Youth Ministry Round Up #177

Greetings Awesome Person,

ABC's of Youth Ministry

Y is for Yearning

By faith he dwelt in the promised land as a stranger in a foreign country. He lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. Hebrews 11:9,10

I do feel like Abraham, in many ways, and maybe you do too

I feel like a stranger in a strange land

At 56 and 30+ years in youth ministry, neither ministry nor the world feels familiar to me. Give it time, it will happen to you too, but the church also feels like a strange place. Where once we talked about prayer and obedience we talk about politics and power.

How do we get back? I think it starts with the students we serve. What should not feel strange in our youth ministries? Discipleship.

I desire for students to have strong foundations

I tell my students all the time, "It's not about what you believe, it's what you practice." The only way practice happens is when we give our students an opportunity to practice what scripture says.

I did this by cancelling my traditional youth meetings for 3 months to practice what Jesus told us to do. I substituted learning about what Jesus taught us to actually do what Jesus taught us, in real time. Practice is the foundation by which faith is built over and over again.

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. James 1:22

You don't need to cancel your youth meetings for 3 months, like I did, but how are you integrating practice into all your youth meetings?

I yearn for something God builds

versus what man can build. I grew up in marketing churches. Churches who looked to the latest trends and leveraged various systems to produce growth. I have seen what man can build and I have seen it crumble before my eyes.

I yearn to see something God builds, based on prayer and obedience and not the latest TikTok preacher.

You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water. Psalm 63:1 NIV

As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God.
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God? Psalm 42: 1,2

Abraham longed for something real, something built by God and not by man and so do I and I hope you do too.

Have a great week!

Paul

Only one more ABC devotion left.

Which Z word is most important in youth ministry?

TRENDS AND CULTURE

Our New Religion Isn't Enough

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