Comments on: Finally a Youth Group! http://allsaidanddone.com/2007/02/10/finally-a-youth-group/ Sat, 12 May 2012 08:05:28 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Rhonda http://allsaidanddone.com/2007/02/10/finally-a-youth-group/comment-page-1/#comment-1346 Rhonda Wed, 14 Feb 2007 10:48:15 +0000 http://allsaidanddone.com/2007/02/10/finally-a-youth-group/#comment-1346 Hey Bec & Geoff, thanks for responding to a possibly over anxious parent of a teenager. I am enjoying reading both your blogs. I feel a bit spoilt as I appreciate that you have probably got better things to do with your time than reassure me! Yes you have reassured me! I am also enjoying being able to talk to you here knowing that this post is old enough that we are probably the only ones still reading it. I guess where I am coming from is that lately I have become very aware of just how full on it is for teenagers (Christian and non Christians) living in this world of ours. There is an immense pressure to be, look and perform a certain way, and I have discovered that this is just as prevalent in a Christian school environment as it is in a non Christian one. Darn it! I guess I can't get past the desire for our teenagers to have a place that is completely safe from teenage pressure and challenges. Although I understand where you are both coming from and I too want them to have a faith that is "real, genuine and has an outward application" I just don't want that to become another performance issue for them. Hey Bec & Geoff, thanks for responding to a possibly over anxious parent of a teenager.
I am enjoying reading both your blogs. I feel a bit spoilt as I appreciate that you have probably got better things to do with your time than reassure me! Yes you have reassured me!
I am also enjoying being able to talk to you here knowing that this post is old enough that we are probably the only ones still reading it.
I guess where I am coming from is that lately I have become very aware of just how full on it is for teenagers (Christian and non Christians) living in this world of ours. There is an immense pressure to be, look and perform a certain way, and I have discovered that this is just as prevalent in a Christian school environment as it is in a non Christian one. Darn it! I guess I can’t get past the desire for our teenagers to have a place that is completely safe from teenage pressure and challenges. Although I understand where you are both coming from and I too want them to have a faith that is “real, genuine and has an outward application” I just don’t want that to become another performance issue for them.

]]> By: Geoff http://allsaidanddone.com/2007/02/10/finally-a-youth-group/comment-page-1/#comment-1334 Geoff Mon, 12 Feb 2007 23:03:26 +0000 http://allsaidanddone.com/2007/02/10/finally-a-youth-group/#comment-1334 Just to have a go at this one - I guess what we're really hoping to change is how much of the youth is just about keeping our teenagers "entertained". So yes, we absolutely want our kids to be having a really great time, but if we have our kids just having a good time in the same way as they have a great time watching TV, then we're seriously missing something. But if we get them to start connecting with God, sharing this life journey together, and encouraging one another in learning more about Jesus - that's something that will have long term value. I hope I haven't alarmed you too much Rhonda: my comments about "blowing away their perceptions" have got a lot to do with my own experiences of being in a very "nice" Christian school. I'm just very aware that in that type of environment, it becomes very easy for the Christian faith to be reduced to some type of anti-depressant, where Jesus should just make you happy all the time. My intent is not to depress our teenagers, nor to weigh them down, but instead to help them see just how badly this world needs the redemption of Jesus. The group of teenagers we have now has so much that God has put in them, and I desperately want to see them out there using that. It's about helping our teenagers to have a faith that is very real, genuine and that has an outward application. Not sure that I'll have completely re-assured you, and I really do want to challenge our teenagers, because I firmly believe that they've got what it takes to make a massive change to the world around them. We really, really appreciate the support from parents, and it's great to be hearing feedback from you. Just to have a go at this one – I guess what we’re really hoping to change is how much of the youth is just about keeping our teenagers “entertained”. So yes, we absolutely want our kids to be having a really great time, but if we have our kids just having a good time in the same way as they have a great time watching TV, then we’re seriously missing something. But if we get them to start connecting with God, sharing this life journey together, and encouraging one another in learning more about Jesus – that’s something that will have long term value.

I hope I haven’t alarmed you too much Rhonda: my comments about “blowing away their perceptions” have got a lot to do with my own experiences of being in a very “nice” Christian school. I’m just very aware that in that type of environment, it becomes very easy for the Christian faith to be reduced to some type of anti-depressant, where Jesus should just make you happy all the time. My intent is not to depress our teenagers, nor to weigh them down, but instead to help them see just how badly this world needs the redemption of Jesus. The group of teenagers we have now has so much that God has put in them, and I desperately want to see them out there using that. It’s about helping our teenagers to have a faith that is very real, genuine and that has an outward application.

Not sure that I’ll have completely re-assured you, and I really do want to challenge our teenagers, because I firmly believe that they’ve got what it takes to make a massive change to the world around them. We really, really appreciate the support from parents, and it’s great to be hearing feedback from you.

]]> By: Bec http://allsaidanddone.com/2007/02/10/finally-a-youth-group/comment-page-1/#comment-1333 Bec Mon, 12 Feb 2007 12:39:48 +0000 http://allsaidanddone.com/2007/02/10/finally-a-youth-group/#comment-1333 haha I was wondering as I hit 'post' if the whole 'fun' thing would come up and I'm quite aware and know I have failed to mention that hanging out with God is fun and I am of no doubt that youth group should involve 'fun' in all sorts of ways. My intent was just not with the focus on entertainment and a structured (or otherwise) babysitting/hang out time. You're on the money, youth needs to be a combination of 'fun' and discipleship or else it sucks and fails. I guess how last year played out was that we did tend to lean much more toward the 'fun' side of things and are now attempting to 'fix and get the balance'. I'm guessing that Geoff (correct me if I"m wrong Geoff) is stressing the need to show in a real and authentic way how a Christian should live in a world that it's not all roses and how being a Christian often doesn't contribute to ease and passive enjoyment. I sincerely hope and pray that we don't forget at all to share the joy and the amazing thing that living with knowing God is. My greatest thrill is when kids share openly with what's going on and to be able to speak some truth into that and be along-side them. It is what is remembered (as far as my youth group experiences go) and what counts. We do need to tread carefully but also honestly. It's a difficult balance. Kids are asking those questions about 'why does God allow us to suffer' and oddly that's what seems to come up the most frequently. I'd hope that youth serves as a place to at least be somewhere where those (and any) questions can be freely asked and discussed and a place where we can share those triumphs, some laughs and some really positive relationships. haha I was wondering as I hit ‘post’ if the whole ‘fun’ thing would come up and I’m quite aware and know I have failed to mention that hanging out with God is fun and I am of no doubt that youth group should involve ‘fun’ in all sorts of ways. My intent was just not with the focus on entertainment and a structured (or otherwise) babysitting/hang out time. You’re on the money, youth needs to be a combination of ‘fun’ and discipleship or else it sucks and fails. I guess how last year played out was that we did tend to lean much more toward the ‘fun’ side of things and are now attempting to ‘fix and get the balance’. I’m guessing that Geoff (correct me if I”m wrong Geoff) is stressing the need to show in a real and authentic way how a Christian should live in a world that it’s not all roses and how being a Christian often doesn’t contribute to ease and passive enjoyment. I sincerely hope and pray that we don’t forget at all to share the joy and the amazing thing that living with knowing God is. My greatest thrill is when kids share openly with what’s going on and to be able to speak some truth into that and be along-side them. It is what is remembered (as far as my youth group experiences go) and what counts. We do need to tread carefully but also honestly. It’s a difficult balance. Kids are asking those questions about ‘why does God allow us to suffer’ and oddly that’s what seems to come up the most frequently. I’d hope that youth serves as a place to at least be somewhere where those (and any) questions can be freely asked and discussed and a place where we can share those triumphs, some laughs and some really positive relationships.

]]> By: Rhonda http://allsaidanddone.com/2007/02/10/finally-a-youth-group/comment-page-1/#comment-1332 Rhonda Mon, 12 Feb 2007 07:17:57 +0000 http://allsaidanddone.com/2007/02/10/finally-a-youth-group/#comment-1332 Bec thanks so much for this post, as a parent of one of the girls who attended on Friday night it is great to hear a leader's perspective on how it went. My daughter told me that she had a great night and the worship was really good, so too the speaker. With the risk of being argumentative couldn't you also describe Friday night as fun, it sounds like fun, hanging out with God, worshipping Him and praying for each other? Isn't this attractional, or have I confused what attractional is? Now I am coming from a parent perspective so please excuse my bias, I don't have a problem with my teenager attending youth because it is fun, especially when she is hanging out with wonderful leaders/people, like you and Geoff and learning about God, worship and prayer. Can't youth group be a combination of fun and discipleship? As a parent I get a little nervous and concerned when Geoff talks about "blowing away kids perceptions that the world is a lovely, happy state;" and is considering "calling them to see the brokenness and hurt of humanity’s current state". Isn't the world depressing enough, won't they learn that as they grow and develop? Now I'm not saying we should mislead them or lie to them but I do hope we can tread carefully with them. I am happy for you to put me back in my box about some of these things. Again thanks for this post it helped me to rest a little, you guys are doing an awesome job (you would probably be surprised at how much positive influence you are having.) and I for one want to thank you and Geoff very much for all you do. So Thanks. Bec thanks so much for this post, as a parent of one of the girls who attended on Friday night it is great to hear a leader’s perspective on how it went. My daughter told me that she had a great night and the worship was really good, so too the speaker. With the risk of being argumentative couldn’t you also describe Friday night as fun, it sounds like fun, hanging out with God, worshipping Him and praying for each other? Isn’t this attractional, or have I confused what attractional is? Now I am coming from a parent perspective so please excuse my bias, I don’t have a problem with my teenager attending youth because it is fun, especially when she is hanging out with wonderful leaders/people, like you and Geoff and learning about God, worship and prayer. Can’t youth group be a combination of fun and discipleship? As a parent I get a little nervous and concerned when Geoff talks about “blowing away kids perceptions that the world is a lovely, happy state;” and is considering “calling them to see the brokenness and hurt of humanity’s current state”. Isn’t the world depressing enough, won’t they learn that as they grow and develop? Now I’m not saying we should mislead them or lie to them but I do hope we can tread carefully with them. I am happy for you to put me back in my box about some of these things. Again thanks for this post it helped me to rest a little, you guys are doing an awesome job (you would probably be surprised at how much positive influence you are having.) and I for one want to thank you and Geoff very much for all you do. So Thanks.

]]> By: Louise http://allsaidanddone.com/2007/02/10/finally-a-youth-group/comment-page-1/#comment-1327 Louise Sat, 10 Feb 2007 04:27:15 +0000 http://allsaidanddone.com/2007/02/10/finally-a-youth-group/#comment-1327 Great! I believe that this year, 2007, will be a significant year for your youth ministry! God is doing something in Melbourne Bec. And it's not limited to just a few churches, He wants to move powerfully in <i>all</i> the churches, in <i>all</i> denominations. Keep seeking God, keep asking God what does HE want to do for each week. Avoid the route of doing the same ol same ol cos "it worked last week".. but really keep prayer as a focus and ask the Holy Spirit what does <b>He</b> want to do for that week. I'm so excited for you! I really believe that as you keep stepping out as a leader, not only is this youth ministry going to grow, but you as a person will grow. Love ya Great!
I believe that this year, 2007, will be a significant year for your youth ministry! God is doing something in Melbourne Bec. And it’s not limited to just a few churches, He wants to move powerfully in all the churches, in all denominations.
Keep seeking God, keep asking God what does HE want to do for each week. Avoid the route of doing the same ol same ol cos “it worked last week”.. but really keep prayer as a focus and ask the Holy Spirit what does He want to do for that week.
I’m so excited for you! I really believe that as you keep stepping out as a leader, not only is this youth ministry going to grow, but you as a person will grow.
Love ya

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