The views and concerns addressed
in this blog series are bigger than our youth. It is a reflection of how
Christians young and old view the church and what we feel we need to do to make
Jesus look cool. To expose how we got here, each blog in this series will
describe a church concept that students came up with, followed by a personal
challenge from myself or one of the other panel members in hope of a personal
revival in God’s people.
Whoever has ears,
let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is
victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the
paradise of God. (Revelations 2:7)
Revive Us Oh Lord.
RECAP
If money was not an issue what
type of church would you build? Who would come? What would your church look
like?
This was the final group
assignment given to Senior High Students at a Christian school. The panel was comprised
of various full time ministers. Our role was to give students feedback on their
church planting project along with an opportunity to gain some insight on what
the next generation is looking for in a church. Instead our findings were
startling as students delivered their presentations on their church plant. I
came in looking for a little insight, but instead Holy Spirit gave us youth
workers a snap shot of bigger problem, one that we created. These students response
to this project is a reflection of various mentalities in the church. I am
sounding the alarm with other voices, because "Houston,
we have a problem." (Blog 1 in Series)
LET THE PRESENTATIONS BEGIN!!!
The first church was located
in a new development. This was the Connect Church. Their mission was to serve
God and have fun doing it. The Connect
Church has services at 10:30am for the old folks and 12:30pm for the younger
generation. I asked the students, “How old is old?” A student responded, “35
and up.” Grrrr. Punk kids!! I decided
not to ask any more questions until they were done. The pastor of their church was a preacher who
was interactive. (That was all that was said about the Pastor) For the offering,
if a person desires to give they can do so on their own time rather than a
group collection. Each week the offering would go to a different organization except
once a month when it would be designated to the local church. (Oh, the things your church could do with a
budget like that! LoL. Cool idea though) For weekly programs they had Worship
and Wings. And we are not talking Ezekiel’s wings, but chicken wings. They’d
sing some songs, hang out after and go out for wings or cook the wings at the
church. Another ministry that the Connect church provided was the Landscaping Outreach.
In their church building they have a place where the lawn mowers, trimmers etc.
were stored. Those involved in this ministry would go out into their community
and help new owners landscape their property. This is how they would minister
to their community in a practical way. Brilliant!! They also had a ministry to
the poor, where they would have a massive potluck dinner in the foyer of their
church that they designed that was big enough to host such social events.
(Somehow the poor would find their way out to that end of the city and bring a
meal to share with everyone). This church had a youth, women and men’s ministry.
And for the seniors, well they didn’t really know what to do with them, “Maybe
a craft night?” sheepishly answered a student.
Lastly on their calendar
of events was Prayer ministry Thursday nights.
This is a church for the
socially lonely. The student’s favourite ideas and concepts were the landscaping
outreach and Worship and Wings. When asked about by a fellow panel member who
works for Youth Unlimited an organization that focuses on Evangelism to youth,
“What is your churches strategy on implementing the Great Commission?”
Silence. Now awkward silence. Then a
student broke the silence, “Can you explain that in a different way, we don’t
know what that is.”
What will help the
church grow? Acts of service to the community and having fun!
The connect church had great
ideas to connect with people, but for what purpose? Relationships. As the
students talked about the Worship and Wings ministry, their eyes lite up as
they spoke about their churches main event! With a strong emphasis on the Wings
they never described what the worship aspect looked like, but they went into
details about the gathering after and where they would get their wings from and
the relationships that could get started there.
What does this reveal?
One of my colleagues nicknamed
this the “Buddy Church”. Clearly this
churches heart was to have fun but their head knew, they needed to have a
prayer ministry and a ministry to the poor and something for seniors. But was
their heart in it? How many people from
the Buddy church do you think would show up to prayer? Would any of those students attend? No, but they would be there for Worship and
Wings.
I’m glad our students
know the different elements that go into a church but I am challenged by this, have
we as youth ministers made church a Worship vs. Wings contest? Have we put an emphasis on WINGS over
worship? I’ve learned that what are
students pick up is a reflection of our own belief.
In your own life, when
do your eyes light up? Is it in the eager anticipation of many voices in unity
singing one song in complete abandonment and passion to the one you are in love
with? Or do the great sounds of praise and cheers come the moment Sunday/Sabbath
service or Mass is over and you get to talk to ‘buddy’? Do your eyes light up knowing
you get to go home and get something to eat? Mmmm…wings.
In my own life I have
spent a lot of intentional time trying to connect with students, whether it’s
through my message, in a school or at my girls group. I’ve always looked for
the invisible one’s to bring them into the fold. Clearly, that’s not wrong. However,
somewhere down the road this has turned into a habit, something that I do to build
relationships and try and learn student’s names as quickly as possible.
Disciples of Alison Springer would build a buddy church. A connect church. I
didn’t see it before, but at some point the do became work, and the reason why
I was compelled to learn names and build relationships was lost. I’m not sure
when it happened but now I serve God by serving people reaching out to the
community in practical ways. I do this for the sake of people, not the sake of
Jesus. Do I have a plan to live out the great commission? Silence. Awkward silence. What do my students
see me doing? Reaching out to the
community in practical ways, but how is my desire to see people come to know
Christ expressed in my actions? I don’t spend time praying for my girls group
by name, have I pursed them and stayed in contact with them after they
graduated from my course or attend the conference? No! Because that’s more work
and there is only so much I can do!! My cry is for more helpers!!
Do you find yourself in
a similar place? Since these
presentations Holy Spirit has been convicting me and showing me all the areas
in my life that I do for people and not for Jesus. I’m weary and don’t have the
same excitement or jump for going to church and attending Tuesday night prayer
services because like Samson, I’ve been doing my own thing, not realizing I no
longer have divine supernatural strength. Now when I teach in the world, I’m
getting beat up, and I leave exhausted not seeing much fruit.
My love for Jesus is why
I originally got involved in everything that I’m involved in. But my eyes were
fixed on the doing that I forgot all about the being, being in love, being full
of joy. Every morning waking up
wondering what Jesus & God had in store for me that day. The last three
weeks, I started going to prayer meetings Tuesday night not because I felt
obligated to, because that pull hasn’t worked for a long while now. I go because
I want to; I’m looking for something that I know can only be found in prayer, a
deeper relationship with Christ. When I’m tired, in the rain on my bike,
whether there are other things I can do, or people who want to connect with me,
I will go because I want to connect with Jesus. This past week as I
pursue my desire to fall in love with him, I’m meeting my neighbours, and
people in my community. We stop and talk
and I’m remembering their names better. I’m having more God encounters with
students that I teach at my course as I bump into them outside of my program.
What? The connections are all happening
naturally because I’m seeking Him first and desiring to be in right standing
with Him. All these things/connections that I’ve wanted are being added or
given to me. (Matt. 6:33) Jesus said, through the cross He will draw all
people unto Himself. (John 12:32) As I fix my eyes on Him, Holy Spirit taps me
on the shoulder and I notice the people are coming.
Is the Connection
“Buddy” Church the type of church your students/disciples would plant?
Are you actively
involved in your community planting seeds of love, but people are not
introduced to Jesus? Please, I’m not endorsing
you to develop relationships with an agenda to convert people, far from it. But
do you remember why you got involved in what you are currently doing in the
first place? Remember the love and
excitement of learning more about Jesus, and consecrating your life to
Him? Do you remember the zeal? It’s that love that draws. That first love,
Jesus is calling you back to that place. Where your eyes are on him and not the
next event. Where the emphasis is on the Worship, adoration and admiration of
Him verses the activities, the creative play and talks.
Are you weary from doing
good? Fall in love again and be in love.
Youth Speaker & Founder of the
Young Woman of Power (YWOP), Alison hosts conferences and develops programs
that are designed to build the confidence of youth such as the YWOP PivotFWD
workshop which she delivers in Calgary’s Youth Judicial System and the citywide
Young Women of Power Conference. She considers herself to be a pastor to those
who don’t want one or don’t know they need one. For more info or to book Alison
as a speaker visit www.ywop.ca
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