The classroom seemed somewhat empty this Sunday without the presence of last year’s seniors. Obviously, we knew they were leaving. Our team of youth workers went to their graduation ceremonies in June, and several people from the church went to the kids’ open-house celebrations. It was fun to look at the old photographs their parents had displayed. Yeah, we knew these kids were leaving our group at some point. Most of them had attended this church since they were little. But this was the first week they didn’t come to our senior high Sunday School class—and we missed them.

We reminisced a little bit about each of these kids and talked about what each had contributed to our youth program. Let me tell you about a few of last year’s seniors. Stacy came to everything we did and always sat in the front. She contributed to every discussion, called visitors, and demonstrated solid leadership skills throughout our ministry. She left early last week to attend a well-known Christian university in the Midwest. (more…)

The phrase “thinking outside the box” has become en vogue recently in certain areas of our culture. As many readers will recall, this analogy morphed into our culture’s vernacular due to the puzzle made of three vertical columns of three dots each. The goal of this brainteaser is to use four straight lines to connect all nine dots without lifting your pencil off the paper. The only way to successfully complete the puzzle is to draw the line outside the box. The point, of course, is “outside the box” thinking.

I’ve come to the conclusion, however, that this concept of thinking outside the box may have done us a disservice in some areas of life. Many of us applaud the idea of creativity, and we revolt against the concept of conventional thinking. We cheer free thinkers and disdain the idea of conformity. I’m afraid that many youth workers have accepted this kind of thinking when it comes to ministry.

In some areas I would agree that it is time to think outside the box. Reaching people for Christ and ministering in the context of our culture may demand creative and relevant thinking—and action.

Yet when it comes to doctrinal integrity, we should think inside the box. In other words, let’s remember that our “box” needs to be the inspired and inerrant Word of God. Biblical truth must make up the very fabric of our ministries with students instead of being relegated only to the pages of an oft-ignored doctrinal statement. Is doctrinal integrity merely an outline point in our church constitutions, or is it a highly visible characteristic of our ministries? We must loyally and intentionally ground our student ministries in Bible doctrine.

Most youth workers who read this post would champion doctrinal integrity. They would argue that they want their students to possess such a working knowledge of Scripture that they can personally apply it to their lives and live in accordance to the principles of God’s Word. But there’s a trend that I’ve noticed in many local churches. Many churches are doing away with educational ministries in lieu of other methods of reaching and ministering to today’s students. It seems as if the trend is to emphasize relational ministry at the expense of prioritizing the clear and complete teaching of Scripture. Some churches have begun using the regular youth ministry functions (i.e., Sunday School, youth group meetings) to spotlight entertainment (often in the form of music or video) or social interaction (giving kids the opportunity to just hang out with each other).

I certainly don’t intend this article to be an indictment of all youth workers. In fact, I have visited several churches recently where youth workers are intentionally emphasizing Bible doctrine with students. Many churches still make educating their youth in Biblical truth the top priority of their Sunday Schools and other youth meetings. I also recognize that students need fun, and our churches should provide legitimate opportunities for enjoyable fellowship with other believers and creative outlets for evangelism.

Each youth worker will need to do a comprehensive evaluation of his or her own ministry. Are we utilizing Sunday School as a culturally applicable means to teach Scriptural truth to students? Do our teaching materials and curricula contain sound Biblical truth, and do our lessons reflect the doctrinal truth we want our students to know? Are our other youth meetings intentionally designed to teach students what they need to know about Biblical theology before they graduate from high school? Are we creatively teaching our students the complete Word of God in a way that will change their lives and mold them into mature followers of Christ?

I believe that today’s millennial generation wants to know what they believe. This is a generation that craves depth and substance. Gone are the days when fluff and entertainment can attract great numbers of students. Today’s young adults want something genuine and real—not the diet of contrived reality that is so prevalent in their media-driven culture. According to well-known researcher Christian Smith in his book Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers, the vast of majority of this generation is interested in what he calls “religious beliefs.”

It’s time to think inside the box.

I am always amazed and astonished by the Biblical story of the birth of Christ in Luke 2:1–39. I love to read it at Christmastime, plus I find myself reading it several other times each year. I love that account of Mary and Joseph’s trip to Bethlehem for the birth of the Christ Child. Humanly speaking, I am saddened that the birth of our Lord—the King of Kings, Lord of Lords, and Creator of the universe—took place in a manger and not in a grand and gorgeous palace. I can intellectually appreciate the role that prophecy played in that location, but my heart hurts because of the place that the world had for Him.

It is for that reason that I tend to look at Luke’s account of this event as a masterful three-act drama that culminates with the response by the shepherds to the angelic pronouncement of the birth of Christ. Imagine with me the unfolding of this magnificent production. (more…)

“That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive” (Ephesians 4:14).

We certainly have had strange weather lately where I live in northeastern Pennsylvania. Due to a strong November windstorm last night, most of the leaves have now fallen off the trees in my yard. This morning I noticed the results of another strong storm we had this past spring, almost seven months ago. You see, one day last March, a spring storm carried my family’s garbage cans down the block with the contents spilling out and blowing all over our neighborhood. Now that the leaves are down, I realized again that there are still plastic bags higher than I can reach in the trees in front of our house.

God’s Word uses the vivid illustration of being “carried about with every wind of doctrine” as an apt depiction of the importance of teaching doctrine and theology in our churches. The Biblical objective of local church ministry is to produce people with the spiritual maturity for a life of service for Christ. (more…)

Most readers are probably familiar with the hit television program Extreme Makeover: Home Edition where Ty Pennington and his team of designers and builders find a family that needs help and within an incredibly short period of time actually build them a completely new house. I’ve often wondered if some of our churches could use an “extreme makeover” as well. Are many of our churches so out of touch and irrelevant that it’s time to rebuild? I’m not necessarily referring to the buildings, but rather to our overall approach to ministry. I’ve been wondering if Extreme Makeover: Church Edition might indeed become necessary. (more…)