A long time ago I was talking with a student and through whatever chain of events I mentioned the Canadian Rockies merely in passing...to which he stopped me confused. "The Canadian Rockies? Wait...those are in Canada right?"
As funny as that was, we as youth pastors and parents have a much deeper issue to deal with. Over the last several years I've come to realize that high school students are dealing with issues that I didn't deal with until college...and middle school students are dealing with problems that shouldn't be realized until at least high school. Every day students are confronted with billions of data that their minds are not physiologically capable of processing. The result is a fragmented identity. Who they are is defined by their different social contexts. They are being forced to deal with greater problems with less mental, emotional, and yes - spiritual maturity than it takes. The research shows that the 18 year old in 1981 is now the 25 year old in 2012. There is a deepening regression, and it's digging into the hearts of the next generation. The evidence appears staggering. I sometimes wonder what device 5 year olds will be holding in their hands ten years from now. It's scary. I was talking to a great friend the other day about their nephews. Apparently their screams are placated with iPads and iPhones...and they could be content looking at them 8 hours a day...that's a full days work! Not to mention what students have access to via the Internet...there is pornographic material that has slipped into You Tube now. Scary. So what can we do?
This past Sunday after some delicious tacos, with parents of preschoolers, and both middle and high school we started a conversation. We started walking through Dr. Kara Powell and Dr. Chap Clark's book Sticky Faith. If you haven't read it, read it. I highly recommended it. It's a book built to teach principles on how to help build a lasting faith in the next generation. In the end it has to do with the gospel. There is nothing more intrinsically valuable to students (and us as well) as a correct view of the gospel. No surprise there right? Wrong. At least according to students reasoning (of corse the right answer is "right!"). In her research, after asked what it means to be a Christian over one third of students didn't even mentioned Jesus. Not to be cliche, or perpetuate students "pat" answers, but the right answer to that question has to involve Jesus. Right? Right. That is unless you've jumped into the theologically broken cistern of liberal thought (I'm NOT speaking politically) where they fancy loving others in the form of accepting principles like open theism, gay marriage, etc. Unfortunately, this is the direction for many youth that graduate from college. It's said now that 40-50% of graduating high schoolers will leave their faith and the church in college. As staggering as that is, it's more shocking, I think, that only 20% of the 40-50% premeditated their departure while still in high school. That means that 80% had no intention of leaving...but did, whether by persuasion, laziness, education, apathy, under duress, gleefulness, whatever. They leave.
Kara talks about many things, but here are two key principles that I find talking about and pondering incredibly helpful.
1.) students believe in a "gospel of sin-management" - which reduces the gospel, that is the great news of Jesus, to a list of do's and dont's. The Law was never a gospel...rather it points us toward the fact that there is need of a gospel. The Law, as Paul points out, was meant to show sin for what it is: namely sin.
2.) students are consuming a "Red Bull" gospel. back in my younger days it was no doze, bur now irs Red Bull and Monster...meaning they pop spiritual caffeine into their system to simply get by. And get by they do...sometimes at least...but again it's all about sin-management. And just like drinking energy drinks, they last a while, but they eventually run out of energy and they crash...hard.
But all this falls on us. My dad has always reminded me that we are "responsible to people and never for people." These principles that students learn doesn't happen in a vacuum. They are learning from us. Parents. Leaders. Friends. Church goers. Etc. So what example are we setting?
Kara talks about teaching kids to TRUST God, not just be obedient. Certainly in the end we as parents and leaders need to set the example. The right example. When Paul says "imitate me as I imitate Christ" he's not boasting in his life, but Christ's (1 Cor. 11:1). when Jesus calls his disciples he calls the, to "be with" him that he might then "send them out" (Mark 3:14). We as models have to first be with Jesus ourselves, getting inflow from the master, so that we can overflow a correct view of the gospel to younger generations...to help them where they are at. People are drawn to the authentic. Pascal was right, and students and kids - because they are made in the image of God and because separated at birth by sin - they are intrinsically drawn to a right relationship with God modeled by us.
Let this be our model: "...I sent you Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in The Lord, to remind you of my way in Christ." It all comes back to Christ. Inflow and overflow. Be with and be sent out. Love God and love others. The gospel is central. We may plant and water but only God can cause the growth. May we double our prayers and fund ourselves resting in Gods presence through Jesus that kids may find God attractive in the midst of so many distractions. And may we give ourselves grace and patience as we learn all over again how to walk in relationship with Christ.
Grace and peace.
