A couple days ago I put up a post that not everyone agreed with.  I have reread that post several times and I've come to the conclusion that where I erred in my writing was to not draw enough distinction to the actual area of disagreement I had which was my perception of an  underlying theme of "us vs. them" of the night.  Someone in the comment section accused me of  "Shooting our wounded soldiers."   Because I love youth ministry and have deep respect for those who spoke I thought I'd clarify my statements. 

Last Saturday night at the National Youth Workers Convention in San Diego there were two speakers who shared  thoughts about Youth Ministry, health, struggle and the Church.    Both messages taken separately were very helpful and encouraging.  One of the speakers "Doug Fields" has a long career in youth ministry and has spoke at NYWC before and has consistently been one of the most encouraging speakers for youth workers.   The other talk was from Ted and Gayle Haggard and  though they were brand new to YS and have had a difficult road the last many years their message on sin, redemption, grace and the church was helpful.  I am grateful that both Doug and the Haggards were brought to the convention and applaud YS  for the speaker selection. 

My concern with this night was that I perceived both talks when taken together seemed to be presenting an "us vs them" idea between youth ministry and the Church.   As I have said I believe this was not their intended message but when I look at the whole night this is a message that I think could easily have been heard. I said in my last blog that ecclesiological identity is something that we in the Youth Ministry world need to more fully grasp and I worry often that young and new youth workers don't hear enough about the good side of the Church. 

It's difficult to know how to safely disagree in our world.  Often times youth ministers already feel marginalized by the church.  We feel misunderstood and not taken seriously by those who don't understand our calling.  So, when we take perceived shots at each other within our own ranks it can seem a big blow.  But, I still think we need to be able to safely discuss where we don't agree with each other.   None of us who are involved in leadership or have the opportunity to speak at conventions like this are able to disengage our own narrative when we speak.  When I share about the church it comes from a place of my own woundedness and success.  Not everyone agrees with how I perceive things, teach things and do youth ministry.  I am always open for critique and discussion and this blog comes from a place in my soul that says we need a healthy place to disagree. 

So I offer this apology.  To the Haggards and to Doug.  My original blog post could have been written better to draw the distinction that your messages when taken separately were what many youth workers needed to hear.  It is only when I look at the whole night and the building of one upon the other that I felt like there was cause for concern.   I have realized through this that my blog like your stage is a place where ideas need to be carefully presented.  I hope this post clears up concern.  If it doesn't let's keep dialoguing about it. 

Last night driving home from the airport I was talking to one of my staff guys about a worship event they had done this last Sunday.   This fall we have been working hard to engage our students in a variety of different types of worship.   I'll be the first to admit that Presbyterians aren't generally known as a whole to have much fervor when it comes to worshiping God.  The joke about Presbyterians is that when we get really excited about something we stay prim and proper and use deep feeling words like "indeed."   

So this last weekend we have talked a lot about Moralistic Therapeutic Deism and how it is impacting the church world and specifically Youth Ministry.  For more on that topic check out my friend Jeff Keuss's blog here.  

In the conversation last night we were talking about a specific group of students who didn't seem to be engaged much in the Sunday morning experience.  I asked about all the elements of the service and we had scripture reading, videos made by students explaining worship, reading of creeds, teachings and times of musical worship.   My staff guy said that almost none of that resonated with that group. 

In the next sentence I think I coined a new phrase.  I said that so many students now days are just dealing with Overall Christian Disengagement or "OCD".   What I meant by that term was that there are just some students and families who you could try anything with and nothing would work to engage them in living out the Christian Life.   Here's maybe a better way to think about it.  You probably have kids in your youth ministry that are "regular"  you know without a doubt that if you switched youth group to any night of the week or weekend those students would come.  They are the ones who regularly come to events, missions trips and retreats.  They attend Bible Studies, Life Groups and service projects.  They are the ones who are "engaged" in their faith and what is happening at the church. 

But there is this other group  of students and families that just don't engage in much at all.  They might show up on Sunday mornings and even occasionally to other events but they don't really appear to be  "engaged" in their faith.  Many of them are great kids but the God thing is just another thing in their life.  They tend to have the most excuses about why they can't come to something or what nights of the week won't work for them.  I always laugh on the inside when parents tell me their kids can't come to youth group because they have "too much" homework but then other students from the same classes are there.  Or when a student can't come to an event but then posts a facebook status update about the movie they just saw the same night. 

I know it sounds like I'm bashing a group of people and not coming across pastoral and showing enough love.   My intent here is to call something what it is but at the same time encourage some new engagement in faith.   I want you to know that my motivation for this is that I'm just so frustrated to see students go away to college having not really engaged in their faith and then knowing/hearing about the struggles they go through and the difficult choices they make.   I want to raise the bar a little bit higher and encourage students/families to a greater commitment. 

So here's a challenge.  Ask yourself.  How engaged are you in your faith.  It's obviously not about going to youth group or church because you can do those things without really being committed to Jesus. Be honest with yourself and ask the question how "engaged" am I in my faith.  Maybe even think about what it means to be engaged.  More often than not we think of that as the period of time before you get married and it involves a lot of preparation.  Are you ready to be married to your faith for the rest of your life? 

I pray for that group of kids a lot.  I also spend a lot of time asking God to show us if we are at fault and if we are doing anything wrong that we need to be held accountable for.  I know that I've made changes over the years that have pushed students away. It's our goal to provide opportunities and to encourage them to a deeper faith and walk with Jesus.