Losing our youth

[old regular]

Just read an article from the AP.

Nathalie left her Baptist faith - became an atheist and then floated around.

She stated that the conservative views on immigration, gender among other things made her feel unwelcome.

So what are our churches doing or not doing that our teens are leaving the faith.

So, if you were the pastor or youth director of Nathalie - and she mentioned that she may leave the church
what would you do, say, reccomend, ect...

Faith affiliation? 29% say ‘none’

Return to Apostolic worship and practice, preach ''Jesus Christ and him crucified '' preach and teach truth . Those who are unaffected by the Gospel and truth, have never been quickened , they should be encouraged to attend services based on'' peradventure''. Youth that have not been regenerated and bear no fruit of faith and repentance toward God , should not be members of a church nor should they have been baptized. Christ voice is the only voice who can raise the dead. Invite youth, encourage youth, show interest in youth but only God can regenerate.
2 Timothy 2:25
King James Version

25 In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;

 

[Marooncat79]

I would also add to my earlier posts that Youth are not really challenged to be a part of the major body by serving hence the silent message is we do not need you.

Then we ship them off to something called college and career Class until they are 25-26

they just kinda hangout there too

then about 30 we expect them to start serving somewhere or doing something, or disappear and then we go “wonder what happened to Billy or Sally”

at our Church, Youth (members) are fully engaged in various ministries and what some would call committees

 

[Marooncat79]

Youth serve as :

prayer captains for the Women's prayer ministry

counting Committee, where they actually count the money

Positions in the mens ministry ie Lectors

 

[Marooncat79]

Btw, IMO, House Churches are going to make a huge comeback and large churches are going to become Mosques

 

[Salty]

Btw, IMO, House Churches are going to make a huge comeback and large churches are going to become Mosques

What would you base that on?

IMHO - a lot of people like mega churches so they can get lost in the crowd.

 

[Marooncat79]

Persecution

 

[Marooncat79]

And, a lot of people are tired of the facade of larger churches

Megas are bleeding members like crazy too

 

[AustinC]

And, a lot of people are tired of the facade of larger churches

Megas are bleeding members like crazy too

This is purely because the model is flawed.
The model says "Entertain the godless so as to draw them in and in so doing perhaps save some."
The problem is that you need ever increasing entertainment in order to keep the godless coming.
This model is entirely contrary to the early church that called me all believers to worship and any godless person who came would witness the church worshipping her King.

 

[Marooncat79]

Correct

most congregants do not understand that church is not for the lost, it is for believers to worship that desire to worship their God and King

 

[Salty]

Correct

most congregants do not understand that church is not for the lost, it is for believers to worship that desire to worship their God and King

and to be discipled!

 

[Bible Thumpin n Gun Totin]

Parents send their kids to public schools, send them to a bunch of afterschool activities, send them to Youth Group, and then the kids are separated into kids Sunday School and Children's Church.

The children spend the vast majority of their awake time away from Mom and Dad and the parents are then surprised when their kids grow up and the children don't reflect their values.

Maybe parents need to parent?

Our children are in our Church service starting at 2 years old and with homeschooling they're with mama all day long. After homeschool they go with daddy to the field and do farm chores until bed time. My daughter is 2 years old and knows how to hold wood upright so I can drill into it.

 

[Salty]

I have no problem with graded Sunday school -

Just wondering - will you be starting you daughter as a college freshman - as you see no need for elementary school?

 

[Marooncat79]

If you are asking me that. My answer is irrelevant

where does the Bible teach segregation by age for anything worship related?

the Bible talks about corporate worship where all of Gods people come together acting as one in the worship of God

the under 18s at our church have done quite well. Again, they participate in Worship and in the ministry of the church.

instead of other lost teenagers being their mentors, ours look to believers who are solid Church members and have a very biblical vocabulary ie they know how to use words like justification, sanctification, calling etc

they are very very advanced in Biblical learning compared to most Churches and show signs of true conversion when they present for baptism

 

[Marooncat79]

BTW, the early Church did not have graded classes by age for worship. Everyone met together.

if I remember correctly, SS did not come around until the 1850s?

No, I am not looking it up

there are many on here who will be glad to say no it was actually …..

just to say I am wrong. Which is ok

while Youth group did not exist until the 1900s certainly in the way it is conveyed now days

 

[Salty]

BTW, the early Church did not have graded classes by age for worship. Everyone met together. ...

and the early church did NOT have air condition in church, the bus ministry, among many other things.
A lack of something does not necessarily mean it is unBiblical.

It has been said that it the responsibility of parents - that might be one thing for kids from Christian homes - but those kids who do not have parents from Christian homes....

 

[Marooncat79]

Again, the Bible addresses this clearly

young women learn from older women, younger men from older

you are correct, there was no A/C, nor bus ministry, but there were people which scripture clearly addresses IMO

If we Reject Biblical teaching here, where else do we reject it?

seriously?

 

[Two Wings]

What would you base that on?

My reply isn’t to judge another/congregation ... so let’s avoid THAT.

However ... my experience is similar to MaroonCat ... more smaller congregations are being manifest. Now, I’m sensitive to the “home church” because of what I heard my elders (esp my dad) address with some who would hold church in their homes regularly (not just when ill/injured/whatever). There was a bit of ridicule in that, to reject what was happening at our 200 (max ever) attended FBC congregation.

But 30 years later, I am seeing this to be true.

Then ... last year ... remember “The Return” ... the big revival conducted under the shadow of the Washington Monument. Johnathan Cahn, et al.

... and again, this isn’t judgement, but relaying a testimony and my realization the Church is returning to its beginning as the End is reached.

Robert Mawire was to be one of the pastors to speak at “The Return.” Y’all can make your own judgement of this man by viewing his substantially packed YouTube channel ... but here’s a guy who travels the world, routinely. Almost more than I do.

Yet on the day he was to fly from DFW to DCA for “The Return” event, something got fouled-up in his reservation and he was unable to attend. He was discouraged.

He testifies than in his question “why” in the days/weeks afterward, he was finally answered: because the days of grandiose production for The Church is over.

This isn’t suggesting any who engage in these big productions are necessarily an agent of Satan ... but that the growth (numbers and maturity in the faith) of The Church will happen via small congregations. It’s counter intuitive ... to a man. But it is JUST the kind of thing God has demonstrated repeatedly throughout man’s time.

 

[Marooncat79]

I would think that w all of the molestation charges that churches would want to know a different way to do worship? IDK, but it seems an important issue for our day

again, there were no YGs for over 1600 yrs in Church history.

BTW, we encourage friendships in our congregation w others

No one will ever convince me that a Young man who has only been married 2-3 yrs at most is qualified to be in charge of said ministry

they are just not wise enough

and BTW, everyone seems to be concerned about the emasculation of men, so women should not be in charge of a YG either

 

[Salty]

,,,No one will ever convince me that a Young man who has only been married 2-3 yrs at most is qualified to be in charge of said ministry ...they are just not wise enough

I became the youth director of my church just prior to my 21st Birthday - I had been married for only about a year half. The pastor talked to me about the class on a Wed evening - I asked the pastor how many kids were in the youth group. I was told there was only one. That first Sunday morning, there were 8 teens in my class!- Over the next several months, we saw the Lord truly bless our Youth Group and our church in many ways.

Was I wise enough - I'm not sure. In fact, I'm not sure what I did to make our youth group extremely successful. Must have been the Lord, Himself.

Why does a person have to be the most qualified? The Lord put me their - that's all the qualification I needed!

I never had formal training to be a Youth director - other than 2 or 3 great youth directors I sat under, and the Shipmates LIT program of AWANA.

[/QUOTE]

 

[just-want-peace]

--------The Lord put me their - that's all the qualification I needed!---------

SLAM DUNK!!!!