Fourth, we created a consumer mentality amongst a generation that did not expect to be challenged at church in ways similar to what they face at school or on sports teams. The frightening truth is that youth ministry books and training events were teaching us to do the exact methods that have failed us. The major shapers of youth ministry nationally were teaching us the latest games and selling us big events with the assumption that we would work some content in there somewhere. In the midst of all this, church leaders and parents came to expect that successful youth ministry is primarily about having fun and attracting large crowds. Those youth pastors in recent decades who were determined to put the Bible at the center of their work faced an uphill battle not only against the prevailing youth culture but against the leadership of the church as well.
This final point actually is already more detailed than the first three, so I am not sure much more needs to be said. I wonder though how aware we are of the consumer mentality that we are fostering when (if) we do attractional ministry. So much of American evangelicalism is consumer driven… right down to people choosing conferences based on who is speaking. It’s perhaps a byproduct of a world with many choices and options in front of us. I also wonder where else in the world of a teenager do they have the sort of activities offered that typify youth ministry? I guess I just wonder if we consider ourselves youth experts and seek to do what youth like and want to do, then why can’t I think of any other place in a student’s life that uses shaving cream games and all that sort of stuff? Surely teachers, coaches and those who create and lead organizations for teens are trained and aware of the needs and wants of students. Are they not experts as well?
My own experience has been that training events, books, conferences, etc… in other words, the mainstream of thought on youth ministry – fosters the sort of youth ministry that I find common in America. I mention this because it seems to me that we merely do what we are taught and what is expected of us. This is not a criticism of youth ministers but suggesting that the system has created what we have today (and what was yesterday as well). I am well aware that there is a move towards deeper discipleship and theological thinking within the field. I personally think it is helpful to trace a history of a movement (like youth ministry) to see how we got where we are today and to see what God is doing in the midst of it all.
I have always know men and women bucking the trend and looking to seriously challenge students with the gospel, teach scriptures, etc. If I may broadly generalize for a moment… I see three types of youth ministries out there. One is the stereotypical fun driven and attractional approach that is convinced that if we make it fun enough we will draw (and retain) a crowd that we can share the gospel with. The second is the youth ministry that blends seriousness and fun in such a way that it is attractional but does not allow fun to drive the ministry entirely. In an hour of youth ministry, 20 minutes will be crazy games and 40 minutes will be content (worship, prayer, teaching, discussion). The third approach is content driven entirely and only plans crazy games for camps and retreats because the typical meeting is such a limited time that we need to make the most of every opportunity. Fun happens because we are human and working with teens makes it that way. It is a byproduct of relationships, personalities, and time spent together. Perhaps it should be said that if we take ourselves too seriously (which I don’t recommend) we kill the spontaneous joy that should emerge in ministry.
In the coming posts I will explore some ways forward. We have probably had enough books and articles published to convince us that something is wrong in youth ministry in general. If we have been paying attention, we can also see God has been moving in some new ways in terms of youth ministry that are very exciting. One youth ministry book I am reading at the moment which I highly recommend is Growing Up: Biblical Youth Ministry in the Local Church by Dave Fenton. He is British, so there is some jargon to translate, but this guy lives what he teaches and has left a huge legacy in youth ministry in the UK.
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