Categories
Art Creativity

Christian, Knock it off

christian-art

While attending a Christian college around the turn of the century, I would attend Baptist Student Union (BSU) every now and then. I and every other Christian on campus must have been witnessed to a thousand times and everyone was told these words, “you should come to BSU.” I must admit my school’s BSU could attract a crowd and had a praise team that produced quality sound. The praise team would sing a song at BSU and during chapel that was a favorite of many. The song was titled Celebration and was a knock-off of a post-disco song by Kool & the Gang, released in 1980. Not only was the song a knock-off but the song was also 20 years old.

What I have recounted above is a descriptive picture of the Christian sub-culture or what many have termed “the Christian bubble.” We Christians have everything – Christian t-shirts, Christian music, Christian schools, Christian toys, Christian yellow pages, Christian arts, Christian fiction, Christian movies, and the list goes on and on. I like what Alvin Reid says about the Christian subculture in his book As You Go: “You can spot something in the Christian subculture because it looks like something you would find elsewhere, costs more, and doesn’t work as well!”

Where did all the creativity and originality in Christianity go? Why does it seem Christian innovation and imagination has all but vanished? What do Elvis Pressley, Kurt Cobain, and Katy Perry all have in common? Besides being musical icons in their own generation, they all grew up in church. The church is known for stifling one’s talent, for not allowing one to express him or herself in the way God designed them. This has proven particularly true for teenagers, when identity development enters its peak stage during the course of one’s lifespan.

Do you remember the Middle Ages or the Renaissance and all the Christian art that was produced in that time? Hold up. Time-out. That Christian art was not considered a part of the Christian sub-culture. If people wanted a “Christian” picture or painting, people did not have to go to a Christian bookstore to purchase it. The “Christian” art of the of the Middle Ages or the Renaissance was considered a part of the culture. Where are all the expressions of Christianity in our culture? What impression are we making? We need “Christian” businessmen and women, soldiers and law enforcement, lawyers, teachers, artists, and politicians at work in society.  But we do not need them to work as an entire subset in and for themselves.

Fortunately, a movement has been gaining steam in Christian sub-cultures to break the box wide-open. Remember the Jesus Movement in the 1970’s? We need another movement to take place today where Christian talent and arts can flourish in society as culture and not as sub-culture. Toby Mac and LeCrae are two musical artists who have broken the bubble by topping not only Christian charts but the Billboard charts! That’s what the church needs to do! We need to get back to where we as Christians affect culture, not hide from it or become repulsive to it.

Matt Chandler, pastor of the Village Church in Dallas, TX, describes the gospel at work on the ground and the gospel at work in the air. The gospel on the ground refers to propositional truths about Jesus whereas the gospel in the air “connects human salvation to cosmic restoration.” Gabe Lyons in The Next Christians says there is a movement at work where Christians “want to be a force for restoration in a broken world” while Christians at the same time are still found proclaiming the gospel. Alvin Reid calls this being missional. Incarnating the gospel in its full form is the prescription for today’s ailing world and ailing Christian sub-culture.

Categories
Great Commission

When is the best time to reach the next generation?

sandlot

I have shared with you the what, where, how, and why’s for reaching the next generation. To reiterate “the why,” I will just say because soul-winning is the most important thing, because hell is real. If Tom Petty, who has a great voice and sang the lyrics, “you can stand me up at the gates of hell and I won’t back down” could stand at the gates and feel the heat from hell, I do not think he would back down. I think he would try to back up. The only problem is that the time for backing up would be too late.

Today, I want to share with you the “when?” When is the best time (age-range) to reach the next generation? It is always a good time to share the gospel and sharing the gospel with any age-group is good, but I have become convinced that churches and families must make a concerted effort to evangelize children. It was revealed in the 2015 Bridge Preteen Conference by George Barna that a “child’s moral foundations are set by age 9. A child’s worldview, theological foundation, beliefs, and religious practices are in place by 13. Only one-third of preteens have accepted Christ.”

A popular notion has arisen, a term originated by Dan Brewster, which has been labeled the “4/14 Window.” The notion is that 85% of all Christians in the USA and anywhere from 60-80% of all Christians in the world come to Christ between the ages of 4 and 14. The 85% statistic comes from a survey completed by the International Bible Society in the 90’s. Research compiled by Barna Group shows that children between the ages of 5 and 13 have a 32 percent probability of accepting Jesus. It has been said that the 10/40 Window and 40/70 Window are about where missionaries should go, and the 4/14 Window is about whom missionaries should focus on. Awana is an international evangelical organization directing such ministry efforts towards children. I happen to know the Regional Ministry Director for the Caribbean Islands and he himself would be considered a missionary. However, you can be a missionary to children right where you are!

I want to re-emphasize that all generations are important and that you should not neglect telling a person of any age about the love God has for him or her. But I do agree with Barna that churches and families should strategically target or prioritize evangelism efforts toward children (focusing even more on younger children). We cannot afford to lose a generation. If we do, we will follow the footsteps of generations found in Old Testament narratives such as the storied relationship between David and his son Absalom or the time in between the various judges who served the nation of Israel. Space does not permit me to write what Jesus or the New Testament has to say in reference to the generational transfer of faith. We just do not want to reach a point in time where a generation forgets what the Book of the Law is or where it may be found (remember Josiah).

I have been serving the next generation the last fifteen years of my life. I have coached eight years of middle school basketball (boys and girls) at four schools, ministered to students at five churches, taught students at three schools (public and private), and served as a counselor at three YMCA’s. In my early years of youth ministry, I would often hear about or read the expression, “Youth are not the church of tomorrow, they are the church of today.” The expression originated from Saddleback Youth Pastor Doug Fields at about the time his Pastor Rick Warren’s book Purpose Driven Life was gaining in popularity.

As much as I have always loved Doug’s expression, it is beginning to wear thin. Today, we must begin to verbalize a new expression, “If we don’t let students be the church of today, they won’t be in church tomorrow.” Whereas Doug’s mantra required a mind-set shift from the church in mental assent, the new mantra requires a missional mind-set shift from the church necessitating mobilization from students and resulting in action or service. Perhaps this is why servanthood-evangelism is gaining traction.

As we await the upcoming World Series, let me provide you with an example of children on mission by referring to the sport of baseball. How many children do you know of that play baseball? I, myself grew up playing Little League baseball and may have even batted against Jake Westbrook, a pitcher from my hometown who pitched in two World Series. What if we trained, equipped, and released children with missional mindsets to engage the culture, in this case, their baseball teams with the gospel rather than just hand children a trophy and hope they are happy. In other words, what would happen if we provided children a purpose and issued children a calling higher than the goal of obtaining a .300 batting average. We might not only witness a mind-shift, but a culture-shift! God, may we the church allow our children to be the church today so there will be a church tomorrow!

Categories
Great Commission

What can I do to reach the next generation for Christ?

talent

How can I reach the next generation for Christ? This is a personal question so each individual will answer this question differently. In previous posts, I have written extensively on some of the challenges in reaching the next generation and exhorted the church community to not give up on this task. I have also provided evangelistic methods that the church community can use and have gone as far as to include a series detailing the latest research and statistics concerning who the next generation is and how to reach them. However, doing all of the above is still not enough.

Each of us has an individual responsibility to carry out in reaching the next generation for Christ. To reach the next generation, we are going to have to reach them on every level and from every angle. As has been noted for many years now, we are going to have to play ball on their court. To reach not just the next generation but also the unchurched, we must pack our bags and hit the road. We must travel to them because they simply are not coming to us.

I reminisce on a scene from the movie Field of Dreams starring Kevin Costner where a voice says “if you build it, they will come.” Not anymore. We can build beautiful church edifices built in with the greatest technology and architectural structure, but this does not guarantee church growth in this day and time. Many churches have gone away from meeting in the traditional church house and are now meeting in coffee shops, schools, movie theatres, and shopping centers. But these alternatives do not guarantee church attendance either. I think we need to rewrite the script to say “if you go, they will come.” Church is not “come and see” which worked in the 1950’s but is “go and tell” which works all the time. Sure, there are exceptions such as Jeremiah the prophet sharing God’s message and not obtaining a single convert. But I find it hard to believe that same logic is at work today as there are over 7.5 billion people residing on the planet earth along with millions who have never heard the name of Christ. I am convinced that if we are faithful to share the good news, we will make disciples in, out, and of this generation!

In the Parable of the Talents (Mat 25:14-30), Jesus says, “For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance” and in the Parable of the Faithful Servant (Luke 12:35-48), Jesus says, “Much will be required of everyone who has been given much. And even more will be expected of the one who has been entrusted with more.” We each have an obligation to use the talents, however many they are, that the Lord has given to us to influence the next generation toward the pursuit of a relationship with Christ.

Oftentimes, talents take time to develop. A few years ago, I decided to start a new hobby. I began sports-writing with the intention to spread the good news. I would blog articles and leave business cards or pass out business cards with the phrase, “John 3:16, God Loves You” strategically placed on the back of the card. I was taking my talent, developing my craft, and hitting the road. I have given these cards out in many places including Washington DC and I know people from as far as Boston and Philadelphia have walked away feeling thankful that someone cared enough to provide a gesture that impresses on them the feeling that they are loved by God. I did not approach these strangers as a professional pastor, prophet, apostle, or missionary. I simply developed a talent God had given me and then shared it with the world.

Talents multiply too! I started out sports-writing, evolved into sports-talk, and am now hosting a weekly football show at a local bar and grill (remember church, we are the visiting team now). The goal is to develop relationships with restaurant staff, customers, and the community in order to initiate gospel-centered conversations that will not only bring people to Jesus, but will also bring people in or back to church! This is a sidebar, but when you eat out at restaurant, leave a good tip (especially if you pray for the waiter/waitress, leave a track, or eat out on Sundays).

With that being said, what is your talent? What are you doing to develop your talent? And more importantly, how are you using your talent to couple it with The Story to win people to Christ or to bring them back to church? We are in the world and not of it (John 17:16). We are salt and light to the world (Mat 5:13-16). Don’t lose your flavor and don’t hide your light. Let your talent shine for the glory of God and watch as the next generation begins to flow back into church!

Categories
Next Generation Ministry

Is there any Hope in ministering to postmoderns?

bible-pic

“In your teaching show integrity, seriousness, and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned” -Titus 2:7b–8a

We live in a postmodern post-Christian context where the world tells us that nothing matters, absolute truth does not exist, and what’s good for you may not be good for me.  In other words, everything is relative and everything is tolerated (except Christianity) in this politically-correct pluralistic utopian-like society.  The word “whatever” sums up this worldview because what’s true for you may not be true for me.  In Bible times, the equivalent of this “whatever” lifestyle can be found in Judges 17:6b, “Everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (ESV).  The HCSB states, “everyone did whatever he wanted.”

How do we minister, and specifically evangelize a generation that increasingly adopts the postmodern mindset? I have taken much time in prayer, in the Word, in seeking God, in research, and in study during my leisure time to attempt to arrive with a plausible answer to this crucial question.  I do not have enough space in this blog entry to write all the answers I have found or have been revealed to me.  Most experts will tell you that sharing your story within sharing The Story (Creation, Fall, Rescue, Restoration) is foundational.  I would agree with this assessment as the biblical worldview seen through the lens of Scripture presents a perfect balance that makes sense out of all of life.

However, I want to share with you my personal thoughts and feelings on the subject of ministering in a postmodern world. We know that images capture the attention of the next generation more than words. Young people often live their lives vicariously through the media.  The next generation often make sense of their world through their music, movies, and games.  How many times have you heard a teenager quote a movie, sing his or her favorite lyrics, or talk non-stop about their favorite video game?  Thanks to technology and social media, the next generation could almost be considered to have multiple personalities in the form of a real-life self and a virtual-self.  In essence, these two people should be the same, but oftentimes they are worlds apart.  This makes ministering to the next generation twice as hard.

But it’s no time to give up!  In working with the next generation, there is a lack of seriousness (see the verse above).  We next generation ministry leaders often contribute and sometimes unintentionally add to the lack of seriousness in the next generation that we minister to.  In this world of random, where kids say things out of the blue that have no bearing on anything whatsoever, we leaders often respond with the same postmodern lingo or say nothing and let our students carry on adlib.  The result is neither party gaining anything of substance.  In postmodern lingo, one word has many meanings. This is one reason in which secular songs are so popular because a song or even a word in a song takes on so many different meanings to different people.

In contrast, the Word is full of substance.  The Word is spirit and life (John 6:63). The Word is truth (John 17:17) and The Word is a means to how one worships (John 4:24).  When we next generation leaders pray the Word, speak the Word, sing the Word, or most importantly live the Word, the next generation takes notice.  The next generation sees Christ (John 13:34–35) and in turn sees hope (Col 1:27).  Hope is what the next generation desires and is what is highly sought after by postmoderns.  We have to tell the emerging generations that there is hope, but more importantly, we must show them who Hope is.

The postmodern movement is not all bad.  There are actually some good elements within postmodernism that have nudged ministry leaders to reform the church today!  However, there are extremes on both sides of the movement and any philosophy or worldview left to itself and without Christ is hopeless and can easily deceive (Col 2:8).

Next generation leader, let’s teach with seriousness, but more importantly, let’s live serious lives.  You can still be cool and hip.  You can still relate and have fun.  But when it comes to the Word of God, let’s make sure the next generation understands God’s Word and life itself is no game.

Categories
Politics Teaching

Politics Aside: What are we teaching the Next Generation?

290456_trumpyyhillary

It has been well documented that the next generation considers the church an institution that is too political.  Too political in that many churches split over silly agendas and preferences but also too political in the sense that national politics are given a bigger stage to shine on they ought to be given from both behind the pulpit and inside the church itself.  When churches emphasize political parties more than they do the gospel or even worse claim their political preference as the gospel, the next generation turns off. 

I do not intend to use this platform to provide you with statistics on how the next generation will vote or how the next generation should vote in the upcoming election.  Ministry leaders understand the old cliché, “people vote with their feet.”  Many young people will choose not to vote at all.  Is the church taking notice when young people decide not to enter their church doors?  Do politicians notice when the younger generations decide not to show up at the poll?  People vote all the time.  We, the church, must take inventory, look at ourselves in the mirror, and decide if we ourselves are a stumbling block to the next generation not being able to enter into a relationship with Jesus Christ.

At his crucifixion, Jesus did not receive any votes.  His closest friends turned away and as his triumphal entry indicates, the notion of popularity is here today and gone tomorrow.  It would be easy to provide you with statistics and polls which indicate the values and beliefs of the next generation.  How many Millennials voted for Bernie Sanders in contrast to Hilary Clinton?  How many votes will Donald Trump receive when compared with Hilary Clinton’s vote count?  How many Millennials feel helpless and will choose not to vote at all?  Yes, votes do reveal feelings and beliefs, but I sense there is something at stake for the next generation in this election that I feel has been overlooked and ignored.

Life boils down to relationships.  Jesus placed an extremely high value on relationships.  Jesus desired that men and women not only love God, but also their fellow man.  The Great Commandment (Mat 22:35–40), The Golden Rule (Mat 7:12), and The Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25–37) all remind us of how paramount relationships are to the Kingdom of God. 

The way in which Donald Trump and Hilary Clinton have related to each other in this election period is the epitome of treating one’s fellow man as nothing less than slime.  Donald Trump and Hilary Clinton are not only two politicians running to be the next President of the United States.  They are two national leaders who are to set an example of what it means to love one’s neighbor.  My greatest fear is that the next generation looks at how these national leaders treat each other in dialogue, etc. and think to themselves that this is natural and normal behavior.  If our nation’s leaders, and one whom will soon be proclaimed our nation’s greatest leader, can name call, sling mud, and degrade another, the next generation’s rationale becomes “why can’t I?”  After all, this “leader” climbed to the top of the ladder in his or her profession with a manner that dehumanizes another, so “why can’t I?”

With this line of thinking at work, it does not take long for us as a nation to soon forget that “we the people” are made in the image of God and to begin witnessing our children acting as mini-Clinton’s and mini-Trump’s toward one another.  Bullying is already a huge problem with students in school and cyber-bullying often plays a major factor in teen suicide.  The election campaign has become so horrid that children should not even be in the same room where the evening news is heard.

I vote that we love one another as Jesus commanded us to and that the church and the family teaches the next generation to act the opposite toward one another as our presidential candidates do toward each other.

Categories
Great Commission Next Generation Ministry

Evangelistic Tools & Events to Reach the Next Generation

reid

I previously shared a three-part series http://next-generation-ministry.com/tag/millennials/ describing how ministry leaders and church members alike can reach and keep the next generation. I wanted to identify and define who the next generation is and provide suggestions based on solid research on how the church can reach and keep the next generation.

Statistics and suggestions are all well and good, but ministry leaders and church members should also be equipped with evangelistic tools to accomplish the Great Commission. I like what Alvin Reid, professor of evangelism and student ministry at SEBTS says concerning the state of evangelism in the church, “We don’t have a training problem, we have a trying problem. The door to door evangelistic method is better than using no method at all, which is what most of our people are doing.”

How can we reach and keep the next generation if we never tell the next generation who Jesus is and what he has done for them? The evangelistic tools (programs, techniques, etc.) are limitless. I know this is a truism but the first thing we must do (after prayer) is to pull an evangelistic tool out of our evangelism tool bag. We need to do relational evangelism but we also need to do intentional evangelism and whether we share Jesus in a formal presentation or a casual conversation, we need to be ready at all times to share the gospel.

Sometimes we are ready but not willing. When was the last time you told someone that Jesus loved them? Did they give you a blank stare or ask you who Jesus is? Rather than lament about how sinful our culture has become, let’s begin to share Jesus with others. My best guess is our culture has degraded to where it is today because at some point, God’s people stopped sharing the good news.

In our postmodern and post-Christian culture, we must begin by explaining creation. We live in Athens (Acts 17) and not Jerusalem (Acts 2) anymore. Since our society is biblically illiterate, we must continue our oral storytelling by illustrating the fall, rescue, and restoration of both man and creation as we discuss spiritual matters with people. We must walk with people from Genesis to Revelation and share the story in a way where they understand their life narrative fits within the metanarrative of Scripture.

My favorite tools are

Other evangelistic tools include

Evangelistic events also share a purpose and have a place in the church. See You at the Pole was just celebrated around the globe. Disciple Now Weekends occur in the fall and spring. Summer camps along with VBS have also produced positive results. Youth crusades or revivals and mission trips through the social media world are also effective.

Categories
Next Generation Ministry

What time is it?

clock

Deuteronomy 6:4-9 (read below) represents one of the bedrock biblical passages underlying the theological foundations of next generation ministry:

“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates (ESV).”

Recall that God had given the Israelites the Ten Commandments through his servant Moses on Mount Sinai (Exodus 19-20), yet now Moses is reminding Israel of these commandments (Deut 5). Deut 6:4 is known as the Shema. Traditional Jews often make these words the last words of their dying breath and have their children say the Shema as a prayer before turning in for the night. It is important that the next generation understand that God is not many, but One.

In cross-referencing with Matthew 22:37, Jesus echoes that one is to love the one true God with all their heart, soul, and strength as Deut 6:5 is often referred to as one of two commandments (the other being to love one’s neighbor as oneself) that Jesus gave. In other words, the commandments, albeit the Ten Commandments, or the Two commandments are of the upmost important and obedience to the commands is equated to love for God (John 14:15).

Thus it makes perfect sense that leaders are to abide by these commands and that parents are commanded to teach these commands to the next generation (Deut 6:6). Though one is not saved by obeying the commands (an impossible task), one’s love relationship with God is enhanced. Parents and leaders are to impress the commands upon the children entrusted into their care (Deut 6:7). Parents are to talk about the commands at home, on the road, when their children go to bed, and when their children wake up (Deut 6:8-9).

To simplify understanding the different times a parent can impress God’s Word upon their children through the course of a given day, I have identified four opportune times according to the passage at hand.

Meal Time: Research has proven time and time again the benefits of sitting around the table at home with families eating together. However, practically, meal time today has become an on-the-go event or a sit in front of a screen event. If you do sit around the table, have your child put up his or her phone and talk about the day’s events and activities. Bring God’s Word to the table (not literally, although you can) and talk about how God’s Word is relevant to the items being discussed. Mainly, just show love to your child by showing how much you care and that you are interested in their life.

Drive Time: After breakfast time at the table, or if you’re like most parents today, breakfast on the way to school, parents can use the transition time from home to school in the morning or from school to home in the afternoon to enforce biblical ideas and teachings. Parents could say, “Remember, son, you are a missionary on your campus today” as their child steps out of the car door.  Perhaps instead of the traditional, “how was your day at school?”, parents opt for, “How did you see God move in and around your life at school today?” or “Did you have a chance to share Christ in word or in deed with anyone at school today?”

Morning Time: Parents can not only wake their child up in the morning, but start the day off with a blessing or a prayer. Have you ever woken up to your mom saying, “Rise and shine and Give God the glory?” I have.  It’s a reminder that this is the day that the Lord has made and that we are to rejoice and be glad in it.

Bed Time: What better way to end a day than in prayer or Bible story time? The Story by Max Lucado is easy to read and comprehensible for children to understand, while Richard Ross and Gus Reyes has proven the effectiveness of strengthening the parent-teen relationship at night in their resource 3o Days, where parents and teens spend 10 minutes together for 30 nights in a row, using Scripture as their guide.

It’s always a good time to talk to your children about the Lord!

 

 

Categories
Next Generation Ministry

Reaping the Next Generation

pine trees

In 1986, I moved to Georgia from Oklahoma.  I was 6 years old at the time of the move.  My family bought an old farmhouse located on a land tract of 23 acres.  My dad, being a research forester at UGA decided that he and my older brother would plant pine trees to cover the land.  Thirty years later, those pine seedlings, once below my waist, now tower in the front, side, and back part of the property.  It really is an amazing sight to see and I never get tired of looking at the scenic view.

Galatians 6:7-10 speaks to the principle of sowing and reaping.  The principle applies to both the natural and the spiritual life.  Thirty years can represent one generation.  Being 2016, the generation of pine trees that stand around my old home represent a harvest that is ready to cut down.  A generation comes and a generation goes.  The pine trees are a symbolic picture of human life.  Humans tend to have longer life spans, but one day, a new generation will arise.  The question to ask in next generation ministry is, “will the next generation carry on the seeds of faith?”

I began my next generation ministry studies at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, NC in the winter of 2014.  I can remember it like yesterday, because two months into my studies, my last grandparent passed away.  As I began my next generation studies, I saw the last of a generation fly away.  I say “fly away” because my Grandmother was one that passed her Christian faith onto others, albeit family members or friends.  In word and in deed, she lived a life worthy of the high calling of Jesus Christ and I believe her soul is currently in the presence of the Lord (2 Cor. 5:8).  Even in her death, her life was still speaking to me.  And she did often sing the old hymn, “I’ll fly away” in her small country church.

It pains me to see and hear of family members and friends who have lived faithful lives being called to depart from this land.  Although they lived this life as strangers and pilgrims in a “foreign land” (I Peter 2:11-12) and a heavenly home awaits (John 14:1-3), I still hate to see them leave.  But what pains me even more is when I see there is no one that is coming up from behind to replace the individual’s life of faith impact.  On a regional, societal, national, and global level, a cumulative effect takes place when our faith is not transferred.  Domestically and internationally, cultures change and a Christ-less culture is to be pitied most of all. 

The spiritual and moral landscape that once made our country great begins to fade away when we stop talking to others about Jesus.  Schools replace the home as the primary place of instruction and students learn that life is meaningless since man evolved from apes, homosexuality is an accepted lifestyle, sex is ok as long as it is practiced safely, and the Bible is merely a book of ancient history.  People stop pledging allegiance to the nation’s flag and prayer becomes a thing of the past. 

I am not saying God has taken his hand off of our country or that his channel of blessings have stopped flowing.  But when people are offended that his name is in the pledge, on their money, and on their national monuments, I wonder how He feels.   

Ronald Reagan, 40th President of the United States, once stated ALL the counsel we need is found in the Bible.  My, how far we have come in 30 years!  What’s true for the nation can be true for churches, school houses, and homes.  Parents and leaders, let’s guard the truth and make sure we pass it down to the next generation.   

Categories
Great Commission Next Generation Ministry

Stick-men Theology

Family Pic

Perhaps you have heard the age-old adage, “a picture says a thousand words.” If you could invert the family in the picture above by placing the individuals in opposite order (shortest to tallest), and then draw a lined arrow which continues through the last family member, you would be looking at a picture of Next Generation Ministry.

We have become all too familiar with this picture of family members in the form of stick figures placed on the back window of vehicles. We like to count the number of figures and then also notice how many pets the family owns. Pets aside, a family is a unit that grows together. Through thick and then, a family hangs tight. I am sure you have heard of the expression, “a family that prays together stays together.” Most have rephrased this phrase today to say, “a family that plays together stays together.” That mantra has some credence but Scripture is clear that godliness holds value for “all things” while physical training is only of “some” value (I Tim 4:8).

A family left to themselves is never enough. The Bible has mandated in the Old Testament and the New Testament that the family partner with the church in the all-important task of raising children up in the way of the Lord. It truly does take a village to raise a child. Though parents will always be the primary disciple-makers of their children, parents should use the assistance of the local church in order to become a Great Commission family.

In NGM, family ministry is important, but there is more to the picture. Families look different today and churches must remember the spiritual orphan while planning. In NGM, church members can become the adopted spiritual parents for the spiritual orphans in the church. Michael and Michelle Anthony note in A Theology for Family Ministry, “what was once simply referred to as a Nuclear Family in North America has morphed into labels such as Non-Traditional Families, Fragmented Families, Single-Parent Families, Gay-Partner Families, Blended Families, and beyond.” Each church must wrestle with how they will minister to the different types of families found in their community.

The arrow that runs through the ages is the biblical strategy that NGM employs across its age-graded ministries (preschool, children, youth, college). In reality, multiple arrows could run through the age-graded ministry stick figures, representing multiple strategies such as the NGM’s mission strategy, education strategy, evangelism strategy, worship strategy, and so on.

The goal is neither Christian education nor spiritual formation in and of itself, but rather Christian formation. Holly Allen and Christine Ross define “Christian formation” as the process of Christians being formed, transformed, and conformed to the image of Christ by the Holy Spirit. Christians are actively involved in this process both personally and communally.[1] Christian formation is the exact point and place where Christian education and spiritual formation meet. Michelle Anthony and Megan Marshman state, “It’s in the marriage of information and formation that we have transformation.”[2]

Transforming students (birth-college) into disciples of Christ is the goal and NGM is the discipleship strategy of choice for many churches!

[1] Holly C. Allen and Christine L. Ross, Intergenerational Christian Formation: Bringing the Whole Church Together in Ministry, Community, and Worship (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2012), 21.

 

[2] Anthony and Marshman, 7 Family Ministry Essentials, 81.

 

Categories
Great Commission Next Generation Ministry

Post Olympics: The Divine Gospel Relay

OlympicsThe 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics hosted by Brazil finished up ten days ago. Perhaps no other Olympic sport competition captures the essence of Next Generation Ministry (NGM) better than the 4×100-meter relay race.

Hebrews 12:1-2 tells us to run the race of the Christian faith with perseverance and to fix our eyes on Jesus while running. Paul says in 2 Timothy 4:7 that he finished his race and that he kept the faith. Paul’s goal in running his race was to win the prize and he trained to win (I Cor. 9:24-27; Phil 3:14). Paul was speaking to training for godliness more than he was speaking to physical training (I Tim 4:7). Paul knew the ultimate prize was Jesus, but Paul also knew the good news of the “glorious gospel of the blessed God” (I Tim 1:11) had been entrusted to him to pass down the torch and legacy of his faith to the next generation. How else could the Great Commission (Mat 28:19-20) be fulfilled and how else could Christianity survive?

Paul was to pass down or handoff his faith to “reliable men” who were “qualified” to teach others (2 Tim 2:2). Paul stressed to his protégé Timothy and the church at Ephesus that they were to compete according to the rules (2 Tim 2:5) in order to obtain the crown. Timothy knew that his faith had been passed down to him from his grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice (2 Tim 1:5) and that he was to set an example to other believers as he ran his own race (I Tim 4:12). Believers are also told to “contend” for the transfer of faith as it occurs across generations (Jude 1:3) and to not allow anyone to “cut in” on the good race they are running (Galatians 5:7).

Do you know the USA’s Women’s 4×100-meter relay race history? In 1996, the summer Olympics were held in my back yard (Atlanta, GA) and the women’s team won gold! After that, however, the team’s luck ran out. In the 2000 Sydney Olympics (Australia), the US team lost by .25 seconds and finished 3rd after one muffed handoff. We must be careful to pass the gospel off safely and securely to the next generation that is to follow in our footsteps.

After every 100 meters exists a 20 meter exchange zone whereby the baton must be passed in. In the 2004 Athens Olympics (Greece), the women’s team was the fastest and the strongest team, but were disqualified after passing the baton out of the exchange zone. Being disqualified has to be the worst feeling in the world, especially after you know you would have won the race. I recently heard a Pastor say he would rather God kill him than be disqualified.

In the 2008 Beijing Games (China), American runner Torri Edwards was handing the baton off to Lauryn Williams in the final exchange when the baton slipped from Lauryn’s hand onto the track. Lauryn had dropped the baton. Team USA was disqualified again after being in the lead and for the first time in forty-eight years, the team was not allowed to run in the final medal race. The incident reminds me of the time a parent of one of the players on Alabama’s 2011 National Championship Football Team dropped the team’s Crystal trophy. In the case of the USA women’s team, the dropped baton cost the team gold. The gospel is too precious to miss, fumble, slip, or drop out of our hands in the handoff between generations.

Like the good news of the gospel that we are transferring from one generation to another, there is also a good news side of this Olympic story I have shared with you. In the 2012 London Games (England), the USA women’s team experienced clean handoffs at each exchange zone and smashed the world record winning in 40.82 seconds.

The individual 400 women’s meter relay record is held by Maria Kotch of East Germany at 47.60 seconds. Christine Caine in her book Unstoppable (where I’m getting most of my information from) says, “four champion runners collaborating in the relay are faster than a lone champion runner” because the “unified team of four completed their 400 meters a full 6.78 seconds faster.” In the same manner, I prefer next generation ministry to traditional silo’d ministry because parents, students, and leaders form a unified team approach who collaborate together to provide for smooth transitions between age graded ministries from birth through college. Just like the 4 x 100 relay race, a handoff is made three times at and from preschool ministry to children’s ministry to youth ministry to collegiate ministry. In this instance, the finish line is represented by disciples who have been made who in turn are now ready to make new disciples.

In case you did not know and were wondering how the USA Women’s 4×100-meter relay team fared at this year’s Olympics in Brazil . . . they won! After a collision between a Brazil and American runner in a qualifying race disqualified the USA team from competition, the USA team filed an appeal and won. The rest is history!

Sometimes life will knock you down; Don’t quit. The example of the USA team to get back up and the Apostle Paul’s words in Philippians 3:12-14 remind us to forget what is behind and to press on towards the prize for which God has called us heavenward for in Christ Jesus.

The divine gospel relay is the best race anyone could run. Leaders, let’s use the gifts and talents God has given us to serve Him in this generation.

The race goes on! I’ve talked about not letting past failures hinder you from running your best race but you also must not let past successes stop you from being your best in the future. After all, the women’s 4×100-meter relay team must now prepare themselves for a three-peat at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.