Divided?
Murray Brown
The following is written as a response to the DVD "Divided"
When you headline a movie with the claim "Modern Youth
Ministry is Contrary to Scripture" you are bound to create
interest. Put simply the message of the movie is that youth
ministry that works in isolation from parents and the rest
of the church is unbiblical and ineffective. While there are
some valuable truths put forward in the movie my overall impression
was not so much "They're wrong" but that "They
have taken a good principle to an unnecessary and unhelpful
extreme."
Some of my thoughts both as a youth worker and a parent of
teens...
- One of the characteristics of adolescent development
is the need to develop one’s own identity and so there
is a stepping away and assessment that goes on toward their
parents' faith. That’s where the youth ministry can
be of a great help to parents. As a father of two teenagers
I am very committed to discipling them – I’m
primarily responsible. But I am grateful for youth leaders
who reinforce what I teach at a time in which my daughters
are listening to other voices and assessing them against
what I’ve taught them at home. And I am grateful for
youth ministries that create an environment where they can
meet with peers facing similar life challenges.
- The movie makes the point that young people from age-segregated
youth ministries are leaving the church. This happens for
a number of reasons and it is simplistic to say age-segregation
is the reason. From my experience, many came into our ministry
because there was a degree of age segregation. Those outside
the church were attracted by a programme for youth and were
brought by friends and discipled by adult leaders. It’s
challenging enough to get parents to disciple their own
teens. How effective can they be in this modern society
in discipling their teens friends! Again, I’m doing
this with one of my daughter's friends, but I’m grateful
for the youth ministry she attends and the role it plays.
- The parable of the sower always offered a perverse sort
of comfort to me as a youth pastor when kids dropped out.
Even good seed won’t always bear fruit. Young people
are free to make choices. I can’t be responsible for
all these choices (though I can strive to make the ministry
the best it can be).
- I always cringe a little when I hear people say things
like “We do youth ministry the way the Bible teaches”
or “We do youth ministry the way Jesus did”
because such statements seem to ignore the place of culture
in ministry. Yes, there are principles for ministry in Scripture
that are timeless and transcend culture, but there are practices
that change according to culture. While its true that “age
segregated ministry cannot be found in the Bible”
it’s also true that their culture was very different
– children became adults at 12/13 and took adult responsibilities
in society. Our society is far more complex and this complexity
and need to learn so much more to operate as an adult has
helped create this dynamic of “teenagers”. God
I think would have us seek Him for what is most appropriate
for us today in our culture today, rather than slavishly
copy something that worked in an eastern culture 2000 years
ago.
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