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Sunday 15 February 2009
The Seasons of Youth Ministry (Part 2 of 2)
“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven…” Ecclesiastes 3:1
The Seasons of Youth Ministry (Part II) By Pete Folger
III. Remember God during the Season of Rebellion
If you minister long enough in the same place you will eventually deal with a youth group or class that is just rebellious. They are defiant in their sin and wickedness and there is nothing that anyone can do to stop them. They have already determined that the moment they graduate from high school will be the moment that they bid farewell to God and His church. They are counting down the days.It has become more difficult to determine rebellion in teenagers. They have become very good at putting on a good “show” in front of those who are in authority. There are some who are defiant in their rebellion. They want the adults and those in authority to see their rebellious attitude, but most teens in Bible-believing churches have become good at masking their true self.The Bible’s stance on rebellion is a strong one. I Samuel 15:23 states, “For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he has also rejected thee from being king.” God goes so far as to compare rebellion with witchcraft or the occult. It’s that wicked in the eyes of God. When we reject God’s word and the principles clearly stated therein, God will reject us.
Pete Folger is the Assistant Pastor at Cleveland Baptist Church.
This is a special article by Jim Krohn, Youth Pastor of Southeast Bible Baptist Church and author of the book "Biblical Youth Work", from which this article is an adaptation. Keep an eye on Uthleader.com within the next week and you will be able to order "Biblical Youth Work" at a UthLeader special price.
“The Family Cult” Part 1 of 3 Don’t chuck your Youth Ministry
What is the family cult? If you don’t know the answer to that question, consider yourself blessed. The family cult is a name that I have given to a movement that is gaining ground in fundamental churches. It emphasizes the family above all things. While I agree that the family is extremely important, they take things to absurd proportions. For example, according to this movement, Sunday school is bad because it divides the family. Sunday evening services are bad because it takes the family out of the home. Instead, they encourage a Sunday evening family worship time with the father as the patriarch of the home leading the proceeding. Of course, I call that family devotions and I think that is something that should be done during the week. It is not something that you do instead of church. In addition, while public school is obviously bad, this movement paints all Christian schools with the same brush as public schools since they take children away from the family. Youth groups as well as all other age specific activities should be stopped. They also use terms such as “family centered church” instead of “program centered church”.
“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven…” Ecclesiastes 3:1
The Seasons of Youth Ministry (Part I) By Pete Folger
As a young person growing up in Cleveland, Ohio one of the things that I could always count on was the changing of seasons. As a young person, I so enjoyed the fall and winter seasons. Now that I’m a little older I have a greater appreciation for any season which does not include snow. Although in northeast Ohio the only season where we are guaranteed no snow is summer.
Just as there are seasons of weather and climate, there are also seasons of life. Childhood is often referred to as springtime because of the growth that is taking place. Young adults are often considered to be in the summer season. It is the season where they are able to accomplish the most. They are in their prime. Those who have reached middle age could be considered in the autumn of life. Just as the leaves change into beautiful assortments of colors so their lives reach a beautiful state as well. Kids are reared and grown. New opportunities exist. They are free to do more than at any other time. But just as the leaves reach a gorgeous color, they begin the process of falling. With winter comes death or a stage of dormancy. The sun sets early, it’s cold and very few spend much time outside unless they have to.
While thinking on this subject I was reminded what my youth pastor shared with me shortly after I ventured into the youth ministry. Just as there are seasons in weather, and seasons in life, there are also seasons in youth ministry. As I have served in this capacity for over seven years I have come to realize that his words of advice were so true. I believe that God wants us to know that no matter what season we may find our youth to be in, that there is always another coming. These words bring great hope and comfort when in a difficult season. But they also ought to bring great warning to those who find themselves in an easy season of youth work.
The more I’m with teens there are three distinct seasons that I have come to be familiar with. There may be others, but these seasons have been distinct in our ministry.
The Season of Indifference.
The Season of Rebellion.
The Season of Revival.
With each class that comes into the youth group you will find them fitting intoone of these three categories. Typically they will all be the same. You may have a class that is rebellious. In that class there may be a few teens on fire for the Lord, but usually they are in the minority. I believe that there are some things that we need to consider as we deal with the seasons of youth ministry.
Pete Folger is the Assistant Pastor at Cleveland Baptist Church.
From games, to ideas, to illustrations, flyers, files, and free downloads, this is the place to find 'em all! Free, Independent, Fundamental Baptist Youth Ministry Resources. All Biblical references are from the KJV.