A Youth Ministry Post By Eli Cork

The most important issue in the Church has always been the Gospel. It has also been the most dangerous heresy when it has been tampered with, edited, or altered. The following blog is the first of a series of blogs concerning the nature, importance, [...]]]>

A Youth Ministry Post By Eli Cork

The most important issue in the Church has always been the Gospel. It has also been the most dangerous heresy when it has been tampered with, edited, or altered. The following blog is the first of a series of blogs concerning the nature, importance, and misconceptions of the Good News. Evidently, the church’s precious pearl is also the treasure most dear to Christian ministers.

Part 1: Why it matters

What would be the scariest thing to happen at Halloween? A werewolf knocking on your door? Zombies invading your Fall Festival? A sugar-induced coma? No. Not even close. The scariest, deadliest, most dreadful thing would be to hear a false gospel. What’s worse? To be the one who preaches it.

You don’t think so? Paul says heresy has a terrifying consequence:

 “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse!” (Galatians 1:8-9)

The Gospel according to… who?

Apparently, many ministers are proclaiming a false Gospel. Though they may not realize their fallacy, well-meaning people have strayed away from truth. Lies have crept into the Church, creating countless false converts, drop-outs, and unbelievers (2 Peter 2:1-3). The true Gospel is found in the Bible. We must wipe the dust from its cover, and studying once again its sacred pages. In turning back to our source, we can return to a true Christianity. Is the Gospel you preach based squarely upon Scripture?

Why should it matter that our Gospel is accurate?

The Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ is the only way of salvation. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but through Me” (John 14:6).  All people stand condemned before a holy God (Ro. 3:10, 23). So unbearable will be the Day of His wrath that the wicked will seek refuge beneath the hills, crying, “hide us!” But they will find no safety there. (Rev. 6:16) Their only shelter is faith in the Cross of Christ. “Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.” (Romans 10:17) To receive eternal life, one must hear the words of eternal life. Any alternative message will damn the people to a false hope. As we preach the Gospel of Christ, the one and only remedy is offered to lost man.

The Primacy of the Gospel

The Gospel, bearing so much power and purpose, is the supreme aspect of all meaningfulness in life, namely, in youth ministry. Greater than any game, gimmick, or special event, the Gospel has the power to transform generations. In fact, our calling is not the entertainment business. Our calling is to make disciples, by the demonstration and preaching of God’s power (1 Cor. 2:4-5)

Remember when the early church began bickering about the food distribution (in Acts 6:1)? Considering priorities and the urgent commission earlier received, the Twelve concluded, “We apostles should spend our time teaching the word of God, not running a food program” (Acts 6:2-4). We can assume the modern equivalents: We should spend time teaching, not playing silly games, not telling dumb jokes, not planning Easter egg hunts. We ought to take this seriously! Not that it is evil to play games or go to a concert, just as it is not evil to run a food program. But where is the majority of time spent? If the apostles spent most of their time baking bread, you would have never heard the Gospel of your salvation. Where are we investing our time, energy and money? Is it in prayer? Is it in the study of the Word of God? What about in counseling, teaching and gathering into small groups for godly discussion? Or is too much time spent of finding to coolest game? How much money goes to pop and chips for the hungry goats, while the sheep are starving? To the Corinthians Paul said, “What I received I passed on to you as of first importance” (1 Cor. 15:3). That first importance of the first century is the very same priority that we have: the Gospel of Christ. We must keep the Good News  accurate, biblical, and always of first importance.

Questions for reflection:

• What is the Gospel to you? From what source do you draw it from?
• How much value the true gospel?
• In your ministry, how much time do you spend on planning games versus prayer and teaching?
• How many kids would leave your youth group if you stopped playing games and having snacks? What does this tell you about them?
• In the above scenario, how many would stay?
• Why do you think the apostles (and God) call the Gospel a priority?

One of the things that I have come to realize is that of getting your youth ministry students to connect with you as their leader. This is important so that when you move them towards being [...]]]> This picture was from a youth ministry where we had a Friday Night connect time called: Chill Time

One of the things that I have come to realize is that of getting your youth ministry students to connect with you as their leader. This is important so that when you move them towards being active with some type of event or activity that you would like for them to do – they are more likely to do it and respond to you.

So how do we get them to connect with us?

I watched a video about marketing recently and in this video the guy speaking talked about how great companies always had a face to connect people with. When you think of Apple you thought of Steve Jobs, Facebook – Mark Zuckerberg, Christianity – Jesus. This was a pretty extensive study and we are wired to follow and connect with people so that is why Facebook and Twitter are so popular because people are interested in people and not organizations.

I have heard many times, and admittedly myself, that people like Jesus but not the church. Jesus knew that he had to invest and picked his disciples to “follow” him. And in the same way we need to connect with students to help them follow us so that we can speak truth into their lives.

It all comes down to this: Spend Time With Them

Duh right? But seriously, how much real time are you “spending with them” outside of the up in front of them thing? Create times of recreation where students can see you in action. Where they can see you laugh and run and play and allow them to peer into your life. A lot of youth ministry leaders get a lot of crap for having “fun” events and actvities for students, but its because they don’t understand that you need to connect with them and get them to a place where they want to follow you.

The best time to do this is right at the beginning of your ministry job but can be built upon if you have been there awhile already. We get too wrapped up in administrative stuff that others could be doing for us  and we need to hand that stuff off as much as possible.

So much of being effective comes down to relationship. When I feel like I have failed it was due to lack of relationships with people. So get active and create times of relationship building. Build bridges don’t destroy them. Explain this part of your philosophy of youth ministry to your leadership so that they get it.

What kinds of connection activities are working for you?

We are all inspiration seekers.

In youth ministry we seek to inspire the youth in our communities.  We seek to inspire for God.  How creative can I be?  How long can we walk that culturally relevant tight rope?  Can we make cooler logos and use “artsy’er” PowerPoint backgrounds?  We seek to inspire.

There [...]]]>

We are all inspiration seekers.

In youth ministry we seek to inspire the youth in our communities.  We seek to inspire for God.  How creative can I be?  How long can we walk that culturally relevant tight rope?  Can we make cooler logos and use “artsy’er” PowerPoint backgrounds?  We seek to inspire.

There isn’t anything inherently wrong with creativity, cultural relevance, logos or artsy graphics—truth be told the ministry I lead is saturated with that list—but all too often those things can place the pressure of inspiration solely on us.    You may ask. “What’s wrong with that?”

When we seek to inspire for God, when we take on all that pressure, we are essentially swallowing a little red pill called Control.  We love the illusion of having control and the power that ultimately lies in God’s hands.

So how do we combat the pill?  I suggest we take the time to lower our guards and experience God through our students.

This past winter our ministry took 50 Junior High students to Spring Hill Camps in Evart, MI for our winter retreat.  Spring Hill puts on superb winter retreats for Jr and Sr High groups providing hours upon hours of excitement with snowboarding, sledding, euro bungee, indoor pool, coffee shops, caffeine, more caffeine, the list goes on.   In fact, the fun side of the retreat is the selling point for most students—and leaders—who attend with our group.  Every day of the retreat there are 2-3 camp-wide worship and lesson sessions that simulate a youth group or church service.   This is when students rock out with a live band leading worship in a style that electrifies campers.  It’s loud… it’s crazy; there is a lot of running, screaming, smelly bodies bumping into one another and exposing their rancid pits with arms raised to the heavens.  This is not the time to touch base with another person one on one; there is zero chance of audibly communicating with anyone because of the deafening volume of the music and crowd.  It’s youth ministry paradise.

Yet, she heard it.

I look over at a cluster of students who came with our group and they are all smiling and shouting with joy… well, all of them but one.  Let’s call this student Melissa.   She’s crying.  Standing amidst this joy she is showing sorrow; or so I thought.   In situations like this I typically get the attention of one of our female leaders and direct them over to a student like Melissa, but not this time.  I darted over to Melissa and her tear drenched face asking what was wrong.  Not atypical of a 13 year old she glanced up at me and mouthed, “Nothing.”  But it wasn’t her somewhat audible response that shocked me… it was her expression.   She was smiling.  Grinning ear to ear.  Surely Melissa sensed my confusion—as it undoubtedly was visible now by my expression—she pulled my shoulder down, stood on her tippy toes, and said into my ear, “I just heard God’s voice.  He told me he loves me.  I heard God said, ‘I love you’.”

I smiled at her, mouthed the words, “He certainly does,” and walked out of the auditorium into the gathering area to be by myself for a moment.   My eyes filled with tears; I had a hard time composing myself.

I wasn’t emotional because God showed up: he always does.

I wasn’t emotional because a student of mine encountered God: that’s our ministries Goal, we are somewhat prepared for that.

I was emotional because God showed Melissa who He is in that moment.  He spoke who He is to a 13 year old girl at a retreat that is 75% fun.  He inspired a little girl in an unexpected moment… because she was seeking.

And He inspired me… a measly youth pastor who prays he is serving the Kingdom properly.  A measly youth pastor who needed to hear those words because life and ministry were wearing me out.  I had popped the pressure of control pill in the prior months and I needed to hear from my Father that He loves me.  God spoke to me, though a student.  He inspired me, through a student.

While I aim to inspire students, while the camp aimed to inspire students, God ended up inspiring at least one student and her youth pastor with three little words, “I love you.”

It’s too easy for those of us who lead ministries to get caught up in inspiring others, creativity, cultural relevance, and the like.  I encourage you to seek God in your students.  You may be amazed at what you find.

Nate Heyboer

Director of Junior High Ministries

Community Church, MI