The Philosophy of the Youth Ministry to Parents
Philippians 4:5-7 Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Some tremendous things have been happening in the lives of the teenagers of Cowan First Baptist. Many of you have heard Bro. Tim brag on the success and development of the youth ministry. In the VBS documentary DVD you will see what a work the Lord is doing through the lives of these young people. As usual, whenever there is revival among a specific group the Devil always shows up to hinder or squelch the work before it spreads like wildfire. When he does show up to squelch a work it is important to identify his devices. 2Cor 2:11 Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices. Our church is on the threshold of something huge and it is important for all of us to put this event into perspective. As I pray for our church and our teens I am aware of the generation gap that has been constructed by technology like the television, mp3 players, CDs, DVDs, cel-phones, and the internet. It is time for us adults to rebuild the protective wall around our Jerusalem. Just as Nehemiah had to work with a trowel in one hand and a weapon in the other we must be establishing the protective barrier for our children while simultaneously fighting the Sanballats and Tobiahs that are hindering the “great work”.
While some parents are not able to attend the Wednesday or Sunday evening services, those who have the ability to attend but choose to do something else miss out on the blessing and rewards of being faithful stewards of what God has provided. The teens that do attend these extra services receive Biblical based instruction, Leadership lessons that build character and conviction, and also have the benefit of hearing three times a week the announcements of scheduled activities. This faithful crew also receives the rewards of being in the right place at the right time. If I choose to treat the Wednesday night crowd to ice cream or pizza, then the faithful individuals receive the blessing of their commitment. From my understanding of the scriptures, I see that God blesses those who attend regularly and are decisively a part of the provided program. (Refer to Matthew 25 and the story of the virgins- 5 were wise and 5 were foolish) Problems with any program begin when advice, input, and suggestions are taken from a group of people who are not part nor are faithful the established program. This is when it is important to filter suggestions through the Biblical insight of an individual’s involvement in the established program. Maybe the following illustration will help us establish a good understanding of this conflict.
The coach of a football team spends years studying and perfecting his knowledge of the game. Before he is hired by the school’s administration he is able to show tangible evidence of his experience and success. He is at every practice before the players arrive and stays for hours after the players have left. He has assistant coaches and values their input, suggestions, and counsel. The coaching staff works together to win each game, reward its players, and achieve a winning status for the entire school’s organization. An additional benefit of their hard work is giving the fans and supporters the some enjoyment.
Without fail, each season the coach is approached by at least one individual that has great ideas and suggestions for the team. The experienced coach will usually respond in a way that gives him discernment and protection from receiving advice from the recliner chair quarterback who has never worn a jersey nor has ever been on a football team. He will test the sincerity of the individual by investigating why this person in interested in the team and if the individual has a child on the team. Then he will expand the investigation by inviting the worthy individual to come to every practice, assist with duties that build the team, and encouraging the individual to attend each and every game. He may also suggest to the individual to stick around and help clean up after every practice, wash jerseys, and straighten up the locker room before going home. Many times the coach will find that this type of individual is not wanting to be a part of the work but instead just wants some authority position so they can stand off to the side, congregate with like-minded individuals, and spend the time critiquing the decisions and actions of the leader. If by chance the individual shows his or her devotion to the established program, a couple of things usually happen. 1) The individual may find out that their suggestions and ideas are not possible or they may not necessarily be something that is possible under the current administration. These ideas and suggestions usually come when someone has an incorrect perception of the program. 2) The other thing that could happen is the individual that wanted to make suggestions or present ideas has become faithful to the established program, proven their faithfulness to the coach, players, fans, and parents. This achievement has now given them credence and respect of the entire football program.
The program embraces conflict when an Administrator of the school tries to become an ambassador between the coach and the one seeming to just want to be heard. Does the administrator investigate to see if the individual is faithful to the entire program or does he step in just because someone has voiced a disagreement? Does the administrator spend the time to establish a good understanding of the individual’s knowledge, experience, and devotion to the established program? How will the administrator react when he is told by the coach that the individual is not faithful to the established program, is spreading discord among the football player’s and parents, and is trying to schedule programs alternative programs for the players and team without approval? Will the administrator shut down the attempts of the disgruntled individual or will he diplomatically straddle the fence? If the administrator tries to become a diplomat to help find a common ground between the coach and the individual, is it not obvious that this will only give credence to the individual who is not part of the established program? When this disruption to the program takes place the players are discouraged, the assistant coaches are confused, and the coach is drawn away from the game to work on problems that should never have been allowed, and usually the team starts loosing games.
Proverbs 11:14 ¶ Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counselors there is safety. In this verse the word counselors does not mean “majority opinion”. It is simply saying there is safety when you go to the authorities of a subject to get advice on a decision. If you want counsel on how to fix your car, don’t go to the person who is always tinkering on one of the 5 junk cars in his yard; go seek counsel from the individual who repairs automobiles for a living.In 1998, I started a program and a web site devoted to ministry ideas. I love ideas, I love to think and I love to brainstorm ideas with other people. I seek out individuals who are successful and experienced in the subject I am investigating. It is also my educated opinion that taking suggestions on ministry related subjects from people who are not faithful to the entire church program is not a wise idea and it will lead to confusion and conflict. How would you feel about my devotion to the Lord if you knew that I kept my family home on a Sunday evening because we had a lot of laundry to catch up on, or that we just wanted to work on remodeling a room? Would you feel comfortable with me making decisions about how to spend your tithe money or feel that I would really be that concerned with a prayer request you submitted? How would you feel if I decided to spend Wednesday nights working out at the gym with my family instead of attending the church service? Would you think that I would have the proper insight and devotion to develop an important program like VBS, youth activities, mission trips, camps, retreats, or other services? What if I just decided to stay home during a service and work on one of my children’s scrap books, or stayed home because I had a bad day at my secular job? Would you want me in charge of your spiritual guidance? I would hope that you would expect more from me as a Christian and even more from me as an ordained minister of the Gospel. Because I also stand in the position as a paid employee of the church so it is natural that you would expect me to attend each of the services. I and my wife attend each service and we do not feel it would be ethical or honest to receive any financial compensation from the church if we were not faithful to the entire church program. We should now have a good foundation established for us to continue though the rest of this document.
General Ministry Background
I found it interesting to recently learn that several of our church members think that I am a full-time staff member. It is unfortunate that there is no written definition that explains precisely what “part-time” ministry work is. This has prompted me to put a few things in perspective concerning my family and provide everyone a brief history of our work. From 1992 until 2006 I served in a full-time ministry position as either a youth pastor, assistant pastor, or as the director of a ministry. In 2006 I was the director of the Christian theme park in PensacolaFlorida. Upon discovering that the originator of the park had organized his “ministry” in 1996 as an Unincorporated Business Trust instead of the published, promoted, and falsely documented “church ministry”, I confronted him with my findings. When I asked him why he thought it was necessary to lie to all the people that were supporting and working for him. He did not want to hear what I was asking and I told him that God would soon judge him for his deception and I took vacation time to prepare for moving my family back to Tennessee. Four days after confronting him, he and his wife were arrested for income tax evasion. The Lord gave me a job here in Tennessee working in the engineering department of Deutsch Industrial Products as a methods engineer. This was my first full-time secular job since graduating BibleCollege in 1991. During the day I am required to trouble-shoot disruptions and complications to production, document and validate these obstructions, design and implement procedures and hardware that will correct the problem and avoid reoccurrences of such issues. This skill-set usually requires a classical engineering degree but the Lord has allowed me to use some Biblical insights from my degree in Theology to successfully work these talents in the secular environment. I can’t explain how God opened this door. All I had to do was trust His guiding hand and go where He takes me.
Knowing the Enemy
A good knowledge of things past is an armour against events to come. EDWARD COUNSEL, Maxims
In Revelation chapter 2, the Lord is bragging on the church at Ephesus for their labor in the internal function of their church. Yet, He scolds them for leaving their first love (the external function of the church…which is reaching the lost) and tells them to repent. Next, He scolds the internal functions of the church at Smyrna because they have allowed something to penetrate into their organizational frame work called the doctrine of the Nicolaitans. Re 2:15So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate. There is speculation about the Nicolaitans based upon the etymology of the words used to make their name.The first part of the name "nico" comes from the Greek word which means "to conquer"The second part of the name "laitans" comes from the Greek word meaning "people." Hence, the speculation is that they were a group of people who enslaved others in someway. Benjamin Franklin said, “Democracy is two wolves and one lamb discussing what they will have for lunch.” Other great statesmen have been quoted for their views on a democracy but the general view they are trying to make concerning this form of government is that it is nothing more than mob rule. This is why America is blessed because it is a constitutional Republic that uses democratic process controlled by law.
Example: An individual or small group of people have enough free time during the day to network a movement to over-take or change an organization. (Acting against the constitution and law) Members of this coup continually attempt to bring new members into their movement. Unaware individuals are approached by representatives from this group and are forced to decide to join or to expose their treasonous acts. Yet, these weaker non-confrontational individuals know that if they stand against the coup they too will be attacked, ostracized, and slandered with the members of the organization in which the rebellion is trying to overtake. The result of this “doctrine of the Nicolaitans” enslaves or holds captive those who would speak out against the treasonous individuals. These brazen individuals are not afraid to argue or invoke confrontation. For they know their disregard for ethics will give them the upper hand in public services, meetings, or functions where the non-confrontational majority assemble themselves. Remember, this is something the Lord says that He hates! Col. 2:8 "See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ."
Building a Strong Foundation
For Perception and Understanding
One of the subjects I have enjoyed studying over the past several years is the creation material available from Creation Science Evangelism, Institute for Creation Research (ICR), and Ken Ham’s material from Answers in Genesis. Science is a unique discipline and must follow set rules, principles, and format. Yet, because the common man does not know the laws of science and is enamored with the “educational and social” achievements of the scientist, he can easily be manipulated and convinced to believe their “findings” even thought they are not true. Illustration: There are two views or perceptions that can be taken when an individual looks at the formation of the Grand Canyon. One person may take the view that believes it took a little water and a lot of time to form the canyon (Conditioned to believe Evolution from childhood) and the other person may take the view that believes it took a lot of water and a little time (Global Flood). The evolutionist theory is not scientific because it can not be tested by the first two laws of Empirical Science. The creation view is scientific because it can be tested by these laws. The first two laws of Empirical Science state:
1) It must be observable
2.) It must be able to be replicated
As stated earlier concerning myself, I must use the laws of science on a daily basis in order to pinpoint root causes of problems in manufacturing and then design systems that correct the situation. Without the proper knowledge and experience of the subject an individual may quickly believe conjecture, supposition, or an uneducated opinion. To form a solution to the manufacturing problems, intricate knowledge is needed of machinery, procedures, operational criteria, and the probability of human error. When applying these laws of deduction to investigating problems within the post modern church and our movement, I am not trying to present myself as being the final authority on the subject. Although, I do try to place into this document an indication that I have an authoritative approach to thinking this subject through to its final conclusion base on yeas of study and successful ministry experience.
From the experience of the past we derive instructive lessons for the future. JOHN QUINCY ADAMS, Inaugural Address, Mar. 4, 1825
Before we do our little scientific study, let us first define some terms. The church (each and every believer) is commanded to reach the world with the gospel, baptize them, and teach them the scripture. This command give by our Lord is called “The Great Commission.” If the church only reaches one half of the world’s population then should we call that “The Great Half Done Commission?” And finally, if the church only reaches twenty five percent of the world’s population then should we call that “The Great, tremendously disobeyed, lackadaisically valued, excessively distracted and morally defiled commission?” We must rejoice when we see the Spirit of God working in our services and when lives being transformed. Yet, when we are inspired to sand up after a power praise and worship song or we want to shout and praise God when there is and answer to prayer, have we deceived ourselves into thinking we are fulfilling the “Great Commission?” We are able to gage which commission we are fulfilling by the scientific law that is OBSERVABLE and REPLICATED in a new convert walking down the aisle and by the moving of the baptismal waters. A simple demographic study of a church will indicate weather the governing body is composed of members obtained from another area church or if the body of believers is the result of workmen busy in the fields leading souls to Christ. If we are honest with the results of history, we will have to admit that we are not fulfilling the great commission and there is something definitely wrong with our ministry method, movement, and men.