Do You Speak The Lingo?

Watching this commercial a couple of times tonight made me laugh and it made me think. Obviously Fedex is trying to capitalize on the the youth market-while making fun of those who try to bridge the divide between the generations.

It made me think, do I do this in order to communicate with my teens and those teens I'm around. Oh, I joke from time to time with "slang" they use, but never meaning for them to think that this is really me. (I'm known to give a "Wassup, Wassup" every once in a while to teen) and certainly my own teens find it a little awkward for Dad to talk like that.

What I've found in working with teens is that they really want to communicate with you in very simple ways. You don't have to speak the lingo to get into their world.

Here's what I've found:

1.) They want to know that someone cares---they simply want to know that other adults are acknowledging their "morphing" into adulthood and we can do that in ways that affirm who God is creating them to be. Just by knowing their name (or their nickname) may be enough for them.

2.) They want you to know what they like and they don't like. Facebook has been once of the best ways to keep up with kids and their activities--and to also know who they're with and who they shouldn't be with. If I had only had Facebook when I was doing youth ministry--no tellling the connections that could have been made.

3.) They want to know that you will be there for them. In little ways I try to let them know that I'm here and I'm around and ready to listen to them. And believe me, there have been those who have sought me out because of the simple invitation to just listen. Never underestimate the importance of letting them know that you are around and available.

4.) They want to know that you want the best for them. They really want approval and acceptance for what's going on in their lives. And I suspec that they even want your opinion (even when it's negative and they complain) because this helps them clarify their judgement and their values.


So,laugh at this video and think with me "Do You Speak The Lingo?" I don't think you have to in order to get through to the next generation. Make yourself available and watch them come to you.

Church Kills It's Youth Group---What Do You Think?

I realize by posting this I'm opening a can of worms, but hey that's what this blog is for.  I was alerted to this video by a fellow pastor and I think you must watch this whole video to understand the decision that they've made to do "YOUTH MINISTRY" in a whole different way.

I'm not sure that they've completely done away with YOUTH MINISTRY (they still do small groups separate from the whole church) but I think his point about raising up YOUTH apart from the integrated body of Christ has created a whole set of problems that we've never had before.

Could his point about "DAVID IN SAUL'S ARMOR" be one of the issues that the church as a whole is engaged in?  We think we must have "this" or "that" because it has always been, or it has been successful in "this city" or "that church"?  Are we encumbered with a structure and history that will not let us be "with the Lord of hosts as our guide" for the moment that we now find ourselves living in?

This is the struggle that I have right now.  So much that the church has done has been good and fruitful and successful, but we struggle to let go of those things to see what God has new and fresh for us to do today.  We get comfortable with "success" and never find ease with "risk" for the sake of the gospel.

Youth Ministry has changed so much from the time I started nearly 22 years ago and I can only imagine how it's going to change in the future.  Can we allow ourselves to think about change in a way that may be better for our students and for the body of Christ in the future?

I'm interested to hear your thoughts?  Is this weird or genius?

Teens Tell Church "Keep Your Pizza" (USA TODAY)

This article yesterday in USA TODAY caught my attention because it's something that I've observed and seen for awhile now.

It seems that Teen attendance in church peaked in 1999 and the figures ever since have been lagging or dropping.  Only 1 in 4 teens (according to Barna) attends church and some have said that "church is irrelevant" to my life.

What does this mean?

We can sit here and say some of the reasons that they don't attend:

• Kids have more to do now than they ever have:  Elite teams in baseball, soccer, volleyball, football, basketball, Dance, art, cheer squads (outside of school squads) and so on and so on.
• Parents aren't coming with kids anymore. The old saying was--get the kid and you'll get their parents.  That just isn't true anymore and if you do get a kid who comes without his parents it's doubly hard to keep them
• Kids have more options now (socially--through Facebook/Twitter/MySpace)  All of that can be taken care of online
• Youth ministry methods haven't changed much in the last 30-40 years.  Kids have seen it all and done it all by the time they've moved to youth groups (because we've moved some of that down to Children's Ministry)
• Until they are able to drive, teens are at the mercy of parental transportation and the split-parent weekend is now more of an impact on attendance than ever before.

Now, about the irrelevance part, this is tougher

• We have to look at the ways we reach and disciple teens.  It's no longer the LARGE GROUP thing that is drawing them.  It's time to get specialized in Youth Ministry which makes it harder for a one stop shop where everyone gets the same thing
• We need a cadre of adults who have a passion for teens and don't mind being involved in their lives.  It's going to be harder to get inside that circle, but once inside these adults weild great influence in the lives of teens.
• The church is going to have to acknowledge a place for teens in their current ministries.  We have to include them in the life of worship and the work of the church.  We can no longer relegate them to a department or floor and hope that when they grow up they will be part of the church.  They must learn about service now. (One friend's church has done this and I think it's a great idea)
• The issues facing today's teens are different from 10 years ago (just ask them)  We must develop resources and methods to speak to these issues, but more importantly we must live from Christ indwelling  and centered lives to show them how Jesus would respond to these issues.

So, have you observed this?  What are your thoughts?

Barna:  Teens Faith Is Changing
Barna:  What Teens Look For In A Church