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Our Amazing Teens

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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.

Leadership Role of Directors of Women’s Ministries

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Aware of the growing number and significant leadership role of Directors of Women’s Ministries in local PCA churches, CEP continues to provide a defined fellowship aimed at equipping these women for ministries that unite with an overall Christian education and discipleship focus.

During the past seven years of hosting this event, we have been greatly encouraged by “where we are” in God’s providence. We see discernable kingdom fruit that has accrued from CEP’s strategic outreach to women serving on church staffs. For this reason, we have gone forward in offering another educational and networking event for women who are serving as full-time or part-time paid staff women in a local church.

CEP is ably assisted in planning by Donna Dobbs, Director of Christian Education at First Presbyterian in Jackson, Mississippi, and Cathy Wilson, former Director of Women at Kirk of the Hills in St. Louis, Missouri. Cathy is a former Women in the Church Trainer and currently the WASC representative for the Mid-America region. These women work with Jane Patete, CEP Coordinator of Women’s Ministries, to plan a conference that addresses and provides:

  • Equipping for Word-centered curricula selection, design, and focus.
  • Beneficial peer relationships.
  • Spiritual refreshment.
  • Denominational context.
  • Informed discussions on key ministry issues.

Dr. Dan Doriani, adjunct professor of New Testament at Covenant Theological Seminary and pastor of Central Presbyterian Church in St. Louis, Missouri; Joel Belz, PCA ruling elder, founder and former CEO of World Magazine; and Dr. Donald Guthrie, Associate Professor of Educational Ministries at Covenant Theological Seminary, were recent speakers and point to the high caliber of training that is offered.

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At the 2009 Directors of Women’s Ministries Retreat, Nate Shurden, teaching elder at First Presbyterian Church, Jackson, Mississippi, was the speaker. Nate led sessions designed to help participants learn how to biblically get to the heart of the matter in the counseling opportunities that seem to abound within a local church. One highlight of the event, which took place August 3-5 at the Omni Hotel in Atlanta, Georgia, was the time set aside for robust discussion that helped apply the gospel to people’s life situations, strengthened peer connections, and brought personal refreshment and equipping tools for ministry.

Nate Shurden.jpgNate Shurden received a B.A. in Moral Philosophy from Bannockburn College and a Master of Divinity (Counseling) from Reformed Theological Seminary, Jackson, MS. Nate is currently Minister of Discipleship & Young Adults at First Presbyterian Church, Jackson, MS, and the Shelf Life Editor for reformation21, the online magazine of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals.

They Will Still Bear Fruit in Old Age

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Thirty-eight million seniors (65+) live in the United States, making up thirteen percent of the total population. What percentage of this senior population resides in “group quarters,” including nursing homes? Answer: about five percent. The huge majority of the senior population is capable of useful service.

The present PCA membership, including children, is 342,041 (plus an unknown number in churches that do not report their data). If the total membership of our churches is like that of the nation as a whole, the PCA has among its members 45,000 seniors. This number will most likely more than double in the next forty years, as the total senior population is projected to do in our country. Currently, relatively few in our denomination are in nursing homes, only five percent or 2,250. Some PCA churches, like Crossroads Presbyterian Church in Woodbridge, Virginia, near Quantico Marine Base, have few seniors; and some, like Covenant Presbyterian Church in Sun City West, Arizona, have only seniors. However, we seniors do indeed tend to be everywhere. What a resource for serving Jesus!

Most books and articles about senior ministry focus on serving seniors and call us to help in meeting their needs. While this call is important and clear biblical imperatives call us to that ministry, most seniors do not have the pressing issues and disabilities that require mercy ministry. Few of our seniors are in nursing homes or severely disabled; and all of them, except perhaps those with advanced dementia, are capable of serving Jesus. What a great challenge and opportunity! All seniors must be challenged to honor the Lord in their lives and by their ministry. Some, perhaps many, indeed do so.

Meet Chuck Backlin. A graduate of West Point, he served as an officer in Vietnam. Now retired, Chuck turned sixty-nine this spring. On Tuesday mornings, he volunteers at the national headquarters of the Multiple Sclerosis Association doing data entry for the clients to whom he ships helpful devices for their everyday needs. On Wednesday mornings, he paints the interior of his church, Covenant PCA in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, working his way around the fellowship hall, down the hallways, and through the classrooms. On Thursday mornings, he volunteers at the American Cancer Society, developing corporate and organizational support. Chuck’s an usher, a “money counter,” and works at VBS. As a deacon, he serves on the equipment committee and is involved in the ministry of mercy. Chuck summarized, “I’ve never been bored; there’s plenty to do, to know about.”

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You’ve probably already met Caleb. When he was forty years old, he was sent by Moses as a spy into the Promised Land. When his advice was rejected, the door was closed for forty years. At eighty-five years of age, now serving under Joshua, he asked for permission to drive the Anakites from the “hill country.” He had another mountain to conquer.

Consider other biblical servants, who honored their Lord even into old age: Abram (75), Moses (80), Aaron (83), Joshua (“very old”), Ahijah (“old”), Eli (“old”), Simeon, Anna (84), Lois, Paul, and John. Barzillai (80) served the Lord by not being an unnecessary burden to others. Mary was faithful in later years by letting someone else (John) take care of her.

The biblical challenge to seniors to serve is clear. “Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, O God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your might to all who are to come” (Psalm 71:18 NIV). “They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green” (Psalm 92:14 NIV). “…Who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s” (Psalm 103:1-5). “I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have being” (Psalm 104:33). “One generation shall commend your works to another…” (Psalm 145:4-7). “I will praise the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live” (Psalm 146:2 NIV).

To neglect challenging seniors to serve the Lord is clearly unbiblical. It is also active ageism, prejudice against anyone based on their age alone. Ageism against seniors is everywhere, in movies, on TV, and even among the boomers who are rapidly becoming seniors. People of advancing years may indeed come to see themselves as “disposable, unimportant,” not unlike disposable diapers or material thrown into a garbage disposal. Ageism is most painful when the seniors themselves share in it. “I am useless. I have nothing to do. Nobody needs me.” These are not Christian statements, perhaps especially not for seniors. Challenge seniors to serve the Lord so that neither you nor they are guilty of ageism.

Motivation is the key to your commitment to challenging seniors and to their accepting any challenge. In Christian calling and service, the heart is the issue. Jesus gives us life, and we live for others. The fixed point at which those things happen is the cross. The basic motivation is not found in the needs of others, however serious or gut-wrenching they may be. The motivation is in the Christian, senior or younger. John wrote, “We love because he first loved us… For he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen… Whoever loves God must also love his brother” (I John 4:19-21).

Initiative may have to overcome inertia. If a senior’s history shows no record of serving others, becoming a senior will not change his heart. The Lord needs to do that. Other seniors must understand they do not retire from Christian service. Moving from “serving” through “retirement” to “being served” is along a road on no map in the Bible. A car is easier to steer when it is moving, especially if the motor (heart) is running properly. Starting friction is indeed greater than sliding friction.

Mobilization flows out of motivation, and creativity and dreaming are important. “What could happen, if everything worked out well?”

All dreams do not come to fulfillment. A .300 batting average is very good; but if you never come to bat, 0 for 0, your average is .000. To make a dream become reality you need to gather facts and information, which feed creativity. Explore needs. Discover what younger generations and seniors need and want, survey the total Christian Education program, look for gaps, and consider community opportunities. Now ask, “What do seniors have to offer?” Do a survey not with a form but through visits, writing down reflections after each visit.

Once you have information, use a simple formula: needs + resources = opportunity. Match needs with resources and where they meet is opportunity. You may find that seniors in your church are indeed serving in many quiet ministries among themselves and with others, but creativity may produce multiplied benefits by initiating and enriching their ministry.

Ministry grows out of motivation and mobilization. The goal is to have seniors serving through word and deed, being who they are, representing Jesus, being an example. The possibilities are many, and a few examples accompany this article.

Recognize that you work with volunteers. Karen Morton in CEP’s Serving and Challenging Seniors suggests several steps in cultivating volunteers. First invite volunteers (personal invitations are best), and then interview them and ask about their experience and interests. Inform them by telling them what is expected and what help they will have. Interact with volunteers by seeking feedback and offering reassurance. Invest in them; continuing support is important. Finally, interpret them by seeking information about their experience. Morton concludes, “Ministry by seniors to seniors or to others in the local congregation or community is a win-win. Needs are met and seniors are given opportunities to contribute and to feel useful.”

When seniors accept your challenge to serve the Lord, benefits multiply. Consider the results:

  • You “honor” seniors by using them. You meet seniors’ need to feel useful, to be wanted, to be creative.
  • You dispel the myth that says, “Old people are nonproductive.” They are in fact often energetic, wise, and reliable.
  • You help them to be answers to their own prayers. Every Christian should by nature want to express the love of Jesus.
  • You avoid the unbiblical isolation and compartmentalization of generations. Seniors are given opportunity to interact with other generations in service and ministry.
  • Tangible evidence of faith experienced and shared will be seen. The invisible rule of Jesus in hearts will be manifest in deeds of service.
  • Ministry will happen, in the world and in the church, specifically among seniors but also among all generations. People will be served in Jesus’ name.

Older Adult Ministry: A Guide for the Presbytery Committee is a manual produced by the PCUSA that challenges seniors with the following. “Older persons who withdraw from life before life withdraws from them are depriving themselves and, through them, others as well.” Pray and work so that this statement will not describe seniors in your church. Hear the plea of senior servants. “Give me something to do!”

How We Teach and How They Learn, Part 3

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Part 1 of this article introduced the subject of learning styles and described the four basic ways we process new information. Part 2 described the way we perceive new information, concrete or abstract, and the different ways we order that new information, sequential or random. Part 3 will explain the three basic ways we take in new information.

Simply understood, learning modalities are the sensory channels through which we give, receive, or store information. These include visual learners who prefer to take in information by seeing it. Auditory learners must hear the information, and tactile/kinesthetic (T/K) learners need to feel and touch in order to understand.

In any given group of learners, 25-30% will be strongly visual, 25-30% strongly auditory, 15% T/K, and 25-30% mixed. However, young children are almost all T/K, with many changing to visual by school age. Some will again change later to auditory. Keep this in mind depending on what age you teach. Girls more commonly learn by hearing; and boys have a higher tendency to learn through movement, which might explain why boys tend to drop out of Sunday school more often than girls. But, it must also be said that if a student is very interested in a subject, desire will often override their modality or learning deficiency. These same preferences are evident in adult learners. Personally, I am equal in my auditory and visual ability, with almost no T/K.

Auditory Learners: It is commonly understood that people remember only 10% of what they hear once. (Pastors take note.) This percentage is higher for auditory learners, depending on how long they have to listen. Historically it was said that the average adult can pay close attention for a maximum of 20 minutes. Unfortunately, today that time has dropped to 12 minutes. (Are you still listening pastors?) Attention span is improved by using other aids like printed notes, overheads, PowerPoint, etc. These learners learn best in group settings where they can listen and enter into the discussion. If you have ever observed a person moving his lips while reading, it is because he has to hear the words in order to understand them.

Visual Learners: The more visual images given to these learners the more they will remember.

“Albert Einstein was a visual learner. He had a marked disability with auditory learning and the use of language. Yet he had an extraordinary ability to construct complex card houses, use building blocks, and manipulate geometrical diagrams. These skills suggest that he had a specialized mental ability for visual-spatial (space) perception, visual reasoning, and visual memory. If he were evaluated in the traditional way, he would be labeled learning disabled.”[1]

Making great use of visual aids will even help poor readers. In fact, after 55 studies, students always did better on tests when visuals were given.[2]

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Tactile/Kinesthetic: These are the students who suffer the most in a class setting or while trying to listen to a sermon. Tactile means that the student needs to physically touch something to understand it; kinesthetic students need to be physically moving in some way in order to stay with the information being shared. I had a student who used to sit in the back of the class and knit. She never looked up or participated in the discussion, but she did very well on the test. She told me that unless her hands were in motion she could not listen.

There is more and more information becoming available on the internet on learning styles and modalities, and I would encourage you to become as learned as possible about the subject if you want to become a better teacher or preacher. I would also again refer you to Marlene LeFever’s book, Learning Styles, for more help.

On our website, I will post a modality test for you to take here. It is free and will help you understand what are your strengths and weaknesses. This should help you understand how to better work with your students, or even your children, who have a preference different from yours. Do all you can to move out of your comfort zone and use methods that will reach all the learners God has entrusted to your care.

If you are interested in having someone come to your church and do a seminar on learning styles and modalities, see our website, www.pcacep.org, under training/regional trainers.

[1]Marlene LeFever, Learning Styles (Colorado Springs: D.C. Cook, 1995), p.103.

[2]Ibid.

The Birth of a Titus 2 Ministry

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Even though we all know the important content of the Titus 2 Mandate, many women drag their feet, resisting this discipleship call upon their lives. The following is written from that perspective.

After “church shopping” for a few weeks, our family landed at Trinity PCA in Asheville, North Carolina, and chose to make it our church home. For four years we attended faithfully. For four years I knew that I should be involved in the lives of other women but for various reasons just never made it happen. And for four years I lived in isolation in this church.

Oh, I went to the retreats and I came to occasional women’s events. I even attended the women’s Sunday school classes, but I didn’t live in relationship with other women.

Then last year I came to an event to hear about Titus 2 ministries, and I knew it was time to take the next step. You see, I know the truth about women’s ministry. I know the purpose, the benefits, the joys. I’ve taught it, trained for it, lived it; and for four years I avoided it.

You may be thinking, “I’m not like her. I’m well connected in this church. I have plenty of friends. I don’t need a Titus 2 group.” Or perhaps you’re thinking, “I’ve been in her shoes. I’ve been attending for a while and haven’t really connected with the women yet. But a one year commitment is a long time.”

So why a Titus 2 ministry?

What’s Happening Around the PCA? Helping Men Cope with the Economy

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What’s Happening Around the PCA? God is Moving In Men’s Ministry!

Covenant Life PCA, Sarasota: Deacon Dave Enslow will be leading a 2 hour seminar called, How to Survive the Economic MeltDown, based upon Dave’s own spiritual journey through hard financial times and the material from Pat, Morley’s new book, by this title. The seminarpresents lessons learned from the first-hand experience of best-selling author Patrick Morley.?As the survivor of an economic meltdown, Patrick faced bankruptcy every day for seven years. By God’s grace he not only survived, but learned extraordinary spiritual and practical lessons. Here is what two leading authorities have to say about How to Survive the Economic Meltdown….

“I wholeheartedly endorse this book! If you-or someone you know-got caught out by the current economic meltdown, this is must reading. It’s a roadmap to spiritual and financial freedom. It’s that good!” Howard Dayton, Chairman, Crown Financial Ministries.

“I have never seen anything like we are seeing today. There is no one better prepared to lead us than Pat Morley. He offers very practical answer to the questions that all of us are asking. You need to read this book to gain a proper perspective on what is really happening.”Ron Blue, President, Kingdom Advisors