scripture Memory, Reading Christian Books and so forth. We have also offered free tickets to an even we were attending to the person that invites the most kids. We have offered ree pizza and door prizes to those that have attended an evangelistic events that we have had.
Honestly I am not sure how this may have had a negative or positive impact on the teens. Many times we are so concerned with the immediate effect we do not see the long term effect. However I have seen teens come to these events accept Christ as their Savior, and live for Him. Not sure of the answer I think if we are honest we have all done this in some form.
Ben – Yeah it really devalues the meaning of a true friend. Words like Fraud, Fake, Hypocrite come to mind. Can you believe that this would be a good thing even for public school?
Thanks for sharing Gabriel. I don’t think it’s a good idea with money, but what about non-money items? Like a new Bible or CD? Or does it still create sinful motivation/s?
My son does AWANA and they obviously reward the children for reading verses – does it set them up for wrong motives later?
Aside from what you already mentioned about making them lovers of money, how would their friend feel when they realized the were coaxed into coming to youth group just so their buddy could make a lousy 20 bucks? If we’re trying to teach our kids that they are worth the death of the Son of God, how does the price tag of $20 reflect that to their unbelieving friend? Our kids are supposed to bring friends because they are really friends: they care about them and what them to know Jesus too.
I once heard…”Get them to come for the wrong reasons and then get them to stay for the right”. I do not agree w/ philosophy like that. The Gospel is the Truth!!! Why then should we cover the Truth? It would seem like a good idea…to motivate the youth into striving for good grades; yet, what is their ultimate goal? What will they do with the money? Are we just opening an opportunity for more ways to sin? And ultimately, couldn’t the money be used in a more responsible manner? The Bible says “Study to show thyself approved, a workman that need not be ashamed…”. If the only thing that would motivate anyone, young or old, to acheiving higher marks in education, is money….then it is not hard to see what it is that they approve of…