Avoiding Two Extremes
Relational
ministry, when faithfully carried out, can be used by God to awaken faith in a
young person’s heart and draw him or her into a living relationship with
Himself through Christ. But if we as the
Church fail to enter into these types of intentional relationships with our
youth, we have no right to expect that God will work in their hearts! That is why in Deuteronomy 11:2 God specifically says in reference to
the Great Commandment, “I am not speaking to your children who have not known
or seen it”. In other words we can’t
expect God to draw our young people into a relationship with Himself apart from
our involvement. Our kids enter into
this world ignorant- ‘they have not known or seen God’. The Lord forewarns us that He’s leaving the
responsibility up to us- His people, to teach our youth about Him. We cannot miss the fact that the command to reach our children in
Deuteronomy 6:4-7 and 11:18-21 is primarily written to families and more specifically; to
fathers. This should debunk the false
notion held by some Christian families that it’s all on the youth leader to
point their kid to God. Parents of
children who have grown up in the church but have never been taught or
discipled in the home should not be surprised if when their son or daughter
leaves the home, he or she leaves their faith behind too. Discipleship
is first and foremost a call to parents!
But we should not go to the opposite extreme as some churches are doing by throwing church centered youth ministry out all together. This passage is also written to the people of
God collectively and the spiritual nurture of youth and children is also a
command to the Christian community.
Therefore churches must be actively reaching out to their youngest
members involving them in corporate worship on a regular basis. I never have bought into the idea that youth
want to be separated from regular church affairs. Sure, they love to hang out with their peers
and will probably scoff at some of the weird things we older people do in the
church. But ultimately they want to
belong and feel they have something of significance to offer the Body of
Christ.
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