OK, so if you’ve been keeping up you know the drill. Wednesday night is youth night and so I do a follow up post after service. This is that post, introduction over let’s move on.
Tonight went great. We are still right around the 50 student mark. The sign in sheet is working well and we haven’t found the stink. We have started a time of worship with mixed reactions. If you are praying I think that is the big thing that needs prayer. Last week I really told them off. Many students really want this time and I understand if other students don’t but they need to be respectful not jerks during this time. I told them that almost verbatim. This week went generally better but it was still frustrating to see a lot of people talking and texting and I know that it is frustrating to a dozen or so of my students that really want to enter into worship.
As far as what I am speaking on, well let’s just say I am mythbusting Christmas. Last week I dealt with who was at the nativity. No Santa, No Drummer Boy, and no, not even a single wise man. Don’t believe me? Time to go read your Bible. Those guys showed up about two years after the face.
This week I dealt with the reason for the season. If you are easily offended then you may want to stop reading now.
I asked about why we celebrate Christmas. Is it for the presents? Is it for the time off school? Is it for goodwill to men and peace on Earth…? Everyone did great and actually answered no to each of these. I expected some jokers to say “why so serious?” … I mean “yes,” but they didn’t. Then I asked the question, “Is Christmas Jesus’ birthday?” This caused much confusion especially when some people started saying no. Next I explained that Jesus was almost certainly not born in the winter and while the Bible doesn’t give specific dates we do know some information based on the shepherds being in the field which is not a winter time activity. This is important because many people are trying to debunk Christianity based on the adoption of Jesus as the son of a god who is born on the same day as another demi-god “Mithras.” Of course this ends up being all about politics in the 3rd century and has little to do with Christian faith, but boy to the conspiracy theories sound good when we believe in tradition over the Bible.
Now I concluded with this, if we know Jesus wasn’t born on Christmas is it wrong to celebrate His birth on that day? I think it is perfectly acceptable because this is the only time God ever became flesh. That is something to celebrate.
Anyways, the night concluded with my taking a student home. I have been taking a few home lately and this one has really grown and changed a lot in the last year. He is very thoughtful and insightful. I think most people would miss it because he is a skater and looks the part. He doesn’t look like a thinker. Tonight I learned a little more about where he is. He is still struggling with his faith. I am working on building a relationship with him. Right now I want to push him into building a strong relationship but I feel like the right thing is to play the long game over the short one. That is, to keep talking to him and more importantly listening to him. To be there for him and let him experience Christ through my actions.
The crazy part is, he may be struggling with faith, but he is willing to help and work in everything. He is one of the teens signed up to help in a service project this weekend. He is hungry and I’m happy to keep giving him the Bread of Life.
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You may never know the impact you will have on that kid. That one of one time means so much at such an awkward age. Very cool.
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Thanks, I really appreciate the encouragement.
One may view that the young man is struggling with faith. From where I sit, he is searching, growing, and certainly finding. Otherwise, he wouldn't be coming back. You're prudent to play the "long game." On behalf of every mother who ever had a teen boy, thank you. Every single one matters.
I believe you are right. This is not really a young man who had strong faith and is now waning, but rather one who is searching and very open. He struggles but I think God is calling loudly to him and he is listening.
I know think back on my teen years. While I was never ignorant of Christ (I grew up in a Christian home), I did have my times of searching… I still do. But the people who influenced me were profound, and often times they did nothing but sit and listen or offer a kind word of encouragement. I totally agree with Candy: never underestimate the small, relationship-building moments. They go a loooooooong way.
-Marshall Jones Jr.
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Back when I was a youth leader, I did the same thing with Easter. I'm not sure the pastor was thrilled when my write up for the monthly newsletter explained that night as, "The disciples didn't hide Easter eggs in the upper room, ya know." But sometimes what draws in the kids is the same thing that makes the older generations shake their heads.
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Yeah I have some fun planned for Easter. The first year I was there we had a Seder and this year I am planning on bringing it back. I know some people in the church would have been offended at last night's sermon, but I don't ever want my students to look back and say "Nick lied to me so maybe this whole God thing is a lie." I do my best to bring them solid truth from the Bible.
Hey Nick, just found out that you have a blog too, you arent just a poster over on Acuff's site.
Thanks for mythbusting the drummer boy, where were you when I was a little kid. That movie always messed me up, I thought maybe he just wasnt mentioned in the bible but was in some other historical text. These myths we create really make a problem for kids in wondering if the whole God thing is real. I still struggle with it at 27. That is why despite family protestations (no theses nailed to my door yet), there will be no Santa for my kids except to say that he was a saint who lived many years ago and go into that story…
I actually had one of my girls last week that thought there was a person in the Bible that the character was based on. She is one of my more on fire students but I can't get her to read. She pretty well avoids reading anything she isn't forced to read. It is so bad that when she got obsessed with the Twilight saga people were shocked to see her with a book. I keep telling her that she can't go further in her relationship with God if she doesn't read His word. One day she might believe me.
Thanks for dropping by.
I will be praying for that young man. From what you've told us, he's so close to salvation. How amazing it must be for you to get a front row seat to watching him grow.
I think he is really close but there is a pretty major hurdle in his mind. His sister has a major health problem and is eventually getting surgery, but her survival chances are pretty well 50/50. He doesn't like talking about that so I don't know the exact details, but he doesn't want to make a decision until she is through it.
Comment – Part 1
I have become anti "push salvation" on kids. Maybe I'm wrong, maybe our youth pastor will cringe if he reads this. But my heart says – it's ALL about the LONG game. Kids get plenty of opportunities for the short game (hard, heavy and impressive) at places like Winter/Summer camp and mission trips. And I see what typically happens with that faith…it fizzles away fast. It’s a sad reality.
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I tend to agree, but I also tend to think that we see the fizzle because we don't follow through. In the Christian world we see just one part of the Great Commission. We get them to the altar and then move on. We need to remember that even when there is an impressive opening drive resulting in a quick score (salvation) that there is a lifetime ahead of the kid and they have to endure until the end.
Comment – Pat II
But the kid who thinks, asks, doesn’t jump into an empty commitment with Jesus is who is precious. They are listening and internalizing stuff. They are working it out and are taking their time. They are people that will eventually become devoted and real Believers that will have a faith that can take them through the "junk" that life brings. They are learning the heart of Jesus, not the rhetoric of corporate religion. Those kids are building a long lasting faith that can impact many.
So, I'm all about the long game – that's where the Holy Spirit does amazing things! After all it’s not my job to save kids, that’s Gods. I’m just there to be a guide, a good listener, a light and sprinkle of salt.
My recent post Visual of the Week: The Wrong Nativity
I agree with what you are saying. When I first met him I thought everything I said was just going in one ear and out the other, but as I've been able to talk with him and see him change I've been blown away at how much he thinks. I am overwhelmed at the work God is doing to the point that I feel like I'm not even a participant at times but merely along for the ride. Maybe that is where Lewis got the title "Mere" Christianity.
I don't see why anyone should be offended by being told that December 25 is not His historical birthday. It is well documented that the date was chosen because of the solstice. Since we don't know His actual b-day, why not celebrate His birth then?
God bless the young man you are mentoring.
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I wouldn't think people should be offended, but sad to say that there are old humbugs in my church that believe that is all a lie because their grandpappy told them such and such. Of course they are just looking for a reason to get offended if you ask me.
I have a suggestion… I personally love worship time and have ever since I was in youth group (I'm 26 now) but at the same time I understand that others may not really 'feel' anything when they worship or may zone out or get distracted… i zone out sometimes even though I love it. ____Why not give them the option to quietly read bibles or devotionals that you pick out and have available in the space while the other kids worship? Just a thought and I know that you probably also want to teach them self-control and the ability to focus (I mean, it's not like that is a lot to ask- I totally understand your frustration!!!) but maybe if you have something to engage their MIND instead of whatever they are chatting about or looking at on their phones it will be an open door for the Holy Spirit to work on them… what do you think? ____The idea comes from my own youth pastor- he would sometimes have a small group of us that he was mentoring pray for long periods of time with him. He would tell us that if we felt like we were just going into a daze or falling asleep to read the bible. ____I will pray that the HS moves in a mighty way in your group!
I think that would be a great idea for an end goal, but right now the students would just sit and talk. Admittedly they would be less of a distraction but I'm also concerned about their spiritual growth. In your example this aside time was provided to core students who were trying to get into prayer time but had trouble with attention. Thanks for the idea and the prayers.
Hey Nick,
Haven't heard from me in a while.
Praying for you and your youth group.
Sounds like God is moving in some kid's lives.
I think it is great that you are building a relationship with that guy!
Yeah I've been keeping tabs on you via twitter. You've been pretty busy, at some point you weren't very far from where I live. Thanks for the prayers and the comment.
Интересно, я попробую.