Expert: Carl Fuglein - 3/31/2005

Question
Let me start out by saying that this is an extremely open-ended subject, and really my intent is that I can see ministry in a new light.  I'm an 18 year old that just graduated from high school, and am currently in a position of leadership within my local church.  My problem is that I have a hard time understanding a culture only 5 years younger than myself.  Let me further explain...

I currently attend a great church that is a mix of both modern and post-modern people.  The students that attend the church are most definately post-modern.  I was raised in a traditional type church, where members sung hymns along with a piano, and "how are ya do'in brother?" "just swell" was the mentality.  For reference, I refer to the second thought as 'blue skies and butterflies' Christianity.  None the less, I was taught that event evangelism was the unsung true way to bring the lost to Christ, but my experiences have shown otherwise.  Bringing the news to their doorstep seems ineffective.

With that said, I've examined the lifestyles of today's high school students so that I might identify, but the results have me caught in a loop.  Locally, a majority of our high shcool students dig on the punk rock.  Skateboarding, Growling to a tune, Fake Blood, Guys wearing Girls pants....I haven't the slightest idea how to identify with that, or even if I want to in some situations.  Our Student Pastor believes that by holding punk/emo/etc type concerts that we will win the right to be heard within that community.  It has given us an oppertunity to communicate with band members, but thats the only obvious effect I can see.  Understand that I will support our student pastor's decision because ultimately I believed God has called him into his position, but with limited feedback, how we determine what helps and what hinders?

Paul says we are to be all things to all people, but personally I'm not sure that wearing chick pants is either safe on the genetalia, morally or sexually correct, or ultimately beneficial for the kingdom of God.  We establish a great oppertunity to communicate with those who wouldn't otherwise step into a church's meeting place.  In a high school with 1200 students we can expect that at least 500 students will show up to a lock-in, and over the years students have grown to anticipate its arrival.  That said, how do you get past the event evangelism and make the Word of God appealing on personal basis to those who don't know or dislike Christ?

If it seems that I am just being disobedient to the Word of God, please hold me accountable.

Thanks,
Mark

Answer
Mark-

Thanks for writing.  Sorry I'm late answering.

Question:  How do you win an entire generation of teens to Christ?

Short Answer:  One kid at a time.

Long Answer:

You may not identify with guys wearing girls pants, fake blood or skateboards, but you should be able to identify with being a teenager, as you still are one.  I would ask yourself this question:  what was it or who was it that led you to believe in Christ as your savior?  Was it a person?  Was it an event?  Was it parents?  Now, think about that, and think about how the actual event happened.  There's your answer.  You don't have to have a pierced tongue to talk to someone with a pierced tongue.  No one asked you to wear girl's pants, and I'd be concerned about if they had.  What God calls us to do is simply to love one another.  I have two rules of Youth Ministry:  1) Love God.  2) Love kids.  Getting 500 kids to an event is a marvelous opportunity - at the event, pick 1 kid who is over in the corner by themselves and go talk to them.  True evangelism happens 1 on 1, not 1 on 500.  Don't expect to lead all of them to Christ.  Don't even expect to lead ANY of them to Christ.  But do expect this:  make a relationship with one of them, tell them about YOUR story and how YOU came to know Christ and let God do the rest.  That's all you have to do.  And, you might not know until you get face to face with God whether or not that one kid came to Christ.  That's the hard part of ministry - not knowing.  I can't prove God to you or to anyone else.  But what I CAN do is build a long term relationship with a teen and tell them that I am absolutely convinced that God is real and that God loves them just as much as He loves me.  That's it.


Event evangelism on the whole does not evangelize - what it does is present an opportunity to present the gospel to a large number of people.  If they're interested, they'll come back.  If not interested, they won't.  If you serve them pizza to get them to come to youth group, and all you give them is pizza, all they're going to come back for is the pizza.  But if you present the gospel to them, at least they've heard it.  I'd say go ahead, do your events, but make sure the young people get at least a little taste of the gospel, and try to make a relationship with just a few - relationships are where true evangelism happens.

I pray that I've answered your question.  If not, ask a more specific question.

blessings,

carl