I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the lives that youth live ‘online.’ It seems social networking sites like Myspace and Facebook are popular ways to have “community.” But I’ve been wondering, has technology stolen the concept of community for our students? Community is a word we use all the time…heck, as youth leaders its what we are all about, we even put it in our mission statements! Somehow I don’t think that the early disciples were facebooking each other when they were “devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship.” So what does it look like to build “community” with and amongst our students who’s experience of the concept likely includes their friends and interactions online? I don’t have an answer, sorry. Just wanting you all to think about this with me.
I’ve had a facebook page for a long time which up until now I’ve kept hidden from students. But I’ve taken the plunge and have finally invited students at church to be my ‘friends’ on facebook. I guess I now have an “online presence” in their lives. Which can’t be all bad, right? I’m curious as to if any of them are hesitant to accept me as their friend because I’m their youth director. We’ll see.
For now, I’ll proceed with caution. I know that using the internet to connect with students should be seen as a liability as well as a useful tool. And really, a part of me wishes we could all be “old fasioned” and actually talk to each other in person once in a while.
related stuff:
http://timschmoyer.com/2007/11/14/internet-tools-i-use-in-ministry-4-of-6-facebook/
http://www.simplyyouthministry.com/from-the-field-13.html
where youth ministry was supposed to happen
A Better Idea Than Youth Ministry*
by Mike Yaconelli
Youth ministry is a good idea. But there’s a better idea. Before we go there, let’s look at what’s good about the good idea of youth ministry.
Relevance. Relevance is good. It means students can think, talk, write, and sing about the gospel in a language they can not only understand, but incorporate into their lives now. That’s good. Very good.
Relationship. Relationships are good. Youth groups are places where kids can learn something about relationships, about friendships. They learn the value of praying together, working together, being together, and serving together. That is good. Very good.
Youth ministry is about safety. Safety is good. It gives young people a glimpse of grace. At it’s best youth ministry is a place where students are safe: safe to be honest, to be real, and to express what is deep in their soul. Not all youth groups are safe; but where there is safety, it is good. Very good.
Youth ministry is about fun. Fun is good, too. Very good. Young people have very few places where they are encouraged to have fun. Students should spend a lot of their childhood laughing. Youth ministry helps young people rediscover genuine laughter and fun. Fun is good.
Youth group is good.
But there’s a better good.
It’s called church.
Not youth church, or contemporary church, or postmodern church. Just plain, boring, ordinary church. Yes, that’s right. Church. The place where people who don’t know each other get to know each other; where people who normally don’t associate with each other, associate; where people who are different learn how to be one.
Mostly, church is the place where we can grow old together. And it turns out that growing old together is still the best way to bring lasting results with students. Growing old together is where we teach (and learn from) each other what discipleship means in the everyday world.
Community isn’t complicated. It’s just a group of people who grow old together. They stick with each other through the teenage years, marriage, children, getting old, sick, and finally dying—all the while teaching each other how to follow Christ through the rugged terrain of life.
Maybe the body of Christ is the place where youth ministry was supposed to happen all along.
I wonder what would happen if churches truly decided to take responsibility for the young people. They can still have a youth program and a youth worker, but the real youth ministry would happen when all of the adults decided to connect with all of the kids and do church together. Maybe there would be fewer students coming to church than attending youth group, but ten years from now, the ones who connected at church might still be there.
*Article abridged. Full text available at, http://www.youthspecialties.com/articles/Yaconelli/idea.php
