Toward a Postmodern Youth Movement

FEELING THE CHANGE!

Why do young people leave church?

- Even if some left for more “contemporary” churches, they tend to leave as well after a period of time

1) Our voice is not heard in the church

2) God is not relevant with our experience out there / God in the church is not meeting our needs

1) Youth Ministry in need of CPR

Judges 2:6-10

Losing Their Pulse…

- Unable to equip them with inner resilience

- Unable to keep them from falling into vice

- Unable to keep them from turning away

Running Placebo Factories!

- Feeding the feel good culture

- Raising a generation of cat-theologians

- Going over the edge in healing victims, not raising disciples in the midst of fiery reality

In a Cancerous Situation

- A spearing fear that God is no longer relevant

- A rebellion of wanting to overthrow religion

- A chasm (峡谷； 裂缝，断层) with a generation who doesn’t know how to anchor in God

2) Change Era, Rising Gaps

Google, “Y”, & Starbucks

- Knows a lot

- Questions a lot

- Desires holistic experience

“What Talking You? Generation (they’re hindered and find irrelevant)

- Our ‘glamorous’ Christianity

- Our ‘dry raisin’ Christianity

- Our ‘no-earthly-good’ Christianity (so heavenly minded but of no early use)

The Generational Gap Rising!!

- A generation with a 2^nd hand spirituality (listen from others)

- A generation of biblical illiterates

- A generation of “Why need the lordship of Christ”?

3) Colored Views of Living

Colored By Their History

- Family History

- Community History

- Personal History

- National History

Colored By Their Post Modern ERA

- Birthed out of disillusionment with a society that promised so much

- A reaction to modernity which alienated people

- Coming with an openness to mystery, spirituality

Their Colors of God

- A cultural view of who God is

- A patriarchal and distorted view of the Father

- A God who is removed from our experience

4) Rebuilding After the Storm

After The EYE of The Hurricane (2 winds patter: an era change; a generational change)

- Potential to cause havoc and destruction

- Post-dated with an unknown destination

- Seekers of truth which can be known and experienced and can transform lives

Re-Examining Our Ruins

- People hungering for safe places

- People having spiritual experiences

- People having stories and symbols of hope

New Renovations Needed!

Reflective Moments

1. Where are our STUCK PLACES in ministering to the young people?

2. What have we been FEEDING THEM with?

3. What practical ways can we RENOVATE our current ministry?

PILGRIMS, BACK TO THE FUTURE!

1) Our “Missionary” Identity

1 Thessalonians 1:7-10

“Refocusing” Our Identity

- See ourselves as missionaries (cross cultural)

- Seeing our mission (holistic)

- Building bridges for ministry (methodology)

Relevance Re-Visited

- Not merely changing the outer wrapping

- Releasing the aroma of hope

- Releasing the real Jesus in our ministry

EPIC Encounters with Jesus

- E – EXPERIENCE: Promo economy is experience economy

- P – PARTICIPATION: Promos want to be content providers

- I – IMAGE-INSPIRED: Story & metaphor at heart of their spirituality

- C – CONNECTIONS: Yearning to be connected

2) Building Bridges of Authenticity (Real, Genuine, Not Fake!)

Matthew 18:1-5

Telling It “As It Is”

- Coming to God in childlike freedom

- Coming to God in childlike poverty

- Coming to God in childlike dependence

Laying Down Bricks of Vulnerability

- Honest unpretending faith

- Unshamely wrestle faith

- Waiting for answer faith

Urging Honest Resolutions

- Resolving their identity (value, ownership, existence)

- Resolving their inheritance (embracing their lot)

- Resolving their integrity (inside-out, one person)

3) The Ancient-Future Approach (points us to ancient language, first century language)

Moving From Fanfare (大张旗鼓) to Vintage Christianity

- Simplicity in all ways (close proximity, not dramatic, inviting experience)

- Collision of stories (God’s story with ours)

- Embracing the EPIC methodology (both active-reflective, participating, observing, in-out)

Moving From Roadblocks to Roadsigns (receiving their confessions, confusions, conversions)

- Inviting them to journey (pilgrimage)

- Helping them trace God’s fingerprints

- Being connectors

Moving From Irrelevance to Incarnational

- Seeing the world from their viewing point

- Helping them discover Christ’s light in darkness

- Releasing them to tell the truth about their lives

4) Authentic Pilgrims, Authentic Journeys

Psalm 84:5-7

The Welcoming Space

- Gift of hospitality and coming alongside

Odysseying with Them (one youth @ a time)

- Students and surveyors of life (they are our teachers about their lives)

- Spiritual companions & coaches (discerners of Divine activity, becoming pointers)

- Signposts & mirrors (mirroring life to them, encouraging them to throw off weights that hold them down)

Recounting Our Pilgrimage

- Our stories – catalyst to understand experiences

- Our struggles – realities for their faith

- Our simplicity – testimony to keep them going

Reflective Moments

1. Where are the SPACES IN YOUR MINISTRY, for youth to CONFESS THEIR REALITIES; and to WRESTLE THROUGH THEIR FAITH?

2. Who are the SAFE PLACES your youth can go to in your church / your ministry?

3. What PRACTICAL CHANGES do we need to make to open doors for MORE AUTHENTICITY to flow?

Annette Arulrajah

Associate Regional Secretary

International Fellowship of Evangelical Students

East Asia

Source: By Annette Arulrajah organized by Ministries for Asia Pacific (MAP) on 9^th  May 2015