Some additional research done by a Princeton professor for the book “Almost Christian” reinforces that we have watered down our teaching to youth and failed to do our job to make “disciples.” http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/08/27/almost.christian/index.html?iref=obnetwork

I think we need to embrace the “Genius of the AND” vs. the “Tyranny of the OR” in this case. I agree that in the case of big church, they do have the cool music and relevance messages that can relate to youth. In other churches, they do not. The best chance for a “relevant” service sometimes is the youth room.

Do I support pulling kids from the main service for their own “special” one on Sunday AM. Nope. I think including youth as part of the large body of Christ is essential to their spiritual development vs. being exiled to the youth room. I think everyone benefits in the process. We need to make worship meaningful, relevant and engaging without watering down the message of Jesus Christ for ALL AGES, not just some.

Do I think it is helpful to it is helpful to structure a youth-specific time of worship and a hard-hitting dialogue on key issues they specifically face…YEP. Should this look like worship in the main sanctuary…NOPE.

We need to focus our “events” around the most effective ways to make disciples. We need to look holistically at the entire “church” experience and figure how to help people further their spiritual journey.

Cookie cutters are good for cookies…bad for making disciples.

I agree with you and Chris that students should be engaged in the church as a whole. My students do this mainly by serving, but my hope is that they’ll transition into the adult service either during or after their high school years.

I wonder how many of my students could articulate the gospel. Great question. I do focus way more attention on how to live it than to verbally share it… both are necessary.

Side note: I got fired from a church where numbers mattered, but now I work at a church where numbers don’t matter and I have 3 times as many kids coming. I think that many of the problems with youth ministries out there stem from unhealthy expectations from senior leadership. These days I’m freed up to just care about kids, and it has made all the difference.

Side side note: can’t wait to read the AZ Central article. Remember me when you’re even more famous.

I do agree that the “minichurch” philosophy contributes, though. I’ve written more about that and other things I think that are contributing to this problem a few times:

http://www.studentministry.org/podcast-problems-with-youth-group-as-a-minichurch/
http://www.studentministry.org/problems-with-youth-ministry-today-and-in-the-future/
http://www.studentministry.org/youth-ministrys-contribution-to-the-missing-20-somethings/

All the same, I completely agree with you that youth groups need to do a better job of focusing on discipleship, as opposed to numbers, or how many teenagers will throw up after their gallon challenge.

I am hoping the youth will go for this approach of not segregating them out and giving them something cool, but rather, including them in the regular life of making disciples in community in the context of mission.

But then again, I’m an idealist…

(as an example – I have 1280 pixels left-right, and 800 top-to-bottom – why waste 30 of those 800 all the way across on a toolbar that does something that anyone who’s moderately familiar with a browser could do already?)

1) the students looked like actual students… typically a movie from the “Christian” factory would have the school girls dressed in very modest clothing which isn’t true of a public school.

2) they dealt with themes in a very realistic way. It seemed the story flowed well.

3) there wasn’t a huge effort to avoid foul language or questionable content. typically there is no foul language or questionable behavior in “Christian” movies. I mean, I’m not looking for trashy content, but let’s face it, we heard and saw horrible things in our public high schools, sometimes even more graphic than the movies.

So what are your thoughts, or anyone’s for that matter on this film.