Youth Want More

Recently a friend and colleague shared with me this article written in BreakPoint: Learning from Young Atheists. The article goes on to explain that a reporter asked Secular Students Associations on college campus' around the nation and asked about their "journey to unbelief". The more typical response was this: "These kids had attended church but 'the mission and message of their churches was vague,' and manifested itself in offering 'superficial answers to life’s difficult questions.' The ministers they respected were those 'who took the Bible seriously,' not those who sought to entertain them or be their 'buddy.'"

The article ended with this question: "Are we living lives that show our children that we actually believe what we say we believe?"

I'll admit, this article was sobering, as it should be. It got me reflecting into how I've led youth ministry these past three years. Have I tried to entertain more than I've sought to bring kids with me deeper into God's presence?

My colleague made this statement in their email to me: "Bottom line: Youth are looking for authentic, uncompromising faith."

Wow. When I thought about the kids in my youth experience, I found this statement to be spot on. Yes games and food and fun and laughter can oftentimes come with the package of youth ministry and walking life out with teenagers but when it comes down to it: bottom line, they are looking for authentic, uncompromising faith. They are looking for Truth, they are looking for Life, they are looking for The Way. Jesus.

All to say, after reading and re-reading this article recently, it reshaped the way that I viewed youth group this last week. Yes, there was going to be food. Yes, some of the group reminisced about camp stories while others played Apples to Apples but when it came down to it: the night was going to be about Jesus. And it was. And it was beautiful to behold.

Our two rockstar volunteer worship leaders for the night led us in worship and I told the kids straight up: this was the point. Worshipping Jesus, bringing the focus back to where it belonged. So I told them not to wait for worship to be over so we could onto the next thing, because we were going to stay in worship.

We sang and sang and when I got up to preach there was a passage out of Hebrews 10:19-24, 5 verses that my wing-woman youth leader Jennifer and I found that was perfect to speak over this group. So we spoke this Word over the group again and again in different versions of the Bible, I talked about each verse briefly to explain the significance, and we ended the night by having prayer off to the side with leaders if the kids wanted prayer while the rest of the group worshipped.

I was looking all night for this truth in my youth kids: that they wanted authentic, uncompromising faith and guess what? I found it in each one of their faces. They were willing to sit and worship their Savior song after song, declaring who He is to them, and why we worship His name. All of their ears were perked when we all took turns reading the verses aloud because the sheep know their Master's voice and God was speaking to each one of them.

All to say, in my years of youth ministry I am finding that these kids want a depth that most people, including me, don't always acknowledge in them.

My prayer over my youth group, over West Seattle, over all parents and guardians and pastors and teachers of the faith is that we would not be entertainers, but supporters of these kids who long for the Truth. Amen.