My dissatisfaction is growing.

I’ve been engaged in full-time youth ministry for 14 years.  It has been life changing for me and I’ve seen God do incredible things.  I’ve seen teenagers who thought Christianity was just boring morality, find a loving Jesus.  I’ve seen boys who don’t seemingly care about anything but Call of Duty suddenly shift and passionately want to change their lives to follow God.  I’ve seen adults, who have never really felt like God has used them before, find their giftedness in serving kids.  It’s been a fun, hard, sad and joyful ride – and I’m convicted that youth ministry, as it is today, should continue.

I’m equally convinced that more is needed.

My wife and I spend most of our nights at home with couch talk.  Last night I said something that hurts – “Our boys are on their way to being luke-warm Christians.”  It hurts – especially from someone who gets paid to help see the opposite happen. My kids know lots of people who love Jesus.  They are a part of a great church where they get great teaching about Jesus.  We talk about Jesus in our home – every day – and we take enormous pains to love them in a way that would point them toward Christ.

But they aren’t seeing and experiencing Jesus for themselves.

They hear the Bible stories weekly at church, nightly in bed, and receive Jesus-inspired love from adults all the time.  But do they ever personally witness the kind of God they read about in their Jesus Storybook Bibles?  I can see an increasing “ho-hum” in their eyes at night when I describe the Red Sea, Mt. Carmel, and even the empty tomb.  I know how to tell stories kids will hear and they are drawn to it – but I find my kids are equally drawn to Dr. Seuss.

“Luke-Warm” is a word (or is it two?) that will keep me awake at night.

There is more chatter, teaching, and studies about kids and faith than at any other time in human history.  But for all the information we have, our methods haven’t changed much.  Why not?  We’ve learned a lot.  Shouldn't that lead to different ways of doing things?

I think things are about to change.

The church is dying for direction.  Concrete changes are coming.  How will the church take the amazing information we have about kids and faith and actually shift to a new day? A new day where we combine the best of what we have done over the last 50-60 years and re-shape the next 50 years?  There are movements beginning that are seeking to do just that.  I’m a beginner in this journey myself, but “luke-warm” is not something I’m excited about for my kids or yours.  This is Part One of a series of posts on this topic in February.  There is a shift coming - a major wave that is forming – I hope you’ll join me in trying to shape it.  - JC