Kids used to be the most important resource for a culture to accumulate. Kids meant security, hope, family, and most of all a future. Over the past fifty years, things have changed. Kids are no longer the most important resource in our American culture. In fact... kids are quite the opposite. Kids are now seen as hurdles to gaining more important resources like cars, vacations, homes, and of course financial security. Kids get in the way of members of the American culture growing their own personal Kingdoms and have therefore been left abandoned by adults. Adults have left kids, especially adolescents to fend for themselves. To prove themselves to be worthy to assimilate into a culture of personal Kingdom growers. Adult number one would say to child number one, "If you do well, if you get this degree, if you make this grade, if you attain to this standard, then I will count you worthy as a personal Kingdom grower as well and you can be just like me." I'm sorry to this generation. We have abandoned you and left you to fend for yourself. I'm sorry for the pain that this has caused in your life and in the life of those whom surround you. I'm sorry to the person who sent me this e-mail after hearing that I was the new guy at GPC through an e-mail that I had sent to all students."Does this mean you're going to be the new youth pastor? How long do you intend on staying?"
How long do you intend on staying... I'm sorry that it is so right of you to ask this question. There is something dehumanizing about this situation. Whar are we doing to our students? We are sorry.
Mini Putt
7 comments:
I am sorry too
wonderful, wonderful post...
so true
I completely agree. How do we mend those wounds?
A few people know me to be very old or very young when I want to be. Though I may look young on the outside my spirit is far older. It has seen much more, and experienced much more. My wisdom is very old, and comes from many experiences, and from many times of reflecting with The Lord by my side. In truth, I was going to start an account on this blogspot, and then I clicked your link to find the name of this site to be my blogspot, and I happened upon to this blog.
Though it may seem sad and worthless what has become of adults and adolescents and moral values in America, that is just part of life, that is just another part of life. I think I've seen maybe 9-11 youth pastors come and go in less than 6 years.
It's not that surprising that my words inspired you enough to write this blog, I've been known by everyone who has spoken with me that I ask the most difficult questions to answer, or the wisest questions that require reflection, or more than just an easy answer. That's why I asked how long you would stay, I thought it might have the effect of you reflecting on this, and indeed you wrote a blog, not far off from my thinking when I wrote the email.
My days as a child in SS were punctuated and impressed on my memory BECAUSE there was a group of committed Christians who brought Christ--and Paul and the apostles alive and "dear" to me. They were there for years every Sunday and several put together a Vacation Bible School. They did not have all the fancy preplanned programs available today. What they had was a heart for Jesus.
I knew when I arrived I would find familiar faces. This continueity taught me the importance of committment. I did not know that is what I was learning. That was not the spoken lesson--that was the result of their wonderful faithful regular presence.
You are SOOOOOOOOOOO right on about today and our confused values We only ask for an occasional appearance of our irregular teaching "staff" We promise only a "few Sundays a year" We are all so busy with a meriod of other important things that we forget to put Christ first and we forget the importance of rearing our young through example. (So the example we set is short term interest and limited committment).
Perhaps it will be your generation dear Nicholas that will be able to once again to bring into light the meaning of committment.
God Bless GM
I was asked the same question back in probably 1995. My response was, "I bet you will leave before I do." This is what happened with this kid and many others who have graduated and "left". Now I'm not saying this to toot my own horn - but there are some things I've learned over the years of youth ministry: we get better at it the longer we do it, kids are being abandended by the very people and organizations that say they are there for them (C. Clark), and it's really good to outlast the kids (painful for us - but a good kind of pain)...It's why I get so frustrated when people think 3 years is sooo long - not only are you just getting started, but kids feel like you just got there. What can we do - we can stay for the long haul - and set up structures for people to stay for the long haul.
ct
It doesn't help that being a youth minister isn't really looked at as a real job. I remember a few years ago, when my plan was to graduate Calvin and become a youth pastor, I was talking to someone who ended up being a local pastor. His response was gonna do that for a few years and then go to seminary and move up to a real pastor?
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