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At 16-21 many youth are looking for REAL answers and they sense boloney when they see it. They are all about being authentic and keeping it real...well, good theology is keeping it real, instead of giving easy answers to life's questions. At 18 I was drifting towards agnosticism and the Lord used deep theology to save me and show me that the church didn't have to be the local Glee Club.
I think he is pointing out that knowing the Scriptures deeply is the solution even for broken families, like Timothy's.
You have to be "cool" without being lenient and accepting of wrong doing, etc. It's tough to do that, but I know it can be done, and people can be trained to do it as well but they have to WANT to do it.
I had many street kids sit and listen to doctrine and theology once they knew I loved them and wasn't a "stuffy" adult seeking that they bend to my will "just because". I feel we need youth pastors because people who pursue those positions "get" that as many adults simply don't.
We have seen first-hand the benefits of a family-integrated ministry that trains dads how to lead their homes.
B. B. Warfield: It is worth while to be a Shorter Catechism boy. They grow to be men. And better than that, they are exceedingly apt to grow to be men of God. So apt, that we cannot afford to have them miss the chance of it. “Train up a child in the way he should go, and even when he is old he will not depart from it.”
I agree completely, however what about broken families?
Since the WCF was written for children I think teens can handle it.
You have to be "cool" without being lenient and accepting of wrong doing, etc. It's tough to do that, but I know it can be done, and people can be trained to do it as well but they have to WANT to do it.
I know God can use being "cool" but is that really required?
I had many street kids sit and listen to doctrine and theology once they knew I loved them and wasn't a "stuffy" adult seeking that they bend to my will "just because". I feel we need youth pastors because people who pursue those positions "get" that as many adults simply don't.
What I hear you saying here is we ought to meet some basic needs first for this very needy group (as per James 2:14-16) as an entree to a credible effort to disciple. Is this correct?
Since the WCF was written for children I think teens can handle it.
Hello brother. I was wondering if you mean the WSC instead of the WCF?
They were hungry for strong meat, and it wasn't available to them at the youth group, because they youth pastor was more interested in having a good time.
The post below by Reverend Lane Keister on his Greenbaggins blog got me thinking about how we are delivering the Reformed faith to teen-agers.
Specifically, our assumptions about whether they can only be reached through a superficial pop culture approach or through a rigorous systematic teaching and application of the deeper truths of Reformed Christianity.
I would be interested in hearing from some "teen-agers" here as well. What do they think about the assumptions being made about their doctrinal maturity in relation to a "contemporary" versus "traditional" approach to participating in the life of the church?
Alex and Brett Harris have just come out with a book entitled Do Hard Things. There are few books more counter-cultural or necessary for teens to read. As a pastor I often weary of trying to minister to teens who will not be impressed by anything because they expect the church to spoon-feed/entertain them rather than teach them Bible content and (horror of horrors!) doctrine. Even the church’s expectations of teens is that they are not able to handle doctrine because that’s too deep for them.
Today, over 10 years later thats still what young people need to be saved, so forget all these 'new methods' promoted to get the young people into church all they need is the Gospel.
The post below by Reverend Lane Keister on his Greenbaggins blog got me thinking about how we are delivering the Reformed faith to teen-agers.
Specifically, our assumptions about whether they can only be reached through a superficial pop culture approach or through a rigorous systematic teaching and application of the deeper truths of Reformed Christianity.
I would be interested in hearing from some "teen-agers" here as well. What do they think about the assumptions being made about their doctrinal maturity in relation to a "contemporary" versus "traditional" approach to participating in the life of the church?
Alex and Brett Harris have just come out with a book entitled Do Hard Things. There are few books more counter-cultural or necessary for teens to read. As a pastor I often weary of trying to minister to teens who will not be impressed by anything because they expect the church to spoon-feed/entertain them rather than teach them Bible content and (horror of horrors!) doctrine. Even the church’s expectations of teens is that they are not able to handle doctrine because that’s too deep for them.