I read once that faith is sometimes best understood by looking backwards. Now, on the surface that statement feels a lot like the inside of a Christian greeting card or one of those posters with cute animals and trite sayings that we hang on our walls to inspire us to do great things. However, in this case, I think instead of motivational drivel, this statement is actually biblically correct and has application for youth ministry.

Let me explain. Often times, particularly in the Old Testament though the various epistles of the New Testament have examples as well, individuals or groups of people are called to remember something that the Lord has done or that someone has done on the Lord’s behalf for them. In the case of the giving of the Law in Exodus 20:2, the look backward is a reminder of the Lord’s deliverance from slavery in Egypt. When the Covenant is renewed at Shechem as the Israelites are about to establish roots in the land of Canaan, Joshua speaking for the Lord recounts how God made them a people and brought them into the promised land. Asaph in Psalm 78 recalls for the current generation of Israelites the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord so that they then will grow the next generation into one that seeks the Lord.

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It seems that these types of memories are in actuality anchor points for one’s faith and the call to remember them serves as a way to either help gird oneself for difficulty or to motivate to action. In my mind, this begs the question for those of us involved in youth ministry as to what types of memories we are forging for our students that one day when they are faced with difficulty or the need for action that they can cling to and see the Lord’s faithfulness.

As someone who loves funny skits, a good practical joke and trips to amusement parks this next statement is hard for me to make. But I can’t help wondering how many of my students when faced with severe challenges to their faith in college or who find themselves in difficult life circumstances will say “the time that Danny dressed up in a chicken suit and did the funky chicken dance is a memory that makes my struggle make sense.” I will grant you that most young adults do not process life in statements such as the previous one. They do, however, have significant life struggles that put their world view to the test and it is during those moments that they need anchor point memories of God’s faithfulness to hold to during the storm. Because of this, I am forced to ask myself this question that I believe every church should ask of its youth ministry: “What memories are we creating for the students in our church?”

YXL 2009 Update: This past July over 110 high school students and adults representing 43 churches from 14 states gathered at Covenant College for the Youth Excelling in Leadership conference sponsored by CEP. YXL 2009 was a great week spent exploring the theme “LIVE FREE” through Paul’s letter to the Galatians. Danny Clark (RUF campus pastor at College of Charleston) and John Craft (RUF campus pastor at University of Tennessee-Chattanooga) provided in depth teaching on the theme and Eric Ashley (Young Adult Pastor, First Presbyterian Macon) led us in worship. Highlights included a ministry project with Hope for the Inner City, whitewater rafting on the Ocoee River and hiking on beautiful Lookout Mountain. Perhaps the most meaningful event for all involved was the concert of prayer on Thursday night of the conference. It was one of those rare moments in life that youth leaders long for… students complaining because our one hour of prayer was not long enough. Next year’s dates are already set for July 5-10. You can find out more information at www.pcacep.org/yxl.

Perhaps I am a little biased on this subject, but I have to admit that each time I hear someone referring to high school students as the “future of the church” a part of me cringes, Don’t get me wrong. I agree with the idea that teenagers must be trained and equipped to one day become the leaders of the church. However, it seems to me that we do a disservice to the next generation if we treat youth ministry as a holding pen for students until they are old enough to do the real work of the church.

Just a few years ago, the Baylor University School of Social Work conducted a study where they found the students with the most mature, vibrant faith that carried on from the teen years to adulthood were those who were actively involved in the ministries of a church as teenagers and those who were engaged in meeting the needs of people in their communities. Given the overwhelmingly negative statistics concerning young adults and church involvement, I am willing to go out on a limb here and suggest that engaging teenagers in the life of your congregation is one of the more important things you can do in your student ministry. Stepping a little further out on the limb, let me also suggest that though the application of the Great Commission must be contextualized, the call to make disciples is equally as valid for the teenagers in your congregation as it is for the adults who inhabit your pews.

I was reminded of these truths again this summer as I had the privilege of directing Youth Excelling in Leadership (YXL), CEP’s denominational student leadership conference, and taking part in our sister conference, YXL Glorieta, held in Glorieta, New Mexico. The goal of both conferences is similar: to develop student leaders through the strong preaching of the Word. dynamic worship experiences, interactive leadership initiatives, leadership assessment, and the expansion of their biblical world and life view. One unique aspect of the YXL conferences is that the local church is asked to identify and recommend high school students that are ready for a week of intense Christian leadership training.

This past summer, over 100 students and adults participated in YXL at Covenant College and another 85 took part in YXL Glorieta. In keeping with YXL’s theme of COMMIT, men such as Southern Methodist University RUF Campus Minister Chad Scruggs, Covenant College Chaplain Aaron Messner, and Assistant Pastor of Redemption Fellowship EJ Childs challenged students to explore more fully the commitment that Jesus expects from his disciples. The worship leader, Kirk Ward, Worship Director at New City Fellowship in Saint Louis, added music from around the world to encourage students to think more globally as they worship together. Add to the list a ministry project with Hope for the Inner City (www.hope4.org), paintball, caving in Raccoon Mountain, hiking on Lookout Mountain, and dozens of other leadership activities and YXL 2008 at Covenant College was a life transforming experience for not only the students who attended but for many adults there as well.

At YXL Glorieta, students were encouraged to RISE UP because “the resurrection changes everything.” Under the direction of John Ranheim, Development Director at Covenant Seminary, YXL Glorieta was a huge success. RUF campus pastors Justin Clement and Tom Franklin unpacked from Scripture the resurrection and helped students understand the implications of this event in their lives. Musician Ryan Anderson used his unique music style to draw students into wonderful worship experiences. The natural beauty of Glorieta, New Mexico, coupled with paintball, whitewater rafting, high ropes, and various leadership initiatives help set YXL Glorieta apart as a premier Christian leadership conference for PCA churches in the western United States.

However, it was during the nightly prayer times as I listened to high school students at both conferences crying out, grieving over personal and corporate sin issues, with almost childlike faith asking to be used of God that I realized again that students are more than just the future of the church.

I have been a believer for a little over two decades. For most of that time I have been involved in youth ministry. I am seminary trained and will soon possess the necessary credentials to be a pastor in the PCA, but I don’t know that I can recall many adult prayer meetings where prayers were offered with the sincerity and abandon that I experienced at YXL and YXL Glorieta this summer. let me go as far out on the proverbial limb as I can this time and make one last suggestion. Perhaps the next time your church has a significant prayer need, you should move your teenagers out of the “future of the church” holding pen and into the ministry of your church by asking them to lead the prayer meeting. Based on my YXL experiences this summer, I have a sneaking suspicion that the adults of your church may be encouraged and challenged at the way the Holy Spirit can use young people to further the kingdom of God.

If you would like to know more about the conferences, feel free to check out the websites www.pcacep.org/yxl and www.yxlglorieta.org and mark your calendars for YXL 2009: July 6-11 at Covenant College and YXL Glorieta June 20-27.

“I don’t believe I have seen you here before. Is this your first visit?” said the ruling elder to the young man one Sunday morning in the church parking lot. On the one hand, by attempting to greet a visitor he was doing something ruling elders ought to be doing. However, the young man hewas greeting was me; and I had been part of the staff of the church for about ten months as the youth director. To make matters more awkward, he was part of the session that interviewed and hired me. Add to this uncomfortable situation the fact that two of his children were actively involved in the youth program and I found myself at a complete loss for words. Sitting in my car on the way home, I vacillated between embarrassment and anger at having to explain to him that I was not a visitor but actually a staff member of the church. Before I had pulled into my driveway, I had decided that regardless of whether it was his responsibility to know me or not, I needed to be more proactive in communicating to people who I was and what the youth program was doing.

If I could offer any advice to youth directors from my parking lot faux pas, it would be to make sure that you are constantly communicating to other staff, elders, and parents who you are, what you do, and what is going on in the youth program. I continually hear stories of youth staff who arebeing let go because of a lack of communication. The age old question that makes all youth pastors cringe, what do you do all day? is one that we have to answer or run the risk of further alienating youth ministry from the rest of the church. I have to confess that each time that I am asked that question, my hackles get raised, my fangs begin to jut out, and I want to go into attack mode. Yet, I know that almost nothing hurts a youth program more than a defensive, angry youth director. This is why I believe a little preventative maintenance in this area can go a long way in heading off potential conflict and might keep a few more youth directors employed.PCA.

Here are several recommendations that have come from youth pastors around the PCA

1. Keep youth activities posted in multiple places in the church.

Regardless of which direction you go in as you attempt to enhance communication about who you are, what you do, and what is going on in the youth program, the important thing is to learn to embrace the “what do you do all day” question instead of going to fist-a-cuffs each time it gets asked. I am more convinced than ever that if church leadership. parents, and congregations understood what the youth ministry staff does and why they do it, then Job security for vocational youth workers would not be as precarious as it is today.

PCA Youth Ministry Updates:

Over 150 youth gathered at Ridge Haven conference center, February 13-16, for Youth World Awareness Weekend (YOWAW). This was a great opportunity for students to be challenged about their calling and learn about ministries around the world. David McNeely and Ryan Fisk were the main speakers and did an excellent job helping students understand the purpose and power of missions. As always, Dean Conkle brought his unique brand of humor as the MC. Congratulations to MTW, MNA, Ridge Haven, and CEP in this collaborative effort to help high school students live missionally in the kingdom. Check out the website www.ridgehaven.org/rhyowaw.html for more information and next year’s dates.

in January, fifteen youth pastors from around the country gathered at covenant Seminary to think through issues facing youth ministry in the PCA. Discussions included everything from a theology of youth ministry to the validity of our calling. Of the many potential outcomes from the symposium, perhaps the most exciting is the possibility of a national gathering of youth workers in 2011. Please be praying about the opportunity to bring 200-300 youth workers together for several days of solid teaching, encouragement, worship, and relaxation.

Don’t forget YXL (Youth Excelling in Leadership), July 6-11 at Covenant College. This is the PCA’s high school leadership conference designed to help students further shape their world and life view. The speakers this year are Danny Clark, RUF pastor at College of Charleston, and John Craft, RUF pastor at University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, and our worship leader is Eric Ashley, pastor of college and career at First Presbyterian Macon. Activities will include whitewater rafting, ministry projects, and leadership activities. We will explore the theme LIVE FREE through the book of Galatians in an attempt to figure out what it means to be set free by Christ as broken people in a broken world. Check out the website https://archive.pcacdm.org/yxlto find out more about this conference led by CEP and to find out about a scholarship offer from Covenant College for YXL students.

Have you noticed lately that teenagers are doing some pretty amazing things? Take Zac Sunderland for example. This seventeen-year-old homeschooler from California was recently featured in ESPN: The Magazine, chronicling his attempt to become the youngest person to sail solo around the world. That’s right. 25,000 nautical miles by himself in a boat built in 1972 that he bought for six thousand dollars. During his voyage, he has been chased by pirates, caught in severe storms, dealt with equipment breakdowns, and is currently about 3,000 miles from home. To a reporter’s question about what he plans to do next, Zac responded that while he does not have plans yet, he does know that going to college to work a 9-5 job will be difficult. You can follow his exploits on his blog, www.zacsunderland.com/blog.

Or how about Bonnie Richardson from tiny Rochelle, Texas, (population 600) who for the last two years has single-handedly won the state team track championship for her school? Bonnie is the entire track team, and at each track meet she runs 7-9 events in the course of a day. The town and school are so small that they do not have a track for her to practice on. She trains on a dirt track for running events and at a rival high school for the others. You can read about her incredible accomplishments at highschool.rivals.com.

Perhaps you have heard of a teenager from Atlanta named Zac Hunter, who at the age of fourteen decided that he needed to do something about modern-day slavery around the world. As a seventh grader, he started Loose the Change to Loosen Chains to try to raise money to release the estimated 27 million people in bondage. This teenage abolitionist went on from there to write books called Be The Change and Generation Change. A quick Google search will let you read several articles written about him.

Finally, let me mention one other website about young men who are doing incredible things. On www.therebelution.com, brothers Alex and Brett Harris challenge teenagers to stop wasting their lives and do significant things for the glory of God.

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Here is why I mention these young people in a magazine about discipleship. It seems to me that though most PCA churches express a verbal commitment to youth ministry, we fall short at giving students the chance to practice their faith. Dr. Chap Clark, professor at Fuller Theological Seminary and author of several youth ministry books, believes that churches that call teenagers to radical obedience and do not allow them opportunity to put into practice their faith are in actuality abandoning teenagers. Let me explain.

Regardless of what adults may think, teenagers are influenced by what adults tell them; but they often lack the social, emotional, physical, or spiritual development needed to process what they have been told on their own. Studies continue to show there is a short window of opportunity for information to be acted on until it becomes irrelevant. This reality makes me wonder if student ministries that talk about dropping nets and following Christ, stepping out in faith, dying to self, living for Christ, being salt and light, and going into all the world to make disciples but do not give students opportunities to do these things, or that only allow students a chance to lead recreation at VBS once a year, might actually be guilty of perpetuating the myth of the irrelevance of God’s Word to “real” life.

I can already hear the push back from people regarding my last statement. I know that some feel the church is a place of protection and shelter for young people, and I have personally experienced what happens when teenagers who radically step out fail miserably. I hear the stories from youth pastors of conflict that has arisen when adults were afraid of teenagers doing ministry at the homeless shelter or practicing street evangelism. However, after twenty years in youth ministry I am more committed today than ever to the belief that God calls even thirteen-year-olds to radical obedience. Sometimes that call has messy results. Will they at times goof it up? Absolutely. Will they do it differently than you would? Probably. But as I said at the start of the article, teenagers are doing some pretty amazing things; and perhaps it would behoove the church to have adults move out of the way and see what plans the Lord has for this next generation.