Not My Parent’s Faith

The concept that I adopted when I first became a pastor; my mission statement for what I call ministry. This concept of not my parent’s faith has been something that I have thought long and hard on, and is now probably my answer to what is wrong with Christianity today. This is my Student Ministry Philosophy.

To give my philosophy on Student Ministry a bit of a basis, it comes from a question I was asked back when I first began working as a Youth Pastor. While interviewing for this position, I was asked by a member of the panel “How will you keep the youth in church?”

Facts: According to the latest research done by both Christian and Secular groups, we are seeing a massive trend within the Millennials and the Homelanders of leaving church after they reach the age range of 18-26. This is caused by members of these generations going to college, joining the workforce, moving away from their original church home, or other major life choices; However, the reason that has been the most effective in driving young members of the church community away is the lack of foundational belief while in a forced environment.

Thesis: My philosophy for Student Ministry can be summed up in a single phrase “Not My Parents’ Faith.” This idea is that of a faith with personal meaning to the individual rather than the tradition inspired to grow in a controlled and nurturing environment. This will foster a place for the students to encounter Christ, grow in faith, be tested to their limits, and be sent out.

Premise: Many times, young members of the church community are simply given information and told to have faith in said information since their parents believe in that information. There is a lack of foundation among the Churches of the Western World, or there is a lack of truth. A lack of truth can be no truth or half-truth. If we have a lack in truth in the Gospel that we preach and teach, then we are not telling the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Gospel of Christ is a Whole Truth and needs to stay that way. We should be called to understand our faith so deeply that when challenged we are able to stand on a solid foundation. When a Student finds out that the ‘truth’ they were taught is wrong, they blame the teacher; if the ‘truth’ they were taught is correct, they gain confidence in the teacher.

Premise: Many churches with an older tradition follow an idea of giving their children and youth a ‘Drug Problem.’ They drug them out of bed, drug them to church, drug them to school, drug them to the store, etc. This idea of dragging a child to church can be a wonderful thing in a short time, but if you do not give them a good reason for going to church they will ultimately hate the church because of being forced to be there. The Church becomes a jail rather than a haven. We need to foster the idea of an environment that is safe for the child, and show the Love of Christ rather than show this idea of captivity.

Execution of Philosophy:

To properly execute this philosophy of Student Ministry, I believe that we must not pull punches when it comes to truth. We need to understand that the truth hurts sometimes, and we grow from the pain. Pulling punches does more damage in the long run compared to not pulling the punches. (Example: The disappointment of a child finding out Santa Claus isn’t real compared to understanding the concept of Christmas as a time of giving)

We as a church need to create a haven mentality when it comes to church. We need to not force the children to come, but rather make it worth their time. Do not force your faith, but challenge them to find their faith.