Just wanted to share a few thoughts that have literally been keeping me up in the past few nights.
Due to a series of events in the past weeks the Holy Spirit has been convicting me of certain things. It’s crazy. I’ve been paying very close attention to what’s happening around me—observing the Church and church culture both locally, and on a larger scale. I’ve been heavily digging into scripture, and I’ve been taking mental notes on what I’ve read and it’s relevancy to our lives. I’ve been asking big questions about what’s going on in the world around us—politically, socially, etc— and how does all that WE do in ministry fit into the grand scheme of things.
As college-aged students I believe it is SO important that we challenge ourselves and one another to grow and mature in our Faith. We ought to also excel in what we do beyond the church building walls, in the professional realm of our work places and schools to expand/enrich our understanding of everything else for the sake of spreading of the Gospel in the most effective way. I encourage you all to do as I did and re-evaluate where you are. So here is what I’ve come up with, something along the lines of a mission statement/reflection in terms of how I am involved in my current ministry, which is as a youth mentor and worship leader in a youth group of a megachurch:
“I’m not out to make the youth comfortable. My sole purpose is to make the Gospel so real to them that they would be completely sold out for the sake of Christ. I want to see a generation on fire for the Lord, not just another youth group. Worship services aren’t meant to be shows, but rather it is a gathering of the people of God to declare His glory and their undying love for Him. In fact, worship is where this all starts—it is the essence of all that we do. It goes beyond rhythm and song, contrary to what most church folk think; Worship is acts of justice, restoring our planet, bringing Heaven down to earth and most importantly proclaiming the Gospel.
The Gospel? Yes the Gospel. Often times, when mentioned, the Gospel may bring misconceptions or perhaps it is perceived as something uninteresting and irrelevant. But the truth is that THE Gospel is NOT boring or complicated. It’s amazing. And it is the reason behind WHY we do what we do. If we cannot grasp and articulate how truly life-changing the Gospel is to us, these teenagers will grow up with an incomplete view of Christianity, ultimately affecting their way of life and how they see the world. Has our focus steered away from the LOVE of Christ? The sinless Life and Death of Christ? The pure, saving blood of Christ? The power and redemption and restoration that comes through Christ? This must not be so.
And now I must ask, what steps are we taking to help our youth DESIRE to become “Christlike”? Would a vast majority of our church’s youth be able to give the reason for the hope that they have? Are we centered in the Gospel or are we focusing on this shallow, watered-down version of Christianity?
We possess the greatest piece of literature in our hands. The Bible—The Holy Word of God—is so sacred and must NEVER ever be taken for granted. Is what we live out actually lining up according to scripture? Or do we dare use scripture as a means of trying to add minor adjustments to the way we live our flesh-gratifying lifestyles? Because at the end of the day, I learned that the best way to instill my hunger, passion, and understanding of God into the youth is by living it out as best as I can, reinforced with devoted prayer and fasting.
Trust me when I say this… Teenagers don’t need just another church service. What they are looking for is realness. We live in a postmodern world, where practically ANYthing goes in terms of morality, and truth is relative. Once they walk out those doors and step into the professional realm, their “Christianity” will be eaten up alive if they have no solid foundation in their faith. Armed with only a handful of Christianese cliches and a “kinda/sorta” understanding of the Bible and God, this is no surprise! And it’s no wonder the statistics are so high when it comes to college students leaving the church once they move out of home. My sole purpose is to help equip them, not only by the means of encouragement, but by walking alongside them, learning and seeking together as we go.
I think many of us are afraid to admit that we have also fallen a little short in other departments, especially in raising up the next generation of believers. Consider this is a staggering understatement. I say this because now, young people are asking the bigger questions. But it sorrows me to see how such hunger for truth is being dealt with. Instead of being loved, accepted, and discipled properly, churches and Christian families have done almost the opposite. Rather than being open minded and walking with them, some retaliate with harsh judgement and religious pharisaical pride. These youth are hurt and pushed away only to find a sense of belonging in the welcoming embrace that the world offers. What now shall we do? Is this what the church has come to?
I say all this because I represent this generation. I stand in the gap between the leaders of ministry and the youth who show up every Sunday morning. I understand their pain and the struggles they go through, and I, too, have been jaded by the inconsistencies of the church.
So now again, in light of what’s been said, I ask the greatest question, on behalf of all of us, what then shall we do?
Some food for thought.”
“Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”
John 4:23-24
