My friend Derek posted a blog asking these questions, I decided to post them with my answers and I challenge you to answer them aswell.
1> What do I think of youth today? If youth today are anything like they were when I was a youth, which really is only between 3-5 years (depending on how you look at it) then I think they are great. Youth years are in my opinion the most strategic years for kingdom multiplication.
a) Youth have been and always will be impreshionable. They disire acceptance from their peers more then anything it seems at times, I know I did. Who offers more acceptance then Jesus?
b) Youth wanna have fun. Who offers more fun then Jesus?
c) Youth disire freedom. Who offers more freedom then Jesus?
I also beleive youth are often confused and definetly need guidence. Youth are often independant and stubbern so offering the guidence of Jesus needs to be done with disernment, wisdom and in a language they would feel comfortable with. In short...youth are great.
2>What do I think could bring more youth to God. As I said, I beleive youth years to be the most stategic for Kingdom multiplication., therfore more youth should be brought into the light...how? Back to question 1, offer a place for acceptance, fun and freedom. To go deeper though...I was saved as a youth, so heres what kept me inerested. Outreach, many youth have a disire in their hearts to help the needy and poor. Offer oportuinities for mission, feeding the hungry, clothing drives, handing out blanekts to the homeless...etc. Dont force the gospel. When I went to youth and there was prayer, Bible stuff, and worship and I wasnt saved...it was uncomfortable and boring. Im not saying write it all off completely, but rather have one night for fun, sports, games, hang out, movies, feeding the homeless and once youth see the abounding amount of love and compassion and feel the conviction they will have a disire to come out to a cell group which talk about Jesus. on a seperate night.
3>What are your views on Church? Church is a building. Haha im totally only kidding. Church is everyone devoting themselves to the apostles teachings and to fellowship, to feasting together and praying together. Everyone being filled with awe at many wonders and miraculous signs, working together in service, selling everything they have, giving the money to the poor and sharing everything with everyone, with glad hearts and praising God, while everyday people were getting saved. Acts 2:42-47 Acts 4:32-37
4>How can we increase the Kingdom of God? By getting off our butts and actually telling the lost about Jesus Christ.
5>What would your ultimate job/ dream career that would be a minisry of God? I dont think that far in the future, ask me in a couple years.
2 years ago
1 comments:
I think you're right in that it is important and necessary for the building and health of God's church that youth be key components. Likewise, that today's youth are searching for acceptance, fun, and freedom (but don't we all desire such things?). Might I also add that youth desire to be heard, respected, and encouraged.
However, questions arise regarding the strategy taken to provide youth with such acceptance, fun, and freedom. It must be noted that youth (above all people) can sense FAKENESS and an insincere heart. If our "plan of attack" is to "throw the bible at them" and our primary intention to "win them over", will the youth believe that we really care for them? Offering opportunities for mission, feeding the hungry, clothing drives, handing out blanekts to the homeless...etc are all good things in and of themselves, but will the youth walk away from such activities really feeling cared for?
Reaching out to the youth is no different than reaching out to any other generation. We are told to love our God, and love our neighbors. The message is to love, WITHOUT JUDGEMENT. To be mercifull as the Lord is mercifull to us. Today's youth, like yesterday's youth, hunger for intimate relationships (and I'm not talking sexually, though sexual relationships are often used to unsuccessfully feed this hunger). The ways in which we can show this love to the youth are unlimited. The only requrement is that it be true love, not love that is filled with hidden incentives (ie "win them over"). This love is the key to acceptance, fun, and freedom, and is the true desire of youth and everyone else. Love as the Father loves us.
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