The Need to “Go Deep” in Youth Ministry

Here’s a very brief, but also very helpful, discussion on ministering to students…

Also… I am sharing a couple of things below that I’ve posted before on this same subject (about five years ago). However, the key ideas are still very much on point.

Good Doctrine Makes Better (Teenage) Saints

It’s so vital for Christian parents to work extra hard to make sure that their kids (and even the kids of the covenant in their local church family) are raised on and saturated with biblical truths.

Today was the first day of school for our kids (we educate our children at home if you’re new to the blog). Our oldest three (which even includes our four year old) each have their own Bible curriculum that I teach them and discuss with them one-on-one each day. We may not be guaranteed that our kids will turn out like Piper and Sider suggest (see below), but kids have a much better chance when their parents disciple them…whenever and wherever the opportunities present themselves.

PS – George Barna has also been reporting these same findings for several years. In fact, the quote by Sider in the article below sounds identical to an article I read by Barna a couple of years ago. That may be Sider’s source.

Here’s a snippet from Piper’s article…

Here it is again. More evidence from surveys what the Bible makes so plain: superficial, non-doctrinal, non-serious Christians sin pretty much like the world; but more serious, more doctrinally oriented Christians lead lives that are morally distinct. Two years ago Ron Sider flagged this in his book The Scandal of the Evangelical Conscience: Why Are Christians Living Just Like the Rest of the World?

 

Now a new book by Mark Regnerus called Forbidden Fruit: Sex and Religion in the Lives of American Teenagers gives the same bleak picture of so-called “evangelical teenagers” who sleep around as much as unbelievers. But again the book points out that “the 16% of American teenagers who say that their faith is ‘extremely important to their lives’ are living chastely” (Gene Veith, “Sex and the Evangelical Teen,” World, August 11, 2007, p. 9).

Click here to read the whole article.

ALSO – From Barna.org

What is the connection between childhood faith and adult religious commitment? Parents and religious leaders are naturally interested in knowing if spiritual investment in young lives pays off in the long run. 

A recent study conducted by the Barna Group provides new insights into this age-old question. The survey asked adults to think back on their upbringing and to describe the frequency of their involvement in Sunday school or religious training. The Barna researchers then compared those reported early-life behaviors with the respondents’ current levels of faith activity and faith durability.

Click here to read the whole report.

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Five Myths about Young Adult Church Dropouts

from The Barna Group…

The Barna Group team spent much of the last five years exploring the lives of young people who drop out of church. The research provides many insights into the spiritual journeys of teens and young adults. The findings are revealed extensively in a new book called, You Lost Me: Why Young Christians are Leaving Church…and Rethinking Faith.

The research uncovered five myths and realities about today’s young dropouts.

Click here to read about the five myths.

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Passing the Baton to the Next Generation

I’ve written many articles and posts, and preached my fair share of sermons on the topic of the importance (which doesn’t seem to be a strong enough word for my taste) of passing our faith on to the next generation. The covenantal nature of our faith requires that we pass it down from generation to generation. The practicality of keeping our faith alive and well, humanly speaking, also demands it.

I mentioned in another post that this past summer I taught a course by Jeff Myers called, Passing the Baton. It was outstanding. I highly recommend it. I told the folks in my church that this was not exclusively a parenting course. It was for any and all adults who work with children and youth, whether those children are your own or students you teach or mentor. We all have the opportunity to influence the next generation for Christ so that his Kingdom might be extended into every sphere of life. Myers helped our class understand the importance of passing on our faith, and was also very practical regarding how that could be done. Again, I highly recommend it.

Yesterday I received via email an article written by Myers (I’ve provided an excerpt and link below). It is a fantastic article which I encourage you to read and act on. But not only is it such a great article, it’s also timely. Here’s why: Today at lunch, my wife and I made plans to send our daughter to a camp this summer that is put on by the Worldview Academy. It’s basically like the Summit Ministries camp that Myers talks about, except that it’s for students 13-18 years of age. Awesome timing. (and by the way, we’ll definitely be sending our children, God willing, to the Summit Ministries camps when they’re old enough.

So, read the following article by Jeff Myers. And after you read that, take a look at some of the things I’ve written on this and similar topics (which I’ve linked below). If we would seek to change the world for Christ, then we must be intentional with those whom God has given us influence.

The Lord bless you,
Dale

**********************

Here’s an excerpt…

This fall, nearly two million American students will leave for college for the very first time. Their education will cost $12,000 a year for a public university and up to $50,000 for a private one. Scholarships and grants reduce the cost for most families, but still, the Wall Street Journal reports that the average student leaves college with $23,186 in debt.

 Nationwide, the total cost for this transaction is somewhere between 25 and 40 billion dollars per year.

 At least families are getting their money’s worth.

 Or not.

 A recent study confirms what many parents have long suspected: going to college can make kids forget what’s important and embrace values that are counter to what they learned growing up.

 Before I share this study’s results, let me say this to parents: leftist professors don’t feel sorry for you. As far as they’re concerned, you’ve been oppressing the masses to get that money anyway, so it’s deliciously ironic that you not only turn your children over to the indoctrinators, but that you fork over 50k to 200k and for the privilege of doing so.

 Don’t take my word for it. Here’s what the late Richard Rorty, one of the most prominent philosophers of the 20th century, said on the subject:

Click here to read the whole article.

***************

And here are a few of posts that I’ve written on similar themes.

• Raising Her Up in the Lord
• Shaping Culture for Christ
• The Legacy We Leave to Our Children
• My Life for Yours
• Choose This Day
• Discipling Your Kids
• Some Thoughts on Family Worship
• Thoughts on Reading to Your Children
• Thoughts on A Covenant Home
• Pass It On
• Shepherding Sons
• From Generation to Generation
• Future Men (Introductory Thoughts)
• Generation Joshua
• Passing the Baton, Part 1
• Passing the Baton, Part 2
• Passing the Baton, Part 3

Hopefully those will get you started (or keep you moving) in the right direction.

Blessings,
Dale

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Good Doctrine Makes Better (Teenage) Saints

(reprint)

It’s so vital for Christian parents to work extra hard to make sure that their kids (and even the kids of the covenant in their local church family) are raised on and saturated with biblical truths.

Today was the first day of school for our kids (we educate our children at home if you’re new to the blog). Our oldest three (which even includes our four year old) each have their own Bible curriculum that I teach them and discuss with them one-on-one each day. We may not be guaranteed that our kids will turn out like Piper and Sider suggest (see below), but kids have a heck of a better chance when their parents disciple them…whenever and wherever the opportunities present themselves.

PS – George Barna has also been reporting these same findings for several years. In fact, the quote by Sider in the article below sounds identical to an article I read by Barna a couple of years ago. That may be Sider’s source.

Here’s a snippet from Piper’s article…

Here it is again. More evidence from surveys what the Bible makes so plain: superficial, non-doctrinal, non-serious Christians sin pretty much like the world; but more serious, more doctrinally oriented Christians lead lives that are morally distinct. Two years ago Ron Sider flagged this in his book The Scandal of the Evangelical Conscience: Why Are Christians Living Just Like the Rest of the World?

Now a new book by Mark Regnerus called Forbidden Fruit: Sex and Religion in the Lives of American Teenagers gives the same bleak picture of so-called “evangelical teenagers” who sleep around as much as unbelievers. But again the book points out that “the 16% of American teenagers who say that their faith is ‘extremely important to their lives’ are living chastely” (Gene Veith, “Sex and the Evangelical Teen,” World, August 11, 2007, p. 9).

Click here to read the whole article.

ALSO – From Barna.org

What is the connection between childhood faith and adult religious commitment? Parents and religious leaders are naturally interested in knowing if spiritual investment in young lives pays off in the long run. 

A recent study conducted by the Barna Group provides new insights into this age-old question. The survey asked adults to think back on their upbringing and to describe the frequency of their involvement in Sunday school or religious training. The Barna researchers then compared those reported early-life behaviors with the respondents’ current levels of faith activity and faith durability.

Click here to read the whole report.

Read Full Post »

Teen Sex: The Parent Factor

from The Heritage Foundation

Nationally, a non-trivial portion of teens engage in sexual activity before the age of 13. By ninth grade, one teen in three has had sex, and by 12th grade, two in three. Early sexual activity is associated with a host of enduring negative conse­quences that include increased risks of psychologi­cal and physical harm, teen pregnancy and unwed childbearing, poverty, and marital instability later in life.

Social science research over the decades suggests that parents can play a protective role in delaying early teen sexual activity and reducing the risk of harmful consequences. Importantly, the empirical evidence indicates that childhood family structure, teens’ perceptions of parental disapproval of teen sex, and the quality of the parent-child relationship appear to affect teen sexual behavior. The evidence on parental monitoring and parent-child communi­cation, in general and specifically about sex-related topics, appears more mixed.

Consequently, programs and policies focused on reducing teen sexual activity and the damaging results should encourage parents’ presence and involvement in the lives of their children. Policies that discourage parental involvement, such as dis­pensing contraceptives to teens without parental consent, contradict the weight of social science evi­dence and should be opposed.

Click here to read the whole report.

ht – CPYU

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