Ability to see, influence the future impacts youth ministry_110104

Posted: 10/29/04

Ability to see, influence the future impacts youth ministry

By John Hall

Texas Baptist Communications

ARLINGTON–A church's ability to foresee the impact of cultural trends plays a key role in the effectiveness of its ministry, youth specialist Mark Matlock insists.

Trends interact with society to push change, said Matlock, the founder of WisdomWorks Ministries.

Change creates new conditions and issues for people, and churches minister in that environment, he said. The faster they see the changes, the better off they are, he noted.

“Our ability to see and influence the future will profoundly impact our work,” he told participants at the Baptist General Convention of Texas-sponsored Youth Ministry Conclave.

Matlock noted four ways to respond–arrogance, denial, engagement or “go with the flow.” The best choice is engagement, in which Christians discuss their beliefs about societal issues. When that happens, he noted, the church can impact society.

“These aren't things we can fix by next Wednesday,” he said. “These aren't things we can fix by next week. It takes a lifetime.”

How Christians and society react to change produces five possibilities for the future, he said. Youth may not come to church, deeming other activities a more valuable use of their time. Youth ministries may become irrelevant to the lives of youth, leaving no lasting impression. God may raise a remnant of the upcoming generation that he will use to accomplish his will. Widespread revival could break out among youth. Mid-sized churches may disappear, as youth find more meaningful community in small and mega-churches.

Matlock outlined seven conditions he believes affect youth ministry.

The attention economy. Time has become a person's most valuable commodity, he observed. People are less willing to give it up, and it is more difficult to draw them to events. Youth ministers have limited time to make an impact on a young person's life.

Pseudo-events. Individuals are having difficulty determining what is real in their lives. The line between events and advancing God's kingdom is blurred, he noted. Some people can no longer tell what is a social church function and what is meaningful ministry.

Dualism. Christians are more likely to lead “compartmentalized” lives, he said. They separate their faith from the rest of life, failing to see that their beliefs should affect their behavior.

Market-driven ministry. Economics drives some aspects of ministry. Marketing possibilities determine which books are published. Youth ministers feel they must have the latest programs and music to be relevant. “When money becomes what drives the production of materials, we run into issues,” Matlock said.

Virtual paralysis. Technology, such as video games and the Internet, is taking up an increasing amount of people's time, leading them to feel isolated. They spend hours in front of a computer or television by themselves.

Fear of human frailty. Christians seem afraid to acknowledge their intellectual limitations, he observed. Leaders argue there is one truth and verge on claiming they know it completely. “I believe there is such a thing as absolute truth,” Matlock said. “I am less confident in mankind's ability to grasp absolute truth as it has been revealed.”

Breeding Christians. Faith is passed on through the social interaction of family members without mention of spiritual matters, rather than parents sharing their faith with their children. This leaves emerging generations to wonder if they would follow a different religion if they were born in another family, Matlock asserted.